The Denver Nuggets decided to with the best player available, selecting combo guard Jamal Murray of Kentucky No. 7 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Murray is a "lights-out" shooter from the Kentucky Wildcat factory of NBA greatness, and as teams got more of a look at Murray in workouts it became clear he offers as much as Buddy Hield (taken No. 6 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans) while being three years younger than Hield.

That said, there is the possibility that Murray becomes something of a one-trick pony as a guard. He can play the point, but he is not best suited to running an offense. At 6’4”, he brings marginal size as a shooting guard. He finishes well at the basket and is a good athlete so he could form a well-rounded offensive game in time. 

Murray also seems to relish the chance to take and hit big shots, and that alone is the type of intangible that tends to intrigue GMs around the league. He is a good rebounder for a guard and makes the most of his size, but he is not big enough to slide to the 3-spot which limits lineup flexibility. 

Jamal Murray is a consummate combo guard who will pair nicely with 2015 draft pick Emmanuel Mudiay. (Photo: Jeffrey Becker, USA Today)
USA Today

Jamal Murray has pedigree

Murray also was one part of a very talented Wildcats team, and it is hard to get a gauge on the ultimate offensive upside of John Calipari players because of the way he fits them into his system. He is a better scorer than Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but Coach Cal has a way of masking the weaknesses of his players (which, of course, is part of why Kentucky perpetually dominates). 

Murray could become a big time scorer to lead Denver's offense, but he has hardly had to bear the load of carrying a team yet. He really is best used a spot point guard, and it is not difficult to envision him becoming an interchangeable backcourt with point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.

Where is Denver going?

Taking a 19-year-old means questions like these will continue to be asked. The Nuggets already have a stable of scoring guards which include Gary Harris and Will Barton. Murray has the talent to be better than both of them, but it will be a dogfight in Denver to start at shooting guard. The Nuggets are several seasons away from contending again, but with the myriad of young guards and some decent trade chips in Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari, the roster may still look far different by the end of this offseason.

Whatever the case, Mudiay has plenty of passing options and having a lot of pure scorers is never a bad idea necessarily. Mudiay can create and penetrate as well as any young guard in the game, and Murray will get plenty of kick-outs for triples. He really steps into a pretty ideal situation given the pace at which the Nuggets play and the direction of the youth movement in the Mile High City.

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About the author
Brett Roberts
35 y.o. father, journalist, former NCAA forward, basketball junkie. Follow on Twitter @33Trigger