The wait to see the Nuggets’ defensive changes might require a couple more weeks.

Throughout the preseason, Denver’s players and coaches have spoken about a more aggressive and physical approach coordinated by first-year assistant Jared Dudley. Last season, the Thunder won a championship behind the league’s best defensive rating, 107.5, while NBA Finals qualifier Indiana had a 114.3 rating that also ranked in the top half of the league.

Denver’s 116 rating ranked 22nd.

Ryan Saunders coordinated Denver’s defense last season. He’s now the lead assistant in Memphis.

“Nobody wants to hear Ryan Saunders’ voice anymore. I’m joking,” Nikola Jokic said to a question about the difference before getting serious about what Dudley is bringing to Denver following Friday’s practice at Ball Arena.

“It’s just somebody who played 14 years in the NBA, seen everything. He’s been coaching the last five years, so 20 years in the NBA and seeing everything – different players, different coaches, different systems – I think when he’s speaking, everybody listens. It’s a good addition to our team.”

While a lot of talk has revolved around higher pick-up points with guys like Christian Braun, Bruce Brown and Jalen Pickett mentioning the possibility of guarding their man the length of the court, there are also changes closer to the Nuggets’ basket. Jokic spent a lot of time playing at the level of the screen in recent years. That’s another one of the changes, which makes putting a timeline to debut the overhauled defense a tough task.

“I have no idea. I’m hoping we get comfortable with it sooner than later. We saw a lot of good things today. There’s going to be mistakes in this when we’re not all the way up like we’ve been, where the rotations are kind of starting from the get-go of every play, which we were really good at for a long time. There’s a reason why we did it,” Adelman said of the old strategy.

“We just think this group has the capability of doing some different things, giving some different looks, which gives us more flexibility on the defensive end in both man and zone. Some of these concepts and principles actually bleed into both things. … The guys are bought into it, and that’s all that really matters.”

Jokic is on board with the tweak.

“It’s something new, so we are trying to adjust,” Jokic said. “I think we see that it is going to be really good and help us a lot.”

The Nuggets used more zone defense in last year’s playoffs, and that will remain a part of the strategy. Fans just might have to wait to see it until the regular season starts at Golden State on Oct. 23.

“We’ll continue to work on it,” Adelman said.

“I don’t know if we’ll throw it out there in the preseason, but it’s something that we have to continue to improve on, because I feel like in the past, a lot of times you’re trying to get so many things done on the checklist that you kind of tell yourself, ‘We’re going to get to that eventually.’ I think if we’re actually going to do it successfully, we have to work on it daily or every other day.”

Dress rehearsal TBD

There are three remaining opportunities for the Nuggets to treat a preseason game like the real deal.

When they do that remains uncertain.

“We talked a lot about it. That will be a conversation between me and (vice president of sports medicine) Steve Short and the players, where they’re at with their bodies,” Adelman said.

“We also know we have to rest these guys at some point.”

Denver’s starters only played the first half of the preseason opener in San Diego. They played into the third quarter in the second game in Vancouver, though Aaron Gordon was held out for precautionary reasons. Gordon was the last player getting up shots on the practice court after Friday’s practice.

“Yeah, I mean, he looks all right. He was really good today, too,” Adelman said.

“Aaron, Jamal (Murray), guys that have had those minor, lingering injuries, we have to get ahead of that. It just felt like the right time for him to take a two-day break. Now, he’s back at it.”

Denver’s preseason continues Sunday against the Clippers in Los Angeles. Then, it’s back to Denver for Tuesday’s exhibition against the Bulls at Ball Arena before the preseason concludes Oct. 17 in Oklahoma City.

“We’ll look at the three games, the travel schedule,” Adelman said. “We’ll do what’s best for them not just physically but mentally, but I have not decided yet as far as how far we push these guys the last three games.”

Turnover talk

The Nuggets haven’t shown their ramped-up defense, but they’ve seen it from other teams. Both the Timberwolves and Raptors hounded Denver’s guards for stretches in the preseason, and it impacted the Nuggets to the tune of 15 turnovers in the opener and a staggering 31 turnovers against Toronto. That’s the kind of defense Denver hopes to play this season.

“Really just being more physical, picking up full, turning guys – just like Toronto and Minnesota was doing with us,” Brown said. “Basically, just being more physical and using our hands.”

Brown lamented some of the dancing he did with the ball, while other miscues were chalked up to establishing chemistry in a second unit that features three new faces.

“It is really growing pains, and, obviously, it was the pressure. We haven’t seen that all summer,” Brown said.

“I think time will tell that turnovers won’t be a problem for us.”

Denver forced 11 and 12 turnovers in the first two games, respectively.