The NBA Draft is an event that often features the Denver Nuggets coming away from it as a winner. The Nuggets will have the 21st pick in the draft, and no second round picks. Up until this point in the draft cycle, most mock drafts have featured the Nuggets taking wings or defensive minded guards. It makes a lot of sense due to the teams’ lack of wing depth and perimeter defense being apparent all season long. Austin Rivers was the only positive defender in Denver’s back court this season, and Aaron Gordon was used as a point of attack defender; even though that is not the role he should be in.

Denver fans are hoping that the front office can capitalize on this pick by drafting a defensive minded player. Whether that be a guard or forward — not many are picky. The Nuggets are likely looking for someone who can contribute immediately and help sure up their defense.

Rank	Name	Draft Age	Position	Height	Weight	School/Club
1	Paolo Banchero	19.6	Big	6'10"	250 lbs	Duke
2	Chet Holmgren	20.1	Big	7'1"	195 lbs	Gonzaga
3	Jaden Ivey	20.4	Guard	6'4"	195 lbs	Purdue
4	Jabari Smith Jr	19.1	Big	6'9"	215 lbs	Auburn
5	AJ Griffin	18.8	Wing	6'6"	222 lbs	Duke
6	Jalen Duren	18.6	Big	6'10"	250 lbs	Memphis
7	Bennedict Mathurin	20	Off Ball Guard	6'6"	210 lbs	Arizona
8	Shaedon Sharpe	19.1	Guard	6'6"	201 lbs	Kentucky
9	Keegan Murray	21.8	Forward	6'8"	225 lbs	Iowa
10	Nikola Jovic	19	Wing	6'10"	209 lbs	Mega Basket
11	Johnny Davis	20.3	Guard	6'5"	194 lbs	Wisconsin
12	Jeremy Sochan	19.1	Forward	6'9"	230 lbs	Baylor
13	Tari Eason	21.1	Forward	6'8"	215 lbs	LSU
14	Dyson Daniels	19.3	Wing	6'8"	170 lbs	Ignite
15	Malaki Branham	19.1	Wing	6'5"	180 lbs	Ohio State
16	MarJon Beauchamp	21.7	Wing	6'6"	199 lbs	Ignite
17	Mark Williams	20.5	Big	7'0"	243 lbs	Duke
18	Ousmane Dieng	19.1	Forward	6'10"	216 lbs	New Zealand Breakers
19	Alondes Williams	23	Point	6'5"	210 lbs	Wake Forest
20	Christian Braun	21.2	Wing	6'6"	205 lbs	Kansas
21	Ochai Agbaji	22.2	Wing	6'5"	215 lbs	Kansas
22	Ismael Kamagate	21.4	Big	6'11"	220 lbs	Paris Basketball
23	Kendall Brown	19.1	Forward	6'8"	205 lbs	Baylor
24	Jake LaRavia	20.5	Forward	6'9"	228 lbs	Wake Forest
25	Vince Williams	21.8	Wing	6'6"	210 lbs	VCU
26	Jalen Williams	21.2	Forward	6'6"	195 lbs	Santa Clara
27	Patrick Baldwin Jr	19.6	Forward	6'9"	220 lbs	Milwaukee
28	Terquavion Smith	19.5	Guard	6'4"	160 lbs	NC State
29	Jaden Hardy	20	Guard	6'4"	185 lbs	Ignite
30	Leonard Miller	18.6	Forward	6'9"	175 lbs	Fort Erie Prep
31	EJ Liddell	21.5	Forward	6'7"	240 lbs	Ohio State
32	Christian Koloko	22	Big	7'1"	225 lbs	Arizona
33	John Butler	19.5	Forward	7'1"	190 lbs	Florida State
34	Tyty Washington	20.6	Point	6'3"	185 lbs	Kentucky
35	Wendell Moore Jr	20.9	Wing	6'5"	213 lbs	Duke
36	Gabriele Procida	20	Wing	6'7"	194 lbs	Bologna
37	Jaylin Williams	20	Big	6'10"	240 lbs	Arkansas
38	Blake Wesley	19.3	Guard	6'5"	185 lbs	Notre Dame
39	Trevion Williams	21.8	Big	6'10"	255 lbs	Purdue
40	Bryce McGowens	19.6	Guard	6'7"	173 lbs	Nebraska
41	Iverson Molinar	22.5	Guard	6'3"	190lbs	Mississippi State
42	Hugo Besson	21.2	Guard	6'5"	196 lbs	New Zealand Breakers
43	Trevor Keels	18.8	Guard	6'4"	221 lbs	Duke
44	Ryan Rollins	19.9	Guard	6'4"	180 lbs	Toledo
45	Dalen Terry	19.9	Guard	6'7"	195 lbs	Arizona
46	Harrison Ingram	19.6	Forward	6'7"	230 lbs	Stanford
47	Jordan Hall	20.4	Wing	6'7"	215 lbs	St. Joe's
48	Kennedy Chandler	19.8	Point	6'0"	172 lbs	Tennessee
49	Justin Lewis	20.1	Big	6'7"	245 lbs	Marquette
50	Max Christie	19.4	Wing	6'7"	185 lbs	Michigan St
51	Walker Kessler	20.8	Big	7'1"	245 lbs	Auburn
52	Matteo Spagnolo	19.4	Guard	6'5"	180 lbs	Cremona
53	Keon Ellis	22.5	Guard	6'6"	170 lbs	Alabama
54	David Roddy	21.2	Wing	6'6"	255 lbs	Colorado State
55	Dominick Barlow	19.1	Forward	6'8"	205 lbs	OTE
56	Jean Montero	18.9	Guard	6'2"	172 lbs	OTE
57	Jaden Shackelford	21.3	Guard	6'3"	200 lbs	Alabama
58	JD Davison	19.6	Guard	6'3"	175 lbs	Alabama
59	Jabari Walker	19.8	Forward	6'9"	215 lbs	Colorado
60	Hyunjung Lee	21.6	Wing	6'7"	210 lbs	Davidson

