A 20-point beatdown was a real possibility when the Nuggets played the Rockets in Houston, but no one imagined Denver would be the one to administer it. Behind 41 combined points by Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried and a standout performance by rookie Emmanuel Mudiay, Michael Malone's team surprisingly routed the shorthanded Rockets in Houston. In a night of surprising results, this one was the biggest.
Emmanuel Mudiay showed flashes of greatness in his first career game
The rookie point guard has a long way to go to become a star, but if his first NBA game is any indication, he’s already ahead of schedule.
They Nuggets are going about rebuilding differently than most teams. Instead of stripping down their roster completely, they kept some veterans around to take pressure off the young players. At least for one night, it paid off, as Mudiay looked comfortable on his NBA debut, finishing with 17 points and nine assists, though he did have a whopping 11 turnovers. If he continues to exceed expectations, the Nuggets might be more fun to watch and more competitive than anticipated.
The 19-year-old point guard was a bit of an unknown leading up to the draft after opting to play professional basketball in China instead of joining Larry Brown at SMU. He was pegged as a project not only due to his young age, but because he lacked a jumper. If his limited NBA experience is considered, he's much further along than most expected.
Mudiay struggled with turnovers and had a hard time finishing at the rim in preseason, but his shot looked very good, as he connected on 37 percent of his three-pointers. Against the Rockets, he confirmed the suspicions that his three-point form might not be broken by going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The rookie also pulled down five rebounds to go with his nine assists, including this beauty to Gary Harris after probing the defense to start the game.
Mudiay shows patience and vision that are uncommon in point guard prospects his age and his improvement as a shooter is already ahead of schedule. If his 6’5” frame fills out, allowing him to improve as a defender and at finishing through contact, he will have the talent and the physical attributes necessary to be an elite player in a few years.
Of course, he's not there yet. As the shot chart above shows, he still struggles greatly at converting near the basket. Those 11 turnovers were also the result of careless passes a floor general can't afford to make. Fortunately for him, he'll have the chance to develop at his own pace. Unlike other rookies who are thrown to the fire, he has Jameer Nelson around to teach him and share ball-handling duties, as well as a coach that believes in him.
The Nuggets haven't had a star since Carmelo Anthony forced his way out of Denver. They are hoping to develop Mudiay into their next franchise player. While it's definitely too soon to say if that will eventually come true, his debut certainly gave the front office and the fans plenty of reasons for optimism.
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