BOULDER — Denver’s three-way point guard competition continued Wednesday without Jameer Nelson, who’s been sidelined since injuring his toe Tuesday morning.
Nelson, who started 40 games at point guard for the Nuggets last season and played a large part in guiding Denver into playoff contention, wasn’t able to practice Wednesday but Emmanuel Mudiay and Jamal Murray, who have both been full participants through two days of training camp, continued to make their imprint on head coach Michael Malone and his staff.
After beginning last season as the Nuggets’ starting point guard, injuries and poor play forced Mudiay to the bench and out of the rotation. But after a productive summer, the 21-year-old has been one of Denver’s most impressive players through three training camp practices.
“I thought Emmanuel had a terrific practice today,” Malone said. “His energy, his talk. He was really really good today and I thought he was one of the few guys last night that played with great energy as well.”
The Nuggets will scrimmage for the entirety of Wednesday night’s session, giving both Mudiay and Murray the chance to show what they can do in a game-like setting. Wednesday morning, the team did a lot of stationary drills.
“I love the energy and pace which he’s playing with right now,” Malone said of Mudiay. “And I love how vocal he’s being.”
Malone has thought about how he’ll use each of his three point guards when Denver opens their preseason schedule Saturday in Golden State but hasn’t made a call on who will start against the Warriors or how he’ll deploy his point guards game-by-game. However, all three will get ample playing time across Denver’s five-game preseason slate.
Murray, who had double hernia surgery in April, feels quicker and more explosive than he did last season. The 19-year-old averaged 9.9 points during his rookie year and was the only Nuggets player to play in all 82 games. You would have never known he was injured from watching him play last season.
“The injuries he had early in the games, I think he had a hard time getting loose and those injuries probably prohibited him from being really effective laterally, that lateral quickness, the ability to guard,” Malone said of Murray. “He had some amazing plays for a guy that had the injuries that he had. Some of the dunks, some of the finishes he had.”
If Nelson is unable to play Saturday against Golden State, expect Murray to draw the start at point guard.
Footnotes
Juancho Hernangomez (rest) was held out of practice Wednesday along with Darrell Arthur (illness). Kenneth Faried (illness) also missed Denver’s morning practice.
