Denver Nuggets: Emmanuel Mudiay Is Still Sorely Underrated
Let me start this article by saying I think this year’s Rookie of the Year race could end up being the best ever.
At the moment, there are three clear frontrunners for that title, but it isn’t clear which one is the best of them. The Philadelphia 76ers’ Jahlil Okafor has been the scorer everyone thought he would be, already posting five 20-point performances through his first eight games to the tune of 20.6 points per game on 50 percent shooting.
The guy picked just two slots before him isn’t doing too shabby either. Karl-Anthony Towns has been a double-double machine for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 16.0 points a night along with 10.4 boards per game and placing himself in elite company by posting six double-doubles through his first eight games.
Then there’s the pleasant surprise that has been New York Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis. The 7’3″ Latvian has not only shown off the tender touch and face-up game that drew Dirk Nowitzki comparisons from scouts, but has also displayed sneaky athleticism with fervent, Blake Griffin-esque putback dunks like these:
However, despite the outstanding start that all three have gotten off to, there is one player who may be having a more impressive rookie showing than all of them: Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets.
To many NBA fans, Mudiay has been somewhat of a mystery man and has thus flown relatively under the radar despite being ranked as a top-5 player in the country by many recruiting websites coming out of high school.
His decision to play for pay overseas in China instead of playing for SMU stateside only pushed him further out of the public eye, and the fact that he plays for a team slated to be one of the least televised in the league has caused him to be severely underrated among this year’s rookie class.
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Even his numbers might not impress some at face value. He’s only averaging 13.1 points per game on 32 percent shooting from the field. However, do not be fooled: Emmanuel Mudiay is having a quietly productive rookie season.
A deeper look at Mudiay’s stat line (13.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 0.8 BPG) indicates a talented all-around player who understands the magnitude of the role he was thrust into when the Nuggets drafted him to immediately replace a solid point guard in Ty Lawson.
His three-point game isn’t stellar (33 percent) but he’s finding a way to put the ball in the basket. In addition, he’s easily shown himself to be a talented facilitator, already amassing two double-doubles against the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks and a nine-assist game against the aforementioned Lawson and his Houston Rockets.
Even more indicative of Mudiay’s impact is how well his team is playing so far this season. Through eight games, the Nuggets are sitting at 4-4 and have put together some impressive showings, including beating last year’s Western Conference runner-ups in the Rockets by 20 points.
Sure, the team’s points per game are down to 99.4 from 101.5 last season, but the Nuggets are scoring more efficiently, shooting slightly better from the field (43.7 percent compared to 43.3 percent) and from three-point range (33.5 percent compared to 32.5), both of which can be attributed to Mudiay’s high assist totals.
Mudiay’s play has even warranted praise from a player many would say his style is patterned after in Milwaukee Bucks head coach and former All-Star point guard Jason Kidd, who was quoted by the Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey as saying that Mudiay will someday be “better than me” and is already better than he was at that age.
But how does this make him more impressive than Towns, Okafor and Porzingis?
In comparison to those three, Mudiay stands out in that he is being asked to take on a role that none of them are: he is his team’s floor general. He is responsible for orchestrating and initiating their offense and being their leader on the floor. As big men, Okafor, Towns and Porzingis are simply not relied upon in that way.
Being the top pick of a franchise that is devoid of a star level talent like a Carmelo Anthony or an Andrew Wiggins not only makes the load heavier for Mudiay; it creates the expectation that he will become that star level talent for the Nuggets. So far this season, Mudiay is showing that he is aware of these expectations and fully capable of living up to them.
Simply put: Emmanuel Mudiay’s not in China anymore, ladies and gentlemen. He’s in the big leagues, and he’s having quite the impact.