Denver Nuggets: 3 options with the 22nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft

Denver Nuggets NBA draft Option No. 1: Jalen Smith

The 6’10”, 225 lbs big from the University of Maryland averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 53.8 field goal percentage, and 36.8 3-point percentage during 31.3 minutes per game. Jalen Smith is a big who is athletic, a floor-spacer, and an energizer bunny on defense. When watching him play, he brings such a competitive spirit that teams would be ecstatic to have.

Denver is potentially losing unrestricted free agents Jerami Grant, Paul Millsap, and Mason Plumlee this offseason while maintaining Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol as their reserve bigs. If the Nuggets lose two of the three players that I mentioned, Jalen Smith should play for this team. The Nuggets value big men that can space the floor because they allow Murray, Harris, and Morris to work.

As I’ve said, the Nuggets prioritize position-less basketball, making Smith intriguing because of his athleticism and ability to stretch the floor. When watching Smith, he reveals his athletic ability by how he can run the floor and take defenders off the dribble when driving into the paint.

And when it comes to 3-point shooting, even though he only attempted 2.8 3-pointers per game, his form indicates that he can hit threes consistently. Furthermore, he was able to increase his 3-point percentage from 26.8 percent to 36.8 percent, while slightly increasing his attempts (2.2 to 2.8) shows that he can improve.

Smith is an energetic defender as well. And with his athleticism, he could cause problems for opponents because his lateral quickness is solid enough to stay in front of most forwards, centers, and some guards. The Nuggets need a versatile big because, as we saw in the playoffs, Jokic had difficulty guarding Anthony Davis because of his ability to move laterally.

Another positive trait about Smith is that he is a shot blocker, which is an attribute the Nuggets have been missing in the paint. He averaged 2.4 blocks per game at Maryland by either meeting his opponents at the rim or on chase downs. Bringing that characteristic to the team would absolutely help them compete in a stacked Western Conference.

Now that I’ve noted the good that Smith brings to the team, there are concerns about his game.

For one, his post offense and defense need some work.

Smith is capable of absorbing contact but has yet to learn how to dish it. When he’s on offense, it’s clear that he still needs to learn how to position himself in the paint and work with his back to the basket. On defense, Smith needs to know how to keep his opponent in front of him and seal them off from getting into their position in the paint. But those post techniques can be learned while in the league as he puts on more weight while working with the training staff.

Another weakness of Smith’s is his ability to elevate quickly around the rim. He doesn’t possess a quick step to get ahead of defenders when scoring around the hoop. Yet, that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. There have been plenty of big men who were crafty in the paint and didn’t have quick elevation. Tim Duncan and Jokic are the two players that come to mind (disclaimer: I am not predicting that Smith will be either of these players).

Smith’s other weakness is his passing. For the Denver Nuggets, they’re blessed to have Jokic, who is essentially a point-center. When watching Smith, it is apparent that he gets flustered quickly, causing him to panic and turn the ball over whether it’s by making an ill-advised pass or missing his teammate in general. Smith will need to understand his teammates’ tendencies and have better anticipation at the next level because the game speed will be much greater.

Smith would be an excellent addition to the Denver Nuggets via the NBA draft. With the team’s uncertainty in resigning any of their bigs this offseason, it makes sense for Denver to take Smith as insurance. But regardless of the Nuggets keep Grant, Millsap, or Plumlee, Smith is a good talent to pair next to Jokic because they would create a big frontcourt capable of spacing the floor. The Nuggets wouldn’t go wrong with selecting Smith.