Denver Nuggets: Is Bol Bol a potential x-factor?

Denver Nuggets rookie center Bol Bol is one of the most talented big men you’ll see.

Following the Denver Nuggets’ second day of practice within the NBA bubble, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone praised 20-year-old rookie center Bol Bol, who was selected 44th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Per NBA.com’s Eric Spyropoulos:

"“He (Bol) only practiced with us in Denver a few times during the season,” Malone said Saturday. “To see him out there playing and doing things that a lot of people can’t do, it’s really remarkable. I have to remind myself how young he is. He is extremely talented and skilled.”"

The Denver Post’s Kyle Fredrickson adds that Malone said “to see (Bol) out there playing and doing things a lot of people can’t do is really remarkable.”

"“He is extremely talented and skilled. You cannot teach 7-foot-2, you cannot teach a 7-foot-9 wingspan, and the soft touch that he has. He’s getting stronger, he’s getting healthier, and right now it’s good to see him compete against some of the other players that we have down here.”"

At 7’2″, Bol can simply make plays that a lot of players his size don’t make, having shown himself to be a potentially dominant two-way player both in high school in college. He can stroke it from three with ease, he turns away shots at the rim at a high rate, he can put the ball on the floor and score at the rack or score around the rim on a post-up.

Simply put, centers that skilled at that young age don’t come around often.

In fact, Bol is so talented that had he not suffered a season-ending injury after only playing nine games at Oregon, he may have ended up being a lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. One of the most interesting players to watch, Bol averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per in his lone college season, shooting 56.1% from the field and 52.0% from 3-point range.

Understandably, when players his size suffer a foot injury (in this case a stress fracture), it causes front offices to hesitate about the chances that they can have a lengthy career.

However, there are players who provide evidence that a significant foot injury isn’t a death knell for their career, like former Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskus and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (both of who have had a stress fracture in their foot).

Ilgauskus, who would never be known for his speed, would play an average of 68 games per season for the next 10 seasons after missing the entire 1999-00 season with his foot injury. Furthermore, he would remain an integral piece of the team’s success with averages of 13.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game over the final 10 seasons he spent with the Cavs.

Embiid missed the first two seasons of his NBA career with the foot injury and only played 31 games in what would be his rookie season but he’s played in approximately 75% of the games the 76ers had in 2017-18 and 2018-19. This season, he’s played in approximately 67% of possible games. Nonetheless, while he hasn’t been the picture of perfect health, Embiid has long since established himself as one of the most dominant players in the league.

Bol Bol the x-factor?

The hope should be for Bol to fall somewhere between Ilgauskus and Embiid, which isn’t unimaginable considering his talent.

This season, Bol played in eight games for the NBA G League’s Windy City Bulls, averaging 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 58.6% from the field and 36.4% from deep. If he could average just that for the next 10 years at the NBA level, he would be a very valuable player indeed.

To be frank, it’s unlikely that Bol plays much — if at all — for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. For one, the Nuggets will want to continue protect their investment, much like they did with Michael Porter Jr. during his rookie season. In addition, between Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee, Denver shouldn’t need Bol to play at all.

Now, if there’s an issue that causes Jokic or Plumlee not to play — whether it’s injury or illness — Bol could end up playing his first game with the Nuggets. If that should happen, the team can be confident about his skill even though they may worry about his health.

Because of the reality that there could be a circumstance where Denver is forced to play Bol, it makes acclimating him to the playbook and to his teammates all the more important.

Bol may not play in many games, if any. However, in at least one of the games he does play in, his skillset and talent level could allow him to be a difference-maker.