The Nuggets concluded their eighth day of practice and all eyes are on Saturday’s upcoming preseason matchup against the Warriors. There are plenty of questions still remaining including: How much action will the starters see? Will all seven new additions play?
Here are three key takeaways from today’s media sessions:
Malone likes what he sees from Isaiah Hartenstein
Isaiah Hartenstein might not have generated much traction when it comes to breaking news, but Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is thrilled to have the former Rockets center in the fold. Malone believes Hartenstein has a lot of similarities to Mason Plumlee, who joined the Pistons as a free agent this offseason.
“Yes, I did love Mason…but I’m really excited about Isaiah,” Malone said. “He’s 22 years old and he knows who he is as a player. That sounds simplistic, but [it’s] really important for players to know who they are.”
“Isaiah has been great in our practices, his ability to run the floor, screen, roll, finish at the rim, make athletic plays defensively at the rim [and] be a shot-blocker. I’ve really been impressed with his talk. He’s a new player that’s come into our gym and is not afraid to open his mouth, especially on the defensive end of the floor.”
Hartenstein had a limited role in Houston, but he is aiming to show why he deserves a spot in Malone’s rotation. He averaged 4.7 points and 3.9 rebounds on 65.7 percent shooting in 11.6 minutes per game, but his per 36 numbers are solid, going up to 14.5 points, 12.2 boards and 1.6 swats.
“When you look at his time at Houston, any game where he got a chance to play 20 or more minutes, he made an impact in a positive way,” Malone said. “He’s a young man that just needs an opportunity. And I think he’ll get that here.”
Figuring out the starting lineup
Malone revealed last week that as many as three starting positions could be up for grabs and there’s been plenty of speculation as to who will slot in at the shooting guard and the forward positions. With the first preseason game just three days away, the Nuggets head coach was asked if he looks for balance in his starting five or does he pick it based on talent.
“When you pick your starting lineup, it’s never about the five most talented players, I think you have to come up with the five guys who work together the best, that complement each other the best and also allows you to have a bench unit that can come in and make an impact,” Malone explained. “Our opening night [regular season] is in 14 days, which is crazy…We have time [during the season] to figure out who that starting lineup is. As we all know, during the season, you make changes. If you start one group to start the season, it doesn’t mean that it will be your starter group the entire year.”
Being more aggressive on offense
Another big point that came from Malone’s initial press conference last week was his desire to see his team increase its free-throw attempts and take more three-pointers. Three full practices in, Nuggets star Nikola Jokić can see some differences in the team’s offense.
“I think we’re opening it up a little bit more and [being] more aggressive. If you attack the rim, attack the rim aggressively to get to the line,” the center said. “If you’re open, just shoot it. If we play a bit more simple, it’s going to help us a lot. That’s the emphasis coach gave us.”
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December 10, 2020 at 09:32AM
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Denver Nuggets Training Camp: Takeaways from Day 8 - Nuggets.com
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