5 things to watch out for in the Denver Nuggets preseason games

The Denver Nuggets have five preseason games that start in early October and while these exhibition games should be taken with a grain of salt, there are some major questions about Michael Malone’s rotation in these games.

Denver kicks off their schedule with an easy game against the OKC Thunder before playing against several Western Conference contenders including the LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.

Not only will it be a glimpse into what Michael Malone’s rotation will look like, but it’ll be the first time some players have worn their Denver jerseys and the first time in a long time for some others.

How do Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray look?

This may be the biggest question in the entire NBA, let alone the biggest question about the Denver Nuggets. If Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray are fully healthy and back to their prime form, the Nuggets will be bona fide title contenders.

Both players are coming back from serious injuries, Jamal’s being a torn ACL while MPJ’s a back issue that has been with him his entire playing career.

Murray has had over 12 months to recover from his knee injury so the preseason (and training camp) should be more about getting into game shape again.

For Porter Jr., if he’s limited in any way, we’re going to find out about it. In the 2021-22 season, some fans just thought MPJ was getting off to a slow start before his back injury became known and he went under the knife. If he appears limited or a step slower, the murmurs of back issues will come up immediately.

It’s possibly an unfair task to put on the young wing in the preseason, but if he comes out of the gates looking healthy and hitting his shots, the Nuggets might have the most positive momentum heading into the 2022-23 season.