Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige posts his Woody’s Mailbag every Thursday on DenverPost.com.
To drop a sports-related question into Woody’s Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s . And to browse the archive of videos in Woody’s World, .
With just over the horizon, all of us want to know how many picks Broncos coach Mike Shanahan allows you to make and who you are taking at No. 12?
— Ben Funderburk, York, Pa.
Shanny is one of my closest friends, Ben, as people in Denver, but maybe not York, realize. He is building me a room off the garage in his new home. I get to pick the 12th round. Oh, you meant No. 12 in the first round.
I trade down and get a third-round choice (which the Broncos currently do not have). I choose , the mammoth defensive lineman out of North Carolina, with the lower first-round pick and , linebacker from Oklahoma, with the second pick. They both would spot play and add depth where the Broncos need it. I’m waiting for Shanny’s call for advice.
Woody – It’s obvious in the sports world that the Denver Nuggets are probably the most underachieving team in the NBA (with the roster in mind). What (or who) do you feel is the biggest culprit with such a talented team?
— Scott Nicholas, Littleton
Great question, Scott. Tough question.
I divide the blame between Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. When one has the ball, the other does not move. If either gets it, we all (including the other team) know he will go one-on-one. And, generally, the other three Nuggets on the floor just stand and watch. (Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Anthony Carter do not move without the ball much or well, anyway.)
Iverson should break to the basket and look to dish outside to Anthony for an open jumper. If Anthony has it and is overplayed, Iverson should break to the basket, and Anthony should get him the ball. They do like each other and like playing with each other, but they don’t complement each other. If they don’t start working well together, they won’t be working together next season.
If the Broncos have a poor season, will Mr. Bowlen bring in a GM?
— Dr. Max Clark, Beavercreek, Ohio
Dr. – No. I’ve been coughing a lot. Do you recommend any medication?
Woody – Do you think it would be possible to let George Karl know that the basic problem with the Nuggets is that they have two players who fundamentally have to dribble the ball in order to score? The rest of the starting five (Camby, Martin and Carter) have no ability to score in the half court, so the offense gets stagnant when the Melo-Answer combo is not hitting.
— Jamie Hosmer, Denver
Jamie – I sort of addressed this with Scott, and I have talked to George about it. The coach made a strong effort earlier to reward the Nuggets for unselfish offensive play. When they got 30 assists, they got the next day off without practice. I know, I know. They get paid a fortune, and we shouldn’t be giving them lollipops. But they’ve gotten away from caring about assists lately, it seems. I thought Carmelo bought into the idea for a while.
I think, though, that their problems are more on the defensive end, as if I’m the only one who has figured that out. Anthony doesn’t seem interested at all. I watched him Sunday when a Lakers player got the ball at the top of the free-throw arc, and Carmelo not only didn’t double-team, but also paid no attention to his own man, who was outside the 3-point arc. Do one or the other. He’s not paid to watch.
I’ve covered pro basketball for 40 years, and defense is all about desire. You don’t have to own incredible talent. You just have to want to do it. Bill Russell rested on the offensive end. Too many of the Nuggets want to rest on the defensive end.
I’ve seen J.R. Smith at least try recently on defense. I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but I’m wondering if the Nuggets don’t try to move A.I. and put J.R. in that spot. I think Smith would average 25 points a game, if he continues (finally) to mature and pass the ball and show better shot selection. The Nuggets do need some people who move without the ball. I give you Manu Ginobili, who was thisclose to signing with the Nuggets when Kiki Vandeweghe was the GM.
Hi, Woody. What you think about the Colorado Rapids’ great start this year? I know how much you and your pals on “Around the Horn” love to mock soccer, but there are lots of us out here who love it. Maybe we’ll see you at a game this summer!
— Dave Scott, Denver
Nobody else on ATH has defended the MLS as I have, Dave. You must not be paying attention.
I have covered World Cup finals. I have written about soccer at the Olympics. I wrote about and attended the MLS all-star game in Commerce City last year and had a lengthy conversation with the commissioner. I have talked positive about the David Beckham decision to play in the U.S. What do you want from me?
I think soccer’s boring, and, as I told someone at a World Cup, I already have one boring sport in my life – baseball. I’ll be at a game or a few this summer. I actually looked for the attendance at the last home game and saw it was 14,000. That’s about the number of Rapid fans in the area. As you understand, soccer is not, and will not be, gigantic in this country. How many people in France care about baseball? Maybe 14,000.
Hey, Woody. Have you heard anything new about the Avs having an outdoor game in the future?
— Teo, Fort Carson
Teo – Yeah, on July 4, with fireworks, at Coors Field. The Slush Bowl.
Seriously, , and that Denver host a hockey weekend outdoors, with DU and CC playing, and junior hockey teams from the area competing in a tournament, and a downtown winter carnival. There has been some discussion about the possibility, but it’s all up to the NHL and the Avalanche. And so far, they are not considering it for the near future. I will keep trying to push it.
Do you think Detroit will win the NBA championship?
— Andre Brown, San Diego
No, Andre. The Chargers have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl this season. The Pistons couldn’t even win their first game at home. Boston will beat Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals. But I love Chauncey Billups. I first saw him in the eighth grade, and he went to high school with my daughter. He is a first-class guy and Mr. Big Shot. But he comes up short again.
In the ’80s, when the Cardinals and Mets were trading pennants back and forth, the Mets won a dramatic game and an April series at Busch Stadium, and credited it with providing the momentum for ultimately winning the division. Think last week will be similar?
— Steve, Florence, Mont.
No, Steve. Are all my answers “no”?
No. Arizona is the pick of the litter. New York Mets. Chicago Cubs. Diamondbacks. The Rockies have to compete for the wild card again against St. Louis (surprise) and Atlanta. They have a chance; then, we saw that anything can happen in the postseason.
I’m still not convinced about the Rockies’ starting pitching. They should have given up two or three prospects for Dan Haren. It’s what I call a twofer. He would have been their ace, and they could have kept him away from Arizona. One of the Rockies’ minor league managers told me the Rockies soon will be jammed up with the players coming up through the system. I know the Rox are still gun shy about acquiring big-ticket pitchers because of the Hampton-Neagle mess, but they need one more big-time starter to get over the hump.
No more No.
Woody Paige first joined The Denver Post in 1981 as a sports columnist. To drop a question into Woody’s Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
