The Denver Nuggets are fresh off their final Summer League game that took place on Sunday night against the Utah Jazz. While the game unfortunately resulted in a loss for the Nuggets, there was still plenty of positive takeaways from the competition overall.
Through five Summer League contests, the Nuggets finished with a record of 2-3, which beautifully illustrates exactly how things have gone for the team. As a young core oozing with potential but one that still needs time to develop.
Even though there was nothing that jumped off the page statistically for the majority of Denver’s young core of prospects. We at the very least were able to see how they mesh with each other as well as the how their respective skill sets could blend with the rest of the Nuggets roster in the future.
Amid the ups-and-downs of the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League, a few players have stood out above the rest and could even become valuable role players for the Denver Nuggets down the line. As we look on to the season ahead, it’s time to break down some clear takeaways now that the event has officially concluded.
3 takeaways as Denver Nuggets’ summer league comes to an end
3. Ismael Kamagate has potential, but needs time to develop
The Denver Nuggets had three draft picks from this year on their Summer League roster; Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Ismael Kamagate. As well as two-way contract player, Collin Gillespie and their other most recent two-way signing, Jack White. However, Kamagate arguably had the biggest question mark next to his name coming into the event.
When the Nuggets moved back into the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, it was a puzzling move to say the least. What was even more puzzling was the fact that they did so only to select Ismael Kamagate, who many had falling into late second-round or even undrafted territory. Yet, he’s already proven what he could be capable of in a few years time.
At 6’11” and nearly 230 pounds, Kamagate was always going to be tasked with being the team’s lead shot blocker and rebounder, the majority of which has come to fruition. Through five Summer League games, he managed to swat away six shots and reeled in 11 total offensive rebounds, both of which led the team. Highlighted by an impressive performance against the Cavaliers on July 10th, in which he finished with ten points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
While he still leaves a lot to be desired in the scoring department and could stand to improve his defensive rebounding ability as well, Kamagate certainly has potential. Not only has he proven to be a vertical athlete with the mobility to defend along the perimeter, but he’s also shown the ability to roll hard to the basket and finish strong above the rim.
Currently, the Denver Nuggets have DeAndre Jordan as the their only true backup center on the roster, with Zeke Nnaji, Jeff Green and Vlatko Cancar all playing a supportive role in the frontcourt. Both Green and Jordan’s contracts are up after this year, while Nnaji is not considered a long term solution at the five spot.
This means that the Nuggets will need an affordable backup center by the time next year rolls around and Kamagate certainly has the potential to mold into that role. Specifically since he’s going to spend next season overseas anyway, where he can fine tune his game and develop into a legitimate NBA center.
2. Christian Braun might be exactly what the doctor ordered
I’ll be completely honest, when the Denver Nuggets selected Christian Braun with the 21st pick in the draft, I was slightly confused. Sure, he’s a fiery and versatile wing with a sound defensive game but I still felt like it was a bit of a reach that early in the draft.
Obviously, I was wrong.
Over the four games he competed in, Braun showed all of the skills that led to him being selected so early on in the draft; strong defense, smart off-ball scoring and a deadly transition game. Which is why he led the team in scoring (11.8), assists (4.8), steals (2.3) and minutes per game (28.7).
All of which was evident in his first game against the Timberwolves, in which he finished with 19 points on 8-17 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Now, to be fair, he did go 1-7 from deep in that game and struggled shooting the ball in every game that followed. Connecting on a horrible 12.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc over the last four games, which could certainly be problematic in the modern NBA.
That being said, almost every single rookie in the association needs time to develop and become acclimated with the speed of the NBA, so, we should take everything with a grain of salt. Keep in mind that Jamal Murray missed his first 17 shots as a member of the Nuggets back in 2016.
Furthermore, while it looks like it might take some time for Braun to evolve into an efficient shooter at the NBA level, he’s already shown that he can guard the perimeter and get out in transition effectively. Which are two important traits Michael Malone will look for next season.
Shooting is obviously an important attribute for any NBA player, but the Denver Nuggets came into the 2022 NBA offseason with a lot of holes on defense specifically. So, Braun could be exactly what the doctor ordered in a player that is sound and fiery on defense but still smart and athletic enough to create off-ball chances on offense.
1. Gillespie could sneak into the Nuggets second unit in 2022
I think almost every college basketball fan was shocked to see Collin Gillespie not land with an NBA team on the night of the draft. Despite being an older five-year point guard with limited upside, he still played for one of the most renowned programs in the country (Villanova) and has steadily improved his game over the course of the last five years.
So, the fact that the Denver Nuggets capitalized on the situation and reeled in Gillespie on a two-way deal almost immediately after the draft ended was genius, to say the least.
Over the the Nuggets’ Summer League display, Gillespie has taken on a lot of responsibility. As the only true point guard who played in four of five games, Gillespie was tasked with creating plays for an offense full of non-creators. Braun and Watson are a tremendous off-ball scorers, while the rest of the lineup essentially consists almost exclusively of spot up shooters. However, none of them can create plays for themselves let alone others.
This means that Collin Gillespie has been forced into the lead facilitator role, in which he has thrived, averaging over 4.3 assists on just 1.5 turnovers per game. What’s even more impressive is the fact that this hasn’t impacted his scoring ability either, averaging over 11 points per game with .395/.280/.800 shooting splits.
It’s also worth mentioning that he’s been one of the better rebounding and defending point guards in Summer League action, coming down with more than five rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
All of this is to say that Gillespie is a tremendously well-rounded player, and has been tasked with taking on a far greater role than anybody who was actually drafted to the Denver Nuggets. Even though he’ll probably never be a starter at the NBA level, he could prove to be an effective backup sooner rather than later.
The Denver Nuggets currently have Jamal Murray, Bones Hyland and Ish Smith locking up their depth at the point guard position. Murray obviously has the starting spot locked down and Bones is projected to be one of the first players off the bench. However, there is certainly a scenario where Gillespie sneaks into the lineup as the third-best point guard in this rotation.
He’s a dependable and experienced ball-handler who plays mistake-free and unselfish basketball, which is exactly what Denver needs in a two-way player and exactly what could earn him minutes with the Nuggets sooner than expected. Taking all of this into account, I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Gillespie weaseled his way into Malone’s rotation by the end of next season.