A more confident Nuggets forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili is ready to shake off the pressure and start sinking shots.  

Tskitishvili was projected to have Dirk Nowitzki-type potential when the Nuggets selected him with the fifth pick in the 2002 NBA draft. But while players drafted after him - Nene, Caron Butler and Amare Stoudemire - flourished and received national attention last season, Republic of Georgia native Tskitishvili struggled. After bowing to the pressure of being a No. 5 pick and being too raw to make an immediate impact, Tski- tishvili now envisions a better future starting with the summer league.

"I don't feel any pressure," said Tskitishvili, 20, in a telephone interview from Treviso, Italy. "I'm just trying to work hard on my game. I'm not going to worry about it. I know I am working hard, and I'm just going to try to play better.

"I'm not trying to put pressure on myself. Maybe last year I tried to put pressure. This year, I got more confidence and experience. No pressure anymore."