National Basketball Association

Denver Nuggets vs. Toronto Raptors: Pre-Season Opener Preview

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Feb 1, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) guards Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets kickoff their 2016-17 season with a pre-season opener in Calgary (Canada) against the Toronto Raptors.

The Nuggets being their pre-season schedule tonight. Fans will get to see where they are at, measured against a Toronto team that is coming off a win against the Golden State Warriors.

Tonight will be the second pre-season game for the Raptors, who played very competitively in their opener. Their starters finished with about 20 minutes each, and played mostly in the first half. Meanwhile, the second half seemed more dedicated towards giving regularly low-minute players their chance to play.

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This is a pretty regular trend for pre-season games. Most likely, the Nuggets will follow a similar plan. That being said, there will be plenty left to chance, and plenty to be excited about.

Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

To start, all eyes should be in Gary Harris.

The Nuggets seem keen on upping Harris’ offensive production, and this pre-season opener will be their first chance to make it happen. He’ll have a tough match-up in Demar DeRozan throughout the first half. Harris may not play much in the 3rd and 4th quarters, but watch for the Nuggets to give Harris plenty of looks early in the game.

Kenneth Faried may also be in for a big night.

He is not likely to see any extended amount of minutes, but talk of Denver’s starting PF spot being undecided may have lit a fire within the Manimal. Watch for Faried to play very aggressively in his limited court-time.

Play the Rookies

The Nuggets have three promising rookies who will get their most legitimate NBA action yet. Watching these rookies play in different rotations will be a key focus for the Nuggets’ entire pre-season schedule. This starts with Jamal Murray.

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Specifically, giving Murray playing time in a variety of sets from both the PG and SG positions will be a crucial. Actively prepping any 1st round draft pick for the regular season is a necessity. Watch for Jamal Murray to log the most minutes on the team and see a wide variety of sets.

It will also be exciting to see rookies Beasley and Hernangomez get some time in, though they aren’t as likely to log serious minutes as Murray. On a side note, Murray should receive an extra warm welcome as he is introduced in his homeland of Canada.

Chandler is back!

Tonight will mark the semi-official return of Wilson Chandler. Though his minutes will probably be monitored, as a precautionary measure, Chandler’s return alone is exciting, and worth watching out for. He may get some time in at SF and PF, as his post-injury versatility is lightly tested out.

Finally, the man of the hour may just wind up being Jusuf Nurkic.

Jan 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) shoots the ball prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Bosnian Beast is coming into this season more motivated than ever, with an enormous chip on his shoulder. He has been using the phrase “Prove Them Wrong” on social media websites all throughout the off-season. Nuggets fans should be excited to see if he can start off the season hot. Watch for Jusuf Nurkic to come out more aggressive than ever.

Fans should also get to see some Jokic + Nurkic front-court time. Both centers are likely to see around 20 minutes each, and hopefully some will spent on the court together. This exciting front-court duo has rarely been used and proposes a lot of potential.

We’ll see how all of this pans out tonight against the Raptors, in Calgary!

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