The Denver Nuggets selected Kentucky shooting guard Jamal Murray with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft as they try to turn around a franchise that's missed the playoffs the past three seasons.
The 19-year-old Murray is coming off a freshman season in which he averaged 20 points a game -- the highest scoring average for a Wildcats player under coach John Calipari. The 6-foot-4 Murray also had 113 3-pointers, the second-most in NCAA history for a freshman. The only freshman who had more was Steph Curry (122).
Nuggets addressed shooting with their three first round draft picks.
They shot the sixth worst percentage in the NBA at .338% from three-point range, and with the Ty Lawson trade with Houston they drafted Spain's Juan Hernangómez. He's a power forward that can stretch the floor with his shooting.
At number 19, Denver selected Florida State's Malik Beasley, a guard one NBA insider called "one of the best shooters in this draft," and thought if he hadn't suffered a stress fracture he could have been a lottery pick.
Nuggets have two more picks in round 2, numbers 53 and 56 overall.