Oh yeah. I like Denver. I wouldn’t mind staying here. It’s my contract year so we’ll see what happens, but I definitely wouldn’t mind staying here.

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Fournier was first. He was extremely amiable. I was nervous, being that this was my first interview ever with a Nuggets player, but he made the experience very pleasant and enjoyable. He talked openly about how happy he is right now. “I feel great in Denver,” Fournier said. “It’s a big city but it’s also kind of small. I really enjoy it. I have a house and a dog. That’s the perfect life for me.”

Here’s the thing about interviewing people that I’m kind of learning: You can get a pretty damn good idea of who someone is in a really short amount of time, and what I gathered from Fournier is that he’s precocious. For a 19-year-old kid — a foreigner living halfway around the world from his birthplace, nonetheless — he seemed pretty damn cheerful. I just received a good vibe from him, one that makes me trust his judgement — which is usually good for basketball things.

As for his role on the team this year, Fournier said, “I don’t know. That will be decided in training camp. I just know that every time I’m on the court I have to give 100 percent. We’ll see. I’m just gonna play hard and we’ll find out.”

Andre Miller is the very definition of a veteran. The guy is on his thousandth rodeo by now. He talked a lot about health. He thinks staying healthy is the key to the Nuggets success this year. He also said something that I found interesting in regards to team chemistry: “We have good guys with good attitudes who are committed to the team,” Miller said. “Normally you have do deal with a lot of egos when you have this much talent. We have good, positive types of guys.”

Miller said he wants to be a leader and that staying mentally tough throughout the highs and lows of the 82-game season is what’s going to prepare them most for the Playoffs. I couldn’t agree more. The Nuggets haven’t exactly had the most fortitude in the Playoffs over the last handful of years (see: Anthony, Carmelo and “quitting”) and it seems to sometimes be reflected in the regular season. If this year’s team can play with resiliency throughout tough stretches of the regular season, it will better prepare them for the Playoffs, where things will get much more difficult.

I asked Miller what it was like playing for George Karl. He said, “The main thing is he gives you the opportunity to go out there and do what you’ve been working on. He lets you make mistakes and learn from them at the same time. He understands where players are in their careers and what they can do on the court.”

Miller also said he likes the new uniforms and that he and Andre Iguodala “play well off each other.”

Gallinari was pretty much mauled by reporters (as was Lawson and Iguodala) when he first came out. I missed about half his interview but caught up with him afterwords. He talked a lot about his injuries, which he claims he is fully healed from, and how he wants to get better this season. “I want to improve my stats,” Gallinari said. “I want to improve in any part: assists, rebounds and points. If we can win and I can improve at the same time that will be great.” I asked him how he’d feel if he made the All-Star team. He smiled, then sternly straightened up and said, “It’s not one of my goals but if I make it’s going to be unbelievable.”

You could tell by the way he talked about improving that he genuinely wants to get better. You can really see it. Gallinari wants to be the best player he can be. I truly believe that.

Losing to the Lakers last year bothered him too. “The week after the Lakers series was tough because I love basketball, I live my life for basketball, so when things don’t go your way it doesn’t take one day to forget everything,” Gallinari said.

Over the summer Gallo tried to improve in many different areas, especially his long-range shooting. “I worked on a lot of things,” Gallinari said. “I was playing with the national team so I didn’t focus on one thing. But I tried to improve my 3-point shot. I did a lot of good things last year and improved in a lot of ways. My 3-pont shot was always one of my strengths and last year it wasn’t a great percentage. This year has to be better.”

Gallinari simply has so much talent, which Nuggets fans saw on full display for the first half of last season. If he can pick up where he left off at All-Star break last year, this team can be dangerous.

“It’s tough to see a ceiling with this team,” Gallinari said. “We can be a very good team. It’s up to us.”

Randolph echoed Gallinari and Andre Miller’s sentiments. “The sky’s the limit,” Randolph said. “Hopefully we don’t get plagued with a lot of injuries this year. From there, if we can stay healthy there’s no telling what could happen.”

