I've Got Five On It: Highest risk/reward picks of the NBA Draft
Jett Howard showed his potential last season at Michigan, but his sample size is limited.
SELECTED: No. 32 by the Denver Nuggets
RISK/REWARD FACTOR: The Nuggets’ early second-round selection of Pickett got the side-eye treatment on draft night, and the extent of the negative reaction was probably a bit unfair because it overlooked just how skilled and well-rounded the former Penn State star actually is. That said, the defending champs definitely took on some risk by taking an unorthodox player with a less-than-aesthetically-pleasing game – a move that seems to have worked out OK for them in the past.
The questions that surround Pickett concern his lack of true athleticism and the fact that he’ll be 24 before he plays an NBA game. The pick is a bet on skill trumping athleticism, and the hope that Pickett’s ability to make a living scoring and passing in the post translates to the NBA. The decision will be an easy one to mock in retrospect should it not work out. However, the Nuggets’ front office deserves all the praise in the world for the courage to make if it does.
