Early returns show Nuggets GM Calvin Booth hit another home run
Jul 17, 2023, 1:47 PM
The Denver Nuggets drafted three rookies early this summer and the early returns on one of them are extremely promising.
The NBA announced Monday that Hunter Tyson was among the five players to make 2023’s NBA Summer League First Team, joining fourth-year pro Sam Merrill from the Cavaliers, second-year player Orlando Robinson from the Heat and rookies Keyonte George from the Jazz and Cam Whitmore from the Rockets.
Tyson, taken at No. 37 out of Clemson, was the third and final pick of the Nuggets draft night haul which saw them also pick up Julian Strawther from Gonzaga and Jalen Pickett from Purdue. All three flashed at Summer League, but no Nuggets player in Vegas was better than Tyson.
The 6-foor-8 23-year-old scored 20.8 points and snagged six rebounds per contest while shooting 54.1% from the field and 50% from three. The Nuggets made a little highlight reel of Tyson’s time in Paradise.
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— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 17, 2023
The list of first-team Summer League players from the past indicates that Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth has likely hit another home run. Last year in the Draft he snagged Christian Braun, who played a huge role in Denver’s title and Peyton Watson who seems to be oozing with potential.
Last year’s Summer League First-Teamers were Cam Thomas, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Tari Eason, Keegan Murray and Quentin Grimes. It may be too soon to tell on all of these players but all seem to be NBA quality rotation players or better even.
Out of the 10 players from 2019 and 2018 who got the nod, only two are struggling to stay in the NBA with many becoming important starters or role players on solid teams. Here are those 10: Kendrick Nunn, Jarrett Allen, Mitchell Robinson, Brandon Clarke, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Christian Wood, Kevin Knox, Josh Hart, Collin Sexton, Wendell Carter, Jr.
Tyson averaged 15.3 points per game and 9.6 rebounds as a fifth-year senior at Clemson last season. Tyson’s hot shooting in Vegas is who he is, his last year in college saw him splash 40.5 percent from three-point range. Tyson’s defense was an added bonus and many are already asking if he would’ve been a first-rounder had the NBA re-did the Draft today.
Tyson will likely start the season behind Vlatko Cancar and Justin Holiday as a third-string forward.
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