The Nuggets play games at mile high altitude. Last season they held training camp at an even higher altitude, in Colorado Springs. But this year, they’ve dropped down about 4,000 feet from Denver in holding the first week of training camp in Omaha, Neb.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone is not worried, however, that training at a lower altitude than they play at will have a negative impact on the team’s conditioning.

“I go back to last year when we were in Colorado Springs, which is even a higher altitude than where we are. It really kicked some of our guys butts,” Malone said. “We had guys dropping like flies. So in a weird way, yes we play at altitude but this is going to allow us to have guys get through training camp, not battle the demands of fatigue that altitude presents.

“And everybody thinks training camp is just this week in Omaha. Training camp is the month of October up until opening night on Oct. 26. So we’ll have plenty of time to get back in Denver, get used to the altitude and condition at altitude to get in shape. But this allows us to get a great base heading into all of that.”

Solid first day. The Nuggets held two practices on Monday, the first of three two-a-days this week.

“I loved it,” Malone said of the first practice. “We made it a point of emphasis to really practice how you play. So we went around 90-95 minutes after (stretching), but intense. The guys really competed. I thought they brought it. You can tell guys are coming into camp in shape, which I think is a sign of good things to come. But I just loved the energy in the gym.”