Denver Post sports writer Benjamin Hochman posted his Nuggets Mailbag every Wednesday during the 2007-08 NBA season on DenverPost.com. This is the season finale.
To drop a Nuggets- or NBA-related question into the Nuggets Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
I know the Nuggets like to run and are very good at it. But since very few running teams win a championship, and based on the makeup of the team, shouldn’t they focus on the half court?
— Don Ohlin, Cheyenne
Don – It’s a fair question. Obviously, the Suns have been perennial contenders for a few years now, and their run-and-gun offense never makes the grand stage of the NBA Finals. And the Warriors were able to utilize their fast-paced offense to knock off No. 1-seeded Mavericks in 2007, but that proved to be a matchup thing, because they lost the next round to a team arguably worse than the Mavericks.
All that said, the Nuggets’ fast-paced offense that thrives on explosive spurts isn’t doomed for failure. With the right pieces, I feel like it can be a championship system. And Denver has a lot of those right pieces, right now. But – as Kenyon Martin told us on Tuesday – it’s going to take a concerted defensive effort from anyone who ends up wearing blue and white. Yes, a lot of Denver’s defense is based on steals and blocks, but allowing easy baskets will not cut it.
Is George Karl trying to get fired on purpose to get the Knicks job?
— Michael McInnis, Los Angeles
Michael – Nah, but that does bring up a good question – what should the Knicks do? Do they get salty and bring in a revered former player with little coaching experience, such as Mark Jackson? Or do they look to some old wise man with a mile-long resume, even though that didn’t work with Larry Brown.
Personally, I’m interested to see what happens to Tom Thibodeau, the Celtics’ assistant who is credited for their defensive success. He was a former Knicks assistant when Marcus Camby was there, and the Nuggets’ shot blocker speaks highly of him. Even if he doesn’t go to the Knicks, I think Thibodeau is this year’s Marc Iavaroni, a talented assistant ready to make the leap. Let’s hope this year’s Marc Iavaroni doesn’t end up like last year’s Marc Iavaroni.
I have never watched a more boring playoff series. Have you?
— Scott, Denver
Scott – Little defense by Denver, lots of blowouts. I hear ya. Game 4 was pretty exciting, though. The crowd got into it, and Denver clamped down defensively. But, yeah, overall, it was pretty boring. But, if you were a Lakers fan, you might have found Kobe’s 49 points pretty cool. Even so, that happened in a blowout of a game. Never thought I’d say this, but – at least we can look forward to the intensity of a tight Celtics-Hawks series.
How you doing, Benjamin? Can you tell Coach Karl that when the bench is in and outscoring the other team, he should leave them in? When you watch Game 1, you can see it’s all the coach’s fault.
— Angel Dido, New York
Angel – Obviously, a lot of criticism has been put on the coach, fairly or unfairly. Yeah, there are times where the bench – more specifically, J.R. Smith’s offense and Eduardo Najera’s defense – digs the Nuggets out of a hole. But that’s what the bench is supposed to do.
The counter to your statement is – if you leave the bench in, then you’re basically benching Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. The more they’re on the bench, the more disgruntled they become. Same goes for Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby. And, bench guys are good for a certain amount of minutes, where they can capitalize on what they do well, without having their weaknesses exposed. After all, there’s a reason why they’re reserves.
How come A.I. does not recognize the pick-and-roll that Carmelo Anthony does for him? It works for every other team. Iverson would rather force the shot than share the ball. Can you please relay the message to him, pretty please? It works, A.I.!
— Tony, Highlands Ranch
Tony – Iverson has made a career a slithering around defenders, pick or no pick. Sure, you can look at a team like Utah or New Orleans, and you’ll see the crisp pick-setting is successful. And, yes, those teams are looking good in the playoffs. But a lot of times, Iverson is actually better at creating space with the dribble and drive. But, the Nuggets will surely tinker some of the plays and philosophies, due to the fact that it’s not even May and their season is over.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
