SACRAMENTO — D.J. Augustin had a heck of a first day with the Nuggets. His plane Friday arrived in Sacramento after shootaround ended. The airline lost his luggage. The point guard had to cram for his first action with the Nuggets, the team he was traded to the day before.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone says if any player is up to the task, it’s Augustin. Even if there are just 28 games to learn it all.
Malone said film work will be key.
“With 28 games to go, and within that, how many practices will we have?” Malone said. “So it will be probably a lot more 1-on-1 film sessions with him. But what I do like about D.J. is he’s been around the NBA long enough where I think he has a (good) IQ and will pick things up fairly quickly. He’s not a young kid coming in that hasn’t been a part of different staffs and offenses and defenses.”
Augustin played 61 games in Chicago during the 2013-14 season, a team that included current Nuggets assistant Ed Pinckney. Malone said some of what Augustin has to learn should be a bit easier because of the similarities betweeen the system that Denver runs now and what the Bulls ran then.
“We do a lot of the same things that he did in Chicago with (coach) Tom Thibedeau,” Malone said. “So hopefully that will enable him to pick things up that much quicker as well.”
Gallo praise. Former Nuggets coach George Karl has always liked Danilo Gallinari. He has been open in saying that had Gallinari not gotten injured near the end of the 57-win 2012-13 season, the Nuggets would have advanced past the first round of those playoffs.
He was asked how much today’s Gallinari, who leads the Nuggets in scoring, resembles the Gallinari on that earlier Denver team.
“Close, maybe better,” Karl said. “At times, I’ve seen him better. People don’t give him enough credit for his defense, enough credit for his passing. He’s a pretty complete basketball player. He’s learned how to play both three and four at a very efficient way both ways. “
