2024 NBA Draft: Breaking Down Denver Nuggets Draft Class

The Denver Nuggets had one draft pick in this past draft and added big man depth to their roster. How will he fit the organization?

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets only had one draft pick in this year’s draft and they elected to add some size to their roster. They recently won the NBA championship back in 2023 as they were led by NBA superstar Nikola Jokic with Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon playing important roles on the roster. After coming up short this year they were looking to add more young talent that can contribute right away.

Let’s dive into the selection they made and the summary of their draft.

No. 22: DaRon Holmes II

/ Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Nuggets selected DaRon Holmes II out of Dayton. The 6-foot-10 big man is one of the most versatile bigs out of the 2024 NBA Draft. He’s a very good shot-blocker who has good timing and defensive instincts. He’s an overall good athlete who plays with solid energy.

Offensively Holmes is very good as a screener out of the pick and roll. He does a really good job scoring inside the paint while also being a capable post scorer. Holmes has made improvements as a passer and ball-handler which has helped him expand his entire offensive game. What really took his stock to the next level is his improvements as a 3-point shooter.

This past season he shot 38.6% from behind the arc while his free-throw percentage has improved every single year in college. He has solid overall shot mechanics. The next step for Holmes is to improve as a rebounder. He tends to not box out and struggles to read the ball off the rim.

Draft Summary

The Nuggets made it clear during their pre-draft process that they wanted to draft Holmes as there was speculation that they promised him at some point throughout the process. Sadly in his first NBA Summer League game, he suffered an injury that will keep him out for the entire upcoming season.

In the grand scheme of things when Holmes gets healthy he will bring great two-way versatility and valuable minutes off the bench. This will allow Jokic to be comfortable getting more minutes off the court to get his energy and stamina back. This was a very solid draft out of Denver as they added much-needed depth at their big man position and got an underrated talent.

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