Nugg Love
Fansided

Looking at the Denver Nuggets’ Loaded Backcourt

By Drew Albee

Dec 22, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) and guard Gary Harris (14) react during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) and guard Gary Harris (14) react during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 9
Next
Mar 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Emmanuel Mudiay

After drafting Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh overall pick in last season’s NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets immediately handed the keys over to the young point guard. The 6-foot-5 Mudiay seemed to struggle a bit with the physicality and speed of the NBA at the beginning of the season before injuring his ankle in December.

Following his injury, Mudiay was eased back into action behind veteran Jameer Nelson and after the All-Star break, he began to play much better. Mudiay seemed to regain confidence, started to take more control of the Nuggets’ offense and shots eventually began to fall for him.

Mudiay finished the season with averages of 12.8 points, 5.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game and was voted to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Despite his up-and-down play during his rookie campaign, Mudiay clearly took a step forward during the season and improved as a player. Let’s hope his growth continues this offseason, as the Nuggets hope Mudiay can develop into one of the core pieces of a championship contender.

Next: Projected Starting Shooting Guard: Gary Harris

Home/Nuggets News