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Monte Morris scored 17 points and dished out six assists, and backup point guard Dallas Moore scored 16 points as the Nuggets wrapped up their Summer League slate with a 96-91 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here’s what stood out in Denver’s win:
Morris impresses
Morris, Denver’s 51st overall pick in June’s draft, will likely be in training camp with Denver and could be a candidate for one of the Nuggets’ final roster spots depending on what they do at the point-guard position. Currently, Denver has Jamal Murray, Jameer Nelson and Emmanuel Mudiay all under contract for this coming season. However, if those three remain, it’s tough to envision Morris finding a spot on the Nuggets’ opening night roster. In that case, look for him to opt for the D-League or one of Denver’s two-way contracts.
Craig makes his final case
Torrey Craig, who’s had an impressive Summer League with the Nuggets, played just 13 minutes and scored four points on 2-for-6 shooting. The 6-foot-6 wing scored 27 points in 30 minutes against the Rockets on Wednesday and combined that offensive outing with an impressive showing on defense. Coach Micah Nori likely saw enough of Craig earlier in Las Vegas and wanted to give more minutes to players like Xavier Johnson and Howard Sant-Roos who hadn’t played much up until Friday.
The Nuggets have one roster spot available after waiving Mike Miller earlier this week, so Craig could be a candidate for Denver’s regular season roster. In theory, the Nuggets have a need for a 3-and-D type wing and while Craig likely wouldn’t have much of an impact at the next level, he’d be a good option to keep around.
Watch for Craig to pop up on Denver’s training camp roster in September unless a better situation than the Nuggets presents itself.