JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
What Happened to DaRon Holmes II? Deets on Nuggets' First-Round Draft Pick's Season-Ending Injury
The Denver Nuggets draft pick DaRon Holmes II suffered a serious season-ending injury. What happened to the rookie? Here’s all you need to know.
DaRon Holmes II's debut season will be a redshirt year. The Denver Nuggets' 22nd overall pick in last month's draft tore his right Achilles tendon in the final minutes of Friday's Summer League opener in Las Vegas, The Athletic reports. He is expected to miss the entire next season.
In his first summer-league game, Holmes, the 22nd pick, scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 26 minutes. He left the arena on crutches after the injury.
READ MORE: Has Stephen Curry Ever Played in the Olympics? Find Out
How serious is DaRon Holmes II's Achilles Tendon injury?
According to Shams Charania from The Athletic, Holmes tore his right Achilles and will likely miss the entire upcoming season. This unfortunate news adds to the existing concerns for Nikola Jokić and the team.
Denver lost its summer league opener 8X-78 on Friday night at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The main concern now is the first-round draft pick, DaRon Holmes II, and his torn Achilles tendon. Holmes had a promising debut with 11 points, a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range, and a team-high seven rebounds.
Despite having the same roster, the team couldn't defend their title. After a disappointing postseason campaign, the team lost their star shooting guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, during the off-season, creating a significant gap in the starting lineup. While the team had high hopes for the strong 22nd pick, the devastating injury news dashed them.
Are the Nuggets still championship contenders?
The Denver Nuggets wanted to see how their first round-pick, DaRon Holmes II, would fare against NBA-level talent. Since DaRon didn’t face consistent elite competition in college, scouts wondered if his outstanding performance at Dayton would carry over to the pros.
The team, which seemed unbeatable in the 2023 postseason run, struggled in the 2024 postseason. Nikola Jokić remained the central threat, but his supporting players faltered. Jamal Murray, in particular, struggled with consistency, scoring under 15 points in three games during the crucial seven-game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Michael Porter Jr., who was a three-point threat, also underperformed in the postseason, averaging 15.8 points with five games scoring in single digits in the semifinal series against the Wolves. Additionally, the loss of KCP has left coach Michael Malone needing to build a new roster around Jokić and Murray.
In recent weeks, the team pursued Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric, securing one of them. Regarding Westbrook, the latest update from Harrison Wind revealed that the team is "on track" to sign the former MVP. However, Westbrook hasn't been in top form for the past two years. Notably, in the first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, he averaged 6.3 points per game with a poor shooting percentage of 26. Even if they sign him, it doesn't guarantee the Nuggets will be championship contenders.
You May Like This
Latest Articles