With the top 60 prospects laid out, I will break down who I think the Nuggets should target for the best outcome of this draft. As far as roles they should draft for, I think that they should prioritize shooting and defense — with more emphasis on the defense. Also, the targets are going to be realistic targets, not Paolo Banchero or Chet Holmgren.

Four Best Targets for the Nuggets

MarJon Beauchamp – G League Ignite

This content is no longer available.

MarJon Beauchamp is one of the better wing prospects in this seasons draft, and specializes in areas of need for the Nuggets. His main appeal as a prospect is his defense and his finishing around the rim. He has good size at 6’6” and a reported 7 foot wingspan. His main questions lie in his 3 point jumpshot where he only hit 24.2% of his 3 point shots. There are positive indicators for upside in that area though, and his defensive tools and instincts make him a very appealing prospect for teams like Denver who need point of attack defenders.

His role on offense would initially be an off-ball cutter and occasional ball handler. He shot 77% within 5 feet of the rim with the G League Ignite, and often had secondary ball handler duties. He could likely fill in the role that a Torrey Craig or PJ Dozier did for seasons past, but with greater athleticism and defensive potential. To have a player like that with good upside on a good contract is something the Nuggets would be excited to get.

Christian Braun – Kansas

This content is no longer available.

Christian Braun completed his junior year of college with the ultimate capstone to a college career — a national championship. The Jayhawks were helped by the wing’s defense and shooting. He shot 38.6% from beyond the arc this past season on 3.3 attempts per game. On his college career he was a 37.8% shooter on 3.5 attempts per game. He especially excelled off the catch, knocking down 41.4% of his catch and shoot jumpers for Kansas last season.

His defense was also eye catching. When defending in isolation, Braun only allowed 24.5% of his opponents shots to go in. His 6’6” frame gives him enough size to check most guards and smaller forwards. He doesn’t have the wingspan or athleticism that MarJon Beauchamp has, but is a better shooter and likely better contributor from day 1 than Beauchamp.

Wendell Moore Jr. – Duke

This content is no longer available.

Wendell Moore Jr. is someone who is often mocked going lower than the other two. He’s typically seen going in the early second round in those mock drafts, and it’s not without reason. He isn’t elite at any one thing and is someone often thought of as an older prospect, despite being younger than many in this draft. Those prospects are often overlooked, and you may notice I have him in the early second as well.

The reason I have him that low is because this is a general big board, and not a Nuggets specific one. He likely doesn’t have a ton of upside because he doesn’t have a standout skill, but he is solid at everything. He has decent size at 6’5” and a long 7 foot wingspan. After flopping in his first two seasons with the Blue Devils, Wendell turned it around this past season and was a productive player in many areas — notably his defense and shooting. He also took on some ball handling duties for Duke during the season. Some think it was a flash in the pan season, but I buy into him as a good role player. He’s a high floor, low ceiling pick.

Jake LaRavia – Wake Forest

This content is no longer available.

Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia is a weird player in a really good way. He has good screen navigation and foul drawing while not being the typical athletic player that is good at those sorts of things. He is a good team defender, on ball defender, and is also a good shooter. He has a good 6’9” frame for a forward as well. He’s someone the Nuggets could look at as a forward rather than a wing to help hold down the front and back courts defensively.