DENVER—Defense is the name of the game in Denver now.
Last year, the Nuggets started training camp wanting to run and score like the high-flying Phoenix Suns. This time, they’re planning to play stingy defense like the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, who thwarted their playoff run in May.
“I think the camp is going to be underlined, capital letters, ‘DEFENSE FIRST,’ because if we’re going to be an NBA championship-caliber team, statistically defense is where we can improve and where we have to improve,” coach George Karl said Monday on the eve of training camp.
The Nuggets were a mosh pit of offensive sets last season after Allen Iverson came aboard and Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith served suspensions for fighting. They finally got together down the stretch, winning 10 of 11 to reach the playoffs. But it was a quick exit once again.
Now, A.I. and ‘Melo will have an entire training camp and a full season together. Karl liked the way things ended up working out last season but decided a major shift in philosophy was in order.
“As we evaluated it, we got a lot of good stuff out of it, but we didn’t feel the foundation was strong enough, and that’s why we’re going back to the defense first mentality at training camp,” Karl said. “Last year it was offense first, spacing, penetration, teach gap offense and strategies, similar to Phoenix.
“And I think at the end of the season we got a lot of benefits from that. But we’re going to kind of go back to defense first and let the offense kind of figure its way out.”
‘Melo starred for Team USA for the second straight summer and coach Mike Krzyzewski told Karl he believes the offensive-minded Anthony can become an all-defensive player in the NBA.
“That would be great,” Karl said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be in my lifetime, but that would be great. He can play defense. A.I., I think we need to (turn) him into a steal guy, put him in the roamer position a little bit and let him anticipate.
“The picture of being a better defensive team is no layups, transition and controlling penetration.”
Anthony said he’ll do whatever Karl needs him to and he agreed with Coach K that he can be a great defender.
“Yeah, that’s my goal. I’ve showed it in bits and pieces of me playing defense. But I think this year I’ll put a little more effort and focus into playing defense and becoming a better defensive player,” Anthony said. “Once my teammates see me doing that, that will give them an opportunity to step up and motivate them to play D, too.”
And that’s why Anthony figures 60 wins is a realistic goal.
“I’m ready to take this team to new heights,” Anthony said. “It’s going to be a big year for me and for the Nuggets.
Kenyon Martin, who is coming off his second microfrature knee surgery, will return to the star-studded lineup to provide Karl with more options. He played only a handful of games last year.
“We look at Kenyon as a great free agent pickup,” Anthony said.
If the Nuggets stay healthy and Karl can find enough minutes to keep Martin, Nene, ‘Melo, AI and NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby healthy, the coach figures Denver can win 55 games.
“We have enough talent to be a great team,” Karl said. “Now, will we figure out how to become a great team? Will we make the commitment to play as a team, will we trust and believe in each other to be a great team?”
In the loaded West, it’s going to take greatness for the Nuggets to end their string of first-round knockouts, too.
“We not only want to win a playoff series,” Karl said. “We want to be a problem in the playoffs.
“I’ve heard guys talk about 60 wins,” Karl said. “This is crazy stuff. Sixty wins is probably a couple steps farther than I think we can do. I’ve made the challenge to everybody that we should try to be the best team in Denver Nuggets NBA history. … I think we can win 52 to 55 games if we stay (healthy).
“And if we do that and Utah beats us out for the division, we’ll probably tip our hats but if we do that I think we’ll be in the division race.”
