Desperate times call for Scottie Pippen.
The Nuggets should make one more bold move and sign the former six-time NBA titlist, the future Hall of Fame inductee and the current comeback schemer.
The league’s trading deadline passed Thursday afternoon, and all was quiet on the Nuggets’ front, despite their anxious need for a shooter, a passer and a defender.
Pippen could be all three.
The 41-year-old Pippen, voted one of the top 50 players in NBA history, said last weekend at the All-Star Game he intends to return for the final two months of the regular season and wants to play for a contender in a warm-weather city.
The Nuggets should fly Pippen to town today and have him enjoy the sunshine and the club’s victory over the Utah Jazz.
The Nuggets are in a world of hurt, and Pippen can help the pain go away.
Shooter J.R. Smith is out for several weeks with a knee injury.
Shooter and passer Allen Iverson remains hobbled with an ankle injury. The Nuggets don’t have a point guard off the bench.
And the Nuggets are a bleeding sore on defense.
Nevertheless, they’re well-positioned to pass the reeling Los Angeles Lakers and take over as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.
This seems like a writing contradiction, but consider:
Pippen never will be a great player again, but he could give the Nuggets a veteran presence who has been there, done that six years in the NBA Finals – and played in 16 postseasons.
The Nuggets won’t have to give up anyone and anything (except his salary).
George Karl has said he’s intrigued by a Pippen addition, and Pippen said, when he was a network analyst, Karl had done an incredible job with the Nuggets. So they don’t hate each other.
What’s the worst that could result? Pippen’s comeback is combustible.
What’s the best that could result? Pippen still can play ball.
He is the NBA’s all-time assist leader as a point forward. He did play some point guard in the Olympics and with the Bulls.
He is No. 1 in steals among forwards who have appeared in the NBA.
And he was selected to the all-defensive team 10 times (eight on the first team).
Pippen has indicated he wants to play with Shaquille O’Neal in Miami or under Jackson in Los Angeles, And the Cleveland Cavaliers, with LeBron James, reportedly are running seriously at Pippen. But the Heat will cool off considerably without Dwyane Wade; the Lakers didn’t make the move for Jason Kidd and won’t be a factor in the playoffs; and Cleveland is cold. (Pretty lame excuses, I confess.)
Michael Jordan’s longtime caddie probably won’t be swayed from those other three cities, but a solid selling job could swing him to Denver. He can be a major contributor – 20-25 minutes a game – on a team that can surge in the last two months. He can play on a team with Carmelo Anthony and Iverson, who finally will get their song-and-dance act together. He can live in paradise (now that the snow is melting). He can show the Nuggets how to play defense and cut down on other teams’ tons of guppy layups. He can be part of something special in the playoffs.
Maybe this is a dream, but Pippen was a Dream Teamer.
By climbing to the sixth seed, the Nuggets’ good news is that they would avoid Dallas and Phoenix in the first round; the bad news is they would play San Antonio. The Spurs blew away the Nuggets on Tuesday night. But the Nuggets would have a puncher’s chance against the Spurs and only a tomato can’s chance against the Suns and the Mavericks.
Beam up Scottie, Nuggets.
Staff writer Woody Paige can be reached at 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com.
