Denver Nuggets: Can Josh Primo be the Blue Arrow Jr.?

Speaking with the media during his recent workout with the Denver Nuggets, Josh Primo says that fellow Canadian Jamal Murray is one of his favorite players. He added that he has been following the Blue Arrow since he first watched him live in 2015.

While he hasn’t met Jamal, his father, Roger Murray, has given Primo some insights into what he can expect in the draft and beyond:

"“I’ve been following [Jamal] and he’s really grown since coming [to Denver]. So, it’s really nice to be in this gym, somewhere where he’s worked, and be able to work hard and compete right here.“[Roger has] given me some gems. Me and my father, he’s taught us somethings about going into this process, how it’s going to be, and then going from there.”"

With the NBA draft less than nine days away, it might not be long until Primo hears his name called by commissioner Adam Silver. He might just be available at 26 for the Denver Nuggets.

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a Blue Arrow Jr. in the young combo guard?

Denver Nuggets: What does Josh Primo bring to the team?

Primo can shoot the hell out of the ball. In his single season with the Alabama Crimson Tide, he shot 38 percent from behind the arc on 3.8 3-point attempts a night.

He has a high release and deep range on his jumper that looks silky smooth. The only issue at the moment is that he dips it pretty low on the catch. It’s not a huge concern and there are plenty of players in the league today who came out of college who ended up removing it from their motion.

And I can take that kind of development liberty with this pick as Primo is only 18-years-old. He’d be more of a project pick, not a player who can come in and contribute right away.

The flashes of a future scorer do look bright and his shooting talents are multifaceted. If a defender is closing out on him, he’s able to take the quick side-step dribble into an open shot consistently.

And on top of catches, he runs off the ball like a man on a mission, grabbing plenty of dribble hand-offs, and even finds himself nailing threes out of the pick-and-roll.

When he takes a few steps inside the arc, his slender frame hurts his production. At 6’6″, he has the capability to play either guard position but at only 18, he isn’t the most built player out there – room for improvement.

But don’t take his age as a sign of weakness on the defensive end, Primo never takes defensive possessions off, even if he’s being bullied down low by a bigger player, he stays composed throughout the entire possession.

As Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer says:

"“[Primo is an] active on-ball defender with great fundamentals and length who defends with his feet and not his arms, sliding laterally to mirror opponents and rarely committing careless fouls.”"

He has the makings of a three-and-D role player, a prototype that not only every team needs but gets paid in today’s NBA. The ‘D’ component is less Trevor Ariza-y and more Danny Green-y, someone who’s more comfortable on guards.

Despite the offensive flashes and clear skill when shooting the ball, Primo stayed within his role on Alabama’s hyper offensive team, understanding that his shooting helps within the team game.

Zach Harper, The Athletic described a player that needs time to grow into his frame and role:

"“He has good length at the guard position, and I think he’ll be able to score/shoot. Just needs time to get his body to mature.”"

The only issue with a long-term prospect at 18-years-old is that the Denver Nuggets are trying to contend. Yes, there’s the argument of bringing in the best player available and he can just be traded later, but without any minutes for him, it’d be hard to show off his potential.

If the Denver Nuggets end up selecting Primo, I’ll be excited, but I’ll also wonder if there’s a better option for contributing in the present.