With Saturday night’s game in the books, this chapter of Nuggets basketball is officially over. The team beat the Pelicans 91-82, improving their record in the Las Vegas Summer League to 2-3, finishing strong with back-to-back wins.
Summer League really isn’t about wins and losses though, it’s about player development and scouting. It’s essentially an audition for players to fight for starting spots, playing time, roster spots, or even two-way contracts or training camp invites.
For a lot of these players, it can even be a showcase for overseas teams. For players who are on guaranteed contracts, teams are hoping to see guys who stand out and look a step above most of the competition. The Nuggets had several players in that category, and the team was hoping to see big things from them that could earn them positions in the rotation.
DaRon Holmes injury put a major damper on Summer League
The Summer League season got off to an almost tragic start as rookie first-round pick DaRon Holmes II tore his achilles in the first game and has since undergone surgery. The Nuggets had high hopes for the young big man out of Dayton (and still do), but he’ll now miss the entire 2024-25 season, hindering the team’s thin depth even further.
Unfortunately, that was probably the most important thing that happened for the Nuggets at Summer League and it’s obviously not a good thing. But losing a rotation player - especially one with so much promise and potential - for the season is a devastating blow, there’s no other way to put it.
In some ways, that injury made these games even more important, as it highlighted just how badly the Nuggets are going to need major contributions from their young players this season. The team lost several veterans this offseason who were relied on for heavy minutes.
Now the Nuggets are going to be relying mostly on young players to fill those minutes going forward and for many, Summer League was a good chance to show that they are capable of doing so. After five up-and-down games, here are the 5 most important things that the Nuggets and their fans can take away from the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League.
#3 biggest takeaway: Trey Alexander is a baller
Unlike a lot of teams, the Nuggets didn’t come into Summer League with a lot of buzz around their young prospects or potential future stars. The team was made up of non-lottery picks from last season and undrafted players (after the Holmes injury). But one part of Summer League that can benefit the savvy teams is it gives an opportunity to uncover hidden gems.
The Nuggets may have done just that with Trey Alexander, an undrafted rookie out of Creighton. Alexander played well in college and was projected as a late first-round pick by some analysts. But he fell through the cracks and the Nuggets signed him to a two-way deal as an undrafted free agent.
Alexander stood out almost immediately, looking extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands. He showed great poise and was able to get buckets and set up his teammates. The shot looked pure as well and it became hard to keep him off the court. He was clearly one of the team’s best players and became the go-to guy on offense.
Defense could be a question mark but he held up fairly well and looks like he has enough size and athleticism to defend his position. It’s way too early to anoint someone a star after a few good Summer League games, but Alexander has earned an opportunity and at this point, I don’t think it would surprise anyone if he’s able to carve out a role on the Nuggets bench this season, which would be a massive win for the team.
#2 biggest takeaway: Jalen Pickett is not an NBA player
Sadly, part of the reason the last takeaway is so important and why it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see Alexander getting bench minutes this season is because Jalen Pickett simply wasn’t good in Summer League. The Nuggets had high hopes for the second-year guard who is already 24 years old.
He played well last year in the Summer League as a rookie and had a solid season in the G-League, but he looks like he has regressed somehow. He played poorly in the first couple of games and almost disappeared in the last few. At his age, and with a guaranteed contract, Pickett should be standing out as one of the leaders of the team and best players on the floor.
He hasn’t stood out at all and if anything he has been deferring to the team’s other, better players like Alexander. By the end of Summer League, Pickett was basically playing off the ball and making almost zero impact on either end - that’s not what you want to see from your point guard.
It was an abysmal showing and proved why the Nuggets needed to go out and sign Russell Westbrook to lead their second unit because Pickett isn’t close to ready. And at this point, he likely never will be. It’s a tough hit, but an important lesson to learn. The Nuggets could waive Pickett, but that’s really their only option at this point and we’ll see if ownership wants to foot the bill. But at least it’s clear that Pickett can’t be relied on for rotation minutes.
#1 biggest takeaway: Julian Strawther is ready
On the other hand, let’s finish with some good news; Julian Strawther absolutely looked like one of the best players in Vegas. This is by far the most important takeaway and what Nuggets fans should be most excited about. There was a lot of talk about Strawther stepping in to replace Christian Braun’s bench role and to add some shooting and pop to the bench or even Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s starting spot.
There was still a bit of mystery around Strawther who looked good at times as a rookie before getting injured. The team put a lot of stock into him this offseason with the players they let go and Strawther rewarded them for their confidence with two great showings in Summer League. He put up 26 and 32 points in his two games with 9 made threes. He showed solid playmaking and passing in the second game as well.
He clearly stuck out, the way a team would want, and they promptly shut him down for the final three games, realizing he is a lock for their rotation this season. The Nuggets badly needed one of these young guys to hit and looks like it’ll be Strawther. He looks ready to come in and play 20 minutes a game and provide some much-needed shooting and spacing for this team. It might be their saving grace in an otherwise underwhelming offseason.