Denver Post sports writer Benjamin Hochman posts his Nuggets Mailbag every Wednesday during the 2007-08 NBA season on DenverPost.com.
To drop a Nuggets- or NBA-related question into the Nuggets Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Benjamin – Do you think the Nugs’ new commitment to defense comes at any cost to their offense? Tenacious D takes a lot of energy and can slow down a fast-break mentality, right?
— Craig, London
Craig – Well, first of all, what do you want them to do – let up on defense, save some energy, and try to win track meets? That’s what they did in previous seasons and, as Bryon from Pueblo points out below, Carmelo Anthony has yet to win a playoff series.
Being focused on defense keeps a team focused on the game at hand. Some of the better defensive players of all time were also overall stars, and some of their success can be credited toward their unwavering focus for every moment on the court. Yeah, I hear you, the fast-break Nuggets may get a little more tired on the defensive end. But once they get healthy, they’ll have more firepower off the bench to give breathers.
I’m not saying this defensive revival is going to make the Nuggets the best in the West. But it will make them better than last year. And, at Tuesday’s shootaround, coach George Karl made a good point. He said that many championship teams start out games by setting a precedent that they play, to quote Marv Albert, “Ten-A-cious D.”
The Nuggets’ backcourt already looks complete with the pieces they have TODAY. They have been successful with Yakhouba Diawara starting at 2-guard and with J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza playing key reserve roles. What will Anthony Carter’s and Chucky Atkins’ roles be?
— RJ, Philippines
The goal is to get Chucky into the starting point guard spot. Period. That’s what they had planned in the summer.
Like you said, RJ, there are a handful of guards on this team, each with different types of talents. Since Karl doesn’t have a set rotation, and likes to feel out his team against certain other teams, he’ll have the luxury to play great defenders Yakhouba Diawara and Bobby Jones on some instances, fill in J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza, offensive outside threats, in other occasions.
But you make a good point – things are working well now. It will be interesting to see how even Carter’s return next week will shake things up. But I’ve never heard a coach say he was in a bad situation because he had too much talent. But I do think that Diawara has to continue to be a factor offensively, or he could lose a few minutes a night.
Which players on the Nuggets and in the NBA in general are good interviews?
— Dave M., Denver
Dave – If you’re trying to get The Quote, the Nuggets don’t necessarily have one guy who all the reporters smother after games. On different days, different guys will have good explanations, notably Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby.
Around the league, Gilbert Arenas often has something quirky to say (but not much positive to say lately). Tyson Chandler, the up-and-coming Hornets center, was always a treat to talk to, back when I covered the Hornets for the New Orleans Times-Picayune. And, of course, Shaq is good for a sound bite or seven.
Big Ben – It looks to me like J.R. Smith is a better fit at point guard than shooting guard. Can you comment on J.R. as a point guard?
— Brian, Oklahoma City
Brian – Late nights in Bricktown blurred your vision? J.R. Smith is a better fit at shooting guard – BUT, you do bring up a valid point, which is his experience at point guard has been good for his overall game.
I asked your question to Karl, who said: “I think he’s slowing down a little bit. His decisions have gotten better and he understands that his jump shot is not dominant, because at the point guard position, his job is to penetrate. And he’s understanding that faster than I thought he would. And when he goes over to the other position, there’s a balance in his offense that most of the time he hasn’t had.”
Dwayne Wade has won a title, and now LeBron James is trying to get his. Is the pressure building on Carmelo Anthony to win at least one playoff series?
— Bryon, Pueblo
Bryon – Surely. And I bet Darko is feeling the exact same way. But with Carmelo, his goal is to be great, and great ones play into June. He can dominate international basketball and he can be in the top five in NBA scoring, but if he’s out every year in the first round, then his resume still has a glaring hole.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