I asked Randolph about playing in Minnesota last year, to which he replied, “It was a good experience. I learned a lot.” Randolph meant it too. He seemed very honest about where he is as a player and what he needs to do in order to see court time. “I think it’s gonna be a good year,” Randolph said. “Right now I’m just looking to come in and help out Kenneth as much as I can. All I have to do is just work hard. How hard I work will determine how much I play.”

Randolph is without question one of the most intriguing aspects of the 2012-13 Denver Nuggets squad. You get the feeling he could either be a solid rotation guy or buried on the far end of Karl’s bench for all eternity. I want so badly for him to find a spot with this team, as he’s teeming with talent and is the perfect fit for the type of system the Nuggets implement. We’ve seen the change McGee has made in only six months. Lets just hope Randolph can re-learn different fundamentals of basketball in that short amount of time as well.

Mozgov was probably the most cryptic of all Nuggets interviews, and in more ways than one. He was a nice guy, very interested in talking about basketball — I just couldn’t understand him all that well. Even when I went back and listened to his interview I had a hard time deciphering complete sentences. This isn’t his fault; he has a thick accent, deep voice and is clearly still learning the English language. Needless to say, I couldn’t come up with very many quotes.

He did like playing in the Olypmics this year — that I could understand. “The Olympic games were a great experience,” Mozgov said. He smiled when talking about it and seemed very enthusiastic. It was nice seeing him show that much pride in his home country.

When I asked Mozgov about his minutes he immediately brought up Koufos saying,”I think me and Kosta, we’re a different type of player.” I asked him if he battles hard in practice with Koufos, to which he laconically replied, “Yes.” I then asked him who wins. He said, “I don’t know. Ask Kosta.”

Mozgov also became very sprightly when talking about the Playoffs. He played well against the Lakers last year, so perhaps he feels a bit of a connection there. “I think we can make it back to the Playoffs this year but we have so many new teammates that it’s hard to tell where we’ll be,” Mozgov said.

Hamilton was another fun interview. He seemed eager to field questions and had a visible energy about him. I asked him what he worked on this summer to which he replied, “A little bit of everything. I mixed it up. The main thing I did was get in great shape — lots of jump shots this summer, working on my quickness so I can guard guys better.”

I told him he was one of the most impressive guys at Summer League. He laughed, and thanked me for the kind words, then said, “The main thing was just to get better — show them that I could really play. We didn’t have a full training camp or Summer League last year so I thought that was the time to show them what I could really do.”

As for his role this year: “I think I can help with 3-point shooting and scoring,” Hamilton said. “If I can just make threes and get to the rim, that’s how I can help. They said they want me to play some stretch four. One of my main focuses over the last couple of months was guarding guys, getting better on defense. Whatever role they want me to do, I’m gonna do it.”

We then talked about football, how he’s a Jets fan and that he really didn’t even start following football until he went to school at Texas. I told him his parents hit the genetic lottery having three kids ranked as top 15 recruits in their high school class. He thought that was pretty funny, but got serious and said as long as his siblings worked hard, they’d have a great chance of making it to the NBA like he did.

Stone is the man. He just gets it. As long as he’s on your team, you’re not gonna have to worry about him getting in trouble, placing the blame on other people or slacking off in practice. All he cares about is winning and playing the game the right way. And he’s tall; way taller than I thought. He’s listed at 6-6, but man, I wouldn’t be surprised if he topped out at 6-7 or taller with shoes on.

Stone said the recovery from his hip injury is “coming along better than expected.” He said he worked out a lot this summer, mostly on his shooting but also on his finishing. “Me being athletic and all, I feel like I could use my athleticism when I score,” Stone said. “Instead of trying to lay it up on everybody I’m gonna try to crush it on ‘em.”

That is awesome. As Bill Walton would say: Throw it down big man, throw it down.

Stone said one part of his game he keyed in on this summer was the mental side. “More than anything this summer, I was just making sure that mentally, my confidence is where it needs to be,” Stone said. This kind of went hand-in-hand with what he said about his potential role this year:

“Whatever role they give me I’m gonna do. As long as we win I’m good. I’ve worked on my game so much this summer that I want to contribute. But my main focus is whatever they need. If it’s defensive stopper — that’s what I love to do. If it’s someone who distributes or scores — whatever it takes for us to win, I’ll do it. That’s been my MO: Do whatever the team needs.”

