Nuggets Summer League Squad Wins Triple Overtime Thriller

Box Score

It's not every day you see a triple overtime basketball game. Unfortunately, I only got to see the highlights of the Nuggets last Summer League game ... but it was still fun to see some basketball. Go ahead and take yourself a little view ... click here for the highlights.

Sonny Weems led the way with 28 points and 9 rebounds. Ty Lawson contributed 24 points on 9-17 shooting and Coby Karl added 19 points and went 4-7 from downtown, while also hitting the two game winning free throws for the Nuggets.

Sonny Weems was doing a little bit of everything. In the highlights you'll see a nice alley-oop pass he makes, a pretty three-pointer, as well as a nice blocked shot and beautiful breakaway dunk on the other end of the floor. Weems, as George Karl pointed out, needed to have a stellar five games in Las Vegas and from what I've read ... he didn't totally make the best of his trip as his game was said to be a touch rusty. It's difficult to judge a guy from his summer league and with Weems the jury is still out ... actual NBA games are a different beast.

Ty Lawson is as quick as advertised and it looks like he's having a bit more success with his shot. Lawson makes a pretty three pointer in the video as well as connecting on a circus-layup after being knocked to the floor. They say that speed never has a bad day, and Lawson will surely be the beneficiary of his wheels. We haven't really had a rookie to get excited about in Denver since Carmelo Anthony fell into the team's lap back in 2003-04. Pretty much the one thing I wanted Denver to get this offseason was a lightening quick point guard who can change the makeup of the team when he's on the floor and I still have high hopes that Lawson is the answer. Oh, and he can indeed dunk! (fast forward to the 38 second mark of the linked video)

As Jeremy over at Roundball Mining Company pointed out the other day on his blog ... Coby Karl indeed should be able to find a roster spot in the NBA this season. I'm not going to say he'll get one, but I've been impressed with his game. Karl has a beautiful alley-oop pass in the highlights and he is the type of player that while he may not wow you, surely can get the job done on the floor. Every team needs a shooter off the bench, even if he's the 12th man, and Karl can provide that and a bit more. If his shooting continues to improve I'd say Coby will find a home somewhere in the league.

I did have some hopes that Denver was going to find a big man off this summer league roster ... perhaps in the form of Richard Hendrix (averaging 7.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in just 15 minutes per game), but I don't know if that's going to be true. I'm interested to know if 6'11'' and 240 pound C.J. Giles will get a invite to training camp. Giles averaged 7.2 points and 7 rebounds in 22.4 minutes in Vegas, including 13 points and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes of action against the Hornets.

It almost would have been nice to have Johan Petro under contract and on the floor this summer to see if he could dominate at all. The three guys mentioned above have been the talk of the Nuggets' summer team, but none of those guys are big men. It looks to me like Denver will have to look elsewhere for that fourth big ... perhaps by bringing Petro back. Like I broke down a few weeks ago, the Nuggets don't really have a lot of playing time to offer a fourth big, so a big name guy is probably not going to be an answer.

Denver finished 4-1 in Vegas.

It was fun to get a peek at some of the younger guys and we'll find out which guys will be getting invites to training camp soon. To have just a taste of basketball was nice, but now I find myself wanting more ...

ntimmons73@yahoo.com