Following the Ty Lawson trade that went down on Sunday night, a starting spot for rookie Emannuel Mudiay is now open in Denver. Mudiay was projected to be a top five pick in the 2015 NBA Draft but he instead fell to number seven, where the Nuggets took him. Before the draft, Mudiay said he would love to be taken by the New York Knicks because he thought Phil Jackson could make him a star, but he has changed his tune. It is now being reported that Mudiay is relieved the Knicks passed on him in the draft, as he doesn't think he would be a good fit for Jackson's signature triangle offense , according to the New York Post.
Jackson has used the triangle to win 11 championships as a coach with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. Now he is an executive with the Knicks and has them running the triangle. In the triangle, the point guard typically has to be able to knock down perimeter jumpers. That is not Mudiay's strength, as he only hit 14 percent of his threes in the summer league.
In Denver, Mudiay will be running a faster, more free-flowing offense that he feels suits his game much better. Mudiay never even had a workout with the Nuggets. The Sacramento Kings, who had the number six pick, reportedly passed on Mudiay because he didn't workout for them. It seems that Mudiay is happy with where he ended up, even if he wasn't expecting to fall past number four.
Last season, Mudiay had committed to go play college basketball at SMU under head coach Larry Brown, but he changed his mind and decided to play a professional season in China. He signed a contract for $1.2 million but only ended up playing in a total of 12 games (10 regular season, two playoff) because of injuries. Mudiay was very good in the games he played, averaging 18 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Mudiay is still only 19 years old and has plenty of time to work on his three-point shot to at least make it respectable. So while Denver may be a better fit for Mudiay, he is talented enough to flourish anywhere. Things seemed to work out well for everyone though, as the Knicks got Kristaps Porzingis, who had a solid summer league. The Nuggets got a top-five talent who should have plenty of freedom as the point guard of the future.
