Denver Nuggets: 3 Reasons That We Had The Best Draft
By Evan Gould
#2: They got the biggest steal of the draft
Malik Beasley, a 6’5″ shooting guard from Florida State, was in the lottery of some NBA mock drafts. Due to injury concerns, he fell all the way down to the Nuggets at No. 19. “We were shocked that he was still there,” GM Tim Connelly said.
And so were we. Beasley is a high-energy wing player who can shoot from deep and can defend all the 1-3 positions. He averaged 15.6 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7% from 3. He also showed that he can be an above-average defender in the NBA due to his size, strength, and athleticism. Beasley has a great chance to be a solid 3-and-D guy in the NBA, and has drawn comparisons to the reliable Wesley Matthews of the Dallas Mavericks.
Check out some of his Freshman year highlights:
After drafting Beasley, the Nuggets now have four capable players at the shooting guard position. Some may say this is a bad thing, but there is no such thing as too much depth. The Nuggets now have multiple guys that can help them with their biggest weaknesses: 3-point shooting and perimeter defense. They may look to trade one of their shooting guards, but we will deal with that when/if the time comes. For now, the Nuggets have a great player in Beasley who helps them take a step in the right direction towards the playoffs.
Next: Improved Weaknesses