Nuggets’ Emmanuel Mudiay says he is Happy the Knicks Skipped Him in the Draft

The Denver Nuggets' first round draft pick, Emmanuel Mudiay, says he is happy the New York Knicks skipped him in the 2015 NBA draft. The point guard, who played in China, explained that he was not sure he would have fit in with the Knicks' triangle offense.

Marc Berman with the New York Post wrote:

"Nuggets rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay told confidants after the draft he was, in retrospect, happy the Knicks passed on him at No. 4, as he was unsure he would have been a good fit for the triangle. Despite public comments to the contrary that he felt team president Phil Jackson could "make me a star,'' Mudiay said he felt he was a better match in a more freewheeling Denver offense, according to sources.

On draft night, Knicks fans were upset Jackson passed on Mudiay at 4, and he became the best rookie point guard in the Las Vegas summer league, averaging 12 points and 5.8 assists in four games. He also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals. But Mudiay's outside shooting was poor, as advertised, and that wouldn't have served well in the triangle."

Denver Nuggets Summer League coach Micah Nori only had positive things to say about Mudiay.

Nori said to Pro Basketball Talk, "The first thing you see is he is a true point guard...Guys are going to love to play with him, they are going to continue to run for him because he is a pass-first point guard.... We've put the ball in his hands and given him a lot of freedom, and there's good reason for that."

"He certainly showed a poise and played with a pace that's unexpected for a kid his age. He showed lot of game-plan discipline," Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said. "We knew he was a natural playmaker and we knew he excels in transition. What stood out in summer league was his patience and letting plays develop. It's a term that's rarely used anymore. He's a true point guard. You very rarely see guys who understand that instinctively."

Mudiay is expected to have a large role this upcoming season especially now that the Nuggets have traded Ty Lawson to the Houston Rockets. However, he will have to work on his shooting if he wants to become a more efficient scorer.

"I love playmaking. I love making other people better," Mudiay said. "This week, I wasn't too focused on the scoring part just because I wanted to facilitate."

Mudiay, who was expected to be a top five draft pick, was the seventh overall pick this year.