I asked Stone about his future with the Nuggets being that he’s in the final year of his contract. “I would love to be here” Stone said. “I feel like it’s a great place. The guys and organization are made up of great people. You don’t find that everyday. They gave me an opportunity when nobody else did.”

As for the Playoffs and team expectations this year: “We can do something,” Stone said. “We definitely can. We have all the pieces and I believe we’re hard working. If everybody comes together we’ll be good.

Iguodala was by far the funniest player at Media Day. He was extremely laid back and spent a good portion of his time laughing with the media about some pretty random stuff. He said he likes rap music but, “it’s gotta have some substance.” Then he talked about watching golf all weekend and how he couldn’t believe the U.S. lost the Ryder Cup. Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post asked him about his golf game. He said if by golf he meant barely making contact with the ball, then yeah, he plays it. He also went on a rant about flopping and the difference between European floppers and American floppers. He said, “I’ve never been a fan of flopping. There’s some American guys in the league who don’t even flop, they just scream.” Someone asked him about watching the Lakers-Nuggets Game 7 replay and he seemed genuinely upset that NBATV showed more Lakers runs than Nuggets runs — which was really, really good to hear.

As for basketball-related issues, here are his best quotes while I was present:

On the trade: “I knew this was kind of brewing for a while now, the organization trying to acquire myself.”

On being a leader: “You have to have a happy medium as far as showing them the hard work first. Then you gotta lead by example, actually playing the game. Then you gotta be vocal. I’ve always tried to find a happy medium. It’s more difficult than you think.”

On playing in the West: “I’ve always felt more comfortable, more offensive minded playing against west-coast teams. It should be a plus for me in that aspect.”

On the difference between this year and others: “Mentally I’m in a better place. I’m really just happy kind of getting a fresh start.”

On how he likes Denver: “It’s really nice. I gotta adjust to it. It’s a weird adjustment but it’s a good adjustment. Everybody is smiling at you; everybody is saying hi. It’s the weirdest thing ever. Philly is kind of like, be on guard, have your hands ready.”

Lastly, in case you haven’t seen them yet, here are the new alternate Nuggets uniforms which will be worn on 18 different occasions this year:

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This of course has great meaning for the Nuggets and Quincy Miller, the yet-unsigned 38th pick in the 2012 draft. While I believe the final roster spot should be earmarked for Quincy and I expect the Nuggets to sign him, there’s a growing sentiment among fans that the Nuggets need to add another shooter over a 19-year old who’s likely to spend his rookie season developing his raw talent rather than playing. 

The concerns are valid. Denver shot a paltry 33.2% from three in the shortened 2011-2012 season, seventh-worst in the league and well behind the league average of 34.9%. After trading away two of their more solid shooters in Harrington and Afflalo, worries only intensified with many claiming that Denver’s previously potent offense won’t be able to survive the change.

Considering the dynamics of the Iguodala trade, does adding another shooter to one of the deepest squads in the league really make them a better team? Answering that question really boils down to understanding what makes the Denver Nuggets offense work.

The chart above shows the Nuggets shot distribution for the 2011-2012 season. The blue areas indicate where most of the offense came from. As evidenced by the graphic, there isn’t a shade of blue dark enough to signify just how much offense the Nuggets created around the rim. Well over half their shots came within five feet, a league-leading percentage so great that barely anything else registers.

It’s easy to see why the Nuggets’ tailored their third best offense in such a way. With a strong commitment to touching the paint at least once every possession, Denver prioritizes creating high-percentage shots over everything else and subsequently led the league in assists. Manufacturing such a high volume of shots at the rim also forces the defense to go 94 feet most every possession, creating an environment where Denver’s speed and depth creates an even greater advantage when pace enters the equation.

Iguodala’s length and speed in the open court are only going to enhance what the Nuggets already do. He has shown that over the past two seasons in Philadelphia with his ability to score at the rim while playing off scoring point guards like Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams. Iguodala is a decent three-point shooter but I do not expect him to play a primary role converting a high percentage of spot up threes in Denver. His athleticism and driving ability are a perfect fit which can help ensure the Nuggets offense continues to create the high percentage looks they are constantly aiming for.

