Pre-Draft Outlook
It gets tricky when you’re a perennial playoff team and therefore don’t fall in the lottery very often. However, the Nuggets struck some low-round gold in 2021 with Bones Hyland as he became an All-Rookie Second Team selection and they’re hoping to repeat that kind of success in 2022. Ideally, the Nuggets could most use a power frontline player to ease the rebounding load Kia MVP Nikola Jokic bears. But really, when you’re choosing late in the first round, you generally take whomever falls your way.
A Stat That Matters
16.3 — The Nuggets were 16.3 points per 100 possessions better with Nikola Jokic on the floor (plus-8.4) than they were with him off the floor (minus-7.9). That was the biggest on-off differential (by a healthy margin) among 261 players who played at least 1,000 minutes for a single team.
The Way To Go
Walker Kessler is a 7-foot-1 shot-blocker from Auburn who should be a defensive presence right away in the NBA. His rim-protecting instincts are sharp, and he’ll need to lean on defense while he improves his low-post moves and rebounding. Because Jokic often plays on the perimeter, there are times when the Nuggets can put a pair of 7-footers on the floor and dare teams to adjust. Last season, Kessler averaged 4.6 blocks. In comparison, Denver as a team averaged 3.7 bpg in 2021-22.
Under Contract
G: Will Barton
G: Bones Hyland
G: Monte Morris
G: Jamal Murray
F: Aaron Gordon
F: Michael Porter Jr.
F/C: Zeke Nnaji
C: Nikola Jokic
Free Agents
G: Facundo Campazzo (restricted)
G: Bryn Forbes (unrestricted)
G: Markus Howard (restricted)
G: Davon Reed (restricted)
G: Austin Rivers (unrestricted)
F: Vlatko Cancar (restricted)
F: Jeff Green (player option)
F/C: JaMychal Green (player option)
C: DeMarcus Cousins (unrestricted)
> 2022 Free Agent Tracker
Last Year’s Draft
2021: Bones Hyland (26)
— Shaun Powell