The Denver Nuggets lost one of their best players in Gary Harris at the beginning of the preseason, but things seem to be looking up for the 22-year-old shooting guard.
Before the team’s final preseason game Friday, coach Michael Malone gave an update on Harris’ status, and it’s better than anyone could have hoped for.
Coach Malone thinks there is a good chance that Gary Harris will play in the #Nuggets season opener Wednesday.
— Aniello Piro (@MediaByAP) October 21, 2016
“I think there is a good chance,” Malone said. “There’s no promises. Obviously, a lot of things need to happen in the next four or five days. All I can say is his rehab is going extremely well; he is ahead of schedule … Our training staff and medical staff feel good about where he is at.”
Harris blossomed in his sophomore year, averaging 12.3 points per game, and is expected to take big strides during his third season in the league.
The third-year player out of Michigan State played in and started 76 games in 2015-16, averaging 32.1 minutes per game to go with 12.3 points for Malone’s Nuggets. Harris played just 10 minutes in Denver’s preseason opener before going down with the injury that has held him out of the remainder of the exhibition portion of the schedule.
Denver wraps up preseason play Friday night against Dallas ahead of the regular season opener on Wednesday in New Orleans. The Pelicans won just one game in the preseason, their opener against the Mavericks at home.
