Cleveland – On the surface, Nene’s drop in weight seems to have done him a world of good, particularly from a points-and-rebounds and conditioning standpoint.
But that’s not all that the Nuggets forward is concerned with.
He wants more strength and a bigger, stronger-looking body. And to that end, Nene says in the offseason he’ll look to gain back the pounds he has lost this season.
“You know, for one part of the game, that is helping me because I run more, jump more,” Nene said Sunday. “But in my position I need to guard all of the strong dudes. And to me, 260 of muscle, that is good. I don’t want to stay at 250. No way, man. I’ve played three years at 265, 260. I know what I can do (at that weight). But now I’m too light. People push me and I can’t do nothing.”
According to strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess, Nene is down to 248 pounds. Nene, who was put on a different diet in part to help take pressure off an ailing right knee, says he will continue to eat healthy food, but will also do more weightlifting to add muscle.
“You need to eat right, good food,” Nene said. “But you know what you like in your body. I’m going to build up in the summer again.”
Snow on Iverson
Cleveland guard Eric Snow, a former teammate and current friend of Allen Iverson’s at Philadelphia, is on board with the theory that the guard’s move to Denver has been good from an image standpoint.
Iverson has been widely thought of as a person of sketchy character, but in his time with the Nuggets, those who have come into contact with him have found those claims to be largely untrue.
“It’s the people that don’t know him that don’t like him,” Snow said. “What the people in Denver are seeing, they are seeing a person that’s probably the most misunderstood guy almost to ever play in the league. He has a great heart, great interest, goes out and works his tail off every night, is a great family man. So, you’ve just got to know him as a person first.”
Footnote
After missing Friday’s game at Toronto, Marcus Camby (back) returned to action against Cleveland. Forward Eduardo Najera (left tibia) did not play.
