Nuggets shooting guard Gary Harris has missed five straight games since suffering a concussion on Nov. 27. (Photo by Brent Lewis/The Denver Post)
Amid a host of players who did not practice for the Nuggets on Wednesday was the welcome sight of one who did.
Shooting guard Gary Harris.
Harris went through his first full contact practice since suffering a concussion against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 27. He’s missed every game since then, five in all, and the Nuggets have missed him. He was one of the Nuggets more reliable shooters and is arguably the team’s best defender.
“It was good,” said Harris of the practice. “It was good to finally to get back out there.”
Harris, who was cleared by doctors prior to going through his first full practice, is expected to play on Friday against Minnesota.
“If everything goes like it’s going right now, that’s the plan, to get out there on Friday,” he said.
He’s started all 16 games in which he’s played, averaging 9.8 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from the 3-point line. Harris says there is some rust, but the two days before the next game should help work out the kinks.
“I kind of wanted to be back against Orlando (on Tuesday),” he said. “But being able to sit out another game and get these two practices under my belt is really going to help me out.”
Meanwhile, the Nuggets were put through a stripped-down practice on Wednesday that focused on fundamentals and then included some 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 scrimmaging in its latter stages. Danilo Gallinari did not practice in order to rest a deep bone bruise on his left knee.
Jameer Nelson did not practice and neither did Kenneth Faried, both to rest beat-up bodies. Darrell Arthur left Tuesday night’s game in the second quarter with a sore right knee and did not practice, either. Joffrey Lauvergne has been battling a stomach illness.
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com
