By all accounts, the Nuggets did a solid job with their 2022 first-round draft pick, Peyton Watson, who was selected 30th overall. That’s good value for a pick so late, and while Watson hasn’t turned into a star or anything, he’s proven to be a solid role player who still figures to get better as his career progresses.
Watson had some nice moments for the team as a rookie and has taken on a bigger role ever since. This season, he cracked the rotation and was playing consistently in the playoffs, with his defense impressing even against the game’s best. The problem for Denver wasn’t picking Watson, it was who they didn’t pick.
Playoff hero, Andrew Nembhard, selected one pick after Watson
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After the Nuggets took Watson with the 30th overall selection, the final pick of the first round, the Indiana Pacers were on the clock to begin round two. With the first pick of the second round, they took a guard out of Gonzaga, one Andrew Nembhard, with the 31st pick.
Nembhard, the four-year college player, has developed quickly into a very solid NBA player and an even better player in the playoffs. He broke out last season, during Indiana’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and after a somewhat down regular season, he has picked up right where he left off once the postseason started.
He has been a two-way dynamo, making waves with his defense on players like Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, [and now Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.](https://nugglove.com/pacers-follow-nuggets-blueprint-steal-game-1-nba-finals-okc) His offense has been rock solid as well, especially in the clutch. He has been a great secondary option to run the offense, operating like a true point guard whenever Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t have the ball.
His clutch shot-making has also been incredible, and while Haliburton has made the winning plays that have gotten most of the attention, Nembhard has made some massive plays and had some amazing moments of his own. The Pacers would absolutely not be three wins from a title without the 25-year-old Canadian.
Nembhard would be perfect fit with Nuggets
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Drafting Nembhard instead of Watson would have solved a lot of the Nuggets’ issues. He would bring a blend of shooting, playmaking, ballhandling, defense, and pace that makes up everything the team is lacking.
He would be the ideal guard to play alongside Jamal Murray, as he could guard the other team’s best guard, while spacing the floor on offense, and also running offense while Murray and Jokic operate off the ball. He could also run the second unit and do a good job of bridging the gap while the stars sit.
It’s hard to beat the Nuggets up too badly for not recognizing the potential of a second-round draft pick, especially when they got a solid role player in Watson. But it’s impossible to watch the NBA Finals, see everything that Nembhard is doing for Indiana, and not think of what could have been.