Emmanuel Mudiay laughed at the questions.
What have you been up to since last season? Where have you been?
“I’ve been everywhere,” the Nuggets’ starting point guard said. “But everywhere I’m at I make sure I’m in the gym.”
That shows, say those who have seen Mudiay this week during minicamp practices at the Pepsi Center. He is the leader of the Nuggets’ Las Vegas summer league team, which plays its opener Friday night.
“The one thing thatap great about him is you see him more comfortable,” said Micah Nori, the Nuggets’ summer league coach. “You start something new like he did last year for the first time, you spend half your energy making sure ‘I’m in the right line?’ This, and that. So he’s very comfortable.
“So the biggest improvements you’ve seen with Emmanuel is he’s much more comfortable, and the fact that he’s taken over and with this group really showing a leadership role. Itap been great to see.”
Mudiay isn’t expected to play in every summer league game on the Nuggets’ schedule, but he will play enough to help him improve. He played in the Las Vegas summer league last year as a rookie.
Mudiay finished last season strong, posting averages of 18.8 points, 5.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds in April. He shot 45.9 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from the 3-point line that month.
Mudiay said he wants to return to the court with “a better (basketball) IQ.”
“The game really slowed down for me late in the season,” he said. “I’m just trying to build off that, keep my confidence up, especially with the young (players) that we’ve got (on the summer league team).”
Mudiay has been working with former Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups too.
“Me and Chauncey, we’ve gotten to hang out this summer,” Mudiay said. “He’s like my big brother now. I talk to him about almost everything, which he’s helping me with. He’s just picking my brain, I’m picking his brain, seeing what he likes to do as far as basketball. So, trying to get a little bit of his game in mine, but I’m still watching around the league.”
Nuggets guard Gary Harris says he can see the difference in Mudiay from his first to second year in the NBA.
“Just by the way he plays, the confidence that he has, he’s been working on his game,” Harris said. “Just everything, just the way he carries himself. You can tell he’s made a jump from his rookie year going into his second year.”
