The former Tiger forward made vital contributions in his first four games as a professional athlete.
After being selected 37th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, Hunter Tyson has provided immediate impact over the past few weeks, hoping that his performances in the NBA Summer League will be enough to give the 23-year-old a spot in the 2023 NBA champions’ rotation next season. Headlined by a 31-point performance on Friday night against the Miami Heat, the rookie has put himself in a position to do so.
The former fifth-year made his presence known early in the Nuggets’ first summer contest against the Milwaukee Bucks on July 7, when, coming off the bench, Tyson had 16 points, four rebounds and a block in just the first half of his first game as a Nugget. He would finish with 21 points and five rebounds, and turned plenty of heads across the country who tuned in to the game.
Brought on for his leadership, three-point shooting, and ability to not give up on plays, Tyson brought just that immediately in the first game. The Monroe, North Carolina native shot three out of seven attempts from downtown.
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Despite starting the game on the bench in Denver’s next matchup against the Atlanta Hawks two days later, Tyson continued to make meaningful contributions when it mattered. The forward added 16 points, three rebounds and three assists while making two of his four shots from three-point range. The former Clemson star displayed great efforts on defense, presenting all of the tools that the standout has on both sides of the ball.
After those two great performances, Tyson earned himself a starting lineup spot and didn’t let the coaching staff down, arguably having his best performance yet for Denver. The second-round pick sank 19 points with 3 three-pointers and 12 rebounds, once again displaying his ability to not quit and make shots when it mattered.
Perhaps his best performance was Friday when Tyson played one of the best games by any player during this year’s Summer League. The forward finished with 31 points, shooting an incredible seven out of nine three-point attempts. Displaying incredible toughness and basketball IQ, Tyson had a whopping +43 differential while on the court, only cementing his incredible game. Now averaging 21.8 points across four games, Tyson leads all rookies in points per game, as well as grabbing 5.3 rebounds on average.
With the Nuggets set to play on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. EDT against the New York Knicks, Tyson looks to lead once again for a talented Denver Nuggets squad.
