Denver Nuggets: Tre Mann, bench scoring from day one

With the 26th pick in the upcoming draft, the Denver Nuggets may be able to draft Tre Mann out of Florida. With his shooting talent and off-the-bounce game, he could step right in and score in the NBA from day one.

Some mock drafts have Mann landing as high as the lottery while some see him falling past Denver’s 26th selection.

What makes the Florida guard an interesting prospect is his shooting ability. In 24 games this past collegiate season, Mann put up 16 points a night on nearly 50 percent inside the arc and 40 percent from the 3-point line.

When looking at film of players, it’s hard to sometimes differentiate between what works in college and what will work in the pros. The thing with Mann is that you watch what he does and on the shooting side, so much of it translates.

His step-backs and side-steps are the kind of shots the best shooters in the league take and make. The fact that he’s sometimes the smallest player on the court makes the transition even more believable.

Building on that, he isn’t some 40 percent shooter who just sits in the corner and waits for his teammates to create, Mann is doing the hard work to get open, and making it.

Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer has Mann getting selected at 15 for that exact reasoning:

"“[Mann is a] Shifty ball handler who’s a knockdown shooter from deep off the bounce. He naturally shifts speeds and uses deceleration to get into stepbacks or pull up on a dime. He needs to tighten his handle to become a true first option, but the flashes are apparent.“Is he still getting taller? Mann grew two inches and gained 15 pounds after his freshman season at Florida. His game could blossom even further if he keeps growing.”"

That last point is crucial. Mann is still growing and at 20-years-old, he might have another spurt in him.

His whole career, he has had to find ways to succeed as a smaller player, if he can naturally become taller, the ‘small guy’ ways of finding openings work even better.

Zach Harper, The Athletic even goes as far as wondering if Mann could be a Jamal Murray replacement for the regular season:

"“The Nuggets need some depth in the backcourt, which proved to be a problem for them in the postseason.“You probably don’t want to play the 26th pick right away if you’re hoping to be a title contender, but if it comes to it, I think you can trust Tre Mann to knock down shots. He could probably compete at running a second unit pretty early into his rookie season, but defense will be an issue.”"

If Mann’s inside game is limited as he transitions from college defense to NBA defense, his shot will be there. The transition might also take the ball out of his hands but in the starting unit he’ll be paired with Nikola Jokic, the greatest passing big in NBA history, and the second unit will either have Facundo Campazzo or Monte Morris, two dependable facilitators.

Harper has Mann going 26th to the Denver Nuggets. He sees Tre dropping likely due to his inability to score inside at an elite level. While it’s definitely on the cards later in his career, his rookie season would surely see him be just a shooter.

If Mann does end up falling to Denver or Tim Connelly finds a way to trade up and select him, I’d predict he’ll become an immediate fan favorite. His ball-handling wizardry and shooting will bring a smile to the fans (and coaches) faces.

While I did say a past scouting report on Jeremiah Robinson-Earl out of Villanova might be my favorite prospect in the 2021 draft for the Denver Nuggets, the more I think about it, Mann might be stealing that title.