The Denver Nuggets are still winless this preseason, and after an overseas trip to Abi Dhabi and training with the Phoenix Suns' replacements, coach Michael Malone wasn't happy. He questioned their conditioning and habits, which was echoed by some players, including Michael Porter Jr. Can Denver find equipment to improve its 1-on-1 defense and play the full 48 minutes against the Thunder? Or is this more of a “show nothing and let the reserves play” type of game because they face Oklahoma City in the season opener next week? Stay tuned – if you can find the game.

The basics

WHO: Denver Nuggets (0-3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)

When: 7:00 PM MDT

Where: The tin. Denver, CO

How to watch/listen: NBA League Pass, 92.5 FM Altitude Radio. Show up at the Ball Arena in a mascot costume and say you're here to work with Rocky. Sail on the high seas.

Rivals Blog: Thunderous intentions

Injury report: Jamal Murray – probable (knee), Aaron Gordon – probable (calf), Peyton Watson – questionable (hamstring), DaRon Holmes II – out (Achilles); Jaylin Williams – out (hamstring), Kenrich Williams – out (knee), Nikola Topic – out (ACL).

The three things

What you should pay attention to: effort

Coach Malone bemoaned Denver's defense and conditioning, and whether the starters or the backups get the bulk of the minutes, there's no doubt he's been harping on both of those things since Denver's recent loss. Will Denver come out of this with flying colors, or will they get on with their tasks and save their energy for the regular season? There are a few changes between Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, so deciding when discretion is the greater part of valor when it comes to preparing for the season is definitely a fine line. Russell Westbrook has an opinion on how well the “flipping a switch” thing works, but Denver won a title with it, so maybe they think differently.

Here's what you should remember: Rotations are in progress

The loss of Peyton Watson has affected Denver's defensive rotation. If Jamal Murray misses the night with his knee, it will impact Denver's guard rotation. The PG issue behind Russell Westbrook is still unconfirmed, so Trey Alexander and Jalen Pickett should both get chances to prove they deserve minutes. If a rotation looks bad, please remember that Malone is getting an example on video to prove WHY it is bad and what can be done about it. Denver knows its expected starters – Malone said today that Braun compliments the starters and Strawther does the same for the bench, and that the shooting guard competition is over for most minutes. Strawther will get some minutes there, but Malone has reserved those 5 for the regular season opener. Getting minutes with the reserves and filtering them in with starters to limit the minutes doesn't mean much in the fourth preseason game. Don't use your pen to solve this crossword puzzle yet.

What to bet on: I keep telling you, it's preseason, so don't bet. Okay, fine, bet the over on Strawther 3s. I expect him to get minutes and have some fun.