Emmanuel Mudiay had a strong game for the Denver Nuggets in the team’s 120-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, and it gave the first-round pick an opportunity to zing Byron Scott.
The Lakers were looking for a point guard in the 2015 NBA Draft and they selected D’Angelo Russell at No. 2 overall. They also considered Mudiay, who went No. 7 to Denver, but Scott and the Lakers opted for Russell instead.
“I didn’t think he was a true point guard,” Scott said of Mudiay Monday. “I didn’t think he was a guy who made great decisions when we saw him and had him here. I thought that was something he would have to learn to do to run that position.”
Scott did say he thought Mudiay was going to be pretty good regardless, but that’s not what Mudiay focused on.
Mudiay said prior to Tuesday’s game between the teams that he was using negative comments from the Lakers head coach as motivation. He did just that, posting a career-best 10 assists while going 3-of-4 on 3-pointers and 3-for-3 at the free throw line in the win.
“Thank you Byron Scott for saying I’m not a point guard,” Mudiay said after the game via the Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey.
Scott also noted in his analysis of Mudiay that the Congo native had a little bit of an edge. I guess we’re seeing a perfect example of that. But as many other players have taught us, having a chip on your shoulder as motivation is generally a good thing in sports.
