Taurean Prince, Baylor

Age: 21 years old     Size: 6’8, 220 pounds

Last Season’s Stats: 15.7 points; 6.0 rebounds; 2.3 assists per game

Percentages: 43.2% from the field; 36.2% three-point; 77.4% form the free throw line

Taurean Prince is the type of player every contending team needs on their roster. He will never be a first-, second- or even a third-scoring option on a good team, but Prince does all of the things that box scores do not show. He scraps and plays a gritty variety of basketball.

In this new day and age of position-less basketball, finding wings that can defend multiple positions and still have offensive versatility is one of the most difficult type of skillsets to find. Having a player who can get into a stance and have the physical tools to match up with guards and forwards anywhere on the court allows for a lot of different possibilities on both ends. Prince will be able to defend positions 2-4, as well as play as a larger defensive-minded shooting guard or even in short stints as a small-ball power forward, even though he is a true small forward.

Prince has a fantastic body for an NBA wing, being 6-foot-8 with a massive 6-foot-11.5 wingspan. He is strong and wide with fantastically quick feet and a surprising amount of bounce, especially in transition. His game fits the new age of the NBA. He is able to score in many different ways. Prince uses his size and strength to bully smaller defenders in the post but also uses his obnoxiously quick feet and leaping ability to make off ball cuts to score. He gets out in transition and will finish above the rim in space.

When it comes to Prince’s fit with the Nuggets, he checks off a lot of boxes. The Nuggets are in need of defensive intensity on the perimeter as well as someone who can space the floor. He would be great insurance in case the oft-injured forwards of the Nuggets again miss time. He is a tireless worker and would bring the ability to turn defense into offense immediately. He does have some questionable decision making sometimes and will have trouble creating for himself at the NBA level, but Prince brings the ability to come in from day one and make a difference. If the Nuggets ended up with Prince with the 19th pick in the draft, he may end up as one of the better value selections of the entire class.