NBA basketball is finally back (sort of), and Paul Millsap and Kyle Kuzma balled out in their respective preseason openers. 

Paul Millsap - 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists

Saturday night was Paul Millsap’s first game with the Denver Nuggets, who signed him to a two-year deal earlier this summer. He looked beyond comfortable. Shots were falling from all over, including from three where Millsap has worked to improve. Denver walked away with the 108-102 victory, and the Nuggets shot the Warriors out of the gym. Millsap went 7-of-11 overall and 4-of-6 from three.

Emmanuel Mudiay - 19 points, four assists, two rebounds

Emmanuel Mudiay’s spent two seasons in the NBA and just hasn’t put it together. On Saturday, however, he looked different. Mudiay looked as poised as ever, and all the qualms about his game didn’t exist. He was aggressive, made correct decisions (for the most part) and even had his outside jumper falling (3-of-4 from three). Should Mudiay continue to play like this, Denver’s guard rotation gets much deeper.

Kyle Kuzma - 19 points, five rebounds

If I told you that a Lakers rookie not named Lonzo Ball was their best player, would you believe me? Because that’s what happened with Kyle Kuzma. The 19 points were a team-high, and he impressed with his ability to score from any level. Kuzma took the Wolves off the dribble multiple times and wasn’t reluctant to expand his range. The most impressive highlight was a running left-handed hook over Karl-Anthony Towns, and my eyes lit up after seeing that.

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