If George Karl could clone Eduardo Najera, he probably would. But with technology, medical ethics and the strict NBA collective bargaining agreement keeping the Nuggets from doing so, it looks like they’ve done the next-best thing in drafting Linas Kleiza.
It’s early, but the surprise first-round draft pick has shown signs of turning into a young Najera. Both are foreign-born players who made their names in the Big 12 before showing their value in the NBA with a mix of grit and skill.
The original Najera, one of the league’s prototypical glue guys, said he can see himself in Kleiza.
“He’ll be taking my job, I guess, eventually,” quipped Najera, a Mexican-born alum of Oklahoma. “What I like about him is that he plays hard, and he plays within the system. Everybody likes that.”
Jokes aside, Kleiza won’t be stealing Najera’s job anytime soon. But Kleiza has proved invaluable as Denver’s frontcourt has tried to cope with injuries to Nene, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby.
With Camby out and Martin’s minutes limited Friday in the Nuggets’ 105-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Najera saw the most extensive time of his young career. In a performance Karl labeled “courageous” and “competitive,” Kleiza managed a season-high seven points and four rebounds in 17 minutes, complementing Najera’s nine points and five rebounds.
“It was fun to watch LK and Eddie battle the way they did,” Karl said, who has played Kleiza for 45 minutes over Denver’s past four games after giving him just seven minutes of daylight over the team’s first 10.
Knowing no time is guaranteed, especially with Camby and Martin expected to play together this week, starting tonight against New Jersey, Kleiza vowed not to change his routine. He is religious about joining fellow rookie Julius Hodge on the team’s early bus to road arenas for extra shooting work. As Kleiza did Sunday, he regularly helps close the practice court during home workouts.
“That’s my whole attitude,” he said. “It don’t matter how much I’m going to play – two minutes or maybe 15, 20 minutes.
“At this point of my career, the way I am, I just need to improve, get better as a player. That’s what I want to do. I need to hit that different level to stick around.”
Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said he thought the Lithuanian forward he drafted 27th from Missouri in June would spend some more time in Big 12 country with Denver’s minor-league affiliate in Austin, Texas. Vandeweghe wasn’t the only one betting that way.
“I expected him to be down in Austin right now,” Camby said. “But he works hard in practice every day. You can just see in his game that he’s going to be a player in this league someday. For him just coming in, filling in with slop minutes, giving us solid minutes, rebounding, playing physical, bringing the energy that we need and sometimes we lack out there, he’s been unbelievable.”
Injuries have kept the rookies around. Hodge has played less than a minute this season, but Vandeweghe said the Nuggets plan to keep him up for now so they have enough players to practice with. But Kleiza has shown more immediate value, pulling down seven of his 13 rebounds on the offensive end.
The 6-foot-8 rookie said he is adjusting to the NBA’s speed and knows his defense must keep improving to stay on the court, since plays won’t run through him.
Instead, he can follow the course Najera took when he entered quietly as a second-round pick in 2000 – pull down every rebound possible, dive for any loose ball within three body lengths and stick the occasional midrange jump shot.
“A lot of people said different things,” Kleiza said of his doubters. “I just wanted to come in here and prove myself, that I belong here, that I can play in this league and help this team any way I can.”
NEW JERSEY AT DENVER
7 p.m., ALT, KKFN 950 AM
SPOTLIGHT ON RICHARD JEFFERSON
The Nets aren’t known for their big men, but the small forward has helped make up for his team’s lack of size. He had his seventh double-double in 13 games Sunday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Jefferson has never averaged more than 7.3 rebounds, but this season he is at a lofty 9.2, excellent for anyone but especially impressive for a player who stands 6-feet-7. His 18.6 points per game aren’t so bad, either.
NOTEBOOK
* JUST ANOTHER GAME: Kenyon Martin appeared to make a statement in his first game against his old team last season, when he roughed up the Nets for 22 points and 12 rebounds in a Denver win. But the Nuggets forward said he is long past using his departure from New Jersey as motivation. “They know they got rid of me,” he said. “I don’t have to keep trying to prove it.”
* FOOTNOTES: After missing his team’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday with a bone bruise on his right leg, Denver center Marcus Camby said he would play tonight. He practiced Sunday with a sleeve over his right calf, though he made pains to distinguish his look from the full-length tights players like Kobe Bryant are wearing this season. “I don’t wear pantyhose,” Camby said, smiling. … The Nets halted their losing streak at three games with their 102-96 overtime win Sunday at the Los Angeles Lakers. … Point guard Jason Kidd is battling injuries to his left middle finger, left elbow and left knee. … Denver shooting guard Greg Buckner has hit five of his past nine 3-pointers, and at least one in each of the past four games.
Staff writer Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
