The Nuggets selected Arizona big man Zeke Nnaji 22nd overall Wednesday night. Here’s what the DNVR Nuggets crew thinks of the pick.
Grade the pick
Wind: A
With apologies to NBA Twitter heartthrob Desmond Bane, Nnaji may have been the best player left on the board at 22. He also fills a need for Denver with backup center Mason Plumlee entering free agency which begins Thursday night. While Nnaji may not have the highest potential of the available players when the Nuggets were on the clock, he’s only 19-years-old and still has a ceiling to grow into. I was relatively high on Bane and Tyrell Terry who went 30th and 31st respectively, but they don’t fill a need or fit as well with the Nuggets’ current roster as Nnaji does. Denver gets an A for the Nnaji selection. It feels like he’s going to at least be a solid backup big, which is a good result for pick No. 22.
Mares: B
My perspective on Nnaji has evolved a little bit over the last 24 hours as I’ve taken a deeper look at his skillset, personality, and scouting report. There are well-founded reasons for skepticism, namely his poor rim protection. But there is more upside to Nnaji than I originally thought based on his incredible perimeter mobility and smooth mechanics on his jump shot. He doesn’t quite fit into any traditional boxes and I’m not sure if he is in line for a redshirt rookie season like RJ Hampton seems to be, but I am intrigued enough to be cautiously optimistic about what he can become for the Denver Nuggets in the coming years.
Vogt: B-
Listening to Tim Connelly describe why Denver selected Zeke Nnaji at 22 Thursday, it became clear the Nuggets view this as a long term play. Current scouting reports describe Nnaji as a fluid athlete who is a strong finisher around the rim and a great offensive rebounder. The type of center that might be able to play as backup sooner rather than later. But there are questions about his defensive range and ability to protect the rim, and he’s yet to expand his shot out to the perimeter. The Nuggets hope to turn those weaknesses into strengths. The organization is confident they can develop him into a quality shooting big in due time. They also believe he possesses the work ethic and athleticism to flourish on the defensive end one day. Nnaji isn’t a flashy pick, and that’s ok. Time will tell if Tim is right about who this player can be in the NBA. As he told the media, “He’s not there yet, but a 6’11” guy who can do all those things is hard to find.”
What aspect of Nnaji’s game are you most excited about?
Wind: Nnaji’s motor never turns off and he plays with an infectious energy. That’s going to make him an instant fan favorite in Denver. Nnaji will out-sprint his man down the court. He’ll dive on the floor for loose balls and battle stronger opponents for premier position on the glass. Make no mistake, Nnaji is skilled. He only converted on 5 of his 17 three-point attempts last season at Arizona but has a good stroke and shot 76% from the free-throw line. The Nuggets are confident his shot will be a weapon at the NBA level. I’m also excited to see what Nnaji can do defensively and Denver is high on his potential as a switchable defender who can also block shots. But his passion and love for the game will shine through from the first time he takes the floor.
Mares: I think I agree with Harrison that it is his energy. It’s not just that he plays hard. He also has a sort of joy and positivity that I think can help inject some life into a Nuggets team that can fall into emotional funks from time to time. He reminds me of Ronny Turiaf in that way. I also think that he can become a reliable outside shooter. His 5-17 three-point shooting mark in college might not be as indicative of the type of shooter he can become given his fluid movements, textbook mechanics, and confidence.
Vogt: Sorry for the lack of variety here. I agree with the fellas. Nnaji plays like he loves basketball and finds intrinsic value in the concept of hard work. At the risk of sounding like an insult, I wish to actually compliment him by saying he reminds me of a Golden Retriever. He’s eager to please and happy to run — seemingly a very coachable player and a good fit in Denver’s culture.
How big of a role will Nnaji play this season?
Wind: Could Nnaji immediately take Plumlee’s 17 minutes per game off the bench if Denver loses its backup center in free agency? Probably in a pinch, but ideally you’d like to ramp Nnaji up more slowly than that. I’m projecting Denver to bring one of Plumlee or Paul Millsap back this season, which could make Nnaji the Nuggets’ fourth or fifth big depending on if Noah Vonleh returns. Nuggets president of basketball ops Tim Connelly said Thursday that he views Nnaji as a “long-term play,” so I wouldn’t expect him to log too many significant minutes in 2020-21. That being said, I don’t think Nnaji would be absolutely lost if he had to log minutes against select backup fives during his rookie year.
Mares: It’s an interesting question. I’m inclined to think that Michael Malone would be uncomfortable going into a season with real title hopes while relying on a completely unproven 19 year old rookie, especially given the fact that bringing along Michael Porter Jr. should already provide Malone with enough stress for one condensed season. So my hunch is that he is a 3rd center behind Nikola Jokic and the go-to backup center, possibly Paul Millsap.
Vogt: Most of our post-draft conversation has revolved around RJ Hampton, who has a higher ceiling than Nnaji. But it’s Nnaji who is more likely to crack the rotation immediately. Denver is a little thin in the frontcourt even if they manage to retain Jerami Grant and Paul Millsap. Ideally, Nnaji is there as insurance only, a break in case of emergency big. But depending on how the rest of free agency shakes out and potential injuries, he might find himself on the court a fair amount his rookie season, even if that’s not the plan.
