At No. 32 in the NBA Draft, the Nuggets take a point guard
Jun 22, 2023, 9:30 PM | Updated: Jun 23, 2023, 6:51 am
Three picks after selecting Gonzaga guard Julian Strawther with their first selection in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Nuggets were back on the clock. This time around, Denver went for a Jalen Pickett, taking the point guard out of Penn State.
Sources: Denver is selecting Jalen Pickett at No. 32. https://t.co/Z8rZKX2Rl3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2023
Pickett played three seasons at Siena before finishing his college career with two campaigns at Penn State. Here’s how NBA.com described him:
A dominant collegiate hooper, Jalen Picket transferred to Penn State after three seasons at Siena, where he was MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2019, the MAAC Player of the Year in 2020 and a three-time All-MAAC 1st Team selection. During his time with the Nittany Lions, Pickett averaged 15.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. On Feb. 14, Pickett set a Penn State home record with 41 points in a win over Illinois. He also led the Big Ten in assists in 2022-23 with 6.6 per game.
He’s projected to be a backup point guard in the NBA. That’s something the Nuggets may need with Bruce Brown not picking up the player option on his contract for 2023-24.
Pickett plays with a rare back-to-the-basket, penetrate and kick, triple-threat style. Although he stands at just 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, his physicality is advantageous on both ends of the court. Capable of switching into a variety of matchups and capitalizing against slower or weaker defenders, Pickett pairs diverse skills with toughness and poise. In addition to his facilitating and active rebounding, he shot 63.9% at the rim, 45.4% in the midrange and 37.2% from beyond the arc — all well above average.
His unorthodox style orchestrated Penn St. at one of the slowest tempos in the country. However, the efficiency was excellent. Then-coach Micah Shrewsberry surrounded Pickett with shooters, and there’s no reason to think Pickett can’t be a high-IQ contributor with a similar environment around him at the next level. He has the decision-making and well-rounded game to carve out a valuable career.
The Nuggets needed to add guard depth this offseason. They began that process with the selection of Pickett.
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