The vibes and energy surrounding the Denver Nuggets Summer League team shifted after the DaRon Holmes II injury. He suffered a torn achilles tendon and will be out for the entire 2024-25 season as a result. Injuries happen in sports, and athletes are often forced to compartmentalize serious issues for the betterment of the team. Still, nobody ever wants to see a moment like that.

And yet, life goes on. The games are still played, and you learn a lot about players based on how they handle adversity.

For Julian Strawther, he took charge in Game 2 and gave the Nuggets a chance in a game where few teammates played well. Strawther had 32 points in a litany of ways and looked the part of a legitimate NBA scorer. It was a performance that followed up a 25-point opening game.

Both are showcases of what Strawther can do if presented a serious opportunity.

In Game 1, Strawther shot 7-of-19 from the field and 3-of-10 from 3-point range. He put up 25 points but had just one assist, and as the Nuggets were attempted to stick around against the Los Angeles Clippers, Strawther got pretty shot happy. It was exactly the kind of performance to expect from a gunner: he got hot early but kept shooting after he cooled off and struggled to get involved in other ways. One interesting wrinkle though: he got to the free throw line 10 times, something the Nuggets have struggled to do as a team of late.

In Game 2, Strawther changed his approach a bit. He didn’t shoot a ton early on but capitalized on the opportunities he did get, allowing the game to come to him in the form of open 3-pointers. Once it became clear that Strawther was the best option within the game, he became more aggressive looking for his own shot. He hunted 3-pointers, attacked off the dribble, and got to the free throw line another 10 times. It was a more efficient shooting performance from Strawther, perhaps his best scoring game in a while.

What made it better though: Strawther did other things too. While he struggled in Game 1 to impact other aspects of the game, in Game 2, Strawther notched five assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block. He was +6 in the plus-minus department in a game the Nuggets ultimately lost by three points.

Of course, Denver went to Strawther on the final play of Game 2, and after a great play design, the Nuggets shooting guard got a great shot that just missed left iron.

It was unfortunate to not see that shot go down, but it was an example of an ATO (after timeout play) that the Nuggets could draw up for Strawther in the future. When he’s hot, there are few players on the full-time roster the Nuggets would rather take a shot like that. It’s a good reminder too that Denver’s process with Strawther has been pretty good and he appears to be ready for more.

Through two games of Summer League, Strawther is tied for second in Las Vegas at 28.5 points per game. He’s not shooting the most efficient percentages but is still at 40.9% from 3-point range on high volume. In addition, Strawther has missed six free throws so far at just 14-of-20 through two games. Those are points he can earn back at the free throw line as he continues to improve at the NBA level.

Those 20 free throws are also a reminder that Strawther can be more than just an outside shooter. His slashing has been great so far through two games, leveraging the threat of his outside shot into surprising drives that either end with contact at the rim or a floater.

Strawther’s passing hasn’t been incredible by any means, but the level of playmaking in Game 2 would be enough to keep defenses honest. It’s important for him to keep his head up and read defenses if he wants to grow his game into a starting caliber playing at the NBA level. Simply staring down his defender and the rim isn’t enough in the NBA these days. it’s important to be a well-rounded player.

For the role that Strawther is expected to play off the bench though, that would be just fine. The Nuggets desperately need someone to consistently step up as a scorer offensively, and there’s belief within the organization that he can fill that role reasonably well.

During his rookie season, Strawther was actually tied for fourth on the Nuggets in Usage Rate with Michael Porter Jr. at 20.7%, behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Reggie Jackson. His scoring efficiency (48.2 True Shooting %) didn’t warrant that level of involvement, but it’s the price of player development for a young scorer. For the Nuggets to justify Strawther maintaining a similar Usage on more minutes this year, that efficiency will have to come up. It doesn’t have to be absurdly high for the Nuggets to be successful, but it has to be significantly better.

The free throw volume would definitely help. Strawther attempted 31 free throws in the 545 minutes played last year. He has 20 free throws in roughly 67 Summer League minutes from this past weekend. Getting to the free throw line in bulk is the best way to earn easy points and turn a 10-point game into a 15-point game more consistently. With how much the Nuggets bench struggled to score last year, any margin would benefit them greatly.

It’s unclear how many more Summer League games Strawther will play. Denver has other players they want to see in higher usage roles, as well as some players that haven’t played at all.

Still, Strawther has proven a ton so far. He’s ready to go for the NBA season.