Tuesday night, the scoring abilities from both Brandon Goodwin and Jordan Davis were on display in the Denver Nuggets’ Summer league loss to the Boston Celtics. Goodwin finished the game with 28 points, showing toughness and resiliency after returning to the game following a collision with Boston’s Tacko Fall.
"He (Goodwin) can physically play at this level," Nuggets Summer League head coach Jordi Fernandez said. "He's been doing a good job guarding full court. He's done a good job of bringing not only energy but also toughness. He's able to score, handle the ball and initiated the offense well."
That impressive scoring burst from Goodwin was a follow-up from his 16-point, seven-assist performance Sunday. "I was just trying to stay aggressive,” Goodwin said, following Tuesday’s game. “I was trying to find the balance between getting my teammates involved while also scoring."
After signing a two-way contract with Denver mid-way through the 2018-19 season, Goodwin lit up the G League, averaging 22.1 points per game. As he looks to build on that success over the summer, Goodwin understands the importance of using his scoring abilities to help lead the Nuggets to victory.
"I proved that I can score, but at the end of the day we've got to get the win,” Goodwin said following the loss to Boston. “I've got to be a leader and help my teammates. I proved I can score, but it doesn't mean much to me if we don't win."
Meanwhile, when Goodwin had to exit the game after the collision with Fall, Jordan Davis stepped in admirably and provided a much-needed scoring punch for Denver in the third quarter. Davis finished with 10 points (seven of which came in that third quarter), but also made several key defensive plays to help keep Denver in the game.
"I think I showed that I can play a role,” Davis said. “I can guard 94 feet, I can do the things that people don't want to do like take charges, go upstairs with big guys. Then I can play a role offensively, whether that's attacking and making plays for others or catch-and-shoot situations, I'm able to play my role."
Although Davis only saw eight minutes of action in Denver’s opening game, he was able to record two steals and make his presence felt defensively. Davis grew up in Las Vegas and appreciates the opportunity he is receiving to achieve his dream career.
"It means everything. Just being able to live out my dream in the NBA while coming home is great,” Davis said. “I've been coming to Summer League games since I was a little kid, so being able to be a part of it as an influential mark on someone else's life is powerful."
"He (Jordan Davis) is awesome,” Fernandez said. “He's a player that I would say has been consistently good in both games. He's played well at both ends and he didn't let other stuff affect him. I'm very happy for him."
As the Nuggets wrap up their preliminary games Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, they will continue to rely on Goodwin and Davis to generate consistent offense for the team, while also stepping up defensively in key moments.