Rookie Beanpole Needs To Show He Belongs In The NBA

The Denver Nuggets know that they have nothing to lose by taking a chance on promising rookies, especially the ones who have height. Bol Bol, son of former NBA center Manute Bol, is oozing with potential but the 19-year-old needs to develop himself further if he is to play with the big boys.

League sources tell The Athletic that Bol has signed his rookie contract with the Nuggets. It is reportedly a two-way deal. To help him sharpen his skills, the 19-year-old is expected to spend time in the G-League. This is seen as a perfect scenario for him as he tries to improve on certain facets of his game and show that he really wants to make a name for himself in the NBA.

"The wait is over," he said to ESPN's Maria Taylor. "I just want to prove everyone wrong and come out and be the best player I can be."

Looking at his college career, there is no question that Bol can be a big asset if used the right way in the NBA. He averaged 21 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots a game. Aside from that, he showed he had a good shooting clip from the three-point region. These are prime reasons why he was seen to be picked up early in the 2019 NBA Draft.

As most know by now, Bol dropped to the 44th spot. And a reason seen for this is his durability. He played only nine games at Oregon due to a Navicular bone fracture on his left foot and this is a concern for teams. This may all be part of the evolution that the 7-foot-2 player needs to do so that he can play through a regular NBA season at the least.

Bol needs to trust the process which the Nuggets are employing. As the Denver Post points out, his current setup is similar to the one the Nuggets had with Monte Morris and Torrey Craig. One thing he needs to do is bulk up since he will surely receive a lot of banging inside the paint.

The Nuggets have the luxury of giving Bol time to work on his game and durability for now. Depending on his progress and how deep Denver goes this 2019-20 NBA season, he could be called up when the need arises.

The Nuggets currently have 14 of their 15 roster spots filled. Tyler Cook recently signed to a two-way deal and PJ Dozier to a training camp contract. Training camp is slated for early October, the Denver Post reported.