With eyes on the rapidly improving competition in the Western Conference, Nuggets coach George Karl said his organization should leave no stone unturned in trying to get better.
“You get better by free agency, you get better by making trades, and you get better by making your players better,” Karl said Saturday. “I think we’ve got to observe all avenues. I don’t think there’s anything or any possibility that we should say ‘No’ to. I think our window should be open for business from agents to other teams to evaluating how we get our guys better as a coaching staff in the summertime.”
The Nuggets were linked to now-defunct trade rumors involving Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey. Karl chuckled at the notion of that deal, saying “this is the time that the Internet and gossip circles have a lot of information.”
He did not, however, rule out trading any player if the deal was right. “But it doesn’t mean we’re going to do anything,” Karl added.
Though the Nuggets won 50 games, Karl admitted there was a sour feeling in how it turned out.
“It’s a season that in a lot of ways, we had a better won-loss record, but we’re kind of frustrated with we may have stepped back,” he said. “We improved our record, but we actually had a couple teams probably go ahead of us that we got to be aware of. The Western Conference isn’t going to get any easier next year. I think we all feel we want to make some decisions on how to get better.”
One of those decisions is what to do in the June 26 NBA draft. The Nuggets have the 20th pick.
“I think anytime you pick low in the draft, you’re trying to find the best player,” Karl said.
Moe update.
Karl said Nuggets assistant — and former head coach — Doug Moe has yet to decide whether he will return for another season on the bench.
“I think Doug is in a stage of evaluating if he wants to do it again,” Karl said. “Doug and I have had some really good talks. I would say there’s a higher possibility of him not doing it than doing it.”
And on Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown’s recent overtures that Moe may join his staff?
“I think Larry Brown is playing musical chairs down there,” Karl said. “If Doug does anything, he’ll retire.”
Footnotes.
Karl walks with a cane these days, nearly three weeks removed from hip replacement surgery. He says he’s doing just fine. “I think I’m doing pretty good, 17 days out,” Karl said. . . . Kansas forward Darrell Arthur was a late scratch from Saturday’s workout. Maryland forward James Gist was injured during the workout.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
