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By Anne Erickson
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The Denver Nuggets have built their entire championship window around Nikola Jokic, which is cool when you have a player as great as him, but even the best player in the world needs help. That makes the development of their young players more important than ever.
Now, two second-round picks could have a chance to carve out roles: Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins.
Both of these guys make up the Nuggets' X-factor this season.
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Brazile brings the type of athleticism that immediately stands out. The forward has always been one of the more explosive players on the court, capable of making plays above the rim and changing the energy of a game.
The question has never been about his talent. It's about consistency.
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During his five years in college, Brazile showed flashes but never fully put everything together. Now, the Nuggets are hoping their system can help him turn those flashes into a more reliable NBA skill set.
Playing alongside Jokic could also open up opportunities. A player who can run the floor and finish lobs from Jokic is always going to have a chance in Denver.
Hopkins brings a different type of game. The 6-foot-7 forward has the size and experience the Nuggets can use, having spent four years in college.
The biggest area of focus is simple: shooting. Hopkins connected on just 32.4% of his 3-point attempts during his college career, so improving from the perimeter will be important if he wants to earn consistent minutes.
Neither player is expected to step in and solve all of Denver's problems immediately. That's not realistic for second-round picks.
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But, the Nuggets need energy. They need depth. They need young players who can take advantage of chances when they come.
If Brazile can become a reliable athletic presence and Hopkins can develop into a dependable piece of the puzzle, Denver may have found two useful players to help keep the Jokic era going.
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