SB Nation Denver - 2011 NBA Draft: Denver Nuggets Select Kenneth Faried, Trade For Jordan Hamilton

Former Colorado State Forward Andy Ogide Invited To Nigerian National Team Training Camp

2011-06-25T18:00:39Z

Former Colorado State forward Andy Ogide knew getting selected in the NBA Draft was a long shot, but he is hoping to be picked up by a team to join their summer league rosteras an undrafted free agent.

However, with the NBA most likely heading toward a lockout, Ogide may not get the chance to tryout for a NBA team this year and most likely will pursue a professional basketball career overseas for at least a year.

While making it to the NBA is his ultimate goal, Ogide has bigger dreams in the short-term which is to land a spot on the Nigerian men's national team and participate in the 2012 London Olympic games. Ogide has dual citizenship since he was born in the United States and both of his parents were born in Nigeria. He has been invited to their training camp in July, but Nigeria still needs to qualify for the Olympics.

If Ogide makes it to the Olympics he will be the third player from Colorado State to play basketball in the Olympics. The other two are Canadian David Turcotte who played in the 1992 games and the other is the Becky Hammon who is well-known for opting to play for Russia in the 2008 games after becoming a naturalized Russian citizen.

2011 NBA Draft Grades: Nuggets Class Of The Northwest, According To CBS Sports

2011-06-24T19:28:05Z

While Chad Ford may not have liked the Denver Nuggets draft as enthusiastically as others, CBS Sports' Matt Moore and Ben Golliver are big fans of what the team did. Ford wonders how much playing time Jordan Hamilton will receive, but Moore and Golliver absolutely love the pick:

Hamilton is highway robbery. They surrendered Felton, who they neither needed nor wanted, and got back Andre Miller AND Hamilton, who bizarrely slid down the draft. Hamilton can do the work of Wilson Chandler should he depart in free agency. He's long with range and, next to Danilo Galinari [sic], he makes the Nuggets look freakishly athletic. Great draft for Masai Ujiri.

This was a great first draft for Masai Ujiri. He got a rebounder in Faried and Hamilton can be a scoring option off the bench to start off his career. Overall, the Nuggets received an 'A-'.

The Jazz received a 'B+' for Enes Kanter and Alec Burks; the Timberwolves took a 'B' for their selection of Derrick Williams; the Oklahoma City Thunder took PG Reggie Jackson, who will have a hard time finding playing time, but the CBS Sports guys still consider it a great value pick; and the Trail Blazers, they believe, made a reach with Nolan Smith, who wasn't going to be selected in the early 20s.

Will these grades prove correct a few years down the line?

Hit SB Nation's 2011 NBA Draft hub for full coverage of the aftermath. Visit Denver Stiffs for more on the Nuggets

Northwest Division Draft Picks 2011: Derrick Williams Joins Minnesota Timberwolves, OKC Thunder Add Reggie Jackson

2011-06-24T19:04:44Z

What new players will we see in the Northwest division over the coming years? As we already know with the Denver Nuggets, Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton will don powder blue for the team. The Utah Jazz are looking in good shape with the additions of Enes Kanter and former Colorado Buffaloes guard Alec Burks. But will a different team in the division come out on top in this draft?

Maybe the Minnesota Timberwolves will take that spot. Holding the No. 2 overall selection, the T'Wolves drafted Arizona forward Derrick Williams, but after that it's up in the air on how well they did, as Tom Ziller writes in his 2011 NBA Draft Grades. At pick No. 20, the Wolves drafted Donatas Motiejunas and then sent him and Jonny Flynn to Houston for a 2013 first-rounder and cash.

The Blazers took Duke guard Nolan Smith with the No. 21 pick and then made a bunch of trades, sending Andre Miller to the Nuggets for Raymond Felton. To complete that deal, the Blazers sent Rudy Fernandez to the Dallas Mavericks for No. 26 overall pick Jordan Hamilton. Hamilton was then flipped to the Nuggets to complete the deal. The Blazers get a 'D-' from SB Nation.

The Oklahoma City Thunder tapped Boston College guard and Colorado Springs native Reggie Jackson with the No. 24 pick. The Thunder gave Jackson a promise to take him at No. 24, so he didn't do much leading up to the draft, canceling interviews and workouts. They'll look to move Eric Maynor to open up playing time.

Jordan Hamilton Believes Texas Coach Rick Barnes Caused His Slip, According To Report

2011-06-24T14:41:22Z

Former Texas Longhorn and new Denver Nugget Jordan Hamilton slipped all the way down to No. 26 for the Dallas Mavericks to grab him. However, Hamilton knew that he was going to wind up with the Nuggets before that pick was announced. But why did a potential late-lottery pick fall nearly out of the first round? Possibly as a result of his college coach, Rick Barnes:

Chris Tomasson tweeted a number of quotes from Jordan Hamilton, who attributes Barnes for his fall:

Just talked to Jordan Hamilton. He said believes reason he slipped in draft was because coach Rick Barnes told teams he wasn’t 'coachable'.

J. Hamilton: "(Barnes) called some teams and said that I probably wasn’t coachable and things like that. But I feel like I can be coachable'

Asked Jordan Hamilton how knows Rick Barnes allegedly called teams and said not coachable. Wouldn't give names, said "got some feedback.''

More Hamilton on Barnes: "I love Texas and everybody is entitled to their opinion.’’ But Hamilton still later called Barnes "great coach.’’

h/t to SB Nation

If true, it looks like the Nuggets believe George Karl will be able to coach Hamilton into an NBA player. Playing time to put that coaching into action may be hard to come by with Danilo Gallinari around and Wilson Chandler a candidate to re-sign as a restricted free agent.