That being said, the Nuggets do need to make some threes to open up the painted area where their offense can flourish. A whopping 92% of Denver’s made threes last season were assisted, another league-leading percentage. That is indicative of a team who has less trouble creating the open looks than making them, a problem I’d rather have instead of the situation being reversed. When you create an open three in the NBA, much of the hard work has been done and the players are obligated to cash those opportunities in. Denver must have players who convert open shots at a high rate and with such a deep and talented roster, I believe they already have them.

The chart above shows Danilo Gallinari’s shooting performance from three last season. The first thing that stands out is a small sample size thanks to Gallo playing only 43 games due to injuries – a number equivalent to about half of a normal season. The second most interesting factor is the wild inconsistency from different spots on the floor. He makes the left corner three with ease while shooting horribly from the right. On the other hand, he shoots much better from the right wing than he does from the left. The chart is clearly indicative of an off-year by a player capable of converting a much higher percentage of three-point shots.

Gallo took only a small amount of corner threes last year because he was so often used on-the-ball and expected to create. With Iguodala on board and Harrington gone, Gallo’s role as a floor spacer becomes much more important. If he practices patience and sound shot selection, Gallo will find open looks from three with regularity. Despite struggling with his shooting percentage, the good news is Gallinari did not stop taking those shots and I have a great deal of confidence that he will make them if given a healthy season. He’s too good of a shooter not to.

Besides the fact I don’t think Denver’s offense functions as well with a stand-still three point specialist on the floor, there are really no minutes available should one join the team. While it’s widely assumed Corey Brewer will part ways with the Nuggets by next season, he brings a toughness and ability to cut off-the-ball that greatly served Denver last season. Despite their three point shooting woes, Andre Miller and Corey Brewer bring so many other things to the table it is unfair to assume that replacing them with a shooter ultimately improves the team. Yes, Miller and Brewer are a serious drag on a team that is creating open threes by the boatload, but they have a net positive impact on the game and deserve to be on the floor.

Lastly, I just don’t believe there is enough evidence to suggest the Nuggets don’t already have enough shooters as is. Jordan Hamilton easily has the potential to be a 40% three point shooter if he practices solid shot selection or plays in a more structured offensive role. Evan Fournier, the unknown quantity out of France, displayed advanced playmaking instincts from the wing and the ability to hit a corner three during Summer League. It’s ultimately much more important these players get a chance over a Michael Redd-type addition that theoretically improves weak three-point shooting on a team designed to score inside the free-throw line anyway.

News and notes

First of all, I just want to thank the readers of Roundball Mining Company and those getting on me via Twitter about not posting on the site. It’s been an unusually slow period for myself and RMC, but we have much to discuss as the season approaches and I promise to post at least twice a week as we near the start of the 2012-2013 campaign, a season I’m really excited about covering here on Roundball Mining Company.

In case you missed it, I joined DJ Foster on ClipperBlog to preview the upcoming season. Video below.

Aaron Lopez has a great mailbag full of offseason nuggets as we gear up for the upcoming season.

Andre Iguodala interviews with Lopez and works on his game with John Welch at the practice facilities.

As I mentioned in my earlier reports, this year’s Nations had plenty of Denver Nuggets connections despite not being an official NBA event. I caught up with high-school senior Isaac Hamilton, Jordan’s little brother and one of top recruits in the Los Angeles area. On a more somber note, I also witnessed Arron Afflalo attend one of his last official functions as representative of the Denver Nuggets. Here’s the full rundown of these stories and my impression of the talent showcased at the 2012 adidas Nations.

Isaac Hamilton forging his own path

At first glance, the younger Hamilton looks like a glimpse five years into Jordan’s past. Physically, he looks just like a mini-Jordan and has the same quick release and buttery smooth jump shot.

On the court however, Isaac’s crafty game is a stark contrast to Jordan’s more physical, athletic style of play. He does have good athleticism at 6-5 and 185 pounds, but he plays below the rim more often than Jordan and has a good feel for where to be in terms of running a team offense. He has a good handle and his passing skills are advanced for a high school player.

