NBA: 25 Worst Individual Seasons Of The 3-Point Era

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Mar 4, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

73. Experience: Rookie, Dallas via Chinese Basketball Association. PG. 2015-16 Denver Nuggets. Emmanuel Mudiay. 3. player

Emmanuel Mudiay took a different route to the NBA than many of the players looking to do something with their time for a year after leaving high school and before joining the NBA.

Mudiay had committed to play for Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown at SMU before reversing his field in the summer of 2014 and opting to turn pro and play in the Chinese Basketball Association.

In 12 games with Guangdong Southern, Mudiay showed flashes of his potential, averaging 16 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game on .478/.342/.574 shooting. He also flashes signs of the problems that would lie ahead, averaging 3.3 turnovers in 31.5 minutes per game.

Taken seventh overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA Draft, coach Michael Malone turned the offense over to the kid … who provided both highlight moments and cringe-worthy ones.

For the season, Mudiay averaged 12.8 points and 5.5 assists in 30.4 minutes per game, but his shooting was dismal at .364/.319/.670 and he averaged 3.2 turnovers per game.

On the other hand, he improved markedly after the All-Star break; his pre-break shooting line of .340/.272/.616 was coupled with 3.5 turnovers a night.

He started 66 of his 68 appearances for Denver and here are his full per-game numbers:

Season	Age	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	eFG%	FT	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
2015-16	19	PG	68	66	30.4	4.8	13.3	.364	1.1	3.4	.319	.404	2.1	3.1	.670	3.4	5.5	1.0	0.5	3.2	2.1	12.8

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/3/2016.

And his advanced statistics:

Season	G	MP	PER	TS%	3PAr	FTr	TRB%	AST%	STL%	BLK%	TOV%	USG%	OWS	DWS	WS	WS/48
2015-16	68	2068	9.9	.437	.256	.231	6.2	29.0	1.6	1.4	17.9	25.7	-3.3	1.2	-2.1	-0.049
Career	68	2068	9.9	.437	.256	.231	6.2	29.0	1.6	1.4	17.9	25.7	-3.3	1.2	-2.1	-0.049

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/3/2016.

The improved second half showing gives the Nuggets reason for optimism. The now 20-year-old is under contract through 2016-17, with the team holding options for the final two seasons of Mudiay’s rookie deal.

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