When Kenneth Faried worked out for the Nuggets in advance of the 2011 NBA Draft, he impressed Denver’s coaches, executives and scouts with his energy and athleticism.
His predraft workout, highlighted by offensive rebounds, high-flying dunks and coast-to-coast conversions, foreshadowed things to come after the Nuggets took Faried with the 22nd overall pick.
Coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 13.7 points and 8.6 rebounds, Faried is entrenched as Denver’s starting power forward – something few NBA teams saw coming when they passed him up three years ago.
A year later, the Nuggets found value again when they selected 19-year-old Evan Fournier with the 20th overall selection. Fournier enjoyed a good workout in Denver, flashing playmaking and perimeter shooting skills while emulating his favorite player at the time – Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs.
Fournier didn’t play much as a rookie, but he developed into a solid rotation player in 2013-14, averaging 8.4 points and finishing third on the team with 89 3-pointers. He scored a career-high 27 points against Sacramento on Feb. 23.
After drafting Fournier, the Nuggets still had a second-round pick (38th overall), which they used to take Quincy Miller, who left Baylor after being named the 2011-12 Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
During his workout at Pepsi Center, Miller showed the ability to rebound, finish near the rim and knock down perimeter jumpers.
He appeared in just seven games while paying his dues as a rookie, but he took advantage of additional minutes last season, averaging 4.9 points and 15.2 minutes. Miller posted his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds against Orlando on Jan. 11.