Are the Nuggets really that optimistic that DaRon Holmes II, a draft pick, can succeed Al Horford?

General manager Calvin Booth’s bold trade for Holmes won’t mean a thing unless coach Michael Malone is willing to play the prized rookie.

Are you kidding me?

Did Denver make the steal of the NBA draft?

Or was general manager Calvin Booth so giddy after pulling the trigger on a big trade that he was dizzy from a Rocky Mountain high?

With an aggressive move by a team aching to win another championship ring, Booth acted boldly and got his man.

Surprised? Don’t be.

Maybe the worst-kept secret in the league was Denver really, really wanted Dayton power forward DaRon Holmes II.

The real shock to my ears Wednesday was just how high Booth is on Holmes, whom he compared to a five-time NBA all-star that has scored more than 14,000 career points and just won a ring with the Boston Celtics at age 38.

“Al Horford,” said Booth, who saw the comparison from the first time he watched Holmes fire jump shots from distance.

High praise, indeed.

And no pressure, kid.

If Holmes proves to possess anywhere near the talent of Horford, then he’s a potential replacement for Aaron Gordon in the starting five somewhere down the line, perhaps as early as the 2025-26 season.

But this draft-day coup by the Nuggets won’t mean a flippin’ thing if coach Michael Malone sticks Holmes at the end of Denver’s bench and runs Nikola Jokic into the ground as a prized 6-foot-10 rookie gathers dust.

So I asked Booth how confident he is Malone will place enough trust in Holmes to give him the court time required to tackle a steep learning curve against the best players in the world.

“If he can play, he’ll get a chance,” Booth said.

Malone really has little choice but to give Holmes that chance because of the financial restrictions of the new collective-bargaining agreement limiting the ways Denver can improve its roster.

“More and more, we’re starting to understand the realities of the CBA,” Booth said. “It’s going to be hard to make a lot of moves when you have one of the most expensive starting lineups and one of the best starting lineups.”

How bent was Booth on the ability of Holmes, who averaged 20.4 points for the Flyers while demonstrating promise as a solid NBA rebounder with the shooting touch on his jumper to also be effective as a stretch power forward?

Game analysis and insights from The Gazette sports staff including columns by Woody Paige and Paul Klee.
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The Nuggets traded four — count ‘em, four — draft picks to get him. Denver sent its selections in both the first and second rounds this year, plus two future second-rounders to Phoenix.

“The guy has a lot of game,” said Booth, gambling his scouting eye is better than his colleagues.

With the distinct possibility Denver will lose a starter when guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tests free agency, the Nuggets need an infusion of talent.

And Booth is confident Holmes can contribute from the jump.

“I don’t think all rookies are made the same,” he said.

Rather than hoping and praying Holmes would still be on the board at No. 28, Booth got busy and got his guy.

“There were a lot of potential land mines between No. 22 and our pick,” said Booth, very aware Holmes’ skillset might be very attractive to his longtime friend and Minnesota front-office executive Tim Connelly, who held the 27th pick.

With the cautious hope that Malone will muster the patience to give Holmes the minutes to make rookie mistakes and be ready to contribute a solid 10-15 minutes per game behind Jokic and Gordon when the playoffs begin next year, let’s offer sincere kudos to the Nuggets.

But the big winner in the first round of the draft?

Colorado.

A state obsessed with football saw four hoopers with strong connections to our fair state selected among the top 18 picks.

It started with Colorado freshman Cody Williams going No. 10 to Utah. Crafty forward Tristan de Silva, his Buffs teammate, went 18th to Orlando.

You want to remind me again why CU had to sneak in the back door of March Madness as a 10th seed in the NCAA Tournament?

So maybe the real party should be the truly legit local products. Dalton Knecht was born in Thornton and came of age at the University of Northern Colorado before becoming the Southeastern Conference player of the year, proving himself worthy of becoming the 17th overall selection by the Los Angeles Lakers.

And a point guard with the Nuggets in his DNA was plucked by Sacramento with the 13th pick. Remember Anthony Carter coming off the bench for George Karl? OK, we won’t mention that regrettable inbounds pass during the Western Conference finals in 2009. Let’s concentrate on Devin, his son, who began a prep hoops career at George Washington that took a long, winding road until he was the Big East player of the year for Providence.

I’d be willing to bet any of those local prospects would be happy with a career anywhere near as rewarding as Horford’s 17 seasons in the NBA.

And if Booth is proven correct about Holmes having Horford–like tendencies?

You can go ahead and order another championship banner for the Nuggets right now.