“I guess I’m more of an all-around type of player” said Isaac when asked to compare himself to Jordan. “I don’t really have to score the ball to impact the game. I think Jordan, he’s a better scorer and a lot taller and stronger than me — so that’s a slight advantage.”

I would say Isaac’s biggest strength right now is his pull-up jumper and his ability to quickly change directions, elevate and shoot over his defender. There are very few players at his level with the type of mid-range game Isaac has. He definitely needs to add strength and improve his overall feel for the game, most notably in terms of moving without the ball.

Isaac is one of the most heavily recruited high school players in Los Angeles, having received offers from UCLA, USC, Colorado, Louisville and a host of other top-flight programs. He told me he’s continuing to work on his overall skills and wants to develop his floor game as a point guard. When asked what it’s like going against his NBA brother Jordan, Isaac had a heartwarming, classic response.

It’s fun, competitive. Jordan, whenever he comes back home — even if it’s an away game and they’re playing the Lakers — we play one-on-one. It’s always competitive. Sometimes we can’t finish because there’s either a fight or arguments, but it’s just fun.

Andre Roberson scouting report

It’s no secret I like Roberson a lot, as I spent a ton of time getting acquainted with his game in my first two days of covering the camp. He’s a very solid NBA talent coming out of Colorado, a state which hasn’t been known for producing NBA-caliber basketball players.

Roberson burst onto the scene as an energetic, do-everything forward in his freshman year for Tad Boyle’s Buffaloes. Since then, he’s made himself into a dominant rebounder in the NCAA and one of the best all-around talents in the Pac-12.

Roberson may lack the strength and physical tools to play the four in the NBA, but his body is developing nicely and his underrated perimeter skills should allow him to play the three as well. At the adidas Nations, Roberson wasn’t featured in the pick-and-roll heavy NBA sets, but he somehow found his way to the ball with hustle, grit, and determination.

As Kenneth Faried showed last year, playing hard is a skill. Being able to sustain a high level of effort is something that can be developed and translated to NBA success. Roberson has that. He’s a tireless worker and often finds a way to make good things happen due to the energy he plays with on both ends of the floor.

Roberson gets almost all of his offense off back cuts, offensive rebounds and off-ball movement, but he does know how to shoot and can knock down an open jumper. Defensively is where Roberson could be truly special. His long arms, excellent shot blocking instincts and quick lateral movement provide all of the tools he needs to be a Kenyon Martin-type terror on the defensive end. He was far and away one of the best perimeter defenders I saw at the adidas Nations, able to apply solid ball pressure despite being a 6-7 post player.

Keep an eye on Roberson and the Buffs this year, as he’s sure to be on the 2013 NBA draft radar all season. He’d be a great fit in Denver with his tireless work ethic, ability to run the floor and defend multiple positions.

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

Australia has a proud sporting history and a long-standing tradition of professional basketball. For whatever reason, it’s produced hardly any quality NBA talent in the modern era. Andrew Bogut was supposed to be a star — which sort of happened — but outside of fringe NBA players Patty Mills and David Andersen, Australia hasn’t produced an exciting basketball prospect in quite some time.

I believe that’s about to change in the next few years with Dante Exum and Ben Simmons set to explode on the college basketball scene. Exum will be a high school senior next year and is already rumored to be attending the University of North Carolina in 2014. Ben Simmons, however, is just 15 years old and has dual citizenship in the USA. He could come over for a year or two of prep before hitting the college recruiting trail, where he’d no doubt be among the most coveted prospects in the country.

Dante Exum is a stud. Everything about the long, athletic 6-6 combo guard tells me he’s destined to be a big-time player. He gets to the basket so easily against high-schoolers it’s almost unfair. He’s also the best playmaker on his team and one of the more skilled all-around players at the entire camp. There may be better scorers out there, but not by much and Exum does everything else at an elite level for his age. If I had to bet money on one player here becoming a star, I’d probably lose my money. But if I did I’d bet it all on Exum. He has the full package of tools to make it happen – smarts, athleticism, all-around skills and intangibles.

