Denver Nuggets Summer League Preview

The Denver Nuggets are set to open up their summer league play on July 13th against the Milwaukee Bucks. There are now new rules in summer league that make it more competitive. Each team plays three games and then they are entered into a single elimination tournament that will crown the winner. Players will now try to win it for the team, rather than try to pad their stats.

The player that I will be looking forward to watching the most is Evan Fournier because he has a real chance to start this season. He played very well during the end of the season when he got a couple of starts and decent minutes. He can score in a variety of ways including from the three point line where he finished 40% from, which was good for second on the team. He also showed that he can score inside and is not afraid to drive. He needs to show that he is ready to take his game to the next level in Summer League. He should be the top scorer on the team, but I would also like to see him rack up a good number of assists in order to show that he can play the point, in spots, when Lawson is on the bench.

Jordan Hamilton is coming up on a make or break season, so you can bet he will play hard. He was the star of the Nuggets summer league last season, but that did not translate into playing time in a crowded backcourt. Now that spots have opened up with Iguodala and Brewer leaving and Gallo out until at least December with an injury, he will have a good chance to carve out a good amount of playing time. He brings three point shooting, but I would like to see him work on scoring from other spots as well. He also needs to show that he has improved his defense, in order to prove to the coaching staff that he deserves a healthy diet of minutes during the regular season.

Quincy Miller recently made the decision that he wants to be a stretch four by saying that he wants to bulk up to 230, in order to handle other fours on the defensive end. This decision will likely get him some more playing time during the regular season. Miller is a good shooter and scorer, but needs to work on his rebounding and defense. During Summer League, the Nuggets will look for him to improve his defense and rebounding, but they also would like to see him continue to improve his shooting and maybe develop one or two post moves. He likely won't receive steady minutes this season, barring injuries, but he could prove the the front office and coaching staff that they should invest in him for the future.

Erick Green was the Nuggets first pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He will likely be starting at point guard in summer league and will to to prove that he can take over for Andre Miller, if the team wants to trade him or when he retires. Green was the highest scorer in college basketball last season, but will need to show the Nuggets that he is a ready and able passer or he may not find playing time. He also needs to show that he can score against NBA players and NBA hopefuls, if he cant then he will not find a spot in the league. Scoring in college does not necessarily translate to scoring in the NBA.

Kyle Barone is the only true center on the Summer League roster and should be in store for a lot of playing time. He was a good scorer at Idaho, averaging 17.2 points per game on 59% shooting, he is also a good rebounder, 9.8 per game. He also has a nice touch from the free throw line where he shot 78% from as a senior. It will be interesting to see how his game translates in Summer League and if he looks good, he will likely be invited to training camp and could make the final roster.

Ramon Galloway is another player with a good amount of potential on the Summer League roster. Galloway was a good scorer at LaSalle, but he needs to learn how to play point guard in order to find a spot on any NBA roster. He was a 41% shooter from the three point line during his senior season. That type of shooting could be very valuable to the Nuggets. OD Anosike, an undersized power forward, rounds out the players that are worth watching based on NBA potential. Even though he is undersized, he grabbed 11.4 boards per game last season. He also has high basketball IQ, which is something a lot of players on the Nuggets are missing.

Summer League us an exiting time for watching young players with a lot of potential. It is also a good see if second year players have improved. However, it is always important to remember that Summer League does not tell us who can play, rather who cannot play.