Denver Post sports writer Benjamin Hochman posts his Nuggets Mailbag every Wednesday during the 2008-09 NBA season on DenverPost.com.
To drop a Nuggets- or NBA-related question into the Nuggets Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Hey, Benjamin. Which Nuggets player benefits the most from ? Thanks.
— Rocky, Denver
Rocky – I think this is the answer the Nuggets fans want to hear — Carmelo Anthony. Of course, Anthony saw the trade of Allen Iverson as “bittersweet.” Iverson was a player he always admired — and a player who became one of his closer friends. But, like I said to someone the other day, the Nuggets with Iverson and Anthony were a lot like having Reverend Run and DMC, two spotlight-snatching stars. They put on a heck of a show, but they needed a Jam-Master Jay, a less-flashy guy, but someone who can control the pace and the beat — a general. Now they have that in Billups.
Without Iverson — and his shot selection and continuous dribbling — the Nuggets will be able to set up their offense more fluidly, using Billups to orchestrate the offense, feeding Anthony in different spots around the court. Basically, Billups is in there to make Melo better, and to determine where on the court Melo can be most effective on each particular night.
Asked about the new-look Nuggets, coach George Karl said: “Last year we were too wild and our shot selection got too crazy. This year, you’re going to see us develop into a good running team. And we’re going to play solid, more fundamental offense.”
Do you get the sense that Billups wants to finish his career with the Nuggets?
— Gary, Denver
Gary – He said basically that very thing at his introductory press conference. Really, how great is this for the city? Here is a Denver guy, who grew up watching his team suffer almost annually, returning home as a champion to help turn his hometown team into a champion.
And the fact that he’s wearing No. 7, in case you didn’t see, is significant. Billups said he admired how quarterback John Elway, in his final two seasons of an already illustrious career, carried the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowls. And so, another Denver legend hopes to immortalize his status. Of course, it’s gonna be tough. The Western Conference is loaded with young stars. And, as one anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated, “At 32, Chauncey Billups is beginning to show his age. He’s been more efficient in playing fewer minutes, but he doesn’t get to the rim as much as he used to.” And the Nuggets play a fast-paced offense where Billups will need to be the catalyst.
But the Nuggets are confident that this is the guy they need. Karl said that besides Chris Paul and Deron Williams, if he could have any point guard in the league, it would be Billups or Steve Nash. Like I told Rocky from Denver in the question above, Billups will make good players even better.
Said Billups: “I’m just trying to come in and lead and share with these guys a lot of my experiences.”
Hey, Ben. How did the “Birdman” get his nickname? Do his teammates call him that?
— Bob, Chicago
Bob – Because he shoots the outside shot like Larry Bird.
No, “Birdman” has always been a high-flying dunker, so it’s a nickname he picked up when he was younger. At Blinn Junior College, he would put on a show in little gyms across Texas. One time, the Birdman told me, he unleashed such a display of aerodynamics, that the delirious fans rushed the court after a particularly amazing dunk.
Today, Chris Andersen even has red wings tattooed on the inside of each arm, so when he dunks at just the proper angle, it looks like he is being propelled by his wings.
Why in the world would the Nuggets not try to trade either Antonio McDyess or rather than doing a buyout and getting nothing?
— John Fritschler, Centennial
It’s a good question, John, and a debatable one, too. Basically, the way it has been explained, buying out McDyess saves Denver money (keep in mind the following numbers are rounded, but you’ll get the sense of what I’m trying to say). Denver gets rid of Iverson, who makes close to $21 million this year, and gets Billups in return, who makes $11 million.
If the Nuggets had paid McDyess his normal contract — or the player(s) they could have traded him for — the Nuggets would have paid about $7 million this year, and $7 million next year. But, because of the buyout, Denver will pay just $3 million this year and $3 million next year. This not only saves Denver money, but it also helps get the entire payroll within $1 million of the luxury-tax line.
Obviously, just like we saw with the Marcus Camby situation this summer, Denver lost a player that could have provided points and rebounds. But Denver’s goal is to try to win while shaving salaries, and basically that happened by giving up Iverson for Billups, arguably not a bad exchange.
This is a serious question: Can the Nuggets go .500 this year? I just don’t see it. We lost the center of the defense, and our rebounding so far shows the effects. And we lost the only offensive player who worked hard.
— Antonio, Denver
Antonio – Barring major injuries, I think this team can not only go .500, but also vie for a playoff spot. Clearly, there are some questions with this team. Can Billups be as productive in this speedy offense as he was in Detroit’s slower offense? Can the big men stay out of foul trouble and out of the training room? Can Anthony emerge as a total team player?
But the Chauncey acquisition helps coach Karl’s rotation fall into place. Iverson, for better or worse, gobbled up close to 40 minutes a night. And Karl said it would have been hard for Iverson and J.R. Smith to be on the court at the same time, because both are oft-shooting off-guards and both play inconsistent defense. Now, with Chauncey at the point, and Anthony Carter backing him up, Smith can develop more at the two, and Dahntay Jones can get more playing time, and Karl likes the defensively talented Jones.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
