JaVale McGee will enter the Nuggets’ season opener as their second highest-paid player. But he will not be one of the five starters on the court when Denver plays the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Kosta Koufos, whose salary is $3 million this season, is expected to start at center ahead of McGee, whose paychecks will total $10 million in 2012-13. Is there something wrong with this picture?

Denver coach George Karl is the first to acknowledge McGee’s ability. After practice Sunday, Karl said McGee is the team’s most talented center, period. But he also said a couple of things that can safely be classified as a lukewarm endorsement of McGee’s preseason performance.

“I’m not happy, and I’m not disappointed,” Karl said. “With my big guys in training camp, I’ve been waiting for separation — you know, who’s going to take the responsibility. The guy, in my opinion, who has separated is Kosta. JaVale is our most talented big and Kosta is our most fundamental big.”

via Adrian Dater of The Denver Post