Hunter Tyson impresses in NBA Summer League debut for Denver Nuggets

Hunter Tyson didn’t hesitate to show the Denver Nuggets why they made the right draft pick. The former Clemson forward was dominant during Denver’s first Las Vegas Summer League game.

Although the Nuggets fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 92-85, Tyson shined. The No. 37 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft dropped 21 points and five rebounds while shooting 7-13 (53%) from the field and 3-7 (42%) from beyond the arc.

Those familiar with Tyson won’t be shocked by the standout performance. Tyson exponentially improved over five seasons at Clemson, boasting his best season in 2022-2023. The 6-foot-8 star averaged 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Additionally, Tyson is a former four-star recruit. The North Carolina native was the No. 195 overall recruit in the nation in the Class of 2018, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Although many NBA experts criticized the Denver Nuggets rookie’s ability to guard NBA-level talent, he looked excellent on defense on Friday. Tyson recorded three blocks, highlighting his defensive performance with a nasty swat on former Gonzaga star Drew Timme right before time expired in the first quarter.

We see you, Hunter 🤫 pic.twitter.com/TMbgu7dmOS

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 7, 2023

While the Nuggets are certainly happy with their pick based on Tyson’s most recent performance, the Clemson alum wasn’t expected to be drafted as early as he was. Clemson head coach Brad Brownell discussed the situation.

“We did think he was going to get picked. We had good intel that there were a couple of teams that liked him and his agent had told us that more than likely it was going to happen,” Brownell told On3. “It seemed like he was starting to move up. The closer it got to the draft, it was like, ‘Man, at first, we were thinking it might be around 50 or whatnot.’ Then you started hearing it might be in the 40s or possibly even in the 30s.

“We knew Denver liked him, so that was cool. Man, I was just so happy for him and excited. I feel like college basketball needs some of that right now. We need to see guys who show grit, who stick with things, who persevere, just keep getting better and develop. And Hunter Tyson is the epitome of that. I’m just really happy to see him get rewarded,” Brownell said.

Fans won’t have to wait long before watching Tyson hit the hardwood again. The Nuggets will face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in their second game of the NBA Summer League.