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Rumor: Nuggets conduct pre-draft interview with Grant Riller

By Quenton S. Albertie

WICHITA, KS - NOVEMBER 13: Guard Grant Riller #1 of the College of Charleston Cougars dribbles around forward Shaquille Morris #24 of the Wichita State Shockers during the second half on November 13, 2017 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
WICHITA, KS - NOVEMBER 13: Guard Grant Riller #1 of the College of Charleston Cougars dribbles around forward Shaquille Morris #24 of the Wichita State Shockers during the second half on November 13, 2017 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Nuggets are rumored to have held a pre-draft interview with sparkplug Grant Riller.

According to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw, the Denver Nuggets are among the teams that have interviewed Charleston guard Grant Riller ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Riller, 24-years-old, is projected to be an early second-round pick. However, with the 22nd overall pick in the upcoming draft, it’s possible that the Nuggets opt to trade back in the draft to take Riller even if they don’t use their current selection on him.

The Skinny

A four-year player for the College of Charleston, a mid-major program, Riller started 123 of 132 possible games in his collegiate career. The Orlando native steadily improved his numbers over the course of his career, culminating averages of 21.9 points, 3.9 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game with a true shooting percentage of .609 last season.

What He Does Well

First and foremost, Riller is a scorer. Seriously.

Riller creates space easily with shifty moves and a patient canter, demonstrating great body control on the drive and touch on his shots from all over the court. In a league where scoring point guards are highly-valued commodities, Riller’s shot-making ability makes him an interesting addition.

Why Denver Would Be Interested

A player that comes to mind when watching Riller, not in terms of style but in terms of potential impact, is Fred VanVleet. Four seasons into his NBA career after going undrafted 2016, ‘FVV’ just finished his first season as a full-time starter in 2019-20, averaging 17.6 points per game and becoming one of the most respected players in the league.

For Nuggets fans, Riller is like an improved version of backup point guard Monte Morris. Coincidentally, Morris will be an undrafted free agent in 2021 and could become part of a trade package for New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.

What do you think of Denver’s interest in Grant Riller? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter @Nugg_Love.