Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said Monday he doesn't expect Nene to play in Thursday's first game against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets because of a right hamstring strain. Nene doesn't anticipate being in uniform up until midway through the preseason.

"Hamstrings heal slowly," Nene said. "I don't want to happen this year what happened last year."

Nene, who has been limited in practice since late last week, was bothered in training camp last year by a strained left hamstring. He missed eight of the first nine regular-season games.

"I came back too soon," Nene said of last year, when he believes he should have sat out more than four preseason games. "I now know hamstrings are complicated. I've got to be careful."