The Denver Nuggets had issues in their backcourt when Jamal Murray went to the bench in the first round playoff defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They lacked depth at the backup point guard position and needed more ball control than either Bruce Brown or Tim Hardaway Jr. could provide. With the depth at the position in the NBA draft this year, it's no wonder the Nuggets have another point guard heading their way at the 26th pick of the first round in another mock draft.
This time, thanks to Sam Vecenie at The Athletic, the Nuggets are mock selecting Ebuka Okorie, the 19-year-old, 6-foot-1, freshman guard from Stanford.
Okorie would be a good choice for the Nuggets at 26th. He's ranked 20th on FanSided's NBA Draft Big Board, and his skills are clearly what the Nuggets could use after the way they were exposed by the Timberwolves.
Why Okorie would be a good fit for the Nuggets
For one, Okorie is a good on-ball defender, and the Nuggets didn't have that against the Timberwolves. Any guard in the Timberwolves' backcourt was able to get to the rim. The lack of perimeter defense was embarrassing. Okorie is not a lockdown defender, but he creates some mild chaos in passing lanes and was able to snag 1.6 steals with help from his long wingspan.
Okorie's also very athletic, with a downhill game in the same style that the Timberwolves employed against the Nuggets. He's able to create his own shots, and he can score them in droves. Okorie averaged 23.2 points to lead the ACC Conference in his one-and-done stop to the NBA.
Another thing the Nuggets desperately needed was competent ball-handling. It was so bad against the Wolves that we saw Tyus Jones get significant playing time for two games. Okorie only turned the ball over 1.9 times in 35.1 minutes of game action for Stanford, showing his ability to limit the mistakes.
The not quite as good on Okorie
Okorie isn't quite the best shooter, but he's just 19, and a stint playing alongside Nikola Jokic and feeding off the open looks could cure that. But Okorie is more than capable now, and he shot 35.2% from three and 83.2% from the free-throw line this year.
Okorie is also not the best shot creator, averaging just 3.6 assists, but he wouldn't have to take that role on with the Nuggets. The Nuggets have those guys. They need people who can attack the rim and make a shot in the paint. Especially from the backcourt. That's Okorie. The Nuggets should be very happy if Okorie falls to them at 26.
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