When Nuggets head coach Michael Malone assigned Juancho Hernangomez to the D-league this season it was for one simple reason: To play more basketball.
Well, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing all summer long.
Hernangomez told HoopsHype.com that he’ll be playing in Summer League with the Nuggets come July.
“Yeah, I think I’m going to play summer league,” Hernangomez said. “I like to compete. They asked me if I was down for it and I really would like to go and play a couple of games, be around the team and keep developing as a player.”
Last year in Summer League, with much of the attention on players such as Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray, it was Hernangomez who also made a name for himself. Through the first three games, he averaged 11.0 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 68 percent from the field. His performance in Vegas ultimately made the decision easier for the Nuggets to keep him in the United States to play in the NBA instead of him being a draft and stash player in Europe.
This past season, despite not getting much playing time due to being behind two talented veterans at his position, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, Hernangomez averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds a game. The youngster showed potential to become a solid player with improvement throughout the year and showcased his ability to stretch the floor with his shooting ability. With the right amount of improvement, Hernangomez could potentially earn more playing time and increase his impact on the upcoming year.
Besides the Nuggets summer league, which runs from July 7-17, it also appears that Hernangomez will play for the Spanish National Team at EuroBasket 2017 (Aug. 31 through Sep. 17).
With so much basketball being played over the summer, now appears to be the time for Hernangomez to take another big step in his game.