NUGGETS IMPRESSED WITH MUDIAY
Rookie guard plays like seasoned pro, shows off playmaking skills
The challenges for Emmanuel Mudiay — some of his doing, some out of his control — have been difficult.
As a young child, he lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo during brutal wars.
“It was tough. There are some things you don’t forget growing up,” Mudiay said. “Seeing your mom struggle. Dead bodies, gunshots, stuff like that. It’s made me who I am today, mentally, physically.”
After spending his school-age years in the Dallas area, Mudiay decided to play professionally in China following his senior year of high school in 2014. Just 18 years old, he embraced Chinese culture on and off the court.
“It was good for me, just playing with the grown men on my team and in the league,” Mudiay said. “I wanted to go to a situation where I could get better. I didn’t want to go just for the money. The competition was more my style of play, and I thought that’s where I could improve.”
When Mudiay injured his ankle early in the 2014-15 season, he had an opportunity to return to Dallas, but he chose to remain in China.
“The easy way out could have been to return to the States,” Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said. “It speaks to his maturity level and his commitment to finishing what he starts.”
The Nuggets selected Mudiay with the No. 7 overall pick in the June draft, and during the Las Vegas Summer League, 6-5 Mudiay emerged as the most promising, NBA-ready rookie point guard.
Mudiay averaged 12 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds a game in four Las Vegas games and displayed a varied skill set. He has court vision and explosiveness, is a strong passer with both hands, can make difficult cross-court passes, has a good sense of controlling tempo and has strength to absorb contact and get to the foul line.
Like many young NBA guards, Mudiay needs to improve his shot, but that should come with practice and time if he’s willing to put in the work.
“I love playmaking. I love making other people better,” Mudiay said. “This week, I wasn’t too focused on the scoring part just because I wanted to facilitate.”
The Nuggets want Mudiay to score, but Connelly called Mudiay a true point guard who is focused on running the offense and involving other players.
“He certainly showed poise and played with a pace that’s unexpected for a kid his age. He showed a lot of game-plan discipline,” Connelly said. “We knew he was a natural playmaker and we knew he excels in transition. What stood out in summer league was his patience and letting plays develop. It’s a term that’s rarely used anymore. He’s a true point guard. You very rarely see guys who understand that instinctively.”
Mudiay said he developed that mentality as a younger player when matched up against older players and from watching some of today’s NBA players such as Mo Williams, whom Mudiay talks with regularly.
“I love scoring, too. But everybody can score. Unless we really need it, I’m going to find teammates,” Mudiay said.
The Nuggets are ecstatic they drafted Mudiay, who didn’t work out for the club because predraft projections had him going in the top five. But once the Los Angeles Lakers selected D’Angelo Russell and the Orlando Magic took Mario Hezonja, the Nuggets thought Mudiay might be available when they drafted at No. 7.
Because of Mudiay’s injury, he only played 11 games in China. The Nuggets front-office staffers watched every minute of those games multiple times, plus other video they obtained from his high school games.
“We had a good sense of who he was a player and certainly we did a lot of background on who he was as a kid, but you really don’t know someone until you’re around them on a consistent basis,” Connelly said. “Since being around Emmanuel, we’re even more excited. We’ve seen how serious his approach is and how much he really wants to be a special player.”
Not only does Mudiay possess on-court savvy, he has it off the court, too.
He endeared himself to Denver fans by wearing a No. 55 Dikembe Mutombo (also from Congo) Nuggets jersey on the bench in the final summer league game in which he sat out to rest.
“He’s really embraced Denver,” Connelly said.