Q&A with Nuggets GM Tim Connelly: the draft, team parlor tricks, meditation and more
Connelly catches with Denverite as the Nuggets prepare for free agency.

The Denver Nuggets' 2016 NBA draft picks flank general manager Tim Connelly (center) Ā at a press conference Wednesday. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Parlor tricks, meditation, Nikola Jokicās potential at power forward and the logjam at shooting guard.
These are a few of the things Denver Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly riffed on with Denverite in a question and answer after the team introduced its four rookies Wednesday.
Check out the interview, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, below.
Denverite: I listened to the podcast you did with Chris Mannix of The Vertical, and I thought it was kind of funny how you guys mess with players a little bit during the pre-draft process. I heard a story about how yāall put candy on the table and ask them, “Whatās your favorite candy?” And yāall will have someone seriously take notes. Could you elaborate on that?
Connelly: Itās intimidating for these guys. Youāre 18, 19, 20 years old, youāre walking into a room full of adults who know everything you did. They know if you were late for a class, if youāve ever had a beer. I canāt imagine being on the other side of the table. I certainly wasnāt an angel, and Iām not an angel now. So we try to disarm them a little bit and make them feel a little more comfortable. And also a lot of these guys are very much coached, so it gets them to be a little more comfortable, a little more honest.
Weāll also say you have to fight one guy in the room. Who would it be? Itās all just hoping to get them to stay relaxed. This is stressful enough as it is. Weāre a pretty relaxed team, and we want that first interview to be reflective of who we are.
Denverite: Do any of them ever take it seriously? Do they not know youāre messing with them at first?
Connelly: I would say the snack one is the one most taken seriously. Some guys, weāll have them sit down and face the wall. And theyāll sit there for 10 seconds, and weāll be like, “Weāre just joking, buddy. Turn the chair around.” Itās all just trying to be reflective of who we are. I think we work as hard as anybody in this profession, but we also want to enjoy it.
Denverite: Have you ever come across players who are into the meditation thing like Jamal Murray?
Connelly: Yeah. (Assistant GM) Arturas Karnisovas and his wife, Gina, they bring a hugely unique perspective. Gina is a sports psychologist. And Arturas is a huge proponent and has enlightened me on a lot of really cool things about the mental aspect of preparation. I think itās great. Itās 94 percent physical, but if you have a leg up with your mental approach, itās impactful. Iām looking forward to talking to Jamal about the benefits, and I think itās great.
Denverite: You guys are, I donāt want to say stocked at every position, but you have young talent at every position. Is that a good problem to have?
Connelly: Yeah, it beats the opposite, right? Look, we won 33 games last year. We have to take the best player available and continue to build. Last Thursday was a huge step in the right direction. We added four players who we thought very highly of. Every one of them was the highest-ranked player (on our board) when we drafted, which is extremely unique. I think you keep building with talent and good people, and you let the competition kind of play out and see who comes out of that group. And you have a core group of guys. But I like where we are.

Denver Nuggets first-round pick Malik Beasley speaks at a press conference next to general manager Tim Connelly on Wednesday. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Denverite: I know youāve said the starting two guard job is Gary Harrisā right now. Letās say itās halfway through the season and one guy is outplaying the other. Is it best man wins?
Connelly: Thatās up to coach (Mike) Malone. Certainly weāre a competitive organization. If youāre the better player, youāre always going to play. That wasnāt said to dissuade competition. It was more a feather in Garyās cap for the hard work heās put in, the year heās had. He just had a heck of a year.
Denverite: Nikola (Jokic) said in May that he wanted to play a little more four (power forward) next season. Is that something yāall are one the same page about?
Connelly: Again, speaking about time, position, thatās a coach Malone question. We donāt mandate any of those things. We have discussions, and I offer a strong opinion. But ultimately whatever Mo (Malone) does, Iām firmly behind because heās such a good coach. But I think Nikolaās offensive flexibility, his passing, his willingness and ability to step out behind the arc ⦠he can play both positions. You forget he grew up as a point guard, so the growth spurt was late. He has a unique skill set for a 7-foot guy. Put our best five guys out there and see what happens.
Denverite: You think he can ever be the guy who switches the pick and roll and stays in front of the little, quick guard?
Connelly: Iām hopeful. It would be shortsighted to make any strong suggestions after a year of basketball. Two years ago, he was playing at a fairly low level in the Serbian League. I know his basketball IQ and his length is always well-served defensively, and I think heās a guy whoās going to get better every day.
Denverite: Why have you guys done so well in bringing over guys from Europe?
Connelly: Luck. I donāt think thereās any magic formula. The only thing I think weāre good at in that realm is that we have a lot of relationships that are natural. Theyāre not business relationships; theyāre guys we are buddies with.
Obviously, Arturas (Karnisovas, Denverās assistant GM) was the European player of the year. When I was in my previous jobs, Iād spend two months, three months overseas. (International scout) Rafal Juc is fantastic. (Director ofĀ Scouting) Jim Clibanoff used to consult with international teams. (Manager of Basketball Analytics) Tommy Balcetis is very familiar with European basketball. Itās all our staff.
The relationships are as important or more important than the actual talent evaluations. Because then you know the real guy. You learn about them off the court. You learn if theyāre guys who will fit. With the international guys, you have to place an emphasis on how they view the NBA and ask if they have the personality that will allow them to stay and be successful.
Denverite: Will yāall be active on the trade market heading into the season?
Connelly: Weāre always looking. Free agency is upon us now. Thatās the next step for us after the draft. Weāre never content. How can you be content with our recent string of non-playoff appearances? So weāll see what opportunities present themselves, but weāre always looking.
Sports reporter Christian Clark can be reached via email at cclark@denverite.com or on Twitter @_ClarkChristian.
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