The Denver Nuggets originally had just one pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. However, they made a couple of trades which led to two extra selections on draft night. This added flexibility and had Nuggets fans excited for what Denver had up their sleeve. After all, this is a team that desperately needs to add help around reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
Let's take a look at the Nuggets draft results.
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Nuggets 2022 NBA Draft Grades
Round 1, pick 21: Christian Braun
The Nuggets selected Kansas product Christian Braun with the 21st overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Braun enjoyed a productive career at Kanas. But scouts aren't sure how high his NBA ceiling is. He is a spot up shooter who occasionally can hit off of the dribble. But there is no question he is most effective on catch-and-shoot opportunities.
However, he isn't a tremendous finisher and struggles off the drive at times. His offensive game is predicated around jump-shooting which can be a risky proposition.
Braun features impressive athleticism which should help him cover ground on the defensive end. He could become a sneaky good perimeter defender in the league.
In the end, this is not an extremely high upside pick. But Christian Braun's skill set should help the Nuggets as early as this season. Nikola Jokic's playmaking ability could lead to a number of open shots for Braun as well.
Grade: B
Round 1, pick 30 (via trade): Peyton Watson
Peyton Watson out of UCLA is young and athletic. He is 6'8 and has a long wingspan. But his numbers were underwhelming in college, and he still needs to develop his overall skillset.
The Nuggets acquired this pick via trade during the draft. However, the selection of Watson came as a surprise.
Watson did not play much for UCLA to open the season but displayed signs of potential towards the latter half of the year. This ultimately led to Denver taking notice.
His jump shot needs work and Peyton would benefit from added aggressiveness on the offensive end. At 6'8 he can become a versatile player on both offense and defense. Peyton profiles as a guy who could run the wing or become a play initiator.
This wasn't a great selection by any means… but there is potential to be had here.
Grade: C+
Round 2, pick 46: Ismael Kamagate
Ismael Kamagate wasn't a big name entering the draft. But the Nuggets are hopeful they got a late round steal in the Paris Basketball product.
Kamagate provides depth behind Nikola Jokic at center. He is 6'11 and features strong rebounding and defensive potential. However, his overall aggressiveness on the defensive end needs to improve moving forward. If he can enhance his mindset Kamagate could become a special talent on the defensive end.
He is also a work in progress on the offensive end. He can handle the basketball well for his position but isn't much of a scorer.
Kamagate is a nice depth piece at this point and nothing more.
Grade: C
Two-way undrafted free agent signing: Collin Gillespie
Collin Gillespie shocked the college basketball world after becoming a star at Villanova. He wasn't much of a prospect out of high school but developed his overall game in the college ranks.
After going undrafted this past Thursday, the Nuggets are hopeful a similar narrative can be attributed to Gillespie down the road in the professional ranks.
At 6'2 and just 180 pounds, Gillespie will need to continue developing his jumper. He is decently athletic but his value will come on the offensive end of the floor if he can hit shots from deep. He does have underlying potential. I like this signing since Denver didn't need to spend a pick on him.
Grade B-
Nuggets 2022 overall draft grade
The Nuggets had a fairly mediocre draft overall. Braun is the standout but his ceiling is questionable. However, they didn't have a bad draft by any means. I would label it as above average but not spectacular.
Overall NBA Draft Grade: B-
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