Hunter Tyson, Jalen Pickett & More Excited for Nuggets Summer League
[Music] Hunter for for someone in your position is this about knocking the rust off this time of year getting into shape or is this actually a time when you can build on your game really no I think it’s definitely a time I can build on my game you know it’ll it’ll be a good opportunity to go out there compete against some other guys you know I feel like been playing against the same guys for the past few months now so you know it it’ll be a good opportunity definitely feel like and uh help improve my game what is looking like what is improving your game look like this really just been trying to elevate all aspects of my game um whether it be working on my body maybe trying to put a little weight on um being more comfortable shooting quick off the move just getting our release a little bit quicker um defending putting the ball on the floor really just all aspects cuz how different is it for you you know last year you come in right after getting w a worldwind that not know where you’re going be get here trying to figure out how to fit into a championship versus going through the whole season obviously not play it too much but now as you approach not only year two but year two at the summer level yeah definitely different um I’ve already played summer league on so I know a little bit better what to expect last year I just felt like I was you know going out there and really didn’t know what to expect just knew I was going to go out there and play hard and compete so now I know what to expect a little better um so it’s definitely a little bit different oh it’s pretty awesome man it was one of my best friends we were roommates in college so I was real fired up when uh I heard he was signing with us so I’m excited what’s something about his game uh that you can tell us that we might not know uh he’s more athletic than he probably looks um you know he’ll He he’ll play Above the Rim a little bit might dunk on somebody um really good shooter you know just just a really good player all around how difficult is it to build chemistry with these guys in such a short amount of time I’m sure you’re still getting to know each other I mean we’re definitely getting to know each other and it’s never going to be perfect I mean I think we have 4 days of practice before our first game but this is a good group of guys so that makes it a little bit easier you know it doesn’t seem like anyone’s uh selfish everybody you know just trying to play the right way and when you have a good group of guys like that it makes it a lot easier can you give us an early scouting report on the Run um very high motor good player can stretch the floor step out and shoot it um got really good touch so was talking yesterday about how he just wants hter to be punter what does that look like like what’s your identity when you stuff on the FL and what do you want to show at some yeah I think it’s just someone that goes out there and tries to compete every possession um play really hard do all the little things and just do whatever I can to you know help the team win there anything specifically you want to improve upon in this summer league showing uh I wouldn’t say I’m going in like that you know like I said I just want to improve all aspects of my game there’s nothing specific that I’m really going to just try and focus on I’m just going to go out there and try and play the right way coach mson said he was drawing up different sets for you and julan do you think it’s is it like a different offense or is it like pretty similar to what you guys were running last year uh as far as with the Nuggets yeah just like compared to last year’s summer last year summer uh definitely it’s a little bit different um we have a little bit different Personnel but there are also some similarities too uh you know I think M’s done a really good job trying to highlight um some some of uh each player’s strong points so he’s doing a really good job job with that does it feel different going into summer league uh in second year after seeing kind of what it takes to like get through a regular season uh yeah it’s definitely a little bit different um you know I’ve watched the best players in the world for the past seven eight months now so you know I think that’s just in itself um besides all the working out and you know doing stuff to improve my game just watching the best players in the world play I think that um in itself improves your game What’s the best thing you’ve learned from watching the best player in the world um just like how you have to have a routine um if you want to be consistent you got to have habits that will lead to consistency and do the same thing every day how would you describe Lon as a coach as a head coach man he’s really good I would say um I would [Applause] say you know overall he’s done a really good job just um you know trying to get the best out of all of us and pushing us while also you know not like being too overbearing he’s uh he’s letting us play with freedom so yeah he’s done a really good job so far Jaylen year two summer leag just a very broad question does it feel different to you in anyone definitely um I’m very familiar with our system um I help kind of get guys in positions as possible on the floor um and I could just be aggressive I just feel more comfortable this year how much more responsibility do you feel to in this situation this time around a lot um I’m going to have the ball in my hands a lot and you know last year we felt like we let the first couple games go in summer league so we want to kind of you know get out to a good start so um I’m going try to push these guys and you know show them kind of what summer league was like last year and try and get them ready for NBA game how did you rank your confidence now compared to where it was when you were going in the Summer League last year complete UL the scale uh last year I really didn’t know what to expect um I was pretty confident coming in just from a good college season some of the guys but now I mean I know most the guys um who are playing and who we’re going against so um confidence is high with the way the Nuggets depth chart looks right now have you viewed this as a big opportunity for you or are you more process oriented at the moment um it’s both it’s both you know you got to love the grind each day and get better each day and love the process and definitely you know if you know the opportunity presents itself I just got to be ready to take it jayen is there any aspect of your game that you’ve been trying to work on ever since the season Happ uh a lot of shots I was goinging it last year I’m doing it this year a lot of shots playing with guy like you know Nia or a guy like Jamal who just finds you every time um if you can get on the court with them you know you got to be able to make shots man you know that’s the name game got to guard got to make shots You’ probably been asked plenty by certainly friends I got to think what was it like being around Nicole all year and and playing with Jamal and playing with the World Champ I mean those those two dudes are nasty and Michael C I throw him in there just makes a lot of shots like consistently so you know some of the stuff I don’t believe Nicole makes some of these hook shots and he just makes it look so easy then Jamal is just you know naturally talented at the game so you know being