Nearly all of the boys participated in practice on Tuesday at Ball Arena while they were back in town.
Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope participated fully in practice after missing the final game prior to the All-Star break, according to Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
Nikola Jokic was the lone exception, as he was exempt from attendance requirements following his participation in Sunday’s All-Star Game. Jokic finished with 13 points, nine assists, and four rebounds in his final 23 minutes of action as the Western Conference fell to the Eastern Conference 211-186. When it comes to his lone All Star player not getting much of a rest before the remaining 27 games of the regular season, the Nuggets coach isn’t too concerned.
“I didn’t watch anything from the All-Star weekend for even a minute. I’m relieved that I didn’t. However, Malone noted that Nikola is capable of managing both his body and mind.
Tomorrow, we’ll bring him back here. And the last person I was concerned about was Nikola. I believe he understands exactly where we are and what needs to be done.
On their days off, other players dispersed over the world. Murray stated that he intended to attend Alexander Volkanovski’s bout in Anaheim, possibly making a detour in Las Vegas en route. Aaron Gordon, Julian Strawther, and Peyton Watson had an extended weekend in Aspen.
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About the break, Watson remarked, “It was huge.” “I believe that the mental aspect is frequently underestimated. We live and breathe basketball, so it’s really important. This is our livelihood, our whole life. It follows that spending the weekend was fantastic. However, after stepping away from it for three or four days, you begin to feel worried and think, “I need to be back.”
On Tuesday, the Nuggets received some cardio. The Nuggets will practise one more day on Wednesday before hosting the struggling Washington Wizards on Thursday to begin the last stretch of the regular season at home. Denver is currently three games behind Minnesota for the top spot in the league, in fourth place. Denver had lost three games in a row heading into the break, but the break gave them a new lease of life as the reigning champions aim to be at their peak come playoff time.
It was a reset, of course, but we didn’t want to take a break like that. We’ll resume our course,” Porter remarked.
“When the playoffs roll along, there’s no shortcuts taken. Therefore, these 27 games represent a critical moment. You must sense a beat and be in good health. You must feel both physically and mentally strong, both as a group and as individuals.
After winning a title the previous year, Malone stated he has total faith in the club, but he also stated it’s critical they don’t coast into the postseason.
Malone declared, “We cannot ease into these 27 games.” “We need to get off to a quick start, and hopefully we can do that against Washington in our first game.”
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