The Denver Nuggets are going to have a chance to pick up some youth and fill a need in the first round of the NBA draft. They didn't have a pick last year, and they may not next year, thanks to Calvin Booth's wheeling and dealing. So they need to get this one right. But who may they select?
The Nuggets need help in the paint and on the perimeter in terms of defense and athleticism, and the current mock drafts are showing the Nuggets the way forward with these two prospects.
Dailyn Swain, SG/SF. Texas
With the Nuggets' 26th pick in the first round, ESPN has Dailyn Swain coming to the Nuggets. Swain checks off the perimeter athletics and defense. Swain's also one of the best slashers to the rim in all of college basketball. That alone would be an upgrade the Nuggets lacked against the Minnesota Timberwolves. And he's a better-than-average defender on the wing, too.
Swain stands at 6-foot-6 1/2 inches tall barefooted, and his 6-foot-10 wingspan helps him get into the passing lanes on defense. Swain averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds for Texas as a Junior, and his 1.6 steals show his potential as a potent wing-defender.
Swain could be a solid insurance policy for the Nuggets if they lose Peyton Watson in free agency this summer.
Zuby Ejiofor, C, St. John's
Zuby Ejiofor has been flying up the draft boards thanks to his great draft combine. FanSided's got Ejiofor going to the Nuggets at 26 in round one, and that could be a boon for the defense in the paint. Ejiofor is an undersized center at 6-foot-8, but he's a solid and stout 245 pounds, and he's built like Aaron Gordon: an immovable object in the paint.
Ejiofor is more seasoned and will be coming out after his Senior year of school, where he averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. His year was good enough to take home the Big East Player of the Year award.
Ejiofor would make for a nice backup for Gordon or, more likely, the center to anchor the non-Nikola Jokic minutes. The Nuggets have been searching for someone to fill that spot for years, and next year will be more of the same.
The Nuggets need to get someone they can play
Prior drafts for the Nuggets have led to DaRon Holmes, who hasn't been able to crack the lineup for the Nuggets. The same goes for Jalen Pickett and Julian Strawther for the most part. The Nuggets do have a few young players, but they just don't see the court.
They need to draft someone they can play this year, because they may not have a pick in the first round next year. That's been traded to Oklahoma City, and it's only top-five protected.
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