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 the Nuggets have offseason workouts like the NFL?
— J.B., Lakewood
Well, J.B., they don’t have official “mini-camps” or things like that, but numerous Nuggets spend ample time staying in shape. The younger players will participate in the summer league. Some veterans head out to Las Vegas to work with esteemed trainers like Joe Abunassar. From what I understand, the summer-pickup games at his gym get as intense as regular-season games, and they feature all-stars such as Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups. Other players have their own trainers, and a lot of the guys work out here in Denver. And, of course, Carmelo Anthony will get his share of summer basketball, playing for Team USA in the Olympics.
Hi, Benjamin! I fell in love with this Nuggets team when you guys picked up Allen Iverson. The biggest question in my mind during every game is: Where is the defense? Seeing European teams playing full-court press all night long in every game of the season, I can’t understand why George Karl keeps these guys on the court if they don’t even try to defend that open shot!
— Jussi, Finland
Jussi – Glad you’re able to read The Denver Post from across the pond.
The defense has been a big concern throughout this season. Some nights, the defense will be stellar, such as the game against Houston on Sunday, a must-win. Other times, it will be awful, such as the night prior in Utah. I hear what you’re saying about possibly benching guys who don’t defend the open shot, but a lot of times, the defensive culprits (sigh) are Iverson and Anthony. And you can’t bench them. We’ll see how Denver’s wishy-washy defense holds up during the playoffs.
Hi, Benjamin. Do the Nuggets ever get tired or hearing from coaches or fans about their inconsistent defense?
— Brian, Littleton
I’ll tell you, Brian, I get tired about writing it. Sometimes, it’s like a broken record. The Nuggets play on-and-off defense. The Nuggets lose. Postgame, the Nuggets talk about how they need to pick up their defensive intensity. The Nuggets do just that in the next game. Postgame, the Nuggets talk about how they play well when they pick up their defensive intensity. And then, the Nuggets play on-and-off defense.
I know the Nuggets are embarrassed about their defense at times, and like I said in the previous question, there are times when the defense is stellar. But this has to become a consistent thing. Or else the season will be over by Cinco de Mayo.
Why would a head coach (Karl) wear an opposing team’s city symbol (Seattle’s Space Needle) on his tie? It was gaudy, ugly and disrespectful to his team and fans. His calm, uncaring demeanor this year is showing toward his team.
— Kathy McKee, Hotchkiss
Kathy – Gaudy and ugly – did you mean the gesture or the tie itself (because the tie was pretty ugly)? I asked Karl about the tie he wore in the Nuggets-Sonics game, and he said he wore it out of respect to a city he coached in – because the city might be losing its NBA franchise.
Karl is very passionate about having a team in Seattle, and he wanted to show his support in a symbolic way. I don’t think it was disrespectful to his team and fans (though, obviously you were disrespected, and I respect your feelings). But I don’t think the tie was meant in a “pro-Seattle, anti-Denver” situation.
Though his demeanor doesn’t always show it, Karl is fiercely dedicated to his team, as is his staff. Yes, there have been some bumps in the road. And yes, today’s players aren’t as easy to coach as when Karl broke into the league. But I don’t think he’s “uncaring,” and the tie wasn’t meant to disrespect his fans. On the contrary, Karl often talks about the passion of the Denver fans, and how Denver fans have helped his team win some ballgames this season.
What are the chances of Denver firing Karl and bringing in someone like Larry Brown?
— Nick Brownlee, Seattle
Nick – Not gonna happen. Or if it does, it would be shocking.
I write this on Tuesday, so assuming Denver beats Memphis on Wednesday, the Nuggets will have 50 wins. Guys seldom win 50 games and get fired, no matter how many websites are made to persuade that.
It seems that the Nuggets brass has confidence in Karl. Yes, the Nuggets could play better defense. And yes, they blew two games to Sacramento and Seattle that could have very well ruined the season. But I don’t sense any head-coaching movement. Moreover, even if there was an opening, I don’t know if Brown would be the guy. Though he and Iverson have patched up any rockiness – Iverson speaks glowingly about his old coach – Anthony clashed with Brown during the time they were together with Team USA.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
