The Nuggets' dress rehearsal didn't include Michael Porter Jr.

The walls shook the last time the Portland Trail Blazers were a Mile High.

Those walls were of course the ones separating the visitors locker room from the arena’s converted press lounge which served as the interview room during last year’s playoffs. Sitting in those rows of chairs last May waiting for Michael Malone to walk to the podium and give his final postgame press conference of the year, you felt as if you were next door with the Trail Blazers in the middle of their celebration popping figurative champagne bottles on their way to the Western Conference Finals.

So it was fitting in a way that it was those Trail Blazers — the team that ended the Nuggets’ season, celebrated on their home court, and is also Denver’s first regular season opponent — who came to town for the Nuggets’ preseason finale and what felt like a final dress rehearsal.

In the Nuggets’ 110-104 win over the Trail Blazers, Denver showed that its close but not quite ready for the grand opening.

“I feel like it’s there. We show it in spurts,” Monte Morris said of Denver’s chemistry. “But I feel like right now we’re only like 50% of how good we really can be. We messed up on a lot of calls and defensive assignment that we’ve got to clean up before the season tips off.”

The Nuggets successfully curtailed the turnover troubles that had plagued them all preseason, only giving the ball away 11 times. But defensively Denver struggled, surrendering 32 first quarter points to the B-team Blazers who were missing three starters — Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Hassan Whiteside.

“(The defense) didn’t get that much better from there,” Malone said.

There was a bit of a regular-season scent to Thursday’s matchup, and if you held onto your Nuggets’ bingo card from a year ago, you would have walked out of the arena a big winner.

Nikola Jokic sunk one of his patented slow-motion fadeaways from the elbow in the first half. Gary Harris flew into the passing lane like a free safety, intercepting an errant Gary Trent Jr. pass that turned into two points. Malik Beasley skied for an absolute tomahawk slam that put the sparse Pepsi Center crowd on its feet. Jerami Grant drained a 3 from the wing and fit in seamlessly once again. (If we’ve learned one thing this preseason it’s that Grant is going to be an absolute stud on both ends of the floor in the Nuggets’ system.)

We’ll see plenty of that come the regular season.

Next week in Portland for Denver’s regular-season opener, it certainly seems as if we could see a similar rotation to what the Nuggets played Thursday too. Malone deployed 10 players during the first quarter. Jamal Murray, Harris, Craig, Paul Millsap and Jokic started. Morris, Beasley, Will Barton, Grant and Mason Plumlee played significant minutes together in both halves as the Nuggets’ primary second unit.

It reeked of an opening night rotation.

From the Nuggets’ four preseason games, which all saw Denver come out on the right side of the scoreboard, Malone’s top-10 guys are clear. That group right now doesn’t appear to include rookie Michael Porter Jr., who sat on the bench until late in the third quarter. He’s impressed this preseason on the offensive end of the floor but has struggled at times defensively.

It’s that part of the talented rookie’s game which could keep him out of the Nuggets’ rotation at least to begin the season.

“The defensive end is the biggest area where he needs to grow and just focus on,” Malone said earlier this week. “He has all the tools. He’s got tremendous size and length. He’s proven that he can guard. … And people forget how long he is. I think he’s really understanding that the ball isn’t going to be in his hands all the time, so running the floor, moving without it and making plays for others. So he’s definitely improved since we got him. He’s improved since training camp opened.”

“If he can learn to be an effective, efficient defender, the sky’s the limit for him.”

The only decision the Nuggets look like they have to make before opening night is at small forward. That competition, which has been the focus of training camp, still appears to remain open even after the fourth and final preseason game.

“It’s all complementary, who’s going to fit best with that starting group on both ends of the floor?” Malone said. “It’s going to be a tough decision but the reality is it’s a long season and whoever is our starting small forward on opening night, it doesn’t mean he’s going to be our starting small forward at the halfway point or at the end of the year.”

Craig and Barton, who both got two starts this preseason have emerged as the top two candidates with Juancho Hernangomez finding playing time difficult to come by. Craig was solid Thursday, tallying seven points on 2 of 5 shooting and three rebounds but was part of a starting group that Malone chided for their first-quarter defense. Barton had his best game of the preseason Thursday, finishing with 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting to go with eight rebounds and four assists.

“I think the best thing (Barton) did was rebound,” Malone said. “He had (eight) rebounds tonight. (Eight) rebounds, four assists and only one turnover, looking to be aggressive.”

Barton looked the most comfortable he has all preseason. He was playing almost exclusively with the Nuggets’ second unit alongside Morris, Beasley, Grant and Plumlee. That grouping of players allowed Barton to have the ball in his hands more than when he plays with the starters and the forward made one right decision after another Thursday. It seems like he may have found a home with Denver’s second unit.

“We’re still feeling each other out, trying to learn how to play together,” Morris said playing with Barton. “I think us doing it in practice, getting a lot of reps, we can really be special to watch.”

So will Malone roll with a starting lineup of Murray, Harris, Craig, Millsap and Jokic next week in Portland?

It would be fitting.

Those five all started Game 7 against Portland last season.

On opening night in six days they’ll look for a slightly different result.