DaRon Holmes II's Skillset Strengthens Denver Nuggets Immediately

The Denver Nuggets coveting DaRon Holmes II was the worst-kept secret in the NBA leading up to draft night.

After impressive workouts that led to him receiving a promise from an unknown NBA team, it was long rumored to have been the Nuggets. The only hurdle for them was if Holmes was drafted by a team before them at No. 28. But they traded up to the Phoenix Suns' spot at No. 22 to secure him, thus, fulfilling the rumors.

Holmes fills the Nuggets' desperate need for frontcourt depth, and more specifically, a serviceable backup for Nikola Jokic who can keep the offense at least somewhat afloat during his bench minutes. With Jokic on the floor, Denver posted a 124.0 offensive rating and an 11.7 net rating. With him off the floor, that dropped to a 107.4 offensive rating and a -8.6 net rating.

Banking on rookies to make an instant impact on a championship contender isn't often a great bet, especially when asking them to create offense (even if it is sparse, bench offense in this case). But Holmes is a 6-foot-10, 235-pound three-year college big with excellent productivity in each year. He posted a 7.4 box-plus-minus in his first season, 7.9 in his second season, and 11.5 in his final season. Constant production and improved production is a sign he'll be able to contribute right away in the NBA.

He's also had three years of experience as a post hub at Dayton. On the bench, that skillset will fit in seamlessly with Coach Michael Malone's scheme for Jokic as the post hub.

He doesn't have to create offense though. He has an extremely scalable skillset and he'll be able to provide impact both on and off the ball. He's an excellent play finisher around the rim (74.1% on rim attempts including 71 dunks) on rolls, cuts, and dumpoffs. He shot the ball well this past year (38.6% on 83 attempts) and has excellent movement skills that allow him to attack closeouts.

Being able to toggle between on-ball and off-ball roles at college while succeeding in both and maintaining high levels of productivity as a big man in all three years of college is rare, and that's why Denver coveted him. If he's able to provide impact for them as a rookie, it would alleviate a lot of pressure on Jokic and improve the Nuggets' title chances.

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.