With the Denver Nuggets battling away in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, let’s take a look at which prospects they can bring in on 2021 NBA draft day.
The ties have been broken and Denver has unfortunately lost their coin flip with the LA Clippers, meaning the Nuggets will be selecting 26th in the upcoming draft.
It’s a familiar spot to be in for this team and Tim Connelly has excelled at finding value in the late first round and second round. Some of the more notable players he has drafted include Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez, Monte Morris, and of course, the greatest late pick of all time, Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets are in a good place as an organization. They have franchise pieces as well as one of the deepest supporting casts in the NBA. With draft day approaching, there are roughly two directions the team can take: draft a high ceiling prospect or take a polished, NBA-ready talent who can make an immediate impact?
Let’s look at some of the names available in Denver’s range and how they might fit with this team.
Denver Nuggets early NBA Draft look ahead: High ceiling
Ziaire Williams
Stanford wing Ziaire Williams fits the bill of a late first-round pick that could have an impact within a couple of seasons in the NBA. Standing at 6-foot-8, his size for either the 2 or 3 is great. Despite this, the number five College Recruit of 2020 has seen his draft stock drop after a mediocre freshman season.
The 19-year-old averaged 10.7 points and 4.6 rebounds this year at Stanford. Yet, his standout talent lies on the defensive end. Freakishly athletic for his size, and strong for his age, Williams has drawn many comparisons to Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter.
However, after shooting only 29 percent from three for Stanford, Williams needs to get more consistent shooting the ball to reach Hunter’s level.
Brandon Boston Jr
A disappointing season for Kentucky has seen Brandon Boston Jr‘s stock plummet. Thought of as a lottery pick at the start of the year, Boston will now likely be available late in the first round. The Freshman averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in this disappointing season.
Standing at 6-foot-7, Boston Jr. has the length, however, weighing only 185 pounds, he will need to add 20-30 pounds of muscle to fit in to the NBA.
His 35.5 percent from the floor in his freshman year also draws cause for concern. Yet, despite these short-comings, the 19-year-old has many qualities comparable to that of Michael Porter Jr. Do they share the similarity of being draft day sleepers? We will find out.
Denver Nuggets early NBA Draft look ahead: NBA-ready prospects
Ayo Dosunmu
Ayo Dosumnu is the most ready to make an impact starting next season. Th Illinois guard has been filling up the bucket during his three year tenure at the colligate level, averaging over 16 points per game in that span.
This past year was his coming out party, as he scored 20.1 points a night, while also averaging 5.3 assists, and 6.3 rebounds. At 6-foot-5, his size would be welcome on a Denver team that doesn’t boast much size in their backcourt.
The Junior also has an endless motor that helps him on defence. He isn’t elite on this end by any stretch, but he communicates well and can pull his weight in a defensive system.
He shot the ball very well last season, knocking down 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep. However, questions have been raised about his ball-security, as he averaged over three turnovers this past season.
At 21 years old, he’s not the youngest point guard that’ll be there, but it’s hard to see a lot of other guys have Dosunmu’s potential, especially going into next season.
Chris Duarte
The Dominican-born Chris Duarte really made a name for himself during March Madness a few months back. Duarte led his Oregon Ducks to a huge upset, when they beat the nation’s leading scorer Luka Garza and Iowa. Duarte had a team-high 23 points in the win and showed himself to be the real leader of his Oregon side. He Won the Jerry West award for the best shooting guard in college basketball and he was also selected as a First-Team All-Pac 12 player and First-Team Pac 12 All-Defense team in 2020-21.
Duarte averaged over 17 points per game last season. Despite averaging only two assists per game, Duarte’s a gifted ball handler at 6-foot-6.
His ceiling is limited by none-other than his age. Duarte is 24, so it’s possible that what he brings to the table in his first year might be similar to what his output is when he’s in his absolute prime. Despite this, what he would bring so late in the first round would be undoubtedly hard to turn down if you’re the Denver Nuggets.