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 .
Do you think the Nuggets plan to re-sign Allen Iverson? It is no secret that he normally likes to get an extension while he has one year left on his contract. Reading between the lines of his comments about he may not sell his house close to Philadelphia, it indicates that Denver does not want to give him the long-term, max contract that he wants.
— Calvin Waller, Belleville, N.J.
Calvin – I think the Nuggets will do what they can to keep A.I. He has been the heart of this team. He has been a delight for fans, for jersey sales, for his teammates. Yes, they’re not in the playoffs right now. But you cannot fault a guy for being among the league leaders in scoring and having one of his better assists seasons – and the fewest turnovers of his NBA career.
I was there when he made the comment about not selling his house in Philadelphia. The context was – he was wary about how the fans would react to him upon his return. Would they be thankful for his decade of grit, or would they be insulted by the way he left the team and city? The fans showered him with the former. So after the game, he was talking about how maybe the city still does care for him, and he shouldn’t be afraid to show his face around town (and live in his home there, too). I do not think it was a subliminal message about how the 76ers will have a bunch of cap room available and Iverson makes a lot of money.
Great defense is the surest path to an NBA championship. Poor defense, even with above-average offense, is the path to first-round exits or even the lottery. The Nuggets have been weak on defense for years – we should not expect this to change with the current cast. Should the Nuggets look to move Carmelo Anthony for a more complete (offensively and defensively strong) player?
— Brian Hughes, Greenwood Village
Brian – I don’t think you move Carmelo Anthony. Like I’ve said before, you don’t trade a superstar for two good players, or some combo like that. But, yes, the Nuggets have received a wake-up call this season. You said it – an amazing offense doesn’t mean much if your defense makes your opponent an amazing offense.
Denver needs a smothering perimeter defender on its roster. And that’s got to be a guy who can play significant minutes – not like Yakhouba Diawara, who will give you a good defensive game once a month, but can’t help you in other facets.
Not only do this year’s Nuggets consistently lose to tough teams on the road, but also more often than not they get flat-out annihilated. It started in Boston early in the season and continued with recent blowout losses to Houston and Detroit. How does it happen that a team struggling for its playoff life seemingly forgets to show up when it travels away from the Pepsi Center?
— Matt, Mt. Sunflower, Kan.
Matt – Frustrating, isn’t it? I think it all comes down to mental focus and leadership. Obviously, the Nuggets have played many games this season where the defense has been fantastic. But on the road, to quote “Bull Durham,” there’s some lollygagging. Like we’ve said time and again, Denver needs to play first quarters with fourth-quarter intensity on the road. Because, as Marcus Camby said this week, you can’t just turn up the defensive intensity against good teams and expect to make up for earlier failures.
Ben – Nuggets fan in Jersey. Looking at the J.R. Smith situation, do you feel it was a poor decision by George Karl not to sign him to a contract? If he was signed, Denver could have traded him if it didn’t work out. Now, he can walk, and the Nugs get nothing. Reminds me of the Dikembe Mutombo situation in the ’90s.
— Terrence L., Hoboken, N.J.
Terrence – This is a good question. Now, he is a restricted free agent this summer, but, yeah, they might have been able to lock him down for cheaper in October. Might. Overall, Smith has been playing much better of late. He has been making jump shots like NBA arenas are his back yard, and his defense has actually improved. Somewhat.
He is an important part of this team’s potential run to the playoffs, and he is a buddy of Allen Iverson’s, which is important in locker room dichotomy.
I still think there are questions about his long-term focus and consistency. He’s having a great March; can he duplicate it in April? So I don’t fault the Nuggets for not signing him. But it would be frustrating to the fans if he becomes the team’s No. 3 scorer, and he ends up being another team’s No. 3 scorer next season.
Also, I just wanted to throw out that it’s not Karl who signs players to contracts – it’s the Nuggets brass that does that, notably Mark Warkentien. And Dikembe was an unrestricted free agent, whereas J.R. is restricted, so the Nuggets can match any offer or even cook up a sign-and-trade if it’s agreed upon.
Will the Nuggets make the playoffs?
— J.E.
J.E. – I think so. I don’t know if it will be by default (a.k.a. Dirk) or because the Nuggets rise to the challenge. But I’ll tell you this (not like it’s an out-on-a-limb proclamation): I think it’s going to come down to one game.
I write this on Tuesday, so we know darn well the importance of the upcoming games against Dallas and Golden State. Denver has 11 games left, six at home, two total against Golden State. Meanwhile, the Warriors are in the middle of a terrible stretch, and the Mavericks are reeling. I think if Denver can win both games against the Warriors, they can make a push.
But, really, we’ll know a lot about this season after Saturday night. Two wins against Dallas and Golden State, suddenly Denver is on a four-game win streak with a ton of confidence. Lose both, and they’re on a two-game losing streak, heading into two games against the tricky Suns.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
