The Denver Nuggets won the Ty Lawson trade. It might not have seemed like it at the time but the most Juancho Hernangomez plays, the more it becomes evident that he was the best player involved in that trade. At the time of the deal, he wasn’t even on most Nuggets’ fans radars. He was just “a middle first round pick” that most assumed would be some type of role player or bust. I think he is much more than that.
His three-point shot looks beautiful. Rumor has it that he is a tireless worker and gets shots up in the practice gym after every home game. He’s got a nice build for an NBA player with some height and athleticism. But most interesting of all about Juancho is his feel for the game and the way he plays all-out every second he is on the court. His best moments remind me of a taller Manu Ginobili, with long, skinny strides making direct lines for the basket. He has a nose for grabbing offensive rebounds and a great feel for when to attack and when to keep the ball moving.
His ceiling is really high. So high, that I would not be surprised if he is the starting small forward on this team in years to come and wouldn’t even be surprised if he was one of the team’s main core pieces. Check out his highlights against the Houston Rockets.
