Nuggets select Tyler Lydon with No. 24 pick

With the 24th pick in Thursday's NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets selected Syracuse forward Tyler Lydon.

Denver acquired the 24th selection from the Utah Jazz earlier in the draft, along with Trey Lyles, in exchange for the No. 13 pick.

Lydon was a pivotal piece for Syracuse this season, although the Orange failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. He stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep.

The 6-foot-8 Lydon profiles as an ideal modern power forward at the pro level. None of his tools are elite, but he boasts enough skills across the board to be an effective player. Lydon can operate as a pick-and-pop threat from deep, or as a face-up attacker out of the mid-post.

However, he'll struggle to defend at the NBA level and is rather shy of contact. His work rate on the glass can be inconsistent and he's undersized to begin with. The 21-year-old also needs to refine certain aspects of his game in order to become an effective role player.