Ben Simmons is the other Aussie to watch. He’s a 15-year old, 6-8 combo forward whose physical tools and all-around game have drawn early comparisons to a recent two-time MVP. Simmons told me he doesn’t like to compare himself to other players, but teammates and fellow writers likened his game to Lebron’s.  He’s extremely young and already physically outclasses most everyone else in high school basketball. The smooth lefty has a great feel for running the floor, dunking with force and shooting with range. There are very few things he can’t do at this level. The true test will be to see if he can translate it to the college level against better competition.

Australians and worldwide hoops fans alike should keep an eye on these two most interesting of high school prospects. If either played in the US, they might be ranked as the very top players in their class.

Afflalo leads the right way

As part of adidas’ efforts to provide guidance and learning resources to the college counselors, Arron Afflalo joined Alec Burks, Luc Mbah a Moute and others to act as NBA ambassadors for the event. Most of the other NBA guys showed up in street clothes, watched the games and mingled with the coaches and campers in attendance.

In typical Afflalo fashion, Arron went above and beyond the call of duty, choosing to get down and dirty in the actual scrimmages. He joined one of the undermanned college squads and led them to an impressive victory in the final scrimmage of the event. Afflalo played with his signature effort and unselfish demeanor, providing a prime example of how to lead by example and play the right way.

I talked to New York Knicks assistant Kenny Atkinson, who coached Afflalo’s team, about what that experience meant to the rest of the campers. “What was really cool is he didn’t come in with a cocky attitude. It was a very dignified, subtle leadership” said Atkinson. “A lot of NBA guys would have come in and just started jacking shots. He fit in with everybody and then took over at the end. I don’t even know the kid and I love his personality.”

Players to watch

Here are a few guys, in no particular order, who stood out to me or caught my eye during the camp.

Ed Daniel, 6-7 PF, Junior at Murray State

Daniel wears his hair in a Ben Wallace style afro and has a huge personality on and off the court. He’s a Kenneth Faried style bruiser who could rise up draft boards this season. He’s a very physical player with great leaping ability and NBA athleticism.

Isaiah Austin, 7-0 C, Freshman at Baylor

He’s listed at 7-foot, but looked taller to me. He’s pretty skinny but could be a game changing force on defense. He’s athletic and very mobile for a 7-footer, but he’s somewhat clumsy and likely won’t do much on offense. I loved how hard he played throughout the camp, giving all-out effort every minute he was on the floor.

Noah Vonleh, 6-8 SF/PF, Class of 2014

Canadian Andrew Wiggins is widely assumed to be the best player in high-school basketball right now, but guys like Vonleh are proof he could have some competition down the road. Vonleh has the strength and athleticism of a 21 year old and physically overpowered just about everyone at the adidas Nations. He also made the game winning three to win the whole tournament and put himself on the map as a future top recruit and legit NBA prospect.

Zack LaVine, 6-3 SG, Class of 2013

Do you like dunks? Zack Lavine is an incredible leaper and one of the most stylish dunkers I’ve seen in person. He was pulling off 360’s and Eastbay variations of all kinds with ease. Not only does he dunk with force, he really gets up and hangs in the air just oozing with style. He’s known as a deadly scorer and the athletic dunk-machine has already committed to UCLA.

Dwight Howard showed up to the gym unannounced and right after the game concluded, he gathered Roberson and the rest of the college counselors to share his wisdom before they parted ways with each other and the adidas Nations team. It was amazing to see how hungry and appreciative Roberson became throughout the course of the camp,  and especially how eager he was to soak up every little bit of knowledge he could even as the on-court work was over with. Roberson played with much more confidence in his final game and sustained a high level of effort throughout. Although I already interviewed Roberson on the first day of the event, I caught up with him one last time to see just what he was taking away from the experience.

It was great getting to know Andre throughout the adidas Nations, who you can follow on Twitter @FlyDre21. The 2012 adidas Nations wraps up tomorrow night for the championship round of games in Long Beach, CA. It will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports network, so check the local TV listings and be sure to tune in and watch if you can. As always, stick with RMC for more coverage when the event concludes on Monday night.

