Final Denver Nuggets Summer League grades from Sin City

 

The 2016 Las Vegas Summer League is in the books, and generally speaking, it was a productive week in Sin City for the Summer Nuggets.

Denver finished with a 3-2 record with their final loss coming in the quarterfinals of the Summer League tournament on a buzzer-beating, game-winning three from the Phoenix Suns’ Tyler Ulis.

Here’s how the Nuggets graded out over those five games:

 

Emmanuel Mudiay/Gary Harris – A

These two only appeared in Denver’s opening game in Vegas, but in their limited time on the floor, the Nuggets’ starting backcourt quickly established that they’re each poised to make a leap in year two. Mudiay scored 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists in 29 minutes against the Timberwolves, while Harris added 22 points in 33 minutes. Mudiay weathered early pressure from No. 5 pick Kris Dunn and put together a well-rounded game and Harris signified that he was clearly a step above the competition. The two have a budding chemistry that’s sure to evolve and grow over the course of the season and should continue to blossom at the upcoming USA Olympic Training Camp this week.

Jamal Murray – B

Murray put an underwhelming opening two games behind him and got into more of a comfort zone as the week moved along. Over his last three Summer League games, the No. 7 pick averaged 26 points, shot 30-64 from the field and hit on seven of his 22 3-point attempts. That’s a ton of shots and Murray had a sky-high usage rate over those three games, but like every shooter does, he seemed to get into more of a rhythm once he saw the ball go through the basket. Murray showed off his underrated mid-range game, his ability to finish around the hoop with either hand and a steady jumper. It’s obvious he’s going to be able to score, probably right away in the NBA if he gets enough looks, however, his defensive acumen underwhelmed. Murray’s off-ball defense needs work and he doesn’t have great awareness when playing on the weakside. Also, Murray’s quickness and explosiveness, two areas where critics were vocal leading up to the draft proved to be accurate. He struggled to get by his man in ISO situations and had a difficult time creating space even when he was scoring off the dribble or coming off screens. Murray compensates for that and uses his body well to create separation between his man and the ball. His production over these five games should give Murray good momentum heading into training camp.

Jimmer Fredette – B+

After Fredette got his feet wet coming off the bench in Denver’s opener against Minnesota, the 27-year-old caught fire. Fredette shot 39 percent from three and proved he has a bit more to his game than just a jumper over the next four games. He was crafty in the pick-and-roll, was a capable finisher around the rim and showed a vision many hadn’t seen over the course of a short-lived NBA career. On one hand, Fredette’s encouraging play in Las Vegas was expected. He’s one of the oldest prospects at Summer League, has years of experience playing against NBA competition, and has received some of the best coaching in the world. The Nuggets also need shooting and Fredette could seemingly be a fit on the roster. Unfortunately, there’s simply no room for him in Denver behind Mudiay, Harris, Murray, Jameer Nelson and others, and Fredette still needs to be better defensively which was apparent in Vegas. He should at least get a training camp invite from someone based on his play with Denver.

Juan Hernangomez – A

The 20-year-old had a solid week in Las Vegas, holding true to the scouting reports written about him over the past couple of years. Hernangomez has a basketball IQ beyond his years and a true nose for the ball. He has great anticipation for the direction a ball will bounce on the offensive glass and has an impressive touch around the rim. Hernangomez’s jumper looks good and he searches for contact which is a great sign from such a young, international prospect. There are not many negatives you can draw from Hernangomez’s play at Summer League, other than he should have taken more of a primary role offensively, but that was hard to do with Murray running the show. Hernangomez also just came over from Spain a month ago and his head is likely still spinning. Overall, a great showing from Nuggets’ latest international import over the course of the week in Vegas.

Petr Cornelie – A

For a second-round pick who’s not set to come over to the Nuggets for at least a year, Cornelie did a lot of good things at Summer League. He had a better feel on the court than most players as raw as him do and moved around the paint and offensive end of the floor fluidly. Cornelie was able to navigate the defense well when rolling to the rim for dunks and his jumper looked promising although it didn’t fall often. The 20-year-old only shot 1-5 from three and seemed hesitant to shoot at times, but impressed on defense. Cornelie averaged over a block per game and showed great anticipation when protecting the rim. He’s still young and has to grow into his body, but it looks like Cornelie has the skill-set to be NBA-bound one day.

Axel Toupane – B

Toupane played a very mature game at Summer League and showed well throughout the week. He played smothering defense on the perimeter and rebounded well at 6.6 per game. Yet, Toupane could have done more to separate himself from his teammates and competition. He’s 23-years-old and about to turn 24 next week and has been playing at this level for a while. The time is now for Toupane to establish himself as a piece in an NBA rotation. He did perform better than JaKarr Sampson this week, but while he played well, it’s not clear if Toupane has a spot in the Nuggets’ rotation next season and as of now he’s probably on the outside looking in. Toupane should make the roster over Sampson, if that’s what it comes down to and if this is the group Denver brings to training camp, but a stronger showing this week could have cemented his status with the Nuggets even further.

JaKarr Sampson – C-

Playing time at Summer League was hard to find for Sampson, who didn’t play more than 16 minutes in any of the four games he appeared in. Sampson is almost a year younger than Toupane but sits in a similar situation; he’s been playing at this level and above it for two years and he needs to start showing some progression. The issue when examining Sampson’s play is it’s difficult to find where that growth will come from. He’s a league-average defender who should be better than he is on that end of the floor considering his length and athleticism, and while his jumper is more reliable than the Thunder’s Andre Roberson, it’s likely never going to be a plus. Sampson has value, though, is a great locker room guy, and can bring life to a team’s second unit. Maybe he was simply over being at Summer League and will turn it on during training camp – which he’ll need to do in order to make a crowded Denver roster.

Josh Adams – B+

Adams was the one undrafted, local prospect who separated himself and became a rotation piece for head coach Micah Nori at Summer League. He played 15.3 minutes per game, much more action than was anticipated and had his best game of the week against Memphis where he scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out two assists in 14 minutes. It’s not going to be in Denver, but Adams could latch on with another team if he really blows them away at training camp. His jumper is NBA-ready and while he doesn’t possess elite straight-line speed, Adams can jump out of the gym. Adams showed he can handle running a team’s second unit at Summer League and could be a third point guard in the right situation. Hopefully another team took notice of his play this past week.

Mateusz Ponitka/Ondrej Balvin – B-

Pontika and Balvin weren’t overly impressive but gained Nori’s trust and ended up playing a good amount at Summer League. Both aren’t heralded NBA prospects but can be impactful in Europe. Balvin showed enough this week to reportedly sign a contract with German powerhouse Bayern Munich and Pontika should catch on with another top European team as well, but didn’t show much over the four games he appeared in to warrant consideration from an NBA team. These two filled a needed role for the Summer Nuggets.