The Nuggets have now played three games in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League and lost all three. They have one more game and that will be our last taste of Nuggets basketball until training camp and preseason open up.
The results aren’t everything as this time of year it’s more about player development and things of that nature. The Nuggets’ front office and ownership have made a big bet on their youth movement, letting veteran players walk two offseasons in a row, hoping to replace them with young, unproven players.
Summer League is a big opportunity for players to prove themselves and show that they belong at the NBA level. The Nuggets definitely came into this summer with high hopes for many guys on the roster.
There have been some bright spots and some duds, some good moments and bad, and one catastrophic situation. So with just one final game for people to show their final auditions, let’s break down everything that has mattered so far.
The Good: Strawther shines and Alexander breaks out
Arguably the player with the most at stake this summer is Julian Strawther and he has passed the test with flying colors. The Nuggets are hoping the second-year player out of Gonzaga will be able to step into their rotation this season and provide shooting and scoring consistently. If these summer league games are any indication, Strawther can do that in spades.
He has looked very comfortable with or without the ball and has been able to create shots off the catch and off the dribble. He’s been the clear focal point of the offense and when the team needed a shot he’s been able to find it. In the second game, he scored 32 points with 5 assists and made 6 threes.
The performance was all the Nuggets needed to see as they shut him down for the summer after just two games, a sign that he’s proven himself and earned a spot in the rotation; a huge win for the Nuggets.
The big positive surprise has been Trey Alexander. Alexander signed a two-way deal this summer after going undrafted out of Creighton. He has stepped in and looked confident and in control from the jump, handling the ball and scoring with relative ease.
He’s earned more and more opportunity with every passing game and without Strawther in the lineup, Alexander looked like the best player on the floor. His perimeter game would be a huge boon for the Nuggets offense off the bench and he looks like he may have the handling and shooting chops to step in and contribute right away.
He competed well enough on defense that he looks like he can hold his own. He has definitely shot up on the depth chart already, and at the very least he has earned a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation in training camp. This looks like a massive find for the Nuggets that fans should be very excited about.
The Bad: Jalen Pickett & Hunter Tyson don’t look ready
The Nuggets were counting on a leap into the rotation from all three of their second-year players; Strawther, Jalen Pickett, and Hunter Tyson. But through three Summer League games, the only one that has impressed is Strawther.
There were hopes that Pickett would be ready to step up and assume the backup point guard spot vacated by Reggie Jackson, but that doesn’t seem feasible. Pickett has struggled mightily and frankly, looks like a worse player than he did last year in the G-League and at the Summer League.
It’s concerning with his age and experience that he looks pretty lost out there. His contract is guaranteed so we’ll see what the team chooses to do, but based on what we’ve seen there is no way he can start the year in the rotation.
Tyson has looked slightly better, he’s at least been aggressive in seeking out his offense. But he’s struggled with his shot, hasn’t scored efficiently, and hasn’t been able to do much else. He has struggled to rebound and defend and even the offense feels forced. Much like Pickett, I’m not sure how this team can enter the season with Tyson playing real minutes.
Unfortunately, it’s looking more and more like the Nuggets may have blown two draft picks and guaranteed roster spots.
The Ugly: DaRon Holmes II tears achilles, out for the season
The biggest thing to come from Summer League for the Nuggets was one of the biggest stories and saddest stories across the entire league. In just the first game, rookie DaRon Holmes tore his achilles and will miss the entire season.
This is just a devastating blow for the team as they traded up in the draft to take Holmes out of Dayton and they were hoping he could step right in and play a meaningful frontcourt role in the frontcourt. The Nuggets were very high on him as they dealt three 2nd-round picks to move up and take Holmes and thought he could make an immediate impact.
He looked good in his debut before going down with the injury. It didn’t look terrible, but the extent was quickly reported and now the Nuggets will be even more shorthanded. This was essentially the worst possible outcome for the team, losing a meaningful player to injury for the entire season.
Holmes has already undergone successful surgery and is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2025-26 season, but this is just a terrible hit for a team that needed all of their young players to step up this season.