Emmanuel Mudiay catches fire off the bench to lead Denver to victory
The Denver Nuggets improved to 7-5 Thursday after downing the Oklahoma City Thunder 102-94 in a back and forth matchup. While rising star Nikola Jokic has stolen the spotlight in the mile high city, it was former seventh overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay who led the Nuggets to a resounding victory on this night.
Mudiay didn’t start the game, but coming off the bench, he out-dueled and overmatched the NBA’s reigning MVP. The Congolese point guard posted an sturdy stat line of 21 points, seven boards, and five assists while holding Russell Westbrook to 13 points on 6-22 shooting.
Although his jumper has been cited as his greatest weakness, Mudiay had it cooking from downtown, nailing all four of his long distance tries. The athletic point guard is known for his ability to leap out of the building, and he made good use of his freakish athleticism. Hanging in the air for acrobatic layups, he time and time again finished against taller defenders at the rim.
Heading into the season, it was unknown what the future held for the talented playmaker and it appeared as if his days in Denver might be numbered. However, after a strong start to his third year, he’s rapidly forcing his name into Sixth Man of the Year consideration and maybe even the Nuggets’ starting five.
Despite playing career low minutes, Mudiay has sustained his career per game averages while utterly decimating his previous career high shooting percentages. It’s hard to describe his transformation with numbers alone, somethings different than it was before.
In his first few years in the league, Mudiay looked reluctant to shoot the ball and overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being the primary ball handler. Now, he’s firing triples off the dribble with no hesitation, dishing dimes with poise of a seasoned vet and defending the NBA’s best floor generals with a fearlessness and ferocity that should instill terror in their hearts.
He’s always had the physical gifts and basketball IQ necessary for NBA stardom, but he was never able put them together to follow through on all of his potential until now. So far this season, Mudiay’s role has been scaled down, but the man’s absolutely balling out and he deserves a chance to show what he’s worth.
It’s time for Denver to let go of the leash and insert him into the starting lineup. The Nuggets’ incumbent at the lead guard position Jamal Murray is struggling to produce and his score first mentality would be better served as a spark plug for their explosive second unit. Emmanuel Mudiay isn’t a star yet, but mark my words, he’s got Allstar appearances heading his way in the not so distant future.
