Evidence of the recurring nightmares that have haunted Torrey Craig for an entire summer was revealed Monday in the form of a long pause, a stare to the hardwood floor and a shake of the head.



The antagonist in these flashbacks is CJ McCollum, the Portland Trail Blazers star who ended Denver’s season in Game 7 of last spring’s Western Conference semifinals.



“It was a whole summer of wishing you could get that moment back,” said Craig, who was guarding McCollum on the defining possession. “That whole game, really, it was just tough to stomach all summer. There’s our motivation.”



As Nuggets coach Michael Malone has met with players in the build-up to Denver’s training camp, which starts Tuesday morning at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, he has floated a number for players to begin wrapping their brains around.



Gone are the days of 82-game seasons in Denver. Prepare your minds and bodies,...