Denver Nuggets at LA Clippers

A left knee injury will send Julian Strawther for an MRI on Oct. 15. Nuggets coach David Adelman had no further information after Denver's preseason game on Oct. 14: "Hoping for the best, to be honest."

Rebounding was the first thing Clippers coaches raised with Rui Hachimura when he arrived, and Tyronn Lue wants 7 or 8 a game from him. After the preseason win over Denver, Hachimura admitted he doesn't always crash the rim when he could: "sometimes I just get lazy."

Keaton Wagler has been fearless from three, and Rui Hachimura wants the Clippers rookie to "keep being aggressive and to be who he is." Those threes, Hachimura said after the preseason win over Denver, open space for Darius Garland to get to the paint.

Alongside Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler says he's "more of a second action guy": catch and shoot, set screens, cut. He looks for his own shot when Garland sits. It's new to the Clippers rookie: "at Illinois I didn't really have to do it as much. It was kind of all for me."

Yuki Kawamura faces a Clippers roster call and maybe a stint with the San Diego affiliate, but Tyronn Lue said it's "not over" and he'd love to have him: "I don't think he gets a fair shake a lot because of his height and his size, but he's a damn good basketball player."

Denver's starters sat out the Oct. 13 practice scrimmage. Whether they play Oct. 14 depends on their bodies, David Adelman said: "If they feel good, we'll play them the minutes." Banged-up players sit, and he's lightening practice so starters can play in preseason games.

"I do not want to play a starter with the second unit if I don't have to, to start the season." Sorting out the bench is the priority, Nuggets coach David Adelman said. A nine-man rotation would push one starter to 35-36 minutes; he'd rather not, but will to win.

Spencer Jones has done no contact work and must get through 1-on-1, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 before he's cleared, Nuggets coach David Adelman said: "It looks like he's heading that way." Marvin Bagley III's absence means Denver has seen him with DeMar DeRozan only in scrimmages.

Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. playing together? "A lot," Tyronn Lue said at Clippers practice, even if one starts and one comes off the bench. Lue wants Dunn to run the team, get in the paint and take open shots: "He's really improved his 3-point shooting."

Max Strus, sidelined at Clippers practice, is "feeling a little better," Tyronn Lue said, "But we got to make sure we take our time." Brandon Ingram is doing more on the floor, but "it's going to be a while." Bradley Beal's knee rehab is "going pretty good," but no timetable.