Sacramento, Calif. – Considering the millions the Nuggets pay their starting big men, a $695,000 insurance policy is one of the NBA’s best bargains. That’s what the Nuggets pay Francisco Elson for a role he fills so well teammate Marcus Camby calls him “Geico.”
That’s still a huge sum in the “real” world, but in the bizarro world of the NBA, where Adonal Foyle can sign a six-year, $52 million contract, Elson is a downright bargain.
Elson, a 7-foot Dutchman, remains bashful enough to think he might not earn the $5 million mid-level exception next summer when he becomes a free agent, though with contracts such as Foyle’s, it’s possible. After firing agent Dejan Vidicki, Elson will have a new representative working the phones.
“We would like to have him here longer than that, but for a guy with his ability and his size and quickness, he could definitely get some money on the free-agent market,” Camby said.
In the meantime, Elson says he’s ready for another season in which the minutes come in irregular waves.
“I’ve been waiting all my life, so why not?” he said. “This is going to be the start of my third year in the league. I’m in no hurry of getting anywhere. I’ve been patient. I’ve always been patient. Sometimes people go crazy. They whine a lot. Sometimes you have to relax and think about the good stuff that happened.”
Denver went 9-2 with Elson starting last season, but after that spurt he went another 12 games as a healthy scratch.
He dealt with an inflamed right plantar fascia much of last season. After having it treated all summer, he said his foot felt great but the amount of running during preseason practices has brought back some of the pain.
“I’ve just got to keep treating it, man, keep wearing the boot and try to keep it healthy. In case my name does get called up, you don’t want to be hurt playing,” he said.
Nuggets coach George Karl, who has said Elson could have started on his Milwaukee teams, feels for him. Karl understands more playing time could increase Elson’s value, but Camby, Kenyon Martin and Nene are ahead of him. The coach hopes the reserve center values playing on a winner.
“Some assistant coaches want to be head coaches and they become miserable,” Karl said. “They lose their enthusiasm for the game. Francisco probably on a lesser team would play more but might be less happy.”
Footnotes
Camby called the plantar fasciitis in his left foot “pretty sore” and said he likely would miss the final four games of this exhibition road trip and instead try to return to the court before the opener Nov. 1. Karl guessed Nene (right hamstring) and Greg Buckner (groin) would miss the next three games.
Point guard Andre Miller returned to Denver on Monday for personal reasons that were not health related. He should play tonight against Sacramento. …
General manager Kiki Vandeweghe said Monday the Nuggets continue discussions on a new contract for Nene, though he would not comment on whether the team has made a formal offer. Nene becomes a restricted free agent next summer if he does not sign an extension by the end of October. …
Karl will let assistant Scott Brooks coach Denver’s preseason games Thursday at Los Angeles against the Lakers and Oct. 28 at Utah to help Brooks prepare for coaching the first three games of the regular season, when Karl is serving a suspension. …
The Nuggets sold about 30,000 individual game tickets Saturday, about a 50 percent increase from their first day of sale last year.
Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
