Larry Brown may not have many sympathizers around Detroit these days as he coaches the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals while trying, and mostly failing, to deflect talk of his possible departure to Cleveland’s front office. But Brown usually can count on Nuggets coach and fellow North Carolina alum George Karl.
During Denver’s draft workout Tuesday, Karl reiterated his support for Brown and pointed to ESPN, his former employer, for the media circus surrounding his friend.
“I find it kind of tough that all this stuff is being thrown in the public ear,” Karl said of reports that Brown will become the Cavaliers’ president at season’s end. “The scrutiny, the sarcasm and the judgments of him, it’s probably going to be hard on him, and I feel bad about that because I think he does a great job. … He’s where he likes to be from a competitive standpoint.
“He may not be where he wants to be professionally, negotiating deals in the media, but how much of it’s true and how much isn’t true we don’t know.”
Scouting from strength
The Nuggets brought in three big men who could fall to their neighborhood during the draft, according to nbadraft.net – Kansas’ Wayne Simien, Arizona State’s Ike Diogu and Gonzaga’s Ronny Turiaf. But despite two first-round picks, at No. 20 and 22, the Nuggets are already loaded at those positions with Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, Nene, Eduardo Najera and Francisco Elson.
Karl called the forwards “very impressive,” but admitted, “We have five big guys on our roster right now that could play 20 minutes a game for about 20 NBA teams. That’s a tremendous luxury to have.”
That certainly won’t lock the Nuggets into any early decisions. General manager Kiki Vandeweghe said if a power forward looks good enough, he won’t let him slip away.
“You try to get the best available player,” he said. “What you’re trying to do with players that are so young is you’re trying to project out three to five years what they’re going to be.”
For his part, Simien said he would not have visited Denver if he and his agent did not think it was worth the time.
“It’s just like every other graduating senior across the country. It’s time to find a job now. I take it as an interview,” he said of his seventh pro workout.
Denver also worked out guards Salim Stoudamire of Arizona and Aaron Miles of Kansas, as well as forwards David Lee of Florida and Dwayne Jones of Saint Joseph’s.
Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
