Nuggets practice "sloppy" but an offseason MVP emerges

SAN DIEGO — Here’s what you need to know from Day 1 of Nuggets training camp.

An MVP-sized absence

The first story that broke here on the campus of the University of California, San Diego had nothing to do with what transpired on the court during the Nuggets’ opening training camp practice. Nikola Jokic did not fly with the team to San Diego Monday afternoon and it sounds like he might not be joining the team at training camp this week. The reigning MVP remains back in Denver with his wife Natalija who’s expected to give birth to the couple’s first child sometime soon.

Baby Joker is coming any day.

But Jokic’s absence combined with Jamal Murray’s unavailability while rehabbing from a torn ACL likely contributed to what Michael Malone described as a “sloppy” practice Tuesday that didn’t have a great flow to it.

Denver’s opening training camp practice went long, and Malone said by the time he got to the live portion of practice his guys were probably fatigued. But he was surprised by how quiet the gym was. Day 1 of training camp is typically loud and full of energy no matter how sloppy the basketball is, however the massive facility here at UCSD could have contributed to the practice’s low volume. The UCSD gym is a much, much bigger space than what the Nuggets have to work with at Ball Arena.

The Blue Team, which consisted of Monte Morris, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green — the starters minus Jokic — won both scrimmage segments.

No surprise there.

“I’m just thankful there’s a Day 2,” Malone said of Tuesday’s sloppy practice. “It’s just a reminder of how good Nikola and Jamal are.”

It’s too early in the week to name a leading candidate for the coveted training camp MVP that Malone eventually likes to award, but there’s a consistent name that’s present on everyone’s minds here in San Diego when discussing who’s stood out during the Nuggets’ open runs over the last couple of weeks.

Aaron Gordon.

JaMychal Green remarked on Monday during Media Day that Gordon was the clear standout in his mind from practices in Denver last week, and that tracks with what the chatter is here in San Diego so far. Apparently, Gordon has really popped over the last couple of weeks during informal scrimmages in Denver and had another good practice Tuesday here in San Diego.

Gordon’s athleticism, explosiveness, and burst around the rim have consistently stood out, a very positive development after the forward admitted last week that a balky ankle bothered him more than he let on last season.

“I couldn’t really jump off of one (foot),” Gordon said. “Just dragging it. Especially with the condensed schedule last year, it made it that much more difficult to recover and bounce back from games. I really felt like I was playing on 1 1/2 half feet coming down the stretch and it really just wore out on me towards the end of the season.”

Gordon filled exactly the role the Nuggets had envisioned he would after Denver acquired the forward from Orlando at last year’s trade deadline. He averaged 10.2 points on 50% shooting from the field (but only 26.6% from three), 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists last season across 25 games with the Nuggets. Gordon was also great defensively and Denver remains extremely bullish on his defense entering this year.

I’m expecting to see a different gear from Gordon to open this season. Don’t be surprised if he looks more like the athlete he was early on in his career in Orlando, and not the guy we saw for 25 games and two playoff rounds, to open this season. Gordon’s healthy, doesn’t have the stress of a contract year hanging over his head, and more comfortable with his teammates since he has a full training camp with the Nuggets entering this year.

There are lots of positive vibes around Gordon right now.

Michael Porter Jr.’s time is now

Porter was beaming Tuesday while discussing the five-year max contract he and the Nuggets officially agreed to Monday afternoon. He reminisced how three years ago he hobbled around the San Diego State practice facility where the Nuggets held training camp prior to the 2019-20 season with a limp and unable to play. Now, he’s a max player and leader on one of the top West contenders.

We all know Porter can score, and he’s going to get buckets by the bunches early on this season especially while Murray is sidelined. But with a big-money contract also comes a leadership component that Porter is embracing.

“I think for one it’s being more vocal,” Porter said while discussing the increased responsibility he feels after becoming a max player. “I try to lead by example and be the hardest worker, but now it’s time to step up and be more of a vocal leader with the guys if something’s not right. Be more vocal on the court and off the court.”

“I’m going to be here for the long haul, so I might as well get to really know my teammates even more, talk on the court, be a leader, make sure nobody’s slacking. Because now a lot of the wining, it’s not all up to me, but I have bigger responsibility. I’ve got to embrace that. That’s what I’ve been my whole life. I’ve always been a leader on every team growing up, so this is nothing new to me.”

Porter seemed like he was in a great headspace Tuesday, and who wouldn’t be in good spirits after inking a deal that could pay upwards of $200 million over the next five seasons. But Porter definitely seems ready and willing to grow as a leader of this team too. There’s a clear opening for him to do just that while Murray’s sidelined and Jokic isn’t at training camp.

It’s going to be an exciting storyline to watch.