Jameer Nelson: Paces bench with 13 points in 22 minutes

Nelson continues to bring a nice scoring punch off the bench for the Nuggets, who may be without Will Barton (ankle) for at least a game or two and are still awaiting the return of Gary Harris (groin). Coach Michael Malone has shown a willingness to play Nelson alongside Emmanuel Mudiay in the past since the sophomore has the size to cover opposing shooting guards. It’s unclear who would draw the start if Barton misses time and Harris is not yet ready to suit up on Thursday versus the Timberwolves. Wilson Chandler is more a forward than a guard, but he and Nelson both saw a slight increase in minutes after Barton went down on Monday. Through the first three games of the season, Nelson is averaging 9.3 points (on 50 percent shooting), 2.0 assists, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 19 minutes per night.