Denver Nuggets preseason practice takeaways: Dec. 14, 2020

Despite the result, the Nuggets showed some encouraging signs in their 107-105 preseason-opening loss to the Warriors in the Bay Area. Facundo Campazzo was as good as advertised, putting on a gutsy second-half performance while Zeke Nnaji displayed poise that belies his age. There are still areas for improvement, which Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was quick to point out in his Monday presser.

Here are the takeaways from Monday’s media availability, which featured Malone, Nnaji, and Jamal Murray

Malone wants Jamal Murray to take a step forward defensively

Malone was as direct as he could be in laying out his expectations for his lead guard Monday. Murray will need to guard his positional…