There are a ton of Denver Nuggets connections in this year’s adidas Nations currently taking place in Southern California. Along with all of the other NBA teams, Denver’s scouting department has a strong presence here and Nuggets assistant Melvin Hunt is part of the core group of NBA coaches instructing the college counselors as well as the high school athletes in attendance. Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo joins Alec Burks, Nolan Smith, Luc Mbah a Moute and Darren Collison as some of the adidas athletes who will act as NBA ambassadors to the program.

This is an exciting event featuring a ridiculous amount of talent from the next three NBA draft classes, and I strongly encourage any hoops fan to watch the championship game on Monday night, which will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network at 6pm Mountain time. RMC will be on hand to provide coverage throughout the event.

Here’s a few of the highlights from day one of the 2012 adidas Nations. 

Dante Exum shines

Dante Exum is already the next big thing in Australian basketball, and he seems to be well on his way to becoming the next worldwide hoops phenom behind an incredible performance in the opening day of pool play on Friday.

The 6-3 combo guard from East Melbourne, Australia was already drawing attention for standout performances in last month’s FIBA Under-17 world championships. He’s followed it up with a jaw dropping start in the adidas Nations, leading Team Australia to a 74-72 win over the 2013 USA Red squad. He finished with 17 points on 5-6 shooting (7-8 from the line), 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Most impressive was his ability to score at will without dominating the ball or freezing out his teammates.

Exum plans to attend college after finishing his last year of high school in Australia next year. He was scouted last month by the University of North Carolina, where his father Cecil played before starting a successful pro career in Australia’s NBL. His combination of length, athleticism, and playmaking instincts are almost unreal for a 17-year old. I’d bet a large sum of money he plays in the NBA and does well there. He’s a great talent and it should be interesting to follow his development as a basketball player in the coming years.

Andre Roberson interview

Andre Roberson is next in line to join Chauncey Billups and Alec Burks as rare first-round picks to come out of the University of Colorado. The 6-7 Forward will be a Junior for Tad Boyle’s Buffaloes next season and is coming off a breakout year in which he led Colorado to just their third NCAA tournament appearance in 43 years. I caught up with him at the gym to discuss his goals for next year, the NBA draft and his relationship with some of the other great players to come out of CU.

On personal goals and team goals for next season

My personal goal is to be Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Team goals, we just wanna go out there and do a repeat but go further than we did last year. I just feel we have to go compete day-in and day-out and be at the top of the conference.

On being more of a leader

Definitely. Coach Boyle wants me step up as more of a vocal leader. He says I’m more of the quiet-type and I just feel like I have to step up my overall game, go out there and compete every night.

On NBA Draft buzz and his relationship with Alec Burks

He says it’s a grind, you’ve gotta go out there and keep working hard every day and eventually it pays off. Alec is one of my good friends and I’m also going to try to get a little advice from Chauncey, who’s been through it all. I just wanna go out and work as hard as I can every day.

On how running NBA sets with the coaches here has helped him

Just cause you get a little taste of it, preparing for that next step. That little bit more to help elevate my game, going out there and continuing to practice hard.

On how he plans to step it up defensively next season

Just taking on that role of being the team stopper. Just going out there, trying to shut down the best player and just competing.

Follow the adidas Nations event on Twitter:

@skitalicious (me)
@adidasHoops
@adidasnations

#adidasNations 

You can listen to the latest episode featuring RMC on iTunes or the CSG website here. I come on around the 40-minute mark after the guys discuss Broncos training camp with Kirk of Mile High Report (which you should definitely check out as well).

Many thanks to Jordan Hamilton for taking the time. Follow Jordan on Twitter here.

“From what I know, yeah he’s okay.” said Summer League coach Chad Iske. “He’s got stitches in the face which he’s displeased about, but he seems okay and I don’t think there’s any concussion or anything there.”

It’s safe to assume Faried’s out for the last remaining Summer League game today but should be fine for the rest of the offseason and training camp. Here’s a look at news and notes from around the gym on game four.

