Denver Nuggets: Emmanuel Mudiay Is First Step In Rebuild

By Chris Schmaedeke | Jun 26, 2015

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Emmanuel Mudiay (China) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number seven overall pick to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Everything fell into place for the Denver Nuggets to draft Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

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After the top three picks by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, the Nuggets started to watch things unfold. The New York Knicks needed a point guard but went ahead and drafted Kristaps Prozingis. The Orlando Magic really didn’t need a guard so they picked up Mario Hezonja, a player that the Nuggets liked but were OK losing out on.

Then came the Sacramento Kings and their pick at No. 6. They could’ve gone with a point guard as head coach George Karl seems to want a whole new roster, or they could’ve gone with a big man to either complement DeMarcus Cousins or to replace him. The Kings went with Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein.

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The Nuggets had to be thrilled as Mudiay was served up to them on a silver platter.

“I’m giddy,” Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said. “It was a very excited (draft) room upstairs.”

Now the Nuggets have their new point guard and will probably look to move their other guard, Ty Lawson, which won’t be easy after he posted an unflattering video to social media on Thursday day night. After Mudiay was officially the choice, Lawson said: “I told you. I’m going to Sacramento, bro.” Then he took a drag from a hookah.

So now that Lawson has all but said his goodbyes, the Nuggets can focus on the steal they got in Mudiay. Denver has not had a big point guard since Chauncey Billups helped lead Denver to the Western Conference Finals in 2009. Mudiay was on the Nuggets’ radar, but they didn’t think he would fall all the way to No. 7. At times, the point guard was described as the second-best player in the draft.

“We actually talked about moving up for Emmanuel,” Connelly said. “Through the research we thought it was a calculated risk, let’s let the draft come to us.”

Mudiay is the first step in what hopes to be a complete rebuild by Connelly and new coach Michael Malone. The whole Nuggets roster besides Jusuf Nurkic has a for-sale sign on it, so more moves are probably on the horizon. But at the highly touted No. 7 pick, Mudiay ran a team over in China and has said he is ready to take over a NBA team as well. He has confidence, something the Nuggets have been missing for several seasons.

Denver is taking a risk on a guy with no college experience, but that is what the NBA Draft is about. Mudiay’s shooting has come into questions but he seems poised to improve it. The Nuggets will be his team sooner than later. Lawson had his chance to lead Denver, but he didn’t get it done and now the high expectations fall onto Mudiay.

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