Denver Nuggets rookie 7-footerBol Bol played his firstNBA minutes on Thursday during a scrimmage in the bubble and shined, scoring 16 points, with 10 rebounds and 6 blocks.- Bol played just nine games in college because of a foot injury, slid from the lottery to the second round of the draft, and has not been seen or heard from much with the Nuggets.
- With a unique blend of length, agility, and skill, Bol immediately became a fan-favorite during the scrimmage.
- It is just one scrimmage, but the promise Bol showed in his first NBA minutes makes him a must-watch player.
Denver Nuggets rookie Bol Bol made quite a first impression in his first NBA minutes on Wednesday.
Bol, a 7-foot, 20-year-old taken by the Nuggets in the second round of the 2019 draft, had not yet played a minute in his NBA career.
Once considered a lottery pick for the 2019 draft, Bol, the son of late NBA center Manute Bol, suffered a stress fracture as a freshman at Oregon after just nine games. He slid in the draft due to injury concerns and has only played in the NBA G League since.
Even for an NBA player, Bol has kept a low profile. The Athletic's Kendra Andrews reported on Monday that Bol has rarely been seen by reporters this season, often getting his work done behind closed doors, then leaving the locker room before media has been let in.
Well, the NBA world got to see Bol on Wednesday in the Nuggets' first scrimmage in the NBA bubble. With several players missing still, the Nuggets rolled out a comical lineup, featuring three 7-footers, with Bol, Mason Plumlee, and center Nikola Jokic playing point guard. It also included two nominal power forwards in Paul Millsap and Jerami Grant.
—John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) July 22, 2020
Bol made his presence known right away. One of his first sequences included a blocked shot and an audacious pull-up three-pointer.
—Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 22, 2020
With a 7-foot-8 wingspan, Bol also comes up with blocks that many players could not.
—Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 22, 2020
And for a seven-footer, he's nimble in transition and quick off his feet.
—Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 22, 2020
—Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 22, 2020
In total, Bol finished with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks in 32 minutes of action. He was also a plus-18.
The NBA world quickly fell in love with Bol.
—Nathaniel Friedman (@freedarko) July 22, 2020
—Russ Bengtson (@russbengtson) July 22, 2020
—Wobol Wobol (@WorldWideWob) July 22, 2020
—Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 22, 2020
—Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) July 22, 2020
Of course, it is just one scrimmage in players' first action in four months. But the promise Bol showed in his first NBA minutes makes him a must-watch player in the bubble and beyond.
- Read more:
- 6 dark horse teams that could pull off a major upset in the NBA's Disney bubble
- The Clippers began the season as the NBA's next super team, but are already on the clock in the Disney 'bubble'
- LeBron James reportedly stayed in 'remarkable' shape to prepare for a unique opportunity to add to his legacy
- Thunder center Steven Adams brushed off complaints about life in the NBA bubble: 'This is not Syria ... We're living in a bloody resort'