• Charlotte Bobcats head coach and former Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap ran a very unusual defense against the Nuggets, one that made frequent use of a full court press. I asked Chad Iske if it threw his team off at all, to which he replied “yeah I mean definitely, they’re gonna run a 2-2-1, press, back into a zone a lot of times which, in the NBA, you just don’t see a lot. We want to run an up-tempo style and I think that helped us get into that style, but we just had too many turnovers and gave up too many easy baskets to go along with it.”
• Fournier played some more point as expected and once again had a hard time creating for others off the dribble. Fournier is a smart player who makes a lot of things happen in transition, but he hasn’t looked nearly as sharp in the half-court. I asked Fournier if it was difficult learning the point guard position and having to guard quicker players like Kemba Walker. Evan quickly responded “No that’s not a problem, because in France we have a lot of small point guards like this. What’s hard is like — when you’re the point guard you have to know what you teammates can do. We’ve been together for like a week and we need more time.”
• Jordan Hamilton scores very easily at this level, but at times his shot selection leaves a lot to be desired. I know for a fact the Nuggets staff is looking for Jordan to focus on other areas of his game and let his offense come naturally. There are times when he falls in love with the three or gives up on his drives when he’s not getting calls in traffic. Hamilton is playing a much different role on this team than he will in the regular season, but I’d still like to see some more variation in his offensive game. This is the perfect setting for him to try new things, even if he is going to be shooting a lot of spot up threes in the regular season.
• Evan Fournier was also confused at the level of officiating in the Summer League thus far (and he has a point). Fournier told me he is trying to adjust to the style of play and touch fouls that are being called, but isn’t completely sure how. “I need to learn the rules man, I had like 7 fouls and I don’t know why” he said. “I’m asking the referees why and they just tell me ‘You fouled him.’ That’s not like a smart answer.”
• Jorge Gutierrez saw a decent amount of minutes after receiving a DNP in the previous game. His small frame makes it very difficult for him to physically match up with players at this level, but he is a tough player who gives his all on the defensive end. Chad Iske told me he admires Jorge’s grit and attributed a lot of his struggles to him learning the point guard position. “He’s been forced to play a position he really hasn’t played” Iske said. “I think it’s a position he knows he needs to learn and play, but in the NBA the point guard is the most important position in the game now. Tonight, he got to come in and play at the two spot a little bit and that helped get him into it. I think he maybe didn’t feel as much pressure and his defense, and you know the pace of the game going up and down, his effort there got to play a part in the game.”
• Chu Chu Maduabum has a friendly rivalry with Charlotte Bobcats big man Bismack Biyombo. “He won this one” Chu told me. Chu is still a long ways away from playing in the NBA, but the coaches have praised his work ethic throughout the week. I asked Chu what he’s trying to improve and he said “I need to get more rebounds. A lot of rebounds. I’m used to boxing out but I gotta go for the ball. I box out and try to get my man as far away from the rim as I can, but I end up not getting the ball either. I gotta work on just pushing out and going up for the ball.”
• Chu also took a hard fall in the second half and wore a large ice wrap on his shoulder following the game. He said he was sore but when asked if he was going to play tomorrow, Chu smiled and gave me a “hell yeah.”
• Excuse the cliche, but Josh Carter is a pro’s pro. He told me he doesn’t get to play as much as he wants to on this team but understands the situation with the Nuggets already having Hamilton and Fournier in front of him. Carter described Evan Fournier as a mature player and someone who picks things up much faster than a lot of young guys. Carter’s in his third summer league and said he’s trying to lead from the bench, be vocal and play unselfishly when he gets in the games. When asked what he’s trying to show teams here in Vegas, Josh said “that I can fill a role. That I have a good basketball IQ and play the right play. I don’t try to force things.”
• Quincy Miller sought out Chad Iske for a 15-20 minute talk following the game. He has struggled with his overall awareness and feel for the game, especially on the defensive end where there is far too much standing around on Quincy’s part. I probably saw him ask ten different questions to Chad and clearly saw him trying to understand what he was doing wrong. I will have a lot more on Quincy later but the coaches have been putting tons of time in with him and Chad gave me the feeling that coaching him up is a process that’s simply going to take time.