J.R. Smith Absent but Excused for Nuggets Preseason Opener

SALT LAKE CITY -- No, J.R. Smith's suspension hasn't begun yet.

Nevertheless, the Denver Nuggets guard, who will have to sit out the first seven games of the regular season due to an NBA penalty, wasn't with the Nuggets when they opened the preseason Thursday night at Utah. But Denver vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said it was nothing to be alarmed about.

"It's a personal situation,'' Warkentien said. "We knew this a few weeks ago. His absence wasn't unexpected. It was absolutely excused.''

Warkentien expects Smith to rejoin the Nuggets Friday. He expects he will play in Saturday's preseason game in Denver against Partizan, a team from Belgrade, Serbia.

Smith, who finished second last season in voting for the NBA Sixth Man Award, was suspended for the first seven games of the regular season after pleading guilty to reckless driving for a 2007 accident that killed a passenger in his car.

Nuggets coach George Karl said late last season, even before the departure of starting shooting guard Dahntay Jones, there was a good chance Smith would move into the starting lineup this season. Karl, though, has backed off that, and now there looks to be a better chance Arron Afflalo will start.

But, with Smith not in Salt Lake City on Thursday, the decision was easy for Karl, and Afflalo got the start.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.