The resurrection of Emmanuel Mudiay
By Mathew Huff
Emmanuel Mudiay has turned a key corner to start the season.
Before the season began, many viewed Emmanuel Mudiay expendable. Many were saying the young point guard needed to be traded. Others were saying he was already a bust.
Denver Nuggets
However, he is starting to find new life coming from the bench. While it is still early in the year, Mudiay has seemingly revived his career becoming a key scoring asset on Denver’s second unit. According to basketball-reference.com, as of November 7, he is averaging 12.4 points per game which is an improvement from his average last season of 11 points per game. Oh and his other aspects have also significantly increased.
He has also been stringing many 15 point games in this latest stretch. For example, his win share is at 0.3 which is a sharp increase from his career win share of -1.3. His player efficiency rating is also at a career high of 14.7 and is still averaging 7.4 assists per 100 possessions. Mudiay is also shooting very well from three point land.
So far, he is averaging 43.5% from down town this season. This is a clip he may not be able to keep up for the entire year, but it is still a very promising aspect for Denver fans to keep an eye on as the season progresses. If he continues to be a great presence coming off the bench, then he just may solidify a future within the Mile High.
Jamal Murray seems to be the clear cut starter for the future, but Mudiay could be an anchor for the second unit if he continues this level of play on a consistent basis.
Next: Making the offense better
Yes, he has still had a couple of games where he has struggled, but this is still an Emmanuel Mudiay who fans would be happy to see on the team in the future.