Nuggets shooting guard Gary Harris available Saturday night against Pistons

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Gary Harris, who has been out since Denver’s first preseason game with a partially torn right groin, is available to play tonight against the Detroit Pistons, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.

Surprise, surprise: #Nuggets G Gary Harris is AVAILABLE to play tonight vs. Detroit. Went through shootaround and had a session yesterday

— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) November 5, 2016

Harris has worked hard this offseason and considering the lack of practice time until preparation begins for the matchup with the Golden State Warriors on November 10, it seems that getting him back on the court to help finish out the road trip is the smart play by head coach Michael Malone. Harris and Malone have both said that they have wanted Harris to get through an entire practice, which has yet to come to fruition, but Harris must have shown he was ready at shootaround Saturday morning.

More on Gary: He'll play limited minutes, 15-20, and they will build from there in future games. He's been pushing to play and feels good.

— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) November 5, 2016

The Nuggets plan on bringing Harris back slowly. He has only participated in 10 minutes of live game minutes, against Toronto in the first preseason game of the year and will need time to shake off the rust.

It's not likely that Harris will start, but a final decision on that is to come prior to the game. Harris has been out since Oct. 3 #Nuggets

— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) November 5, 2016

Harris returning to the backcourt rotation is desperately needed with the recent ankle sprain that Will Barton has been dealing with. The Nuggets are starved for additional spacing and another playmaker on the floor to share time with Emmanuel Mudiay.

FOOTNOTES

Jamal Murray, the presumed starter against the Pistons, has played well but has still yet to hit a shot in 16 attempts over four games. What he has done is show how he can contribute in other facets. Murray has nine assists to three turnovers, which just happens to be the best ratio on the team. He also has the second highest net rating with players who have logged over 15 minutes with a solid +5.4 points better with him on the court. His rebounding has also been a welcome sight being that he’s snagged 10 rebounds in an inconsistent 66 minutes of on-court action.

Malone was singing his praises, even with his rough shooting slump to begin his career, per Dempsey.