Denver Nuggets: Who to avoid at 21 in the 2022 NBA Draft?

The Denver Nuggets should avoid Jake Laravia in the 2022 NBA Draft

I’ll admit, this take is a little too much weighted to vibes.

Jake Laravia (I’ve seen three different iterations of his name, I’ll go off his Sports Reference page for this one) might be an excellent fit for the Denver Nuggets on offense.

All of his weaknesses complement the Nuggets’ strengths and he’s an excellent play finisher, something players will be asked to do playing next to Jokic and Murray.

He’s a savvy off-ball cutter, a crafty finisher, and looks good shooting shots on the pop. His downsides are that he doesn’t project as a creator with the ball in his hands, something he won’t be asked to do in a Nuggets uniform.

That’s all fine and dandy, but where it gets troublesome is the defensive side of the ball. If Laravia ends up on the Denver Nuggets, he’s likely going to be a backup power forward, meaning he’ll be playing next to a DeMarcus Cousins or player of that ilk – hardly an elite defender to make up for Jake’s shortcomings.

But then again, his finishing could be excellent next to Bones Hyland who could hold the reigns as the point guard of the second unit. What did I say at the start of this? Vibes. And I the more I write, the more those vibes could be off.