During the 2017-18 season, the Denver Nuggets used the recently established two-way contract to get valuable contributions from Torrey Craig. During the most recent campaign, the team used those valuable roster spots on Thomas Welsh and Brandon Goodwin.

Welsh

Welsh entered the NBA after four seasons at UCLA in which he established himself as an inside presence for the Bruins. During Welsh’s senior season, he expanded his game beyond the arc and worked to become a true stretch five as the NBA continued to emphasize the 3-pointer.

After being selected by Denver at pick 58 in the 2018 draft, Welsh spent most of the season in the G League, where he appeared in 20 games. The 23-year-old big man averaged 10.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game across those 20 contests. Welsh was very efficient in those games, as he connected on 51.6 percent of his shots from the field and 48.4 percent from three.

While Welsh saw limited playing time in the NBA (he played 36 total minutes across 11 games), he made sure to hit his shots when the opportunities were presented to him. The former second-round pick shot 53.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc in the NBA.

Welsh has a unique style of play that should continue to serve him well in his NBA career. Welsh provides a big body in the paint at 7’0” yet is nimble and accurate enough to stretch the defense out from beyond the arc. His development will continue to be something to watch for the Nuggets’ center rotation next season.

Goodwin

Brandon Goodwin used his two-way opportunity to showcase his impressive scoring abilities. In 26 appearances in the G League, Goodwin averaged 22.1 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field. Goodwin also connected on 38.6 percent from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game.

However, it wasn’t just impressive scoring ability that Goodwin showed off in the G League. The 23-year-old guard also grabbed 6.9 rebounds and dished out 5.6 assists per game.

While Goodwin struggled to replicate the scoring numbers or efficiency in the NBA, he did receive playing time across 16 games, which should help the undrafted guard continue to develop his game. Given the strong depth the Nuggets have in the backcourt, Goodwin will have to continue to battle for playing time as he continues to work on his well-rounded game.