around those guys and just learning from them has just been great for me does it surprise you though in person some of the passes ni makes you’re like wait he’s that big making that yes definitely some of these like tap passes he does or like over the head a couple times lobs to AG it is incredible to watch I think a year ago you mentioned that like adjus him to NBA case was going to be a big thing for you one year later where are you at with that process uh definitely I was trying to do that a little bit today and you know just trying to get my body in better shape I’ve been working with Felipe to you know have better wind to be able to get the ball up the floor and really get my condition where it needs to be now that you’re a year into sort of being teammates with the other guys in your draft class what’s in them like just sort of getting to know Hunter and Julian and and sort of developing relationship with those guys it’s been really good uh me and Hunter you know Hunter’s got me into a little bit of country out here so I’ve been chilling with Hunter a little bit and then Julian’s just nonstop jokes like all day so I mean uh it’s a great class and you know love both those guys what kind of jokes uh some of those jokes we can’t say on Li he’s pretty are there are there any examples you can um no no I can’t not right not on the top of my head who’s uh who’s been light after the G so far these last couple days um Julian’s really been shooting the ball well from Range Hunter of course but um I think PJ has has had a couple really good days today really strong player and he actually to stretch the floor out for us so um it’ll be intered to see what we do what do you think of Don now that you got going court with him he’s a really good a he goes after a lot of blocks on the court and he plays really hard so he’s still picking up the plays and everything but I love the energy every playing so far early impressions of Coach mson the job he’s doing I love that mson got it you know Munson’s been like you know quietly working with us all year and he works out Hunter actually but you working with me on just some of the you know pick and roll stuff and some of the passes and reads and stuff so for him to become you know summer league coach it’s kind of cool thanks practice a little better flow a little better from coaching stand uh than to the guys credit they they really took the cleanups we had to make and they uh put them into action so it’s a lot cleaner crisper practice do you feel like you have a list of priorities or philosophies that are important to you in stilling here in first first summer league run um I mean I think the the big thing it really is just kind of our our culture how we want to play um and then obviously offensively it’s always just about ball movement body movement you know David adaman coach balone they preach that every day and just because Nicole OIC Murray in the court these guys got to play the same R so even if it’s maybe it’s a different play call you still got to share the ball move it cut all that good stuff so um it really is just trying to take what we do in the regular season and and give these guys a little bit of a taste of it I guess that how tricky is it to coach guys basically the same when you know some guys are different than try first round pick you’re different than that guy that’s you know just trying to make it seen by anyone no and that’s I think that’s the big challenge of Summer like obviously you’ve got guys coming from every background like you said every different situation uh they got different individual goals just trying to get them to to buy into you know if we all buy into this as a team it’s going to go well for the team if it goes well for the team goes well for all the individuals and so that’s definitely the the hard part I think we’re doing well so far you’ve got a full roster to coach but how much do you plan on leaning on guys like Hunter and Julian you know you’re deao veterans here yeah oh I mean absolutely um I mean they played great today you know played well yesterday but really uh Julian was kind of in control the whole practice Hunter and Jaylen when they were together uh their team kind of ran the court which is what we wanted to see so definitely something those guys are going to be our our leaders throughout summer league you know on the court and off the court no doubt have you been able to see the chemistry between Hunter and DJ at all the way they College on the FL yeah a little bit um I told them both uh don’t get into too many fights together or I I kind of see him as like the bash Brothers from like Mighty Ducks or something um but no they’ve been great together you can definitely tell they played a lot of basketball together they’re really good together and uh I mean PJ’s been great he really compliments that whole starting group really well with Hunter every time we’ve asked a teammate or someone shooting comes up pretty quickly if you if you had to list a couple of other maybe attributes that stand out with Hunter with Hunter yeah yeah no I mean you took away number one shooting but the guy’s a great cutter like he’s and he’s super physical right so all those Cuts you see like Aaron making with Nola uh I think Hunter’s got the ability to do that maybe not finish the same way but he’s got that feel and that timing where he cuts and he cuts at the right time cuts at the right force uh and he’s really physical you know I think a lot of times you think of a shooter just hanging on the perimeter but he’s a big dude he’s not afraid to get in there and bang at the big dudes and um so I think that’ll surpris a lot of people his physicality rebounding this is exactly mini camp related but since we don’t get too many chances to talk to you obviously I’m just curious what it’s kind of like to as closely as you do with regular basis no I mean it’s feels it’s crazy it’s been now 8 years going on nine uh when I first got here as an intern I was I don’t think I said five words a whole year I always remember J jir Nelson used to make fun of me for not talking um but uh now coach is amazing guy to work for and with you know I’ve learned so much just about how detailed how prepared you need to be every night um especially when you’re coaching a great team which he does um and that’s helped me a lot I was a coach um and just with um myself personally he G me a lot of room to grow a lot of new responsibilities as the years have going on and you know I couldn’t be more grateful for that so love working for Co has he changed as a boss from when you were to now at all um I don’t know maybe a little bit just in the sense of we do have a staff that’s been together for quite a long time so you know I think he can trust me he can trust Ryan bow and all these guys have been here for a long time that you know maybe he doesn’t have to text me every morning to have this ready because you know we know what we’re doing before practice before a game so I think in that sense we just all gotten comfortable with each other but he’s still the same same coach Malone and that’s what made him so successful cool thanks Co everybody
Hunter Tyson, Jalen Pickett, & Andrew Munson Press Conference after Denver Nuggets NBA Summer League Practice Day 2.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Hunter Tyson
4:36 – Jalen Pickett
8:18 – Andrew Munson
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