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Denver Nuggets: Three second-round targets for the Nuggets in the 2018 Draft

By Kevin Oestreicher

DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 13: Trevon Duval #1 of the Duke Blue Devils against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 89-71. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 13: Trevon Duval #1 of the Duke Blue Devils against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 89-71. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 15: Rodions Kurucs, #11 of U18 FC Barcelona Lassa competes with Borisa Simanic, #11 of U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade during the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Championship game between U18 FC Barcelona Lassa v U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade at Mercedes Benz Arena on May 15, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Francesco Richieri/EB via Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 15: Rodions Kurucs, #11 of U18 FC Barcelona Lassa competes with Borisa Simanic, #11 of U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade during the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Championship game between U18 FC Barcelona Lassa v U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade at Mercedes Benz Arena on May 15, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Francesco Richieri/EB via Getty Images) /

Target #2: Rodions Kurucs

FC Barcelona Small Forward Rodions Kurucs is a candidate for a player who could stay overseas to develop for a couple of seasons. He is a player who didn’t play a lot due to Barcelona’s depth, but his potential has kept teams intrigued. He is a lengthy player, measuring in at 6’9, and has a massive wingspan. Kurucs is one of the more raw players in the draft, and thus is a prime candidate for Denver.

Kurucs averaged 10.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for Barcelona last season. He shot 44.5% from the field, and 33% from three point range. He has a fluid shot motion, and has been compared to Kyle Korver in spot up situations. His game would need to be refined in order for it to work the NBA level. He also averaged 2.9 steals per 36 minutes, showing that he has good hands and a good defensive IQ.

Kurucs is very untested, and many teams don’t know how he plays or what his skills are due to the lack of playing time he received at Barcelona. He also is very thin and would need to put on weight in order to compete in the NBA. From NBADraft.net:

"He already had two major injuries and he is really close to be labeled as injury prone … Hasn’t really be tested against elite competition … He really needs to add some muscle, since he barely weights 200 lbs … He might not afraid of contact, but he can’t really absorb it at the moment … His ball handling is improving, but stills needs work, especially on his left hand … His average ball handling limits him on ISO situations against good defenders … He goes almost exclusively right when driving to the basket and is easy to read … Drives to the basket only on straight lines"

While Kurucs is a project, his raw talent is a big reason why Denver should take a chance on him. There is a chance he wouldn’t pan out, but if he did, the Nuggets would reap the rewards. A couple of years overseas could do wonders for him, and he could work out the kinks overseas instead of not getting playing time on the Nuggets crowded bench.