Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. (Photo by Callaghan O’Hare/The Denver Post)
Contrary to rumors saying otherwise, Nuggets rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay said he did not tell anyone he was happy the Knicks did not draft him back in June.
“It’s not true, I didn’t say that,” Mudiay said. “But, I think one time someone asked me, ‘How would you like to play in the triangle offense?’ I said ‘I don’t know how I would fit in that system,’ and I think that’s when they ran with it.
“So, I mean, the Knicks took their choice, they took (Kristaps) Porzingis and I wish him the best. But I can care less about the Knicks right now because that’s not who I’m playing for. I’ve just got to focus on who my team is, and that’s the Denver Nuggets.”
Many were surprised at how quickly Mudiay played well at the NBA Las Vegas Summer League. Mudiay said he wasn’t shocked by the reaction.
“Me personally I wasn’t surprised because I kind of felt like I took a slap in the face with the whole draft thing — not a slap in the face, but it just motivated me because coming out they had me projected top three, top four,” he said. “But that really didn’t bother me. After the draft went on, I kind of got over it because I feel like Denver is the best situation, the best place I could be. So, it definitely motivated me to play a little bit harder, play a little bit better. But it was my game, I just went out there and played my game.”
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com
