What’s your level of shock that the Nuggets drafted another European draft-and-stash in the second round?
Gordon Gross (@GMoneyNuggs): I would have been shocked if they hadn’t added one. The Nuggets are nothing if not predictable, but as a general rule I think teams should stash a Euro player with a second rounder every year. Sometimes it pays off, and it’s better than cash considerations.
Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares): This is easily the least surprising pick the Nuggets could’ve made. Figured this was the pick when he magically rose up Draft Exrpess’s mock draft earlier this week.
Daniel Lewis (@minutemandan): Draft Express had him at 51 to Denver, which means one of the Nuggets scouts told Cancar’s agent, “Hey, we’re taking you in the second round,” and then the agent told a Draft Express guy, and then all the intrigue was gone once they updated their mock draft. He plays for the Adriatic League team formerly known as Mega Leks, which means he was basically a lock to be a Denver Nugget.
Cancar at first glance looks like the European version of Tyler Lydon in terms of unpolished physical skills and some offensive touch. How do you feel about adding yet another power forward in this draft with the same skillset?
Gross: Cancar rates a big fat zero from me as far as interest level, but since he’s a draft-and-stash I don’t care about the duplicated skillset as much. He’s another straw to draw in case the first couple fail. That’s all right.
Mares: I feel somewhat confident that Cancar will not cause a logjam at power forward this season, or next, or the next one after that.
Lewis: Cancar will cause as many problems for the Nuggets as my 1971 Ford Mustang causes for me – and I don’t have a 1971 Ford Mustang. I don’t think it’s a non-zero chance that he is a contributor someday, but it’s not a double digit chance.
Will Cancar come to the NBA at all this year? Juancho played well enough to have the Nuggets bring him over even though his minutes were severely limited, and Joffrey Lauvergne forced a midseason jump. Can Cancar do the same?
Gross: I would bet money that he will not come over this year. He seems far more like Petr Cornelie, who needed to work on his body and was nowhere near ready. Cornelie still looks like a tall 8th grader on summer vacation and may never come over – I have Cancar in that vein.
Mares: I would be shocked. First, because he was the 51st pick. Second, because the Nuggets just don’t need him.
Lewis: I sincerely doubt that. I think if Nuggets fans want to see him play in person, they’ll have to travel to Europe.
As far as moving the needle this is about a 0.5 on the Richter Scale, right? Were you disappointed to see all of the college picks drafted right before him that might have moved the needle more?
Gross: Yup. It felt like deja vu to the first round, where the guys I wanted were departing the board right before we drafted. There was plenty of defensive help in this draft and the Nuggets got none of it. Developing potential future offensive players as draft-and-stashes doesn’t exactly raise my pulse.
Mares: For sure. This draft was always going to be disappointing. The Nuggets picks weren’t in a great spot and the only thing that would’ve saved it would’ve been a trade. For the third year in a row, that trade never happened.
Lewis: There was a snowball’s chance in hell the Nuggets weren’t using one of their picks on a draft and stash candidate. Will he ever play for Denver? Maybe? I don’t expect him to.
