With basketballs bouncing and Nuggets playing nearby behind a closed door at the Pepsi Center, coach George Karl sat comfortably Thursday morning with the arrival of training camp in Durango just days away.
With Kenyon Martin, star forward Carmelo Anthony, the new running offense and USA Basketball among the hot topics, Karl spoke about many matters.
Spears: There have been rumors that the Nuggets are going to try to be a Phoenix Suns-like running team this season. Is that true?
Karl: We did a lot of experimenting in the summer league. When I got here, for whatever reason, the simplicity of it, we seemed to have more of an intensity of running the court. Last year we didn’t have that everyday attitude. I’ll tell you right now the two training camp emphasis is running and defending. I don’t think we’re a top-10 defensive team. I don’t think you could be a top-10 team without being a defensive team. I want a running mentality on a daily basis. It’s a combination of Phoenix. It’s a combination of (ex-Nuggets head coach and current assistant) Doug’s (Moe) mentality of putting pressure attacking every possession.
Spears: Martin was suspended for three games in the first round of the playoffs after opting not to go back into the second half of a Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Although you have said everything is fine between you both now, do you think there will be a national microscope on your relationship?
Karl: We’re not denying that with speculation comes curiosity. Kenyon Martin can help us. I know that’s what he wants to do. I know there will be a magnifying glass. As a basketball coach, it’s easy to put our whole thing (aside).
Spears: How do you look back on the Martin situation?
Karl: You learn from it. I’m a big believer in looking at the future, dreaming about winning and being special and trying to play in June than I am in rehashing a 30-second episode. As I’ve said before, I was the policeman.
Spears: You have spoken to Martin and his agent Brian Dyke individually before, but you met with them both for the first time Thursday. How would you describe the meeting?
Karl: It was a positive meeting. We’ve been having good conversations, and this one was just a little longer. It’s a positive step as we head into the season.
Spears: After this season, you and the Nuggets have mutual option on the final three years of your contract. Is that something you’ve thought about much of late?
Karl: I love coaching. I love what’s going on in Denver. I’m excited and passionate about having another great year. My thing is kind of like we got (vice president) Mark (Warkentien), (assistant) Gurg (Tim Grgurich) and me, who have been in this business a long time. We just want one more good run. And I think we have the ability to have that. We have great owners. You have a great stud (Anthony). And you have a very talented basketball team. You have an owner commitment to winning a championship. I’m blessed because I don’t have that part of coaching that people have worrying about a contract. I came back because I wanted to come back to coach and I thought Denver was a great place. And I still feel the same way.
Spears: So you don’t feel pressure or worried about your contract situation?
Karl: No.
Spears: You coached USA Basketball when it suffered its first loss with NBA players during the 2002 world championships and the team finished sixth. Since then, the U.S. has received a bronze in the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 world championships in Japan. While I’m sure you’re not happy about it, do the struggles for Team USA after 2002 make it easier for you to deal with your situation?
Karl: I remember when I was invited to be the coach, two of my very close friends recommended and told me point blank, “You’re a target and when you get shot you’re going to go down.” My whole life I dreamt of coaching or being on a USA team. There is no way. There is no way. While I respect Mike Krzyzewski, there is a little bit of me that’s angry that a college coach is coaching the team, because I think there are great coaches in the NBA. And we’ve kind of been lumped that the NBA coaches can’t do it now. I know Coach (Larry) Brown. I know Coach (Gregg) Popovich. There are a lot of guys that gave a lot of time to USA Basketball. And I want them to win so badly. And that moment in (Japan) when Greece won, I know what that is. I know misery.
Spears: Would you be confident going into the season with 21-year-old shooting guard J.R. Smith and rookie Yakhouba Diawara without the addition of a proven veteran at the position?
Karl: For the most part, the idealistic answer is to say that we wish we had more definition to minutes. But I’m excited about what we’ve been doing. Buck (Dallas’ Greg Buckner) is not here. And we brought in two other guys. I think L.K. (Linas Kleiza) is another piece. He had a very good rookie year. Can he be a rotation player? A lot of our guys think he can. We don’t have enough time to talk about how talented our bigs are. We’ve got every type of big in the NBA.
Spears: But is a veteran shooting guard a need?
Karl: Don’t you have to give J.R. and Yakhouba and if (free agent) DerMarr (Johnson) comes back, an opportunity before you say they can’t? We all know that we have to open the court up for Melo. Is that philosophical? Is that Carmelo’s development? Is that adding a shooter? People are forgetting we added Joe Smith. Joe Smith is a top-10 pick … He doesn’t make the 3, but he can make the 18-, 19-footer in a scary fashion.
Spears: Do you have any idea when you can play Nene, who is coming off knee surgery, as much as you’d like?
Karl: That’s yet to be determined. If I got 20 minutes, 25 minutes a game from him in three-fourths of the exhibition games, and the last week of training camp his body feels great and his knee feels strong, I think we’re in a good place.
Spears: Seven of the 15 players are power forwards or centers. Is there a pro to having a big-man heavy roster right now?
Karl: I’ll tell you what, our saviors last year were Eddie Najera and Francisco Elson. You lose Nene and basically Kenyon for half the season. Marcus (Camby) goes down for 18-20 games. How many teams can survive that and win a division? I don’t think San Antonio does that. We fell into a weak division (Northwest). But at the beginning of the year, we didn’t know what the script was. But by Jan. 1 when you’re 16-18 and you have no big guys playing, is anyone picking us to win the division (on January first)? No one is picking us to win the division Jan. 1.
Spears: What is your view on seldom-used guard Julius Hodge, whose rookie season was ruined after he was shot?
Karl: I look at him as a rookie who had a very disruptive season. He has skills. The timing of his problems was poorly timed, which is not his fault. Some of the problems were his fault. The timing even made it worse. Earl (Boykins) goes down the last 15 games of the season or whatever. It would have been perfect for (Hodge). He probably had grown up enough, matured enough that, “Hey, let’s see where you are.” Which would have been a blessing to him and his career. I think he is an NBA guy. I just don’t know if he’s a point guard in the NBA right now.
Spears: Are you concerned about the lack of a third point guard right now?
Karl: I’m concerned about wearing (starter) Andre (Miller) out. I think I’ve done it both years. Andre is such a winning, glue, character guy. It’s hard for a coach to take him off the court. I think we all saw his fatigue at the end of last season.
Spears: How do you view the new front office by committee that includes vice presidents Mark Warkentien, Rex Chapman and consultant Bret Bearup?
Karl: I like communication as long as we can communicate. I don’t know Rex well, and the most important thing is being together. (Owner) Stan Kroenke has done a fantastic job as the leader of this organization. I know he likes basketball. I personally like him because he’s involved, and I’d have to say I’d like him to be more involved than he has been. But the thing I don’t think people understand is there is basketball and there is probably this other sector. Basketball now is almost segregated from the other areas. I don’t know salary caps. I don’t want to know salary caps. I don’t want to know all these rules and regulations. … Business, basketball and there is another area probably between NBA, celebrity, entertainment. It’s a different world. It’s a lot of money. I don’t care how rich you are. When you talk about losing millions, it’s not a hard subject to reach.
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-954-1098 or mspears@denverpost.com.
