2016 NBA Mock Draft: Timothe Luwawu Breaks into the Top 10

73. <p>Questions will be raised about Tyler Ulis’s size, no matter how productive he was in college this season. But you know what a great way to negate that concern would be? Playing next to 6’5″, 6’9″-wingspanned Emmanuel Mudiay.</p> <p>The marriage of Mudiay and D.J. Augustin has been great this year, as Augustin’s shooting and Mudiay’s passing acumen and defense have led to lineups with those two outscoring opponents by 13.7 points/100 possessions. Augustin is a free agent this summer, and with Jameer Nelson’s injury history, Ulis could make sense to fill the Augustin role long-term.</p> <p>Ulis’s biggest value is as a shot creator, both for himself and others. He averaged 7.6 assists per 40 minutes this year, and while his three-point shooting regressed this year (34.4 percent), he was a monster on a lower volume playing off the ball more last season (42.9 percent). In Denver, Ulis could play more off the ball when next to Mudiay, and then flip the turbo switch and attack out of the pick-and-roll while Mudiay rests. NBA defense will an issue with Ulis due to his size, but Mudiay will be able to handle most of the on-ball responsibilities long-term, and Ulis is excellent when he can play free safety. After all, he averaged 1.6 steals per 40 minutes this season, good enough to win SEC defensive player of the year playing in the same conference as Wade Baldwin. Ulis’s landing spot will probably have a significant effect on his success in the NBA, and Denver checks a lot of boxes that will allow his strengths to be more prominently featured.</p> <p><em>To learn more about Tyler Ulis, click here.</em></p>. PG. Kentucky. Tyler Ulis. 18. player