Despite being one of the least talented teams in Las Vegas on paper, the Nuggets have won two of their first three games at Summer League, which tipped off last Friday. Their next game is Thursday (8 p.m. MT) on Prime Video against the Portland Trail Blazers. Here are three takeaways and a couple of relevant quotes from the last week.
Brazile starts slow, then leaves strong impression
Denver’s most important player in Las Vegas was relatively quiet during the first weekend of action. Then he delivered one of the loudest performances of Summer League.
Trevon Brazile debuted with a 2-for-8 shooting night against Houston last Friday. He left his biggest imprint on the glass, snatching 11 rebounds (five offensive) in an otherwise uncertain performance. Then he sat out Denver’s second game with a mild shoulder injury. It seemed the 35th pick in the draft was going to return home with very little to show for his introduction to the Nuggets, but he returned on Tuesday to face the Thunder.
One of the most intriguing questions about Brazile’s game is whether his jump shot can translate to the pros. An efficient low-volume shooter in college with slow mechanics, he made a statement against OKC’s drop coverage. The Nuggets used him as a pick-and-pop threat with No. 12 pick Aday Mara playing down the floor, and Brazile knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers late in the first quarter.
After a windmill dunk in transition to punctuate that run, he was on his way to a 32-point outing on 6-for-12 shooting from deep — a higher scoring total than he ever had in college. If Brazile can stretch the floor while also impacting the defensive end with his athleticism, he’ll be well worth the flier at No. 35.
Hopkins’ contract decision still looming
Playing poorly is usually a more revealing sign than playing well at Summer League, so it should come as a relief to the Nuggets that No. 49 pick Bryce Hopkins has also shown out in Sin City.
His best game was the opener, a complete performance characterized by his physicality and confidence as a slasher. He compiled 24 points, four boards, three steals and two blocks in the loss to Houston. For all the internal excitement about Brazile’s explosiveness, Hopkins has been an above-the-rim standout over the last week, with multiple impressive dunks.
The Nuggets drafted both of their second-round picks based on specific skill sets, despite neither player being a lock to succeed in the NBA. At the very least, their idea hasn’t been proven wrong yet.
Hopkins remains unsigned as of Wednesday afternoon. Most rookies drafted in his range end up on two-way contracts, but if Denver is in a cap pinch, he could be another cheap option for a standard contract at the end of the bench.
Under-the-radar standout
If explosiveness is the theme of this Nuggets Summer League squad, then Osayi Osifo must be mentioned. His energy and paint presence made an impact in both of Denver’s wins this week. The South African power forward averaged 12 points and 3.5 rebounds on 89% shooting off the bench against Minnesota and Oklahoma City.
Wallace on Jokic
After Nikola Jokic elected to push back an extension until next summer, Nuggets co-general manager Jon Wallace summed up the situation succinctly during ESPN’s Summer League broadcast.
“We feel confident. We trust him,” Wallace said. “He’s been very vocal and very consistent with that up until this point. We’ve got no choice but to (trust him).”
If Jokic says he’ll sign, what can the Nuggets do other than believe he will? Other NBA executives will surely keep a close eye on Denver early next season, ready to dial up Wallace if the team struggles at all. But the Nuggets have been steadfast behind the scenes about their confidence in the three-time MVP center staying in Denver for his entire career.
Wallace clearly made an effort to not be too revealing in his television appearance, but when asked about Denver’s quiet offseason in general, his most telling quote was this: “We’re still evaluating. We’re having conversations. We’re not pressured or rushed in any sense. … We’ve kind of gotta let things play out.”
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