Not to put any more weight on the angst-ridden shoulders of coach George Karl, but with two starters in the All-Star Game, his Nuggets should have as good a shot as any team at winning the wild, wild West.
Yes, the time is now.
If this crew of Nuggets is ever going to appear in the NBA Finals, it needs to be this year.
At 23, forward Carmelo Anthony has become an all-star starter at a younger age than Elgin Baylor or Pete Maravich, to name just two basketball legends.
Guard Allen Iverson is playing at his highest level since his MVP season of 2000-01.
And center Marcus Camby keeps swatting shots and crashing the boards, but at age 33 isn’t getting any younger.
The time is now.
The race for the league championship has not been so wide open in more than a dozen years.
With the February trade deadline now within sight, the Nuggets need to pursue a move to push them over the top.
We’re not talking a blockbuster trade. That’s not happening, because as the Nuggets’ owner, even billionaire Stan Kroenke has his limits.
But I know the veteran player this Denver team needs to bring a passionate edge that can so often make the difference in a playoff series.
And he’s on the trading block.
Go get 38-year-old Los Angeles Clippers guard Sam Cassell, a proven winner and still tough in the clutch after all these years. What’s more, his salary of $6.15 million is not outlandish by NBA standards.
You want to hear pessimism about Denver being too lackadaisical on defense or too selfish with the basketball, go eat a pizza with Charles Barkley, the rotund mound of bad sound when it comes to dissing the Nuggets.
Sure, Denver is a flawed team.
No contender in this league is without a major concern.
Sorry, Kevin Garnett and members of Gang Green. Boston is not winning the title with Rajon Rondo as its point guard. Period.
That’s not the spurs of defending champ San Antonio jingle-jangling when they walk. Those are the bones creaking of a proud, aging team.
If Phoenix runs any harder, the Suns are going to burn out Steve Nash long before the temperature starts hitting 100 degrees in the desert.
New Orleans is not a fluke, because Chris Paul deserves to stand atop any list of MVP candidates. But don’t you need a viable homecourt for it to be any real advantage in the playoffs?
Why Dallas will choke can be explained in two words: Dirk Nowitzki. Detroit is a Rasheed Wallace meltdown waiting to happen.
Need we go on?
Nobody’s suggesting it will be easy for the Nuggets to win their division, much less a single playoff series. But any team that qualifies in the Western Conference has little reason to fear any postseason foe.
To ensure they take their best shot at glory, it has been assumed the Nuggets require another shooter. Know what? They’ve found him in Linas Kleiza, who can be deadly when firing from the perimeter and also draw fouls on drives to the hoop.
What Denver needs most is a veteran to direct traffic and demand focus on a team still searching for a cohesive way to maximize its offensive talent.
Cassell shows no fear of getting in the face of a teammate, which probably can’t hurt the Nuggets, who often could use a kick in the pants.
The veteran guard also knows how to manage the guy on the bench, having worked with Karl during a deep postseason run by Milwaukee seven years ago. Putting Cassell in a three-guard rotation with Iverson and defensive specialist Anthony Carter would give all the backcourt options any coach needs.
There are other contenders shopping for a veteran guard. So hope either Phoenix or Boston fills its need with Damon Stoudamire, who is expected to hit the market quickly after Memphis buys him out.
As of today, the Clippers’ asking price for Cassell is high.
The Nuggets do have draft choices and expiring contracts of forward Eduardo Najera and guard J.R. Smith, enough pieces to at least give the Clippers various options to consider.
Could Denver complete a deal for Cassell?
That’s far from a guarantee.
But here’s a better question:
Do the Nuggets want to take their best shot at the championship?
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
