Top 5 Denver Nuggets’ Storylines To Follow During Preseason

More than almost any other team, the Nuggets had injuries that devastated their 2013-14 campaign. They will be slowly reintroducing players into their lineup over the course of the preseason, including Danilo Gallinari, Nate Robinson and J.J. Hickson. JaVale McGee seems to be the furthest behind in his recovery, but keep an eye on how many minutes these guys get and how they perform in the preseason.

Faried and the Nuggets just finalized a deal that will keep him in Denver for at least four more seasons and made sure that money will never be an issue for him again. It will be intriguing to watch not only how he responds to his outstanding FIBA World Cup performance, but how he performs without the pressure of playing with a lingering extension. Watching his tendencies in the preseason could provide a good barometer for the year.

It is pretty clear that 14 of the Nuggets' 15 roster spots are already spoken for. The final roster spot will be a brutal competition between Quincy Miller, Alonzo Gee, Jerrelle Benimon and Marcus Williams. All of them will get plenty of minutes throughout the preseason, and right now it seems like Miller and Gee are the front-runners.

By far the Nuggets' biggest weakness last season was on the defensive end of the court. Shaw has stated that shoring up the defensive effort will be a priority this season. So far, through two games, it doesn’t appear like much has changed. Keep an eye on the defensive energy and dedication by the Nuggets for the remainder of the preseason.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Brian Shaw is what his offensive system actually is. Will it be focused on half-court execution or will it emphasize the uptempo style we have become accustomed to in Denver? The Nuggets struggled with offensive output in their first game as the pace appeared too slow for their comfort, but they had a significantly better showing in their second game. What will the remainder of games have in store?