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 .
Hi, Ben. I don’t begrudge these guys the money they are making. But when I see Carmelo Anthony sit out five games because of a sprained ankle, I am reminded of when Rudy Tomjanovich played with a mask when his facial structure was devastated.
— Chuck Traylor, Hawley, Minn.
Chuck – Yeah, this has always been a debate in sports. Just how tough are these guys? You look at a guy like Allen Iverson, who could take a Lennox Lewis beating and be there for tipoff, and wonder why others sit out. And then you look at a guy like Eduardo Najera, who often plays through pain, but had to take himself out of the lineup earlier this month, because he was in so much pain.
With Anthony, he was out there on the court before those games, working out, trying desperately to play on his ankle. I think if it were the playoffs, he would have played. But the worst thing that could happen is the guy forces it in one game, re-injures himself, and then misses a couple weeks.
But, yeah, the days of “rub some dirt on it and play” are long gone.
How are you doing, Benjamin? Do you think the Denver Nuggets can be a championship contender in the West? The Lakers added Pau Gasol to their team, and the West is getting tough.
— Mike, Philadelphia
Mike – When the Nuggets play smart, intense defense, they are arguably one of the top teams in the West. It will be up to them to do so on a more consistent basis, leading up to the playoffs.
As for the West, like Marcus Camby said, “The West is always tough, but this year is extremely tough. If you want to have home court, you basically have to have a flawless second half of the season.”
I think the Nuggets can contend. We’ll see what happens as they approach the trade deadline. Obviously, if Nene can come back, that bolsters the low post.
But with the defensive inconsistencies, it’s becoming a broken-record thing. They play great defense, they generally win. They don’t play defense, they say that that’s what they need to do to win.
They have the talent to contend. Do they have the focus?
Hi. How many draft choices do the Nuggets have in the forthcoming draft in June, barring any trade transactions. And in your opinion, what would be the most immediate need? Thanks.
— Arthur Lim, Manila, Philippines
The Philippines! Again! We get more e-mails from the Philippines than we do from Aurora.
As for the 2008 draft, Arthur, the Nuggets currently have just one pick – their own first-round pick. The second-rounder was traded in 2006 as part of the trade that acquired forward Reggie Evans.
As for a need, the Nuggets will surely look at a young point guard, possibly a shooting guard, someone they can develop. Allen Iverson, Anthony Carter and Chucky Atkins are all in their 30s. And, as we’ve seen, there are times where Denver has been desperate for a backup point guard this season.
Do you know if the Nuggets are looking for a low-post man to assist Marcus Camby with some rebounding duties?
— Steven, Las Vegas
Steven – If the Nuggets are going to bring in someone, it’s likely they’ll bring in either another guard who can split time with Anthony Carter or a forward who can increase the defensive intensity. With Camby playing some of his best basketball, and Kenyon Martin getting into a flow at power forward, the Nuggets have a good foundation there. Of course, the question remains when Nene will be able to return. If he can’t, then that does leave a frontcourt void on the bench.
With all the political hype going on, do you have any insight on who some of the Nuggets players and coaches are endorsing for president?
— Brian Davis, Oklahoma City
Brian – Well, George Karl has always been a big democrat, and a lot of the players have talked about Barack Obama as a candidate they like. Marcus Camby had a little politician in him on Tuesday. Previously, he had stated he was for Obama. But asked about his current choice, he smiled and said: “I’m flipping a coin right now. I think you can’t go wrong with either one of those Democratic candidates. I’m on the fence.”
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
