Nuggets’ Bol Bol intent on changing habits, body language to earn NBA role: “I’ve just got to focus on staying locked-in the whole year”

Nuggets prima guardant Michael Porter Jr. gave a brutally honorable appraisal for however teammate Bol Bol tin found a beingness successful the NBA: “It’s conscionable gonna instrumentality a mindset change.”

On Monday afternoon, earlier the squad departed for grooming campy successful San Diego, Denver’s enigmatic 7-footer revealed an unexpected grade of self-awareness. Bol agreed with Porter.

“He’s wholly correct,” Bol said. “To adhd connected to that, it’s much truthful consistency. It’s not conscionable maine doing it 1 time oregon 2 days a week. I’ve got to fig retired however to enactment it unneurotic for a full full twelvemonth and not conscionable erstwhile things are going my way.”

Expectations were precocious successful 2019 erstwhile the Nuggets acquired Bol with the No. 44 wide prime (second round) of the NBA Draft with his towering size and effortless offense. Bol present enters his 3rd play successful the league with lone 39 vocation Nuggets games played. Last year, helium was buried connected the seat with less minutes played than Zeke Nnaji, JaVale McGee and Vlatko Cancar.

Yet Bol was the communicative of Nuggets’ Summer League play with a team-leading 21.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He’s besides embraced playing immoderate presumption connected the floor.

“Me, personally, I similar the four. But it’s wherever I tin find immoderate playing time,” Bol said. “I tin play immoderate presumption arsenic agelong arsenic I enactment my caput and bosom into it. I tin dribble, sprout and pass. One done 5 I deliberation I’ll beryllium alright.”

The Nuggets lack a accepted backup halfway down reigning MVP Nikola Jokic with a fig of antithetic stretch-forwards considered beardown playing options. Bol has truthful acold lacked the consistency to participate that conversation. But helium believes that changing regular habits — similar improved assemblage connection — is his way to earning minutes.

“Even if I don’t play successful a mates of games,” Bol said. “I’ve inactive got to get up and cheer.”

Porter, signed to a five-year max rookie hold Monday, told reporters past week that he’s enactment successful much effort to mentor Bol with invitations to late-night shooting sessions and different culture-building activities. Bol said: “That’s a bully happening for maine and I’m gladsome that he’s doing that.”

Bol added that much players successful the Nuggets locker country person offered proposal and encouragement.

“I’m conscionable going to transportation connected what was my main extremity successful summertime league, which was to play hard … and support getting better,” Bol said. “I’ve conscionable got to absorption connected staying locked-in the full year.”