Mar 25, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Baylor Bears forward Quincy Miller (30) reacts during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats in the finals of the south region of the 2012 NCAA men

The Denver Nuggets haven’t had much success on the floor during the first two games of the Summer League.

It doesn’t help that Kenneth Faried, Solomon Alabi and Julyan Stone are all dealing with different injury ailments, which leaves Jordan Hamilton as the only player on the squad that has played in the NBA.

The Nuggets have lost the first two games by an average of 16 points, but despite that there have been a few highlights for Denver’s young squad.

• More than anything Evan Fournier has been the most impressive player for the Nuggets in Las Vegas. He has great NBA savvy for an 19-year-old player and has shown spurts of great defense. He also at times ran the offense for the Nuggets and it’s fair to say the team looked their best when he was playing point guard. Fournier made a point to get his teammates involved early and found Gani Lawal for an easy basket in the second half. His jump shot is still inconsistent, but he scored nine straight points to close out the first half for the Nuggets. Like most European players when Fournier gets in the lane he looks for contact, hitting all five of his free throws against the Dallas Mavericks. Fournier even hit a trey to close out the first half. Fournier shot only 4 of 15, but still scored 15 points.
• Jordan Hamilton was pretty passive for most of the game but still showed an ability to score in a variety of ways. He hit three treys in the game, two with defenders on him. He also attacked the basket and showed off his mid-range game. He led the Nuggets with 18 points and also pulled down seven boards.
• Chu Chu Maduabum started for the Nuggets and while he wasn’t good, he wasn’t bad. He definitely didn’t have the size to bang with former CU star David Harrison. However, he showed at least a solid understanding of the game – at least on the defensive side of the ball.
• Quincy Miller struggled with his jump shot, missing six of his seven shots. However, he showed hustle and attacked the offensive glass. Miller still is a pup and isn’t close to competing in the NBA, but he has a lot of potential.
• Jorge Gutierrez struggled running the offense (five turnovers and zero assists), but he hustled and played smart defense. He drew a few charges and had a steal. He’s like a modern day Anthony Carter.

Ty Lawson and JaVale McGee sat courtside with Josh Kroenke and McGee was interviewed in the second half by Joel Meyers and Chris Webber.

Apr 23, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jon Leuer (30) holds the ball away from Toronto Raptors center Solomon Alabi (50) during the second quarter at the Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The Denver Nuggets’ summer league team has some familiar faces, not-so familiar faces and some intriguing players.

We all know the trio of Jordan Hamilton, Julyan Stone and Kenneth Faried, who played for the Nuggets last season and will also enjoy their inaugural summer league after missing out on the affair last summer due to the NBA Lockout.

They will be joined by this year’s draft picks Evan Fournier, Quincy Miller and Izzet Turkyilmaz, as well as Jorge Guiterrez (who went undrafted in last month’s draft).

After that the intrigue sets in:

SOLOMON ALABI: Alabi will forever be connected to Masai Ujiri. He was one of the players that Ujiri discovered during his days as an international scout and was then acquired by Ujiri’s Toronto Raptors on draft night in 2010. The 7-foot-1 center is just oozing with talent. He has amazing physical features (7-1, 250 pounds) and is an intimidating presence on the defensive side of the ball. He was chosen to the All-ACC Defensive Team twice during his time at Florida State. More than anything his shot-blocking ability should help him find a spot in the NBA. He averaged 1.8 and 1.9 blocks during his two seasons in the D-League. According to reports, he has great foot speed and a very good motor. 

JOSH CARTER: Carter was one of the few players whose stock dropped for staying all four years in college. He went undrafted in the 2009 Draft and has since played overseas. His game is rather generic, he isn’t a great driver and isn’t too quick on his feet. However, he is a great shooter – especially from behind the arc. He has a great ability to get his shot over most defenders, thanks in part to his 6-7, 195-pound size. He is a long shot to make the roster, but playing well in the summer league may help.

DEMONTE HARPER: Meet the second best player on 2011 Morehead State’s basketball team (it’s pretty obvious who the best was). In fact, the 6-4 guard was second on the team in nearly every category except assists. Harper made a living in college with making big shots, hitting the game-winner against Louisville and then forcing overtime against Eastern Kentucky.

DERWIN KITCHEN: Kitchen was a 2011 graduate from Florida State and is a combo guard.

GANI LAWAL: Lawal is a extremely gifted big man, with great size and athleticism. At 6-9 with a 7-foot wingspan, Lawal is a beast in the post who attacks the offensive glass. He combines that with a great motor and a want for the ball. Lawal is very raw though, which is a big reason why he lasted to the second round in the 2010 draft.

CHU CHU MADUABUM: Maduabum was another late pick by the Nuggets in the 2011 Draft and is nothing more than a prospect. Here is a quick clip of a few of his highlights in the Nigerian League.