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**Nuggets Ready for Preseason Opener; Adelman to Give Starters Run**
SAN DIEGO — The Denver Nuggets are set to tip off their preseason schedule Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Diego, with Coach David Adelman reporting a healthy roster ready to go. After a productive training camp at UC-San Diego with only minor bumps and bruises, the Nuggets aim to strike a balance between gaining valuable experience and avoiding injuries during their five preseason games.
Adelman plans to give his starters significant playing time in the early games, viewing them as crucial practice opportunities, especially given the schedule’s travel days. The first two games will be played at neutral sites. The game against the Timberwolves will be held at Pechanga Arena, formerly home to the San Diego Rockets and Clippers – a venue with a personal connection for Adelman, whose father played for the Rockets. Following the game in San Diego, the Nuggets will travel to Vancouver to face the Toronto Raptors.
While Nikola Jokic continues to manage a minor right wrist issue, which he says is not a concern, the team is otherwise healthy. The training camp also saw newcomer Cam Johnson experience his first taste of Jokic’s unpredictable passing, a rite of passage for any new teammate. Johnson, however, feels comfortable with his integration into the starting lineup and is quickly adapting to the team’s terminology and schemes.
Defensively, the Nuggets are focusing on versatility, particularly in pick-and-roll coverage. Coach Adelman hopes to empower Jokic to make on-the-fly decisions about his positioning in defensive sets, potentially adopting a strategy similar to Marc Gasol, where Jokic can adjust his defensive level based on the opposing player’s strengths. The coaching staff is trusting Jokic’s high basketball IQ to make the right reads in these situations.
First Piper 