Calvin Booth doesn’t just draft defenders. That’s what we learned at pick No. 29 in the first round of Thursday’s draft.
The selection of Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther proves that the Nuggets aren’t just interested in filling out their roster with defensive-minded wings. Denver already did that in last year’s draft when Booth injected the Nuggets’ prospect pipeline with Christian Braun and Peyton Watson, who both entered the NBA with tantalizing defensive skill sets.
That’s not Strawther, at least not right now. He’s more offensively inclined at the moment. Questions about Strawther’s defense slid him down some big boards throughout the pre-draft process.
But Strawther, a classic shooting guard who can slide to small forward, does have plus-size. And among all the different intangibles that every draft prospect brings to the table, that’s what Booth cares about most. Strawther measured at 6-foot-6 without shoes at the NBA Combine in May. He also registered an 8-foot-9 standing reach, which was the highest among all shooting guards at the event.
Strawther has ideal size for his NBA position. So do Braun and Watson. Plus size was also a characteristic of the Nuggets’ backup options at pick No. 29 that included UConn’s Andre Jackson Jr. and Xavier’s Colby Jones.
There was more than just positional size that attracted Denver to Strawther, who was the Nuggets’ top target on draft night. Strawther was arguably the best 3-point shooter in the draft and converted on 40.8% of his 5.3 3-point attempts per game last year at Gonzaga. He shot 45.2% on spot-up 3s during his junior season. He shot 41.7% off screens. All of those percentages help project him as an ideal play-finisher in the mold of Michael Porter Jr. within the Nuggets’ ball-movement offense.
Strawther also enters the NBA with one of the more refined floaters that I’ve seen from a college player. Seriously, it’s a thing of beauty. Strawther shot an impressive 50-89 (56.2%) on runners last season.
I wouldn’t expect Strawther to get too much playing time as a rookie in Denver. If you’re going to play as a rookie under Michael Malone on a championship-contending team like the Nuggets, you’re going to have to defend. It’s how Braun got on the floor last season. It’s how Watson, who barely played as a rookie, will get on the floor this coming year. But with defense being Strawther’s weakness, I’d expect him to be brought along slowly.
Plus, Denver figures to have enough veterans to rely on. The Nuggets will return their entire starting five from last year’s NBA Championship. Braun is in line for a significant jump in minutes. Watson is expected to compete for a rotation spot at training camp. Zeke Nnaji and Vlatko Cancar are also under contract. Look for the Nuggets to re-sign most of their veterans too, including Jeff Green, DeAndre Jordan, and Reggie Jackson.
Bruce Brown’s future is the most uncertain of any current Nuggets’ free agent. He’s expected to garner significant interest on the open market, and Denver knows he could have already played his last minutes in a Nuggets uniform. It would be a significant blow, but one the Nuggets are bracing for as they make their free agency plans. Brown could still re-sign with the Nuggets and loves Denver and the role he played last season, but losing him to a big-money free agent offer was always something the Nuggets knew could happen.
Back to Strawther real quick.
This dude is a shooter. Straight up. Strawther’s the type of shooter whose shot always looks like it’s going in. His makes are all swishes. His misses are never left, right or short — they’re always long. He can hit 3s off the catch and dribble-hand-offs. He’s got a quick release and isn’t afraid to pull from well beyond the 3-point line. He reminds you of Jordan Poole — the version who killed Denver in the playoffs two years ago — or a modern-day Rip Hamilton. He looks like a role player perfectly suited for the modern NBA.
The Nuggets love his background too. You won’t have to teach Strawther how to play the game. Coming from a blue blood like Gonzaga, he’s played in an NBA-type of offense for years. He gives Denver some variance on its second unit too. He’s not going to overlap with Braun or Watson and the Nuggets felt like their bench needed an offensive sparkplug like Strawther. At 6-foot-7, imagine him coming off screens like Duncan Robinson did for the Heat.
The positional size — that Strawther has — helped the Nuggets overwhelm most of their playoff competition last season, and it’s going to be something that Denver factors into all of its roster decisions going forward. It’s also why you shouldn’t get your hopes up about a potential Monte Morris reunion this summer. I’m told the Nuggets aren’t interested in that. Morris doesn’t have the size that the Nuggets are looking for at the point guard position.
Strawther’s also someone who won’t be afraid of the moment. At T-Mobile Arena in his hometown of Las Vegas last April, Strawther hit the shot of the NCAA tournament. His deep 3 from more than 30 feet out gave Gonzaga a 79-76 victory over UCLA in last year’s Sweet 16.
“I’m telling you, he’s made that shot multiple times for us this year,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said after Strawther’s stunner.
That’s who the Nuggets just drafted.
