If I’m to be completely honest, as great as the Denver Nuggets pick of Emmanuel Mudiay on Thursday at the 2015 NBA Draft was (and it certainly was a tremendous steal) … the rest of that night was a bit confusing and alarming. Between Ty Lawson yet again committing a social media faux pas, and the Nuggets admitting they attempted trades that never went through to get another pick it was one of those times where you felt fulfilled yet strangely unsatisfied.
Conflicting emotions. As Nuggets fans we all expected clarity (also as proclaimed by Team President Josh Kroenke, and General Manager Tim Connelly in separate interviews) by the time the draft was done. Yet, we were still a bit on the muddled side. Yes, Mudiay and the future was here, but the past in the form of Ty Lawson was still very much here….the much-needed clarity was not to be found.
I went to sleep that night extremely confused and conflicted. I awoke yesterday morning and wondered aloud what to write in the coming day. I switched on the Television and low and to my surprise and utter unfathomable tear-inducing joy, the Supreme Court ruled that Same Sex Marriage bans were unconstitutional. Suddenly I wasn't confused anymore. Suddenly I just didn't care about the confusion Nuggets because everything was made abundantly clear.
My euphoria was unbelievable and I didn't find my mind wandering to Nuggets issues until well later in the day. I was supposed to attend the Mudiay press conference at Pepsi Center but … I had to celebrate and talk about something that really deeply meant alot to me. Even when I thought about it, I don't know, it seemed insignificant. True Equality meant so much more.
Maybe that "break" from whatever fantasy world basketball is gave me some perspective.
Now, fresh from a day of celebration, tears, and being with loved ones it has struck me that the Nuggets confusion isn’t anything more than a step in whatever process they need to go through. Maybe my own outsized expectations influenced my opinion of this draft. Expecting too much when it’s a step along the way? I don’t know. All I know is I’m more relaxed about the subject of the Nuggets than I’ve been since Carmelo Anthony had yet to contemplate leaving Denver.
It's a struggle, and I don't agree with everything the Nuggets have done recently, I think that we will EVENTUALLY see the ultimate vision for this Nuggets team. Eventually. Maybe part of the journey is discovery, and finding out what the future has in store for us. In the long run though, basketball doesn't matter at all and there ARE much bigger things out there to be happy about.
I believe I needed some perspective.
So I pose this question to you my fellow Stiffs. What excites you most about the coming future of the Nuggets? What do you want to see? How do you want the Nuggets to change the roster, or do you want them to change at all.
What does the Nuggets draft pick mean to YOU?
