2018 NBA Mock Draft: Where do Doncic, Ayton and Bagley land?

Brown just makes sense for the Nuggets’ roster, especially when you factor in the team’s decision to retain coach Mike Malone after nearly making the playoffs for the umpteenth straight season.

When asked about the idea that next year was a “playoffs or bust” season, general manager Tim Connelly said this: “I think we’re there. How many times can you be the bridesmaid? Our young core, three of our best players are 23 (Gary Harris), 22 (Jokic) and 21 (Jamal Murray), and they’ve proven they’re capable of doing it at the highest level. I think all of us are, quite frankly, sick of this time of the year having a press conference.”

While all of that may be true, there are several reasons you can point to that highlight why Denver underperformed relative to their preseason expectation. The biggest is that Paul Millsap missed nearly the entire season after coming to Denver in one of the biggest free agent acquisitions of last summer. His return and health will be huge for the Nuggets.

With Malone back, and especially if sixth man Will Barton leaves for a richer opportunity, Brown could fill in that role over time. He fits beautifully with the Nuggets’ egalitarian play-making style, in which everyone has the green light to shoot when open, and the ball finds energy.