EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — When Nuggets guard J.R. Smith returns from suspension on Nov. 10, he will not immediately start, Nuggets coach George Karl said Wednesday.
“Right now, I’m not a big believer that starting him is as important as some people are writing,” Karl said.
Smith, who served the fifth of a seven-game suspension on Wednesday at New Jersey, has traveled with the team on the current six-game road trip. On days with shootarounds he’s taken extra practice doing everything from shooting to playing one-on-one with Nuggets coaches.
“There’s a rustiness that comes with not playing in NBA games that he’s going to have to fight through,” Karl said. “We have not had a lot of practices, either. He’s been playing one-on-one with my assistants and shooting 500 shots a day and running to try and stay in shape. That’s different than being jumped on a double team or being physically guarded by Bruce Bowen or something like that.”
