Bol Bol among eight available Summer League players on COVID-depleted Nuggets roster

The Nuggets expect to person lone 8 players disposable successful their archetypal Summer League crippled aft the squad was depleted by a affirmative COVID-19 trial and consequent interaction tracing.

The agleam side? Fan-favorite Bol Bol is anticipated to play Sunday against the Heat successful Las Vegas. The 7-foot-2 and 209-pound halfway practiced with the squad Friday.

“(Bol) was great,” said Nuggets adjunct Charles Klask, the team’s Summer League caput coach, connected a Zoom telephone with reporters. “We got him playing the 5 and the four. He’s going to benignant of beryllium our Summer League mentation of Nikola (Jokic) erstwhile he’s astatine the five. We’re going to effort to play done him a lot. He’s a truly bully passer. He tin spot implicit the defense. … He’s got a unsocial accomplishment acceptable and we’re going to effort and item that successful immoderate antithetic ways.”

The Nuggets drafted Bol 44th wide successful the 2019 NBA Draft and he signed a two-year woody entering past season. However, erstwhile Denver’s frontcourt was worn bladed with injuries, Bol got jumped connected the extent illustration by reserves Zeke Nnaji and Vlatko Cancar.

It is imaginable the Nuggets stay unfastened to trading Bol. He’s appeared successful lone 39 NBA games implicit 2 seasons.

“We cognize that he’s a truly bully idiosyncratic player,” Klask said. “That willingness to people one-on-one tin sometimes subtract from the squad play. He’s conscionable got to mesh those 2 together. He’s successful each the drills. He’s communicating. If helium stays engaged and plays hard, you’ll spot his skills flourish successful the Summer League.”

The Nuggets volition big different squad signifier Saturday greeting earlier flying to Las Vegas. Klask did not place each 8 players that are expected to beryllium disposable against Miami. But helium said the Nuggets are hopeful their full roster volition beryllium removed from COVID-19 protocols by Tuesday for their 2nd crippled against the Celtics.

“We’ve asked each the guys to substance everybody and each the coaches to conscionable support successful touch,” Klask said. “They’ve kept precocious spirits. They spot the airy astatine the extremity of the tunnel. I deliberation it’s truly going to assistance us, to beryllium honest. Because they’re going to beryllium truthful hungry. When they bash get to Vegas, it’s going to beryllium similar unleashing the wolves.”

No Jimmer Mania. The Nuggets announced the summation of NCAA scoring fable Jimmer Fredette to their Summer League roster connected Thursday. The excitement proved short-lived.

Fredette — a six-year NBA shooting defender who past played successful the Chinese Basketball Association — is nary longer joining the squad successful Las Vegas.

“The concern with Jimmer didn’t rather enactment retired the mode we wanted to,” Klask said. “He’s got a large accidental of wherever he’s playing now. It’s conscionable not worthy it. He’s 32 and he’s done the full Summer League thing. It’s benignant of an accidental for younger players.”