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 .
I demand to know why Chucky Atkins has not seen action in weeks. There is no doubt; this will cause me to lose my mind during our first-round exit against the Spurs. The last time I remember Chucky playing, he was 5-for-8 on 3-pointers. There is no way Anthony Carter is that much better defensively – he is a fourth-rate point guard.
— Luke, Denver
Well, Luke, I think there are others like yourself who are frustrated that Chucky isn’t playing much. Obviously, J.R. Smith is playing his best basketball in recent weeks. I asked George Karl about Chucky’s PT – or lack thereof – and he said: “I just think it’s the circumstances of – you have to win, and you don’t have time to experiment. I love Chucky, I’d like to play him, but we really haven’t had that 15-point lead in the second quarter of that advantageous game where experimenting might have been a possibility. We have to coach a game a little bit like a playoff game.”
All that said, I’ve got to disagree with you and say Carter is probably a little better defender on the perimeter than Atkins. But, the obvious counter to that would be: “Well, Benjamin, how do we know, because Atkins never plays!”
Why doesn’t J.R. Smith start at shooting guard and Allen Iverson start at point guard?
— Chris, West Virginia
Chris – It’s a good question, and there are surely times where we’ve seen the two of them in the backcourt together. But I think Denver likes having that extra passer on the court, a guy who can control the ball and find Iverson coming off the curls, as opposed to Iverson setting up the offense and being the main focus of it. And, even though he’s shorter, Carter is a better defender than Smith.
The most glaring weakness in Denver’s defense is the pick-and-roll. Talented tandems have torn us up all year by constantly running that play. It seems like if we can solve that problem, we could do well in the playoffs. Do you like our chances against the Spurs or Hornets?
— Andy, Denver
Those are good points, Andy, especially when you consider some of their successes – against teams such as Utah and New Orleans, for instance – have been in games when Denver was aggressive on the pick-and-roll. I think Denver can compete in the postseason with New Orleans and San Antonio, though after Denver’s games against Sacramento and Seattle, you’d wonder if the Nuggets could compete with Kansas and Memphis. But the Nuggets match up pretty well with New Orleans, man-for-man, and Denver has played San Antonio tough in many of their matchups this season. And Kenyon Martin wasn’t in last year’s playoffs against the Spurs. Still, competing with an opponent is one thing – burying them four times is quite another.
I’ve often wondered how the Nuggets travel, or any other professional basketball team. Do they have their own private jet with extra legroom or do they stand in line at DIA and fly like the rest of us common folk?
— Mike Embree, Centennial
Alas, Mike, the Nuggets do not get to experience the luxuries of tiny peanuts, tiny beverages and tiny bathrooms. They do it big. They have their own chartered plane, which features leather reclining seats and catered food. That said – no frequent flier miles.
Ben – Love reading your work. It seems like we match up better now with the Spurs than we have in the past. With San Antonio a possible first-round opponent for the Nuggets, is it foolish of me to think that we could now hang with San Antonio in a seven-game series, grind it out, and beat them as opposed to losing in five games like we did in 2005 and ’07?
— Brandon G., Columbia, Mo.
Thanks for the compliment, Brandon (and for the record, I’ve never met Brandon G., even though I did attend college in Columbia.).
Similar to what I discussed in the question from Andy in Denver, I think the Nuggets match up better with the Spurs this year than, say, way back in 2007. Here are some reasons. Kenyon Martin, Denver’s best man-to-man defender, is back this season, and he’ll pick up the slack against Tim Duncan, giving Marcus Camby a chance to roam and block shots. J.R. Smith was benched during last season’s playoffs, and entering this season’s playoffs, he’s playing smarter basketball than he ever has (and he’s shooting splendidly). And Allen Iverson now has a full season under his belt as a Nugget, learning the tendencies of Carmelo Anthony and others. But, the Spurs are pretty much the same team as always. And that’s a championship-caliber team, even on an off night.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
