The biggest question for Tuesday is Murray. CBS reported that the personal matter isn't expected to affect his regular-season opener and that the trip to Utah is his next chance to play. If he suits up, the Jazz see something closer to Denver's real backcourt. If he doesn't, Tuesday probably looks a lot like Sunday.
Utah's injury report from the opener is worth a second look. Josh Green (knee), Brice Sensabaugh (left hip) and Kyle Filipowski (lower back) all missed Sunday, which shortened Hardy's bench on the wings and in the frontcourt. Ace Bailey picked up some of those minutes. He came into camp 10-12 pounds heavier and gave Utah 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 stocks on 50 percent shooting in 20 minutes. Every one of those injuries is listed day-to-day, so the Jazz rotation in Salt Lake could change before tipoff.
For Utah, the real story is the young guards. Peterson is starting next to George, and the preseason is where Hardy finds out whether that pairing can hold up against a playoff team's starters. Denver gave them a soft test on Sunday, with Jokic barely looking at the rim. If Murray plays and Jokic decides to score, the Jazz get a much tougher one.
Tipoff at the Delta Center is 7:00 PM MT on Tuesday, October 6. There's nothing on the line and nobody will remember the score in November, but watch who closes the game for each team and how many minutes the stars get.