The Denver Nuggets were heading into the 2024 Summer League ready to see what was in store for their first-round draft pick, DaRon Holmes II. After 25 minutes of great basketball from the big man out of Dayton, his right Achilles tendon ruptured, and a big, dark cloud loomed over the franchise for the rest of the summer.
Fast forward a year, and the 22-year-old looks healthy and ready to get in the action when the regular season rolls around. In the Nuggets’ 81-76 win over the LA Clippers late on Thursday night, their first in four games down in Las Vegas, Holmes was doing his best Nikola Jokic impression with a near 20-20 performance.
A dominant double-double 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/bNmTm5RBpA
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 18, 2025
Holmes also added two steals to his stat line in 30 minutes of action and shot 50% from the field.
The performance was the 6-foot-9 forward’s second consecutive double-double for Denver. In four games, he’s averaging 13 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while playing just over 27 minutes a night. He’s shown good burst off that surgically repaired leg, has been willing to score inside and out, and most importantly, has looked like someone who can contribute when needed in the regular season.
Tough moves 14 pic.twitter.com/HcVF6Xa71W
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 18, 2025
He’s also shot 8-for-18 from 3-point range, a good sign that he can space the floor if needed.
Drains it 👏 pic.twitter.com/LncEic7AtH
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 18, 2025
The NBA Summer League is always something that should be taken with a grain of salt from a stats perspective, as the competition is a lot different when Ball Arena is packed and the stars are out as a opposed to being in an empty gym in Las Vegas late at night while all the fans are at the roulette table. Some guys shoot the ball terribly then go on to play great in the regular season (see Victor Wembanyama) while some guys look like stars and end up doing nothing when the games actually matter.
What really matters for Holmes is not the stats, but that he’s moving good and looks healthy. As seen throughout the Jokic era, the Nuggets success is dependent on the team’s health, so they need as many bodies as possible for the upcoming season.
Only time will tell if David Adelman will prefer to play Holmes at the 4 behind Aaron Gordon, of if he will rotate in with Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas at the 5. Good news for Nuggets fans, he’s shown the ability to play at both positions.
The Nuggets have one more contest down in the desert before it’s all said and done, as they take on Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night. The game will be broadcast on NBA TV.
