AUBURN HILLS, MICH — Nuggets forward Nene is with the team in the Detroit area, and he attended morning shootaround, where he talked about how far he has come — and how much farther he has to go.
Wearing Nuggets practice gear, following a minor cardio workout, Nene said it felt good just “to be involved again, to be around,” following the removal of a testicular tumor, and the ensuing chemotherapy.
Coach George Karl is optimistic the power forward can return to the lineup this season. Karl said Nene could return to practice on the court in “a week or two” though Nene was more cautiously optimistic.
“It’s hard to say. We’re just going day-by-day and progressing,” said Nene, who currently weighs 260 pounds. “It’s hard to say if it will be two weeks. We’ll go day-by-day and see what I can do. I can’t say about the future. But today I did cardio. Don’t know what I’ll do tomorrow. Step-by-step.”
The Brazilian Nene made his first plane trip since the chemotherapy to Detroit, and he said he felt nauseous during the plane ride. As for the effects of the chemotherapy, Nene said: “One week and a half and it will be out of my system. I’m tired. When I run, your stomach has a burning sensation.”
The Nuggets play the Pistons tonight at 5:30 p.m., their first of five consecutive road games.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
