The Denver Nuggets' start to the 2024 NBA Summer League could not have gone any worse. Nuggets first round selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, DaRon Holmes II, hobbled off the court late in the fourth quarter of their first contest favoring his right ankle. ESPN initially reported that Holmes was dealing with right Achilles soreness, but following the game's conclusion, the ensuing injury update turned out to be more severe than expected, as it was reported that Holmes had suffered a torn right Achilles.
This injury is a brutal gut punch to the Nuggets, as they were incredibly high on Holmes. They had even gone as far as trading up a few spots in the draft to land him. But unfortunately, his rookie season is likely over before it even really got underway.
What makes things worse is that Holmes looked very promising in the Nuggets' Summer League game versus the Los Angeles Clippers. In his debut, Holmes had 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal. He was also 3-for-3 from three-point range. The Nuggets would end up losing, 88-78.
When Holmes suffered the injury and limped off the court, Holmes' family was reportedly called over to the sideline. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who was also in attendance, was also called over. This was before word officially broke on the severity of the injury, but Denver Post reporter Bennett Durando said that there were “a lot of concerned faces surrounding Holmes.”
During the offseason, the Nuggets and general manager Calvin Booth were criticized for their lack of movement in picking up depth for their roster. While they are somewhat strapped for cash, the only significant signing they made in free agency was Dario Saric. While Holmes likely wouldn't have gotten a crazy amount of minutes, he still would have been used to help minimize the massive workload Nikola Jokic takes on every game.
Nuggets have to wait to see what DaRon Holmes II is capable of
As previously noted, the Nuggets traded up in the 2024 draft to select Holmes with the 22nd overall pick. He starred in college for three seasons with Dayton, and he put up some huge numbers in his junior campaign (20.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 54.4 FG%) to help him get drafted as high as he did. There's no guarantee he would have become a key piece of Denver's rotation as a rookie, but the opportunity was certainly going to be there for him.
Instead, both Holmes and the Nuggets will have to wait and see what he's capable of in the NBA. Rehabbing from this injury is going to be a grueling way for Holmes to start his career in the league, but Denver has the time to wait and see if he can develop into a star. Unfortunately, that development isn't going to happen this year, and the hope is that Holmes can eventually make a full recovery and return to the court as soon as possible.
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