Editor’s note: Third of a series on top players in this week’s NBA draft whom the Nuggets are considering for the No. 7 pick.
Of all of the things NBA teams wanted to evaluate about Kentucky defensive maven Willie Cauley-Stein, getting a handle on the big man’s confidence wasn’t one of them.
“I see myself as the No. 1 player in the draft,” Cauley-Stein said. “But it is what it is. If you just take it day by day and put in the work the draft is going to be the outcome of whatever the draft is.”
Thursday has the potential to be a very big day for Cauley-Stein.
He is arguably the best defensive player in the draft. He is certainly the most versatile defensive player.
At Kentucky, the 7-foot, 240-pound Cauley-Stein played three years and this past season showed up on pretty much everyone’s all-defensive team. He’s the first player in Kentucky’s tradition-rich history to block 200 or more shots and collect 100 or more steals.
Cauley-Stein’s upside heading into the NBA draft
Physically, there’s almost nothing he can’t do. He has a 7-2 wingspan, runs the court like a point guard and has nearly a 40-inch vertical jump. His lateral quickness is exceptional. He is a shot blocker who also can steal the ball. In three years in college he averaged 3.6 blocked shots and 1.8 steals per 40 minutes.
He is perfect in situations where the defense is switching on screens because he can guard pretty much any position on the court.
” I can play three positions — five in college — but realistically three in the NBA,” Cauley-Stein said after working out for the Nuggets this month. “I think that’s one of the things that intrigues people the most, my defensive versatility. My movement and mobility is something that piques everybody’s interest.”
And he’s great in the open court, which is where the Nuggets want to live in the era of new coach Michael Malone. Cauley-Stein runs the court better than almost any other big man in the draft and converts a high number of transition attempts at the rim.
Cauley-Stein’s downside heading into the NBA draft
The biggest area of concern is his half-court offense. While in Denver for his workout, Cauley-Stein admitted that proving he can knock down a 15-foot jump shot on a regular basis is a big deal for NBA teams.
“Everybody knows that I can play defense,” he said. “I’ve showed at times that I can score, but I just think they want to know ‘How consistent are you in your moves?’ One move looks really good and the next is like ‘I don’t know if he really has it.’ So, it’s what I’ve been working on all summer, that no matter if the ball falls or not that I’m staying with the same stuff over and over, just to look consistent and to show that I have it in there.”
Cauley-Stein is a “plug-and-play” player
No other player in the draft will help the Nuggets be an improved defensive team that gets into transition better. Cauley-Stein is a “plug-and-play” player who would be ready to contribute immediately.
Coming Wednesday: Standley Johnson
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