NBA Draft Grades: Chad Ford All Right With Nuggets Draft, Tom Ziller Gives It 'A+'

2011-06-24T14:09:26Z

As is to be expected, draft graders will be divided over how to rate a team's selections. Case in for the 2011 NBA Draft is the Denver Nuggets. They wound up drafting Morehead State forward Kenneth Faried and traded for Texas forward Jordan Hamilton from the Trail Blazers (who acquired him from Dallas) and for Chukwudiebere Maduabum from the Lakers (more on the Chu).

On the one hand, we have SB Nation's Tom Ziller singing the praises for this draft class by giving the Nuggets an 'A+' in his 2011 NBA Draft Grades. He sees Faried as an instant impact player, believes Andre Miller works out for the team as either a backup or a future salary dump to retain Nene and sees the addition of Jordan Hamilton as icing on the cake.

But then Chad Ford takes a more pragmatic(?) look at the draft. He doesn't include the Felton-Miller swap in his calculation, though the other part of that deal (the acquisition of Jordan Hamilton) is. Ford like Faried and believes he will be a player in the league, but he isn't as high on him to be a starter. He also questions how much time Hamilton will see on the court with Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler also on the roster. Chu is a "big-time project," but he's Masai Ujiri's guy. Overall, Ford rates the draft at 'B.'

Hit SB Nation's 2011 NBA Draft hub for full coverage of the aftermath. Visit Denver Stiffs for more on the Nuggets

NBA Draft Grades: Utah Jazz Do Well With Additions Of Enes Kanter, Alec Burks

2011-06-24T13:19:12Z

Inevitably it is time to start handing out early grades for how a team did in the 2011 NBA Draft. For that let's start with our neighbor to the west, the Utah Jazz, with their second draft pick (No. 12) of the night, having selected center Enes Kanter earlier in the proceedings.

Former Colorado Buffaloes guard Alec Burks had some buzz as at No. 7 with the Sacramento Kings and at No. 10 with the Milwaukee Bucks, but following a trade between those teams and the Charlotte Bobcats just hours before the draft Burks' stock appeared to be dropping.

That is, before the Utah Jazz jumped onto the clock at No. 12. They popped Burks, ending a potential free fall for the guard. Here's what Tom Ziller has to say on the addition of Burks in his 2011 NBA Draft Grades:

Burks showed little defense at Colorado, but has good size and a promising frame. Jerry Sloan would have turned Burks into a gritty fighter, and it's up to Ty Corbin to do just that. On the other end, Burks is a slasher who figures to draw plenty of contact and hopefully develop a jumper to space the floor for Kanter, Al Jefferson and/or Paul Millsap down low. I guess this means Gordon Hayward is a small forward, though.

Overall, Ziller gives the Jazz a 'B+' for the additions of Burks and Kanter. Buffs fans won't need to search far and wide to watch their former star play.

For more on the Jazz, visit SLC Dunk. Hit SB Nation's 2011 NBA Draft hub for full coverage of the aftermath.

2011 NBA Draft Results: Denver Nuggets Bring In Nice Haul With Kenneth Faried, Jordan Hamilton

2011-06-24T09:00:42Z

When draft grades for the 2011 NBA Draft start making their way out on Friday, the Denver Nuggets should be receiving one of the highest grades of all 30 teams. Let's break down what they did this year.

Pick No. 22: After months of speculation, the Nuggets picked up Morehead St. Eagles forward Kenneth Faried. He can be a starter at the 4 from Day 1 and make Kenyon Martin's expected departure acceptable. The Portland Trail Blazers could have had him one pick earlier at No. 21, but they went with Duke guard Nolan Smith.

Trade with Portland Trail Blazers: This could have been bad news if the Nuggets and the Blazers had decided to swap picks, but it didn't turn out that way. Instead, the teams swapped point guards Raymond Felton and Andre Miller. In addition, the Trail Blazers sent Rudy Fernanded to the Dallas Mavericks for the rights of No. 26 overall selection, Jordan Hamilton. The Blazers turned those right around and sent them to the Nuggets along with a future second-round pick.

Overall, this was an excellent job. The Nuggets now have a legitimate power forward who will be on the court to rebound and rebound all the time. Hamilton is a young scorer who will replace J.R. Smith. The Nuggets do plan on keeping Miller, which will affect Ty Lawson, but no one knows to what extent right now.

For more on what the Nuggets will do after this, visit Denver Stiffs.

NBA Trade Rumor: Nuggets Will Receive No. 26 Overall Pick Jordan Hamilton In A Dallas-Denver-Portland Trade

2011-06-24T02:23:06Z

Draft night for the Denver Nuggets just got better if reports of a three-team trade come to fruition. The Nuggets and the Trail Blazers will still swap Raymond Felton and Andre Miller, but the Dallas Mavericks will also be involved. Reportedly, the Mavericks will send the No. 26 overall selection, Jordan Hamilton, to the Blazers for Rudy Fernandez. In turn, Hamilton will be sent to the Nuggets to complete the deal.

So the Nuggets wind up with Kenneth Faried, whom they drafted at No. 22, and will also add Jordan Hamilton. So Faried replaces Kenyon Martin and Hamilton will allow the Nuggets to let J.R. Smith walk. All in all, the Denver Nuggets should come out with one of the better early draft grades. It would have been high with just Kenneth Faried alone since he will be a starter for the Nuggets from Day 1.

For more on what the Nuggets will do after this, visit Denver Stiffs. Visit Blazers Edge for more on Portland's side of things. Mavs Moneyball has more on the Dallas move.