July 17, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Denver Nuggets player Evan Fournier (94) is guarded by New York Knicks player Terrance Withers (18) in the second half of the gameat Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets will be competing in the Las Vegas Summer League from July 12-22, according to a press release from the Nuggets team site on NBA.com.
For the first time in Summer League history, there will be a minimum of five preliminary games before a single-elimination tournament is set up to determine the champion on July 22. The idea is that the competition will serve as an extra incentive (as if actually making an NBA roster wouldn’t be enough). The tournament should be a fun time for NBA fans yearning for action in the dog days of July.
Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried averaged 11.3 points and 8 rebounds in three games during last year’s event while rookie Evan Fournier churned out 14.8 points per contest. This summer one would expect Fournier to play again, along with rookie forward Quincy Miller.
The Denver Nuggets currently have the No. 27 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and it’s reasonable to expect whoever is selected to showcase his talents in this year’s summer league tournament, though a full roster probably won’t be announced until after the draft.
The Nuggets have competed in every summer league since it started in 2004. The team will use the event to evaluate its players and decide who will make the official roster for next season.
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