Zach Mikash

Nuggets get it going in Vegas tonight!

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The Nuggets lose but the real loss was their 1st round pick leaving with "Achilles soreness"

Jul 15, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Quincy Miller (30) gathers with teammates around the coaching staff during a timeout from an NBA Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls at the Thomas and Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Nuggets got some big scoring nights from their wings but tired legs come up just short in the end

On this episode of the Denver Stiffs Show Zach Mikash and Gordon Gross break down the Denver Nuggets performance in Summer League before talking about the final additions to the Nuggets roster. The guys dive into Daron Holmes II injury and what that means going forward for him and Denver. Then they talk about Julian Strawther who looks ready for a real role in the NBA and then they finish the first half of the show talking about the contrast from what the Nuggets saw from their undrafted rookie free agents P.J. Hall and Trey Alexander, vs what they saw from their second year players in Hunter Tyson and Jalen Pickett. For the second half of the show the guys talk about the additions of Dario Saric and Russell Westbrook and how they will help their bench before ending the show debating whether or not the roster is better, worse or about the same in terms of talent and fit in comparison to last year.

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Canada guard Jamal Murray (4) looks on in the second quarter against USA in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

At the end of the 2022/2023 season, with the Denver Nuggets playoff seeding all but finalized, there was an opportunity to get a glimpse of the future. The Nuggets already had Christian Braun playing regular minutes as a rookie but in the previous Summer they drafted another young prospect who had yet to get a true chance to show what he could do on an NBA court. That prospect was Peyton Watson. Over the final six games of the season though he found regular rotation minutes and flashed a tantalizing ability as a shot blocker, floor runner and cutter. Come the beginning of the 2023/2024 season, Watson translated that half dozen game run into a regular rotation role from the jump. He continued to show what he could bring to the court but also had his ups and downs as many young players do, with the downs being particularly noticeable in his outside shooting. In the end it meant a reduced role and ultimately falling out of the rotation bin the second round of the playoffs but as the focus shifts to ’24/’25, there’s still plenty of reason to be optimistic about the Nuggets’ rangy wing prospect.

One of the most encouraging storylines of the Denver Nuggets run to a championship in 2023 was the play of rookie Christian Braun. Over his initial season in the NBA he continued to earn more and more responsibility, culminating in a superb performance in game three of the NBA finals (in front of Shakira) as the X-factor that helped turned the tide of the championship round in the Nuggets favor. Entering his sophomore season expectations were high for Braun, perhaps a bit too high. He started off slowly and even got yours truly to write an article questioning whether the Nuggets young two guard had entered a sophomore slump. As the season went on Christian found his groove and settled back in to his role as a competent backup to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He also found himself taking on some playmaking duties as Denver’s point guard depth was tested with injuries to Jamal Murray but fell short of becoming the Bruce Brown replacement some had hoped for. By the time the Nuggets were facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs, Braun was drawing Anthony Edwards as a defensive assignment and bringing the ball up the court more and more often. He didn’t reach the heights some had hoped for but it was still a solid second year in the NBA.

For Michael Porter Jr. the ’22/’23 season was all about a return to health and it was a fantastic bonus that as he did that he also became an NBA champion. Mike himself would probably tell you though that his performance in the 2023 NBA playoffs was not up to his standard and so he returned in ’23/’24 looking to make an even bigger impact as Denver’s sharpshooting forward. By and large ’23/’24 was a successful season for MPJ. Above all else he ended any shadow of a doubt about his health, missing just one game throughout the season. He also continued to play his role as well as you could hope, providing Denver with the long range threat they needed to round out their multitude of scoring options. He carried the team for large portions of their first round with the Los Angeles Lakers but perhaps still felt there was something left on the table in the postseason with his performance in the second round where Denver ultimately succumbed to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games. Now headed into the ’24/’25 campaign, the Nuggets will be leaning on Porter even more to make an impact.