LAS VEGAS — The Denver Nuggets played their third Summer League game Monday, a 92-81 loss to the Miami Heat at Cox Pavilion. Here’s what we learned from another strong showing from the Nuggets in Las Vegas.
Jamal Murray shows up
The rookie out of Kentucky had his best game thus far, dropping a game-high 29 points. His overall shooting numbers (10-25) were erratic, but many of his misses came late when the team relied on him to try and bring them back. After a shaky first quarter in which his 3-point shooting was off and he got turned around badly in transition defense, Murray settled into a rhythm. He drained a deep three midway through the second quarter and stole an inbounds pass then took it down the court for an easy dunk.
Murray got a chance to run the point again, with mixed results. He struggled when he had to improvise, unable to create late in the shot clock, but did deliver some nice dishes, finishing with two assists. There was some intrigue late in the fourth as Murray and Louisville’s Damion Lee went back and forth hitting shots, rekindling their college rivalry, and Murray hit a mid-range jumper with Lee on his hip and jawed with him back down the court. He looked like he might bring Denver back for a win in the waning minutes, but Briante Weber shut him down on consecutive possessions, forcing two Murray turnovers.
Juancho Hernangomez making case to be brought over this season
Juancho Hernangomez had another impressive outing, leading the team in rebounds (12) and assists (5). He and fellow rookie Petr Cornelie owned the offensive glass when on the floor together, combining for nine offensive rebounds on the night. One of Hernangomez’s best traits seems to be his sure hands. He catches entry passes in traffic with ease and doesn’t panic with arms flying at him. He had several strong finishes with defenders coming at him from all angles against the Heat.
Defensively, Hernangomez held his own when he was switched onto the quicker Weber, staying in front of him and forcing a miss. He may be a minus defender in the post, but his ability to switch translates well to the modern NBA game. It’s still likely Hernangomez is stashed in Spain for a year, but he’s showing NBA skill in Summer League.
Jimmer being Jimmer
Crowd favorite Jimmer Fredette remained in top form offensively and is quickly proving to be one of the stars of Summer League. He was 3-6 from three with 18 points, and Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly called him one of the best shooters in the world during an interview on the ESPN broadcast. Connelly ducked the question about Fredette possibly making the team and Fredette’s lack of defense may continue to keep him out of an NBA rotation. It has been fun to watch Fredette launch in Summer League and he hit a couple shots from Stephen Curry range against the Heat, to the delight of the Cox Pavilion fans.
Incomplete game from Denver’s wings
Both Axel Toupane and JaKarr Sampson are both seemingly on the fence, fighting for a roster spot and through the first two Summer League wins, they both played well, but each player struggled Monday night. Toupane had nearly as many turnovers (3) as points (4) and six fouls, while Sampson only got two shots up and also had a bad turnover. Both appeared to be pressing all night, eager to make an impression but falling short. Toupane and Sampson will need to seize the opportunity in the tournament round to make a good impression on the coaching staff and front office heading into training camp.
Miami raining threes was the difference
Denver held the lead for much of the game, but Miami pulled away in the fourth with a 3-point shooting barrage. They were 17-33 on the night from distance, outscoring the Nuggets 51-15 behind the line. Murray, Fredette and Toupane had trouble containing Miami’s sharpshooters and it cost them a 3-0 record in Summer League. Coach Micah Nori will surely look for his team to clean up the 3-point defense going forward.
0 Comments (1 conversation)
My question for those who watched the games, and keep harping on Jimmer’s “D,” is just how many points did Jimmer’s defensive charge score during these games? The answer is VERY FEW, as I watched almost every possession, and they just didn’t score that many buckets, except when he was screened out, and the other player failed to make the switch. This is also substantiated by his overall +/- for the 3 games, and during his many game stint in the dleague.
The fact is, Jimmer is not one of the top defenders in the league one on one, and never will be. But, his defense has improved significantly, and he does a great job at playing within the team defensive concept, positioning himself to deny his player the ball, and positioning himself for long rebs. He is also quite good at anticipating and baiting other players for steals, as evidenced by his dleague stats.
I just hope someone out there can see beyond the worn out excuse about his defense, as there are very few true offensive stars in the NBA who are ALSO lock-down defenders as well. Those who have that skillset are superstars like LBJ. People need to stop comparing and faulting Jimmer for not being on LBJ’s or other superstars’ levels on both offense AND defense, as what he wants is just to contribute to any team using the specific skillset that he knows he has.
Very well said – but at the same time such things are honestly better left unsaid in such a manner – some people just haven’t seen jimmer play enough and will talk based on what they’ve heard or read. So try and keep the posts short and not too “in your face” – as many times people dismiss ones opinion and just turn their hatred towards jimmer – which we don’t want – simply because they dislike being challenged. Let Jimmer prove what he can do and be as in the end it all comes down to him. If he suddenly emerges/plays well with a team he can shut up tons of people himself.