WASHINGTON — Carmelo Anthony slouched in a courtside seat at Tuesday’s Madison Square Garden shootaround, discussing the M*A*S*H unit that is his Nuggets.
“We are always snake-bit, man,” the forward said. “I’ll tell you, every year somebody gets it. This year, it’s three guys.”
Make it four.
Power forward Nene is scheduled to have surgery today on a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and is expected to miss at least six weeks, the team announced Thursday night.
Nene was injured during Wednesday night’s loss at Boston. He had averaged 6.4 points per game and 5.2 rebounds in 19.4 minutes.
“His post presence, his defense – we’re really going to miss him,” Anthony said after Wednesday’s loss when told Nene would be out at least for the weekend.
The Nuggets’ plan was to slowly bring back Kenyon Martin, playing him in the 20-minute range and allowing him to rest his knee in the first games of back-to-backs. The caveat was that Nene would be available to play power forward with Martin out. Now it’s Nene who is out, so Martin will start at power forward tonight at Washington, the first game of a back-to- back for Denver (2-3).
The Nuggets already are without three guards. It’s possible reserve Mike Wilks (hamstring) could return for the weekend back-to-back. Reserve Anthony Carter had his cast removed this week from a fractured right hand, and he hopes to return sometime during Nov. 10-20. And Chucky Atkins, penciled in as the starting point guard in the preseason, is out with a groin injury for possibly six more weeks.
The Nene injury puts Nuggets coach George Karl in an unenviable bind – trying to slowly bring along Martin, but still fill 48 minutes at power forward. Reserve forward Eduardo Najera, who Karl adores off the bench, can play the four, as can Linas Kleiza, though Karl likes to play Kleiza more at small forward, or even at guard with the three players sidelined.
The only other available power forward is Steven Hunter, who has scored two points in nine total minutes this season.
Martin has played in four of the five games, starting each time, averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes.
A former all-star, Martin, 29, missed 80 games last season after surgery on his right knee, but looked impressive and fit during this preseason.
In the loss at Boston, “I thought he was pretty good, actually,” Karl said of Martin, who had 12 points with five rebounds in 26 minutes.
“I thought he brought energy as a starter,” Karl said, “and he stayed in the game and got the second unit to play hard, play defense.
“I think he’s rusty in some of his ball-handling decisions, and I think he’ll finish better around the basket once he gets a little more continuity and consistency.”
This is the fourth consecutive season Denver lost a key player to injury in the first five games of the season. Last season, Martin played just two games before the microfracture surgery.
Nene suffered a right knee injury in 2005 three minutes into the season opener and missed the rest of the season. A bruised right knee kept him out of 12 games last season.
In the 2004 opener, starting guard Voshon Lenard tore his Achilles tendon and missed 79 games before coming back for the last two games.
This is the latest of a series of injuries to Nene. In 2004-05, he missed 27 games with injuries to his hamstring, left knee and groin. This past summer, he injured his calf in the Olympic qualifying tournament and was carried off the court.
The Nuggets won their first two games this season but lost the past three, heading into tonight’s game against the Wizards, followed by a Saturday night game at Indiana.
“Nene can make an all-star team sometime,” Karl said Wednesday.
Now, Karl just hopes Nene can be healthy enough to play for his team.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
Four off the floor
Nene was injured Wednesday night and will have surgery today. It is the fourth consecutive season the Nuggets have lost a starter to a serious injury in the first five games:
2004 Voshon Lenard
Tears Achilles tendon in opener, misses 79 games.
2005 Nene
Injures right knee in season opener and misses rest of season.
2006 Kenyon Martin
After second game, doctors announce he needs microfracture surgery on his right knee.
2007 Nene
Injures thumb in fifth game, out at least six weeks.
DENVER AT WASHINGTON
6 p.m. tonight, ALTITUDE2/ESPN, ESPN 1600 AM
Spotlight on Caron Butler: An all-star last season, Butler still sometimes flies under the NBA radar, despite his versatility and ability to overwhelm defenders. He scored at least 18 points and collected at least seven rebounds in his first four games. He had 21 and seven Thursday vs. New Jersey. The Connecticut product has been prone to turn the ball over, which should make Allen Iverson foam at the mouth. In one game, Butler made seven turnovers. In another, he committed eight.
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets: Forward Nene (thumb) and guards Chucky Atkins (groin) and Anthony Carter (hand) will not play tonight. The status of fellow guard Mike Wilks (hamstring) is questionable. … Even though it was garbage time, Nuggets reserve guard Bobby Jones did score 10 points in 12 minutes against the Celtics on Wednesday.
Wizards: Guard Gilbert Arenas, who had fluid removed from his left knee this week, played Thursday night and is expected to do so tonight. … Thursday, Arenas had his potential game-tying shot blocked by New Jersey’s Vince Carter. … Forward Antawn Jamison had a brilliant game against Indiana last week, scoring 27 points with 16 rebounds.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
