1. Hunter Tyson, Denver Nuggets (37th pick)
Hunter Tyson was hands down the best second-round pick from the 2023 draft in Summer League. The #37 pick out of Clemson has already signed a standard deal with the Nuggets that spans over the next four seasons.
He was on the All-Summer League 1st Team for his incredible play, as he averaged 20.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on an extraordinary 73.1 TS% (54.1/50.0/87.0). He was playing like he didn’t know how to miss. Just look at his placement on this graph, and you can also see the other players on this list. Still, who truly stands out is the outlier Tyson.
The best Vegas Summer League scorers among all *drafted rookies* with ≥3 GP, including Hunter Tyson, Keyonte George, Cam Whitmore, Jalen Wilson, & many more...
— Charlie Spungin (@CharlieSpungin) July 17, 2023
⬆️ = More efficient
➡️ = More scoring
WHAT STANDS OUT? pic.twitter.com/DvlsFU8aDX
The 23-year-old Tyson is an incredibly versatile offensive player with a high feel, but what truly stands out is his shooting ability. At Clemson, he shot over 40.0% from three, and in the Summer League, he shot 50.0%. He is a comfortable mover off the ball who can take advantage of smaller defenders and shoot over the top of them with his 6-foot-8 frame. With this fact and his ability to attack closeouts, he appears to be a seamless fit for the Nuggets offense.
At the backup three and four, he will compete for minutes with Peyton Watson, Vlatko Cancar, Justin Holiday, Zeke Nnaji, and Julian Strawther. With his fit in the Nuggets’ offense, there is a good chance that Tyson gets some playing time during his rookie season, especially with his great showing in this Summer League. He was just awesome.
For more stats and film on Tyson, I did a full breakdown of his best game of Summer League, where he scored 31 points. Check that out here.