March Madness star could be a Nuggets draft target in surprisingly high pick

Isaiah Wong did what he could but it wasn’t close to good enough as Christian Braun’s Kansas Jayhawks sped past them in the Elite Eight en route to the 2022 NCAA Title.

Thanks to a bunch of unforeseen circumstances the two could be teammates in the NBA in 2023-2024. While Braun has had a terrific rookie season for the playoff-bound Denver Nuggets, Wong once again led his Miami Hurricanes deep into the Dance. Wong, the ACC Player of the Year, push the ‘Canes to the school’s first Final Four, before dropping to eventual champions Connecticut.

While March was mad among the college ranks, it’s seen some twists in the NBA too. The Dallas Mavericks have completely fallen apart since trading for Kyrie Irving and no longer hold a playoff spot. And thanks to several trades, the Nuggets are now projected to pick in the top 40 of the 2023 NBA Draft, despite not owning a first-rounder and having one of the best records in the league.

Wong is among the players Denver could consider with an early second-round pick. The Nuggets are likely going to be looking at a backup point guard, wing depth from the small forward position, and this is always the case with a Nikola Jokic-led team, with more shooting and defense around the star big man. So here’s my first list of realistic Nuggets draft targets as March ends and we get closer to the late June draft. And yes realistic, otherwise Denver should definitely pick Victor Wembanyama.

Nuggets NBA Draft targets

1. 1. 1. Julian Strawther (Gonzaga, 6-7, SF, 21)
         Like Wong, Strawther’s Bulldogs fell to the Huskies during this year’s March Madness. The All-WCC player appeared in nearly 100 games for Gonzaga, averaging 15 points per game on 47% shooting from the field and 40% from deep this past year. The strong small forward has size and can really shoot. He may however be off the board by the time the Nuggets select, with him rising up mocks.
      2. Terrence Shannon (Illinois/Texas Tech, 6-6, SG/SF, 22)
         After transferring from the Red Raiders, Shannon had an awesome year for the Illini. He brought his scoring up to 17 points per game, and pushed his team to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Shannon is a big-time athlete and a well-rounded wing who projects well. He hustles and has tools but his shot can be inconsistent, shooting 38% from deep his third year in college and then 32% this past season. His free throw percentage of 79% hints that he could be a decent enough shooter, everything else is good enough for the NBA.
      3. Jalen Wilson (Kansas, 6-8, SF/PF, 22)
         Braun’s former Jayhawks teammate who won a title with the now Nuggets rookie, Wilson, decided to stay on the Kaw. Wilson started most of Kansas’ games on their title run but a year later he took his scoring numbers up from 11 a game to 20 a night, improving his shooting from 26% from deep to 34%. Wilson is tall, has big shoulders and can score. Wilson is not a big-time athlete and won’t bounce out of the gym but uses his size for physicality.
      4. Marcus Sasser (Houston, 6-2, PG/SG, 22)
         Sasser would be a slight departure from how Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth has reshaped the roster over the past year. Booth has added size, shooing and defense in that order. The Nuggets may already have their backup PG of the future rostered in Collin Gillespie, who signed as an undrafted player last summer but has missed the entire season injured. With the trade of Bones Hyland, Reggie Jackson being toward the end of his career, Bruce Brown being more than wing than guard and likely on the way out of town and Ish Smith out of contract the Nuggets will need a backup guard. Sasser is smaller but went a crazy 116-22 with the Cougars in his four years. Over the past two seasons, he’s scored 17 points a game, added three helpers a game while shooting 40% from deep.
      5. Isaiah Wong (Miami, 6-4, PS/SG, 22)
         Wong shooting 38% from deep is going to help his draft case a lot, as the scoring guard put up 16 points per game this past season. Another older college prospect with some big games played in his bag, it fits what the Nuggets could be looking for. But Wong is more of a two-guard than a one. He brings a scoring punch and has made strides in his years as a Hurricane.

Keep in mind two Nuggets players you haven’t seen much of in 2022-23 will be part of the team’s future plans. Both first round pick from a year ago Peyton Watson, who has spent much of the year in the G League, and second-round pick from 2022 Ismaël Kamagate, should be factored into the team’s possible rotation.