With under a month to go until the NBA draft, the Nuggets are reportedly preparing to host more prospects at Pepsi Center for pre-draft workouts in the coming weeks.
Seton Hall guard, Isaiah Whitehead, who the Nuggets reportedly met with at the pre-draft combine will work out in Denver on June 10, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post.
Isaiah Whitehead has #knicks workout Saturday. Lakers June 9th, Nuggets June 10th, I'm told. ASM Sports Pro Day June 7. #shbb
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) June 3, 2016
Whitehead, a 6-foot-4 sophomore out of Seton Hall, averaged 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Pirates this past season, and shot 36.5 percent from 3-point range. The point guard’s draft range is anywhere from the late first round to mid-second.
Kansas guard Brannen Green and Weber State forward Joel Bolomboy both recently worked out with the 76ers, but also revealed that Denver is on their lists of teams they still plan to visit with.
Brannen Greene (Kansas) worked out with the Sixers Monday. To work out with Raptors tomorrow, Knicks, Hawks, Mavs, Nuggets, Bulls and more.
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) May 30, 2016
Weber St Joel Bolomboy to work out for Celtics, Raptors, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets. Worked out w Sixers, Bucks, Suns, Spurs, Rockets, Hawks.
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) May 30, 2016
Green, 21, heads to the draft after three underwhelming years at Kansas where he never really saw eye to eye with head coach Bill Self. He came to the Jayhawks as a top-35 recruit in 2013 but averaged just 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds last season, and shot 49.2 percent from three.
The 6-foot-7 wing is projected to go undrafted next month, but is armed with a fluid jumper and an athletic frame that could get him some looks from NBA teams. He’s fairly limited offensively as 85 percent of his shots were jumpers, per Synergy, and 71 percent of his field goal attempts came from three.
Green could find a role as an instant offense guy off the bench, but he’d have to commit himself on the defensive end of the floor as well, something he rarely did at Kansas.
Last season, Bolomboy averaged 17.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, was named Big Sky Conference player of the year and defensive player of the year. He’s a projected second-round pick but may have helped himself at last month’s NBA draft combine where he impressed in front of scouts and executives. Bolomboy had the fastest lane agility time, completed the most bench press reps at the combine and recorded the second-best standing vertical leap.
The 22-year-old projects as an energy big off the bench at the next level.
Patricio Garino planning visit with Nuggets
The Nuggets also plan to bring in Patrico Garino, a four-year player at George Washington for a pre-draft workout in the coming weeks, per multiple reports.
Garino, a 6-foot-7 guard who also plays for the Argentinian national team, averaged 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds his senior year with the Colonials. He shot 51.0 percent from the field and an impressive 43.0 percent from 3-point range on 3.6 attempts per game last season.
After winning the NIT with George Washington earlier this year, the 23-year-old made a solid impression at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a postseason camp conducted for the top NCAA seniors that year.
Garino already had worked out with the Celtics, Grizzlies, and Magic this summer, but gained more traction and interest with his performance at the Wasserman pro day on May 27. He visited with the Kings on Tuesday, Wizards on Thursday and will reportedly travel to Denver, Charlotte, Toronto, Brooklyn and possibly Oklahoma City in the coming weeks.
Garino’s three-point percentage took a huge jump in his senior season as he converted 43% on nearly five attempts per 40 minutes pace adjusted up from 29% on two attempts per 40 minutes pace adjusted in his junior season. He’s predominantly a spot-up shooter with over 80% of his jump shots logged by Synergy Sports stemming from catch and shoot opportunities.
Garino’s most marketable skill is his shooting. His form looks a bit mechanical and he’s not a great athlete, but makes up for it with his stroke. He’s a high IQ player that isn’t going to blow by his defender off the dribble, instead relying on smart cuts and off-ball movement. He also was a plus defender in college, has quick feet, is agile and uses his strength to his advantage.
