Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets (Photo : Photo: Twitter)
Last June, Christmas came early for the Denver Nuggets when they unwrapped a present that contained a dynamic point guard in Emmanuel Mudiay.
Mudiay fell into the lap of the Nuggets at No. 7 - a pick that's definitely hard to pass up regardless if they had Ty Lawson in the roster during that time.
The lingering question is: can a young Emmanuel Mudiay fill in the point guard spot now that Lawson is gone?
The Kinshasa native stood out for being ultra-aggressive with the ball and having the hops to make highlight plays.
During his lone season playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association, he brought that Russell Westbrook-type of swagger to his game complete with nifty drives and fantastic finishes.
Mudiay can also thread the needle and dish off nice assists to open teammates en route to averaging 18 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in the CBA.
In contrast, the 19-year-old is also prone to turnovers and has a suspect jump shot - areas where he's constantly working on.
Emmanuel Mudiay may have long ways to go to reach the level of athletic combo guards such as Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, and John Wall, but what truly stands out is the youthful exuberance, a fresh outlook that can spark a wave of transformation for a small market team.
In the near future, he can be a conduit that attracts big names in the free agent market, or a player who'll bring out the best of a Jusuf Nurkic or a Gary Harris.
He may have games where he'll throw the ball over during crucial junctures; feel the physicality that comes from driving in the lane amidst big men; and deal with players who'll impose their will on him; but at the end of the day, Mudiay is a true gamer.
He's faced challenges during his childhood in Zaire that molded him to accept the daily struggles of the NBA.
Ultimately, it's all up to Emmanuel Mudiay to prove that he can certainly live up to expectations and make the six other teams that went ahead regret their decisions.
