Eighteen games into their season, the Nuggets stand at a middling nine victories – one for every injured player.
It’s hard to assess what that means. A full 60 percent of their roster has dealt with some malady, from the major (Nene, Bryon Russell) to the lingering (Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby) to the day to day (Carmelo Anthony, Eduardo Najera, Earl Boykins, Greg Buckner, Francisco Elson). Furthermore, four of Denver’s nine losses came with coach George Karl suspended.
Can they reach their goals without external help? General manager Kiki Vandeweghe continues to weigh the question.
“I don’t know about desperate need” for a trade, he said. “I think we have a very good team. But no team is good enough to withstand this many injuries. What you have to do is try to survive through this period where we were all injured. Our coach was suspended. The schedule is tough. This is a tough period.”
If the Nuggets make a move, it likely won’t happen until Dec. 15, the day players signed this offseason, including Denver’s Earl Watson, can be traded.
“It gives you so many more options,” Vandeweghe said. “You want all your options available.”
Watson and Voshon Lenard are two guards the Nuggets could dangle in front of other teams. Lenard has formally requested a trade.
“It’s something he and Kiki should deal with,” Karl said. “We respect Vo and think he’s a great pro. His wishes, I don’t know how Kiki would answer that. We’re not going to make a trade because a player wants to be traded, but I think we’re going to be professional with our players and will respect his inquiry.”
Watson has not requested a trade but his minutes continue to fluctuate. After sitting seven of the first eight games, Watson worked his way into the rotation. But he played four minutes in a loss at Phoenix on Friday and missed the Nuggets’ victory over Miami on Saturday.
“Obviously, with the situation, with the undefined role, as a person that’s aware, a person that’s educated on this business and this job, the 15th is an important day,” Watson said.
Karl left the question of a trade to Vandeweghe, saying, “I’ve learned that to just worry about coaching makes the organization function better. Kiki and I have a good rapport and we talk. My job is to get the team playing a little better right now.”
Meanwhile, Vandeweghe said he does not want to overreact.
“You never make decisions when you’re in a panic mode,” he said. “The only problem with the team is we’re injured and our schedule’s tough.”
Kiki tackles rumors
Vandeweghe said reports that he and Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke don’t see eye to eye are traceable to rumors and media attention surrounding negotiations for his contract extension and are not based on any difference of opinion regarding the direction of the Nuggets.
“What upsets me about these rumors is that people are forgetting that Mr. Kroenke gave me my first opportunity as a general manager, and for that I will be forever grateful,” he said in a written statement. “In addition, Mr. Kroenke has helped me enormously in learning how to manage and build a team and has given me the resources I requested to do my job. Mr. Kroenke truly took me under his wing from the very beginning in order to help me grow.
“I am not troubled by my contract status. Sometimes stories have a life of their own, and this is one of those stories. If Mr. Kroenke does not want me here, rest assured I would not be here. It is as simple as that. I consider it a personal failure that rumors and media speculation about my contract status have become even a little bit of a distraction to what we are working to accomplish here, which is win a championship.”
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
