Who do the draft experts have the Denver Nuggets taking in the 2020 NBA Draft?
Looking at the most recent 2020 NBA Mock Draft from Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, SB Nation and Tankathon, we at NuggLove have attempted to determine who the consensus pick for the Denver Nuggets might be in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Below, you’ll find the separate sites and their selections for the Nuggets, who have the 22nd overall pick in the upcoming draft:
Sports Illustrated — SG Josh Green, Arizona
Yahoo Sports — SG Josh Green, Arizona
CBS Sports — F/C Aleksej Pokusevsk, Olympiacos
Bleacher Report — F Jaden McDaniels, Washington
The Ringer — PF Patrick Williams, Florida State
SB Nation — F/C Paul Reed, DePaul
Tankathon — PG Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama
Looking at these picks, Josh Green is clearly the only player these sites have listed more than once. As a result, he’s more or less the consensus pick, though only two sites have him as Denver’s pick.
Interestingly enough, big men — whether power forwards or player who can play both power forward and center — make up the majority of the Nuggets’ picks in mock drafts.
Let’s break down each player with a quick evaluation and how they could fit with the team.
Green is a 3-and-D player who could learn under Gary Harris while making an immediate impact for the second unit. Should the Nuggets opt to let the tough Torrey Craig walk in free agency, Green could be a ready-made replacement.
Jaden McDaniels would give Denver a combo forward who is a jack of all trades who would help them replace Jerami Grant, should they be unable to re-sign him. In addition, it’s possible that the Nuggets only bring back one of Grant and Paul Millsap in free agency, which could open up minutes for McDaniels behind either Will Barton or Grant/Millsap.
Paul Reed, Patrick Williams and Aleksej Pokusevsk are all talented big men. Given the Nuggets’ penchant for scouting international centers, if they have the skilled Pokusevsk rated highly on their board, it’s certainly for good reason. While Reed is the best defender of this group, Williams is the most versatile.
Yet, as Denver has Bol Bol waiting in the wings, it’s almost as unlikely for them to draft any of these big men as it is for them to pick the only point guard selected by the Nuggets in these mock drafts.
When considering the pick made by Tankathon, it’s an outlier in terms of position. Nonetheless, one can hardly ignore the talent of Kira Lewis Jr., a playmaker who happens to have what are arguably the best numbers of anyone on the list. Still, barring a move for Jamal Murray to shooting guard, the pick is unlikely due to the presence of point guards Monte Morris and P.J. Dozier.
If I had to pick who I believe the Nuggets should select out of this group, I would actually say they should draft McDaniels.
McDaniels, who can play either wing spot, has a high ceiling if he can sharpen up the tools in his shed and gives Denver a reason not to overpay for Grant as they did with Millsap. Due to his inconsistency at Washington, where he was a one and done, there’s a chance that McDaniels will fall to the Nuggets’ pick.
McDaniels and Green faced off against each other three times in 2019-20, with Washington defeating Arizona twice before the Wildcats dispatched them in the conference tournament.
In these games, Green averaged 10.7 points and 1.7 steals per game on 37.5% shooting from the field and 44.4% from three. McDaniels averaged 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steal per game, shooting 41.7% from the field and 30.8% from three.