With the Summer League tournament upcoming and the Nuggets’ squad finishing with the fourth seed, the team has looked fantastic with each player individually having their own respective moments. It feels like a good time to give out some pre-tournament awards for the individual performances displayed in Las Vegas.
The awards will be given out for Most Improved Player, Most Underrated Player, Offensive MVP, Defensive MVP, and the overall Most Impressive Player so far.
There will be one more award that will also be given out here at Mile High Sports, and it’s much less analytical then the rest: Most Fun Team to Watch.
With some of these players only having potentially one game remaining in their career, it seems fitting to give an overall Most Fun to Watch award to the Nuggets as a whole, even if it is before the tournament starts.
This team has rallied around each other continuously, led by the bench mob of Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris and injured Malik Beasley, who have been cheering on the Nuggets Summer League roster even while they’ve taken up post on the bench. The energy, passion and pure excitement portrayed by this young squad, who had never played together prior to Summer League mini-camp, is just a beauty to watch and has created some of the more exciting games I have had the pleasure of viewing throughout my time in Las Vegas.
Now on to the awards:
Most Improved Player: Jamal Murray
In a surprising turn of events, Jamal Murray came out of the gate looking out of sync and not ready for the defensive pressure he was presented with. His shot was off target and the game looked far too fast for him. Murray was making careless turnovers and when he was looking to score, he could not get out from under the blanket of whoever was guarding him. To his credit, though, he remained somewhat aggressive, even if it did equate to him becoming more of a chucker than a shooter.
But once game three against the Miami Heat came around, everything began to change.
As the team came out onto the court, it Jamal Murray seemed noticeably more relaxed. He was laughing and smiling with teammates, and he was putting up three-point shots that were falling with ease. Once the game began, he was ultra aggressive; the “chucker” of before was gone and Murray was now hunting for his shots. He was getting to the rim, creating looks for teammates, hitting three-pointers and playing solid on-ball defense.
More importantly, he gave Nuggets fans a glimpse into the future. By the end of the third quarter, he had tallied 23 points on 7-15 from the field.
While Jamal Murray was always expected to light up Summer League, it took a little longer than we thought to actually see it. But better late than never.
It was extremely important for him to show himself that he has the ability to play his game at the next level. Huge improvement from games one and two.
Most Underrated Player: Josh Adams
Josh Adams had himself a very successful stint with the Nuggets Summer League roster. While his stats don’t jump off of the page, he’s played controlled and intelligent basketball from the point guard position. His ability to play with tempo, weather fast-paced or slowed-down half-court basketball, was direly needed while Jamal Murray struggled from the point guard position.
As a virtual unknown on the Summer League landscape, Adams has not flinched. He took it right at whomever was in front of him with a complete lack of fear or acknowledgment of the stage he was performing on. While he may not be large in stature, he makes up for his physical shortcomings with an intensity and scrappy play that very few guards were prepared to contend with. His on-ball defense was solid, and he showed a nice jump shot while scoring seven straight points against the Grizzlies. Every time Josh Adams penetrated and went at the rim, he was under control but managed to launch himself with reckless abandon at the same time.
Adams’ ability to control the game from the point guard position, score from most spots on the floor, express his extreme athleticism and still defend at a high intensity is a skill set that has become highly desirable in the NBA. Look for someone to potentially sign Josh Adams after his impressive Summer League.
Defensive MVP: Axel Toupane
Axel Toupane was also in the discussion for “Most Underrated Player,” but what he did defensively was fantastic. Having a wing who can switch any pick and roll, rebound and stay active in the passing lanes is a huge boost. Add in some stellar perimeter defense and you have to give the Defensive MVP honors to Toupane.
The moment his defense really stood out was against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies, as a team, shot 2-26 from beyond the arc, and for the 25 minutes that Toupane was on the floor, he was flying around and contesting every shot that went up in his vicinity. He was able to switch 1-4 (in Summer League) and contain on the perimeter with great success.
Toupane stayed fundamentally sound and almost never fell for a shot fake. Add in a tenacious approach to attacking the defensive glass and the ability to rebound and run, and his defensive potential begins to turn into points. Axel Toupane collected 15 rebounds in three games, all defensive.
He played within himself and clearly separated himself from JaKarr as a potential third wing on the Nuggets opening-day roster. His ability to play strong and quick led to him averaging two steals a game without any unnecessary gambles. It was a wonderful three games defensively from Axel Toupane.
Offensive MVP: Jimmer Fredette
Jimmer Fredette. What else can you say?
The man shot 45 percent from the field and 7-16 from three over three games. If you take out his first game, which had far too many guards playing, he’s been the best player on the court for the Nuggets.
In games two and three Fredette exploded out of the gate. He was looking to score at all costs and was staying efficient while being aggressive. He scored 26 points against the Grizzlies and then added in another 18 against the Heat. Jimmer was scoring at the rim, all the way out to the three-point line, and everywhere in between.
While Jimmer is still searching for another opportunity at the NBA level he does bring a skill with him that is more highly valued than ever before: shooting.
Look for more of the same out of Fredette over the coming tournament games.
Most Impressive Player: Juancho Hernangomez
He did a little bit of everything. He was by far the Nuggets best offensive rebounder and one of the best in all of the Summer League. His ability to sneak into a space that seems to be unseen by anyone else on the court has given him the chance to gain position without being incredibly strong or large. This ability has also led to numerous opportunities for put-backs and second-chance buckets. And at times, he was able to show off his range, too. Overall, he finished with 11 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
In the third game against the Heat, Hernangomez shined the brightest. Coming away with a line of 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and two steals proves just how active he is. Juancho has one of the better noses for the ball I’ve seen. Everywhere there may be a loose ball or an unsecured rebound, there’s Juancho. His IQ is extremely high, and he simply plays the right way.
On top of that, he seems to really enjoy the team and organization as a whole, which is huge to keeping the positivity around the culture as seen in these tweets:
"We are in love with this team and with this franchise."
— Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares) July 12, 2016
With the Nuggets still considering stashing Hernangomez overseas, this coming tournament may be our last look at him against NBA-level talent for at least a year. So far he has shown that he belongs in the NBA. Count me as someone who wants him with the Nuggets from day one.