The pre-preseason is underway. Normally, this dispatch would come to you from sunny La Jolla, San Diego. But the Nuggets now hold their camp in Boulder, where the Buffs roam.

This makes far more sense, but it also cuts into my opportunities to go oceanside on someone else’s dime. I digress.

There are a lot of new faces on the depth chart, even if the roster looks similar at the top, and the fellas spent the day scrimmaging in their first official workout together.

We heard from the engine, Nikola Jokić, the newcomer, DeMar DeRozan, and Mr. Nugget himself, Aaron Gordon, before Head Coach David Adelman expounded on the points of emphasis and ultimate goals at camp.

Here are five quick takeaways from day one at Boulder.

Energy great, execution sloppy

One by one, the interviewees expressed the same sentiment: the energy was great on the first day, as one would think. And the execution was lacking, which is typical for the first day.

“It was full of energy, like every time,” Jokić explained. “A little bit of mistakes, but that’s, I think that’s normal. Everybody’s playing with a lot of energy. Everybody’s playing maybe a little bit too fast. So I think as expected — the first day was as expected.”

David Adelman took a similar angle in making a different point. The energy should be great on the first day. Guys are fresh, healthy, and eager. The real challenge comes later.

“Day ones are always a little bit of false energy because guys are so jacked up,” Adelman said. “And you know they’re going to go. We’ll see how they are day 4.”

15 is watching

Jokić started camp with an eye on the new guys. It’s too early to discuss specific standouts, he said, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t taking notes.

“To be honest, (I watch) a lot, and I think they don’t even know,” Jokić said. “But I really, even when they shoot with the coaches, even when they lift, I really pay attention to what they’re doing, how they’re reacting, how they’re talking to the coaches, players, trainers, so I think everything, everything. I think those are things kind of tell you about him too.”

Who stood out?

Aaron Gordon said Cam Whitmore. And David Adelman said Aaron Gordon, before adding a nod to Whitmore.

Let’s start with the newcomer.

“Cam’s a very good player,” Gordon said. “He’s big, strong, talented. Yeah, he’s going to be a good addition. I hope that he sticks.”

In a less-organized practice with an emphasis on physicality, it’s unsurprising that Whitmore stood out. This guy’s got tools, and by the sound of it, he was setting the tone with his willingness to get into guys.

“He could play for the Broncos,” Adelman added. “I swear to God.”

But there’s a reason why Whitmore is still looking for a home in the NBA, beyond his injury concerns. Adelman also had some constructive criticism for the youngster:

“The thing about Cam is he’s got to simplify himself. He’s got to drive the ball to the basket. He’s got to pick up defensively. His athletic profile is incredible. This is the reason why this guy was picked high. There’s a long way to go, and it’s tough to break a rotation.”

As for Gordon, Adelman sounded like he could have waxed on forever.

“He just got up and down so well,” Adelman said, before extolling a player who has become essential. “He was fluid, caught a lob, which was good to see, I really mean that, brought the ball up, orchestrated the offense, you know, just high-level communication defensively, which is obviously a big thing for us when he’s on the floor. The guy sees things very early, which is a gift, so it’s, it’s good to see him out there.

Dave Joerger Offensive Coordinator

Let’s play a little word association. I say Dave Joerger, and you say —

Defense? Grit N Grind?

But when we finally asked the head coach about his new top assistant, he went right to the other side of the floor.

“He’ll help me with the offense,” Adelman said. “Dave’s a head coach. I know our offense has been really good for a long time. It’s nice to have somebody with fresh ideas. You know, I thought the stuff he ran in Memphis is really impressive. He interviewed me a long time ago to work for him in Sacramento. That interview was one of the most fun I’ve ever had. We just talked basketball for a night and a day, so I knew at some point it would be really fun to work with him.

And not to mention my own opinion, but just other people. Dan Burke, my cousin, worked with him. Doc Rivers spoke highly of him. So you have to know who these people are before you let them in, and I trust Dave. He’s got a great basketball mind. He’ll help our staff.”

The Drill Sergeant

As Adelman has said in his own words, he eschews the rah-rah nature of coaching. Sometimes, that leads to a refusal to bury or a disinclination to rally his players through the media. That invites questions about his willingness to hold players accountable.

But the players insist otherwise, saying he’s much harsher behind closed doors.

If that’s simply a company line, it’s already reached DeMar DeRozan, who added more evidence to the folder suggesting there’s more than meets the eye.

“He’s a little bit more intense than I expected,” DeRozan said approvingly. “You know, obviously playing against him last year, he always seemed like a cool, quiet coach on the sideline, you know. He was really intense getting out there today. So, you know, that was a cool thing.”