With no bona-fide superstar, the Denver Nuggets managed to
give the Lakers a run for their money in the 2012 playoffs, forcing a Game 7 in
Los Angeles. Playing a team-oriented style of basketball similar to the San
Antonio Spurs, the Nuggets (along with the Indiana Pacers) look to usher in a
new brand of basketball where you don’t need a “Big Three.”
Their core nucleus is composed of players who are all very
young, which bodes well for the future of the Nuggets franchise.
Led by Ty Lawson and JaVale McGee, the Nuggets have nearly
an entire team of players that are under 25 years old.
Here is a ranking of all 11 of them.
11. Izzet Turkyilmaz
Height: 7’0”
Weight: 211
Years pro: Rookie
Izzet Turkyilmaz is a seven-foot rookie out of Turkey.
According to DraftExpress,
Turyilmaz has “fluidity, athleticism, and shooting ability” in addition to
ball-handling skills. His weaknesses are his size and lack of experience. After
all, he only weighs about 215 pounds.
He will likely remain overseas or play in the D-league in
2012-13 and have minimal (if any) impact on the Nuggets roster.
10. Evan Fournier
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 200
Years pro: Rookie
David Thorpe, executive director of the Pro Training Center told
NBC Sports he believes that the 20th overall selection in the 2012 draft
probably won’t see much action at the NBA level next year.
Coming from a French league that lacks the quantity of
athletes in the NBA, Fournier will look to bulk up a bit in preparation to play
with the Nuggets.
So we will have to wait and see how the top
international prospect at the Eurocamp will make his impact. At age
nineteen, he has plenty of time.
9. Julyan Stone
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 200
Years pro: 1
Julyan Stone’s main job is to keep the bench warm for the
Nuggets. Playing an average of 8.1 minutes in 22 games played, Stone had 1.6
points and 1.1 rebounds per game.
Don’t look for anything to change next season.
8. Kosta Koufos
Height: 7’0”
Weight: 265
Years pro: 4
The former Ohio State center is a four-year pro who has seen
some playing time over his career, but nothing eye-catching. In 48 games played
last season, Kosta Koufos averaged just under 16 minutes and six points in
addition to contributing 5.4 rebounds per game.
With a crowded front-line headed by JaVale McGee, Koufos
will probably see a continuation of limited contributions as a role player.
7. Quincy Miller
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 210
Years pro: Rookie
Being called a “poor man’s Kevin
Durant” is an awkward way to give a player some kind words of
encouragement.
The 38th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft was named Big 12
freshman of the year by Sporting News. It will be interesting to see where head coach George Karl sees
room for Miller in the depth chart but don’t expect him to see extended minutes
in his rookie year.
That said, Karl will not hesitate to play Miller if he takes
advantage of his opportunities early in the season.
6. Jordan Hamilton
Height: 6’7”
Weight: 220
Years pro: 1
Like fellow one-year veteran Julyan Stone, Jordan Hamilton
spent most of his time sitting courtside. The former first-round draft pick
played college basketball as a Texas Longhorn and was traded on
draft night to Denver in the deal that sent Raymond Felton to the Trail
Blazers.
Last season he played in 26 regular season games and
averaged 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
5. Anthony Randolph
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 225
Years pro: 4
The former lottery pick by Golden State is yet another lanky
youngster on the Nuggets. Although he had some success as a Warrior, he was
traded to the Knicks in the deal that involved David Lee.
Randolph didn’t play much in his brief stints in New York
and Minnesota but he signed a three-year deal through 2015 with the Nuggets and
has the potential to get his career back on the right track.
The Nuggets got a steal with Randolph because he will perform
if given the opportunity. He can add 10-12 points and five to six rebounds off
the bench—which is undoubtedly a valuable contribution.
4. Danilo Gallinari
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 225
Years pro: 4
The sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is still only
23 years old and has blossomed into an excellent power forward. Although he is
6’10” and only averages 4.5 rebounds per game, Gallinari has averaged no less
than 14.6 points per game in the three seasons since his rookie year. Last year
he also managed 2.7 assists and 1 steal per game—solid numbers for a big man.
Gallinari has an important role in Denver and an excellent
pick-up in the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011.
3. Kenneth Faried
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 228
Years pro: 1
Kenneth Faried had an excellent rookie year with the
Nuggets, averaging 10 points and almost eight rebounds per game during the
regular season.
In the seven-game playoff series against the Lakers, he
averaged a double-double.
Denver has high hopes for their 22-year-old forward—and for
good reason. The former Morehead State star was a brilliant college basketball
player and an excellent choice with the 22nd overall pick in the 2011 NBA
draft.
Faried has proven he can succeed at the NBA level and may
vie for a double-double average in his second year with the Nuggets.
2. JaVale McGee
Height: 7’0”
Weight: 252
Years pro: 4
Many were shocked at the 4-year/$44 million that JaVale
McGee received this off-season. But obviously the Nuggets feel they are locking
up a center who GM
Masai Ujiri says “is only going to get better.”
They certainly hope wildly unintelligent plays like these are behind the
young seven-footer.
With a league that is starved for good centers, McGee’s $11
million per year may represent market value rather than his true ability. But
he does have a tremendous upside and will be a force to be reckoned with if he
can improve upon his 11.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last
season.
1. Ty Lawson
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 195
Years pro: 3
Ty Lawson has become the heart and soul of the Nuggets
franchise.
Not even six-feet tall, the former North Carolina Tar Heel
has proved to be a great player to run the show in Denver. If he can improve at
the rate he has been over the course of his three years in the NBA, the Nuggets
may have landed one of the league’s best point guards of the future.
His season per-game averages in points, rebounds, assists
and steals have increased each year as well as the games he has started at
point guard.
The Nuggets will go where Ty Lawson takes them—a heavy load
for a (capable) guard who’s not even 25 years old.
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