Nuggets endure yet another lottery disappointment

The results are in.

The Denver Nuggets will pick 13th in the June 22 NBA Draft.

In a lottery scenario that’s become all too familiar, the Nuggets, who have never moved up in the lottery and have stayed at their pre-lottery slot for the past three drawings, again stood pat.

Here are a few prospects Denver could have their eyes on at No. 13 overall in next month’s draft:

OG Anunoby – Forward – Indiana

Anunoby, who’s projected by DraftExpress in their latest post-combine mock draft to go 13th overall to Denver, is a physical, 6-foot-8 bulldozer who projects as one of the draft’s best defenders. He suffered a severe knee injury during his Sophomore year at Indiana but did average 11.1 points on 55.7 percent shooting from the field and 31.1 percent from three, to go with 5.4 rebounds in 16 games. Anunoby didn’t shoot it well from the line and his jumper needs work, but with a good player development staff in place, he could be the steal of the late lottery.

Justin Jackson – Guard/Forward – North Carolina

The Nuggets met with Jackson at last week’s draft combine in Chicago, as they did with countless other players, but the 6-foot-8 wing has the look and feel of a prospect who can come in and contribute immediately. Jackson took a leap last season and saw his scoring average jump nearly six points per game and his 3-point percentage rise from 29.2 to 37.0 percent. He’s long with a 6-11 wingspan and could seemingly guard four positions. The 22-year-old is currently projected by DraftExpress to go 14th overall.

Jonathan Isaac – Forward – Florida State

Isaac, who comes in at a long and athletic 6-foot-11 with a 7-1 wingspan, would have to drop off a bit in the pre-draft process to fall to 13, but there’s still a lot of time between now and June 22. The 19-year-old fits the modern prototype of an NBA wing. He’s showed a knack for scoring the ball during his one year in Tallahassee, averaging 12.0 points per game, but had outings of 23 points against 15th-ranked Notre Dame, 17 against 11th-ranked North Carolina and 21 in a blowout win over North Carolina State. He can defend and rebound as well. He’d be a huge get for Denver at 13.

Zach Collins – Power Forward/Center – Gonzaga

A raw big man who burst onto the scene during Gonzaga’s run to the national title game earlier this year with a double-double in the national semifinal against South Carolina, Collins only averaged 17.2 minutes per game during his freshman year in Spokane but has scouts excited. He’s projected to go anywhere from the late lottery to early 20’s and can run the floor, stretch the defense out to three, where he shot 47.6 percent from three (on only 21 attempts) and also defend the rim. Collins’ 1.8 blocks per game is impressive considering the low amount of minutes he played.

Terrance Ferguson – Shooting Guard/Small Forward – Australia (Adelaide)

Ferguson, 19, is one of the youngest prospects in the upcoming draft and skipped college to play this past year in Australia. Down under, Ferguson struggled, and averaged 4.6 points per game in 15.1 minutes, but played an important role for a veteran club and projects as 3-and-D prospect who has the feel of Terrance Ross. The 6-foot-7 guard went to the same high school as Nuggets’ second-year point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, and the two are close, according to Ferguson. Maybe that sways Denver towards Ferguson, a projected mid-first round pick, who’s regarded as plus-shooter who can jump out of the gym and would give the Nuggets another threat on the perimeter.