Chicago – If he wanted to, Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin said he could have pushed the rehabilitation regimen on his left knee to make himself available for the playoffs.
And as much as he wants to, he said his best course of action is to take it easy to be fully ready for next season.
“It’s a daily struggle to not make myself come back for the playoffs,” Martin said, “especially when guys were struggling with stuff I can help with. It definitely crosses my mind, but I think the more time I take off, the better it will be next season.”
Martin has missed 63 games since microfracture surgery early this season.
He said he has found hope in the performance of players such as Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire and Portland’s Zach Randolph, who are playing solid basketball after having microfracture surgery.
“It’s motivation. It’s definitely motivation,” Martin said. “Seeing the way he’s played, seeing what Zach is doing. I’m older than them, but I feel my work ethic and the things I know I have to do to get back are there.”
More flying for Moe
Nuggets assistant coach Doug Moe requires three things on a road trip: an iPod full of music, Sudoku puzzles and a Valium.
This road trip will test the former Nuggets head coach as Denver travels to five cities in eight days. Moe is doing his best to survive.
“I’m still not a fan of flying,” Moe said. “So it’s hard. Some of these late nights make it a little tough.”
NBA travel is different from when Moe coached in the 1980s, most notably the charter planes that make for late-night departures after games and early-morning arrivals in the next city. Moe is a morning person.
“Now we have the 3, 4, 5 o’clock getting to sleep,” Moe said. “As you get older, it gets tougher.”
No hard feelings
Nuggets guard J.R. Smith walked into the United Center on Thursday with no particular feelings about the team he could have been a part of. The Bulls acquired Smith from New Orleans, and then quickly traded him to the Nuggets.
“I knew they were going to trade me,” Smith said. “It wasn’t any big deal to me.”
Still, Smith made the Bulls think twice about that on Nov. 11, when he torched his would-be employers for 36 points.
“I have no roots here,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me.”
