How Leandro Bolmaro's size, creativity and defense would fit with the Nuggets

The Nuggets currently hold the No. 22 pick in the NBA Draft. Over the next month, the DNVR Nuggets crew will examine who Denver may pick with that selection. Make sure to mark your calendar for Wednesday, November 18, the night of the draft and DNVR Nuggets Draft Day LIVE streaming on Periscope and YouTube.

Who is Leandro Bolmaro?

Playing time for any rookie on a contending team is hard to come by, and that will be the case next season in Denver. If the Nuggets don’t make any major transactions this offseason and again double down on their continuity — which as we close in on the draft appears to be a very real possibility — Denver could break bread at training camp with many of the same faces and a ton of depth.

Whoever the Nuggets select at No. 22 probably isn’t contributing in his rookie year, as has been the case with Denver’s latest draft picks that remain on its roster in Porter and Bol. Porter sat for his rookie year due to injury and Bol’s lone meaningful minutes during his rookie season came in the pre-playoffs seeding round.

Enter Leandro Bolmaro, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward who could be stashed in Europe next year by whichever team selects him next month. The 20-year-old is one of the more creative playmakers in the draft and packs an undeniable amount of talent and intrigue.

Bolmaro split time between Barcelona’s A and B teams last season and so far this year has played fairly limited minutes. His draft stock could be on the rise though. Bolmaro just handed out 10 assists to go with eight points in a Barcelona win earlier this week. He’s currently being mocked as a late-first round pick.

Strengths

• Plays with a flair and swagger although he’s careless with ball at times. Not the greatest athlete but is very creative.
• Gifted passer that sees how plays will develop one or two passes ahead of time.
• Good footwork around the rim. Can execute smooth euro steps, wrong-handed and wrong-footed layups.
• A fearless defender who plays with energy and loves to compete when he’s on the ball (he averaged nearly two steals per game for Barcelona’s B team last year.) He gets around screens and also won’t die on them.

Weaknesses

• Needs to tighten his handle and get stronger. He sometimes struggles to finish among taller players around the rim.
• Must work on his shooting. He shot under 30% from three last season and is just 1-10 from distance through eight games this year. His form currently looks better than it did in season’s past though.
• He’ll gamble on defense when he doesn’t need to.

NBA Comparison: Tomas Satoransky

How does Bolmaro fit with the Nuggets?

Offense

The Nuggets’ backcourt next season could be crowded. Point guards Jamal Murray, Monte Morris (non guaranteed deal) and PJ Dozier are all under contract. So is Gary Harris. If Michael Porter Jr. slides into the starting small forward spot, Will Barton could spend more minutes at shooting guard as well.

That doesn’t leave many open minutes for Denver’s potential No. 22 overall pick, if that player hovers mostly around the perimeter. Stashing Bolmaro would work in the Nuggets’ favor. He could continue to work on his shot, decision-making, and strength overseas and then return to Denver as a more refined player.

Selecting Bolmaro means that the Nuggets would add another plus-level passer alongside three potential 20-point scorers on any given night in Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Porter. It’s not difficult to imagine Bolmaro knifing into the lane and finding Porter or Murray spotting up from beyond the three-point line, or Jokic around the basket.

At 6-foot-7 with point guard skills, he’s a unique prospect. It’s a trait the Nuggets have been drawn to in prior drafts.

Defense

Bolmaro would bring a similar level of size and defensive prowess that PJ Dozier showed throughout the few opportunities he got last season. Bolmaro is aggressive in 1-on-1 defensive matchups and loves to press up into ball handlers and make his opponent uncomfortable.

He moves at top speed and gives a ton of effort on the defensive end of the floor. Bolmaro is also a willing navigator over, under, and sometimes through screens in order to stay connected to his defender. Adding Bolmaro would give Denver even more length alongside Dozier, Porter, Bol, Jerami Grant (if he returns next season), and others.

If his defense translates, Bolmaro would bolster the Nuggets’ upside on that end of the floor in a league that seems like its always getting taller.