Jordi Fernandez

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The Denver Nuggets’ Summer League came to end Saturday after a 105-96 defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets in consolation play. Due to injuries and some roster transactions, the Nuggets struggled to find consistency and finished 1-4 in the tournament. However, there were some positives as the development of several players shown in Las Vegas could carry into the regular season.   Here are three takeaways from the Nuggets’ 2019 Summer League:   Vando for team MVP  Jarred Vanderbilt’s ability to consistently be a double-double threat each night gives him a slight edge as Denver’s standout in Las Vegas. In his first-ever Summer League tournament, the 20-year-old averaged 11.8 points and 11.3 rebounds (good for second in the tournament) on 56 percent shooting.   After being frustrated with a four-point and seven-rebound debut against the Magic, Vanderbilt insisted wanting to show improvement on the offensive side of the floor and he delivered. The 6-foot-9 forward scored in double digits for the remainder of the tournament and showcased why he was a five-star recruit of Kentucky with a dominant 20-point, 17-rebound performance against the Warriors. While Vanderbilt had some growing pains throughout the tournament, especially with turnovers, he was one of the bright spots of the Nuggets Summer League roster.   Brandon Goodwin, who averaged 18.5 points and 5.5 assists on 49 percent shooting, and Vlatko Čančar, who impressed with his athleticism and defense, deserve an honorable mention for their performances throughout Summer League.   Vlatko’s grit and grind

Čančar didn’t have the best offensive performances in the tournament, averaging 8.8 points on 36 percent shooting, but he clearly passed the eye test – showing why he deserves to be on an NBA roster. He displayed some impressive athleticism and proved to be a solid defender throughout Summer League.   With the departure of Terence Davis after the opener and Michael Porter Jr. sitting out for precautionary reasons after suffering a sprained knee in a Summer League minicamp scrimmage, Čančar saw a healthy share of double teams. As a result, the small forward emphasized playing strong perimeter defense and hit the boards, averaging 4.3 rebounds. Though Čančar struggled with his shot, he never forced plays. He attacked the rim, showing an impressive vertical, and didn’t give away bad turnovers (1.5 per game, 0 in his last two outings).   Tate’s freakish athleticism   Once Davis departed to join the Toronto Raptors on a two-year contract, it opened up a spot at shooting guard on the Nuggets’ Summer League roster. Jae'Sean Tate showed some bright spots filling in at the two.   Although Tate is still raw offensively, he managed to make an impact due to his physical style of play. He was chasing after loose balls, jumping over crowds for rebounds and even blocking a few shots. He finished the tournament averaging 7.3 points, 4.3 boards while shooting 50 percent. 

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Denver Nuggets' 2019 Summer League: Three takeaways from tournament

Jordi Fernandez firmly believed Terence Davis was an NBA-caliber player and publicly made sure everyone was aware of it.The Nuggets Summer League coach mentioned it repeatedly during minicamp and it was the first thing he said in assessing the guard’s impressive performance in Sunday’s win over the Magic. So it wasn’t a surprise to Fernandez that Davis ended up signing a multi-year contract with the Toronto Raptors just hours after dropping 22 points on Orlando. “I'm so happy for him because the kid deserves it and he was very excited about it,” Fernandez told Nuggets.com. Terence Davis came into the Nuggets summer league roster hoping to showcase why he can be an effective 3-and-D contributor for NBA teams. In his Summer League debut, the 6-foot-3 guard did just that – hitting five threes and standing out on defense. “With me starting at the two, I knew I would have opportunities and I took advantage of them,” Davis said after the win. “I’m an undrafted guy and that’s what I’m trying to showcase to other teams and the Denver Nuggets.” It was that skillset that led to Davis getting an invite from the Nuggets. Fernandez is happy to have played a part in helping the former Ole Miss realize his NBA dream. “We’re extremely happy for him,” the coach said. Summer League is often an interesting situation for the coaches who are involved. Teams are evaluating their rosters for potential training camp invites while most of the players are fighting for their professional basketball lives. Sometimes players leave similar to Davis while other times, teams are able to find players under the radar, like Torrey Craig. Fernandez believes Davis’ move is a credit to the Nuggets’ Summer League program, showcasing the scouting and coaching that helps players like Davis and Craig to find opportunities in the league. “That's what we're all about. I think we've proved it in the last few years with the guys that we've brought to our team in Summer League,” he said. “Torrey [Craig], Kenrich Williams and now Terence and a lot more guys.” With Davis now in Toronto, it leaves the Nuggets’ starting shooting guard position open. Fernandez insists the team will find a player who can step up into the role. “I think it's going to be the next man mentality,” Fernandez said. “We have enough players that guard at a high level. That's how our offense started yesterday, from having really good one-on-one [defense] -- building a wall in front of their offense. We will still be able to do that.” He added, “Everyone will contribute. There's going to be more shots for other guys and we want to also see who is going to step up and do it.”

