The Nuggets plan to add players who can protect the rim this offseason.
In the pre-draft process they’ve taken a look at several players who can do so, the latest being Michigan State big man Deyonta Davis, who worked out for the Nuggets on Wednesday.
Davis, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound one-and-done player in college, was put through an individual workout at the Pepsi Center. He has a reputation of being strong in the paint. Davis led Michigan State in blocked shots (64), was second in field goal percentage (59.8 percent) and was third in rebounds (191) this past season. He averaged 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 18.6 minutes per game.
The Nuggets put him through “shooting, pick-and-rolls, defense and that was basically it,” he said.
Of the players projected to go in the first round of the NBA draft, which Davis is, he owns the highest blocked shot average per minutes played. He is the third player that averaged over a block per game this past season to work out for the Nuggets, the others being Marquette’s Henry Ellenson (1.5) and Maryland’s Diamond Stone (1.6).
Davis said the altitude was a factor that he had to fight through in the 90-minute workout.
“My wind was bothering me,” he said. “I was trying to fight through and give my all.”
Having Michigan State on the resume is a boost to any player. That program produced a current Nugget — Gary Harris — one of the best players in the NBA in Golden State’s Draymond Green, and has a reputation of churning out tough players ready for pro ball.
Davis is regarded as a fringe lottery selection at this point. He said the Nuggets were just the second team he’s worked out for, meaning his agent, Bill Duffy, is comfortable with the information he is getting on where his client will be picked. He won’t run Davis out to several workouts and jeopardize his current positioning or drop his stock.
“I’m just waiting to see where I’m picked up,” Davis said. “From there, I’m just going to show everyone what I’ve got.”
