Tyson continues Summer League success, still isn’t satisfied
By: Cameron Burnett July 13, 2023

Hunter Tyson came into the Denver Nuggets organization as a second-round pick and he’s exceeding expectations quickly during his first NBA Summer League. He’s scored in double digits in each of his first three games for Denver, but he’s putting an emphasis on other parts of the game.

Coming out of Clemson, his calling card was his shooting. A 40.5% three-point shooter during his first-team All-ACC season, there was no question about what he could do on the perimeter. During this introduction, he’s switched his focus to defense and rebounding, and it hasn’t hindered his output on the other end.

In the loss to the Jazz Wednesday, Tyson was second in scoring with 19 points and led the game in rebounds with 12, securing his first double-double. Using his 6-foot-8 frame, he has the athleticism to be a strong contributor in the middle, even if it’s something he didn’t flash often with the Tigers. Tyson discussed this development after the game.

“(Rebounding) has been a focal point for us. The past two games, we really struggled with it so my mentality coming in was I need to help the team try and rebound,” Tyson said.

With the strong start to his career, Tyson is building opportunity with the Nuggets once the season gets rolling. In need of a scoring forward off the bench, it’s a great sight for head coach Michael Malone to see him providing on both ends, but Tyson isn’t satisfied. The Nuggets get back on the court Friday, looking for their first win of the summer against the Miami Heat.

“I don’t think I’ve proven anything. Always try and be confident in myself because if I don’t believe in myself, nobody will,” Tyson said. “Coming out here, just trying to play the right way and play as hard as I can, compete on both ends.”