Nuggets coach Brian Shaw had hoped to get at least a couple of his players coming off major injuries into Friday’s exhibition game at Phoenix, but it’s not a certainity. The availability of Danilo Gallinari, Nate Robinson and J.J. Hickson will be determined by how the players feel Friday morning.
“They are all champing at the bit to get out there and get some game action,” Shaw said. “There may be a possibility that a couple of them may be able to get some limited minutes on Friday, and if not Friday then possibly (Monday at Chicago).”
JaVale McGee is not among those under consideration for playing time. He continues to make slow and steady progress from a stress fracture in his left tibia but has not participated in 5-on-5 drills and he’s not ready for game action.
Robinson said he hadn’t heard whether he was going to play at Phoenix, but “I just can’t wait to play.” If he doesn’t play Friday he’ll push to be included on Monday.
Gallinari has been under the impression that he will get some sort of court time against the Suns, which would be his first NBA game of any kind since tearing his ACL on April 4, 2013.
“I’m going to be playing against Phoenix,” Gallinari said. “I’m ready. We are ready to go, but it’s good that the trainers and (Nuggets strength coach Steve Hess) are pretty conservative, because we want to do everything right now.”
Whenever the guys returning from injury play, they will be put on a strict limit of minutes, Shaw said. There’s no reason to push them hard with three weeks remaining before the regular season.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Faried left Pepsi Center late Wednesday night limping after a twisting an ankle during an exhibition victory against Oklahoma City. X-rays came back negative and he’s listed day-to-day, but Shaw said he might hold Faried out of the Suns game.
Although the injury isn’t the sole reason why he’d hold Faried out.
“I’m considering just keeping him out so that I can continue to look at some of those other guys at that position,” Shaw said. “Just kind of continue to play with things just to see what I’ll be able to do when I have all of those weapons at my disposal.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
