It’s no secret that the deepest position in this year’s NBA Draft – especially in the first round – is the small forward/wing spot. Players in the 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-8 range that are long, rangy, can score the basketball and are versatile defenders.
On Wednesday, the Nuggets brought in a strong group from just that range, which included Oregon’s Troy Brown Jr., Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith, Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie… and an intriguing wild card in Duke’s Gary Trent Jr.
Rounding out the group was Notre Dame guard Matt Farrell and Wake Forest guard Bryant Crawford.
No player had a more detailed view of what he wants to accomplish defensive end of the court than Brown, who, as a freshman, collected 55 steals at Oregon, which ranked ninth all-time in a single season at the school.