Los Angeles – He was the man in black. Black coat. Black shirt. Black pants. Black shoes. Although dressed for a funeral, little did Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe know he would be attending a burial on Monday night.
They’re throwing dirt on Denver’s playoff dreams.
Stop me if you’ve already heard this tale of tears.
The Nuggets, whose ability to score is overly dependent on Carmelo Anthony, the fast break and lob passes, had none of the above in Game 2 of their NBA playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
No wonder Denver played like zeroes in a depressing 98-87 loss.
The man who built this team is Vandeweghe.
His contract with the team expires soon.
Are the Nuggets a team better equipped to win in the playoffs than a year ago?
“That’s a tough question,” Vandeweghe replied.
But there is a far tougher issue confronting the Nuggets.
At a critical juncture in franchise history, when Vandeweghe admits Denver needs to make a major, risky move to add a player capable of boosting the Nuggets to serious championship contention, the franchise has created unnecessary turmoil by undercutting the general manager’s authority.
If Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke has declined to extend the contract of Vandeweghe this long, there could be nothing in Denver’s third straight failure in the opening round of the playoffs that will make the boss reach for his wallet.
“To go from a team that wins 45 or 50 games to a team that every year goes deep in the playoffs, you’re going to have to take another risk with the makeup of your team, and that’s the step we’re looking to take,” Vandeweghe said.
“The men in this league who are really good at building basketball teams – guys like Jerry West and Donnie Walsh – make mistakes. But they aren’t afraid to make them.”
It would be a mistake to show Vandeweghe the door.
During five seasons of giving direction to a franchise that had lost its way, Vandeweghe made pro basketball relevant again in Denver. He changed everything, from all the players to the uniforms they wear.
Vandeweghe brought Denver its first division title since 1988, but has failed to win the trust of Kroenke. Neither the communication nor the commitment between the owner and general manager is where it should be in the fifth year of their relationship.
The relationship has showed signs of strain since January 2005, when the Nuggets hired George Karl, a coach Vande-
weghe never would have picked if the decision had been his alone. It is not Karl’s fault Vandeweghe and Kroenke are personalities as distinctly different as a gregarious, natural athlete and a tight-lipped billionaire who grinds for every hard-earned buck.
But you can blame Karl for letting Game 2 get out of hand so quickly, as the Clippers took a 32-13 lead in the first quarter, ending the suspense with laughter at Denver’s ineptitude.
Playoff basketball, as everybody from Celtics legend Red Auerbach to TNT studio host Ernie Johnson can tell you, is all about adjustments. Karl made none that helped the Nuggets recover from a two-point loss in the series opener.
The playoff strategy against the Nuggets has never varied in three seasons. Foes fall back on defense to eliminate easy Denver baskets, then harass Anthony, daring his teammates to knock down a jumper. If former coach Jeff Bzdelik was dismissed as unimaginative for failure to cover the team’s flaws, then how can Karl be applauded for genius after being trapped by the same frustrations?
“Overall, the talent on this team has climbed since I got here,” said Vandeweghe, on the job in Denver since 2001. “I think it’s a better roster than a year ago. I don’t think there’s any question about it. We’re bigger, tougher, with a stronger defensive mind-set. All of which helps you win in the playoffs.”
The problem has nothing to do with winning. For two guys who are passionate about winning, Vandeweghe and Kroenke don’t seem to have much to talk about. That’s how relationships go bad.
Staff writer Mark Kiszla can be reached at 303-820-5438 or mkiszla@denverpost.com.