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Denver Nuggets' Jordi Fernandez: Terence Davis’ NBA contract a credit to program

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DENVER, September 14, 2016 – The Denver Nuggets have announced the promotions of assistant coaches Wes Unseld Jr., Micah Nori and Ryan Bowen as well as player development coach Ognjen Stojakovic and assistant video coordinator Tommy Massimino Jr. In addition to these promotions, Denver has hired assistant coaches Jordi Fernandez and Chris Finch, player development coach Stephen Graham and head video coordinator Travess Armenta.

Wes Unseld Jr. joined the Nuggets prior to the 2015-16 season after spending the previous two seasons with the Orlando Magic and one with the Golden State Warriors (2011-12). He began his coaching career with the Washington Wizards where he spent 13 seasons (1998 to 2011) in various capacities, the final six as an assistant coach. In his new role, Unseld Jr. will be Michael Malone’s lead assistant on the bench.

Micah Nori also joined Denver’s staff prior to the 2015-16 campaign. He was previously an assistant coach in Sacramento from 2013 to 2015. Before arriving in Sacramento, he spent a total of 15 years with the Toronto Raptors organization, the last four as assistant coach. With this promotion, Nori will move to the front of the Nuggets’ bench.

Ryan Bowen returned to the Nuggets’ coaching staff for the 2015-16 season after also spending two seasons in Sacramento. Bowen was selected by the Nuggets in the second round of the 1998 NBA Draft and spent the first five years of his 10-year playing career as a fan-favorite in Denver. He also spent two years on Denver’s coaching staff from 2011 to 2013 before heading to Sacramento. Bowen will now be the first coach behind the Nuggets bench going into the 2016-17 season.

Ognjen Stojakovic began working with the Nuggets prior to the 2013-14 season, serving as the assistant video coordinator for three seasons. Stojakovic, a native of Belgrade Serbia, has been promoted to player development coach.

Tommy Massimino Jr. came to Denver in the role of video intern for the 2015-16 season after serving as the assistant video coordinator for the University of Iowa Men’s Basketball team in 2014-15. He also spent four years (2009 to 2013) as team manager for the Villanova Wildcats Men’s Basketball team. Massimino has been promoted to assistant video coordinator.

Along with the above promotions, the team has hired Jordi Fernandez as an assistant coach. He comes to Denver after spending six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, most recently as head coach of their NBA D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge.

The Nuggets have also added Chris Finch as an assistant coach heading into the 2016-17 season. Finch joins Malone’s staff after serving as the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers from 2009 to 2011 and as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets from 2011 to 2016.

Joining John Beckett and Ognjen Stojakovic in the player development department will be Stephen Graham. Graham enjoyed a long playing career, including six years in the NBA with Cleveland, Houston, Chicago, Portland, Indiana, Charlotte and New Jersey. He also spent one season playing for Fort Wayne of the D-League and finished his career with two seasons overseas. Graham served as an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2015-16 before joining the Nuggets staff. Also, his twin brother, Joey, played for the Nuggets during the 2009-10 season.

Additionally, the Nuggets have hired Longmont, CO native Travess Armenta as head video coordinator. Armenta arrives on Denver’s staff after working as the assistant video coordinator for the Sacramento Kings from 2011 to 2016. Armenta played basketball and received his degree from the University of Northern Colorado.

An updated and finalized listing of the Denver Nuggets’ coaching staff for the 2016-17 season is as follows:
Head Coach: Michael Malone
Asst. Coach: Wes Unseld Jr.
Asst. Coach: Micah Nori
Asst. Coach: Jordi Fernandez
Asst. Coach: Ryan Bowen
Asst. Coach: Chris Finch
Player Development: John Beckett
Player Development: Stephen Graham
Player Development: Ognjen Stojakovic
Head Video Coordinator: Travess Armenta
Asst. Video Coordinator: Tommy Massimino Jr.

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Meet the 2016-17 Nuggets Coaches

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