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 .
The “Dunkadelic Era” was born in 1984, and one of the five major events that led to the birth of the era was the 1984 NBA slam-dunk contest held in Denver at the old McNichols Arena. How does the city of Denver feel about its contribution to the Dunkadelic Era 25 years later?
— Derrick E. Vaughan, Baltimore
Love the enthusiasm, Derrick (Ricky?) Vaughan. Indeed, the NBA’s first slam-dunk contest was in January 1984, though the ABA held a contest in 1976 at halftime of its All-Star Game in Denver (the winner of that contest was Dr. Julius Erving, who was also a finalist in 1984). Of course, this contest started the trend of NBA players showcasing their best dunks on the big stage.
In the ’84 contest, the nine contestants were — Michael Cooper, Clyde Drexler, Edgar Jones, Ralph Sampson, Orlando Woolridge, Darrell Griffith, Dominique Wilkins, Larry Nance and Errrrrrrrrving. Below are the YouTube links to the contest. In the fifth link, around the 4:30 mark, Erving dunked from the free-throw line, though current Nuggets coach George Karl, who was a rookie coach that season, said: “I don’t think he actually got behind the free-throw line. He stepped on the line. I haven’t seen many guys leave behind the free-throw line. But it was toward the end of Julius’ career, so for him to do that, I thought was pretty impressive.”
Asked his favorite dunker of the ’80s, Karl didn’t say Michael Jordan, Erving, Wilkins or even Spud Webb.
“Larry Nance,” Karl said. “He had, by far, the most dominating dunk contest. The one year he won it, it was incredible. No one ever brings him up.”
But, sure enough, it was Nance who won the ’84 contest in Denver.
Related video from YouTube:
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? Never heard of Petro. Was he a starter with Oklahoma City? What can you tell us about the plan for Petro, and did we give up too much for an unproven big man? Thanks.
— Mack, Denver
Mack – Hope things are going well. Let me tell you — I think the trade was good for your Nuggets for several reasons. Off the court, it helped the Nuggets get under the $71.15 million luxury-tax line, an amazing feat for a team that began the summer close to $90 million. As for on the court, the Nuggets got a guy who might actually get on the court.
We all enjoyed Chucky’s personality and he was an important locker room guy. But he wasn’t going to play much, if it all, behind Denver’s four rotation guards. But Petro might play some in the low post. If anything, he can eat some minutes, giving Nene and Kenyon Martin a rest, and he can pick up some hard fouls, too. And now, the Nuggets have a new trade piece in Petro, a 22-year-old in the last year of his contract.
Hey, Benjamin. With the Nuggets trading away many of their draft picks last season, I was worried about their chances of picking up a quality player. Could you clarify how the Nugs stand now in terms of the number of picks they have and
in what rounds? Thanks.
— Travis, Los Angeles
Travis – That’s a very good question. The Nuggets had their own first-round pick but traded it in the Atkins-Petro deal to Oklahoma City, and picked up the Thunder’s second-round pick. It was good business. The Nuggets’ first-round pick likely would have been in the 20s and the Thunder — because they are really, really bad — very well could have the top pick in the second round (No. 31). So basically, the pool of players from which Denver would have chosen its first-round pick will likely be the same pool of players. And — the second-round pick doesn’t get guaranteed money.
Also, it’s possible Denver could get Charlotte’s first-round pick — but very unlikely. Here’s why. Last summer, the Nuggets acquired a protected first-rounder from the Bobcats. Here are the stipulations: If the pick is a lottery pick next draft (2009), it still belongs to Charlotte. But if Charlotte makes the playoffs, and the pick thus isn’t in the lottery, Denver can make the selection. The following year, if the pick didn’t become Denver’s in the previous draft, the pick still belongs to Charlotte if it falls amid 1-12. It’s protected by Charlotte if it’s 1-10 in 2011, 1-8 in 2012 and finally 1-3 in 2013. If for some reason the Nuggets have yet to acquire the pick, in 2014 it’s theirs, regardless of where Charlotte falls in the draft. But this season, the Bobcats are lottery-bound.
Hey, Benjamin. Sonny Weems is back on the team. Looks like he did decent with the 14ers. Will he see any action any time soon? Thanks.
— Garrett, Denver
Hate to say it, Garrett, but I’m just not sure when you’ll get to see Sonny. There’s no question that he’s one of the more athletic guys on the team. But he missed training camp, and Karl just doesn’t know what type of player Weems is. And he’s a rookie, so Weems isn’t going to learn the NBA game on the fly.
One thing I’ve noticed about Karl — in reference to Steven Hunter, Renaldo Balkman, Atkins or Weems — is that if a guy misses camp, it likely affected the player’s knowledge of the plays. Camp is also the one time Karl can watch a reserve for a prolonged period of time. So expect Weems to spend some more time with the 14ers, where he can get some playing time and some confidence.
Hey, Benjamin. I thought Cheikh Samb would be a long-term project worth trying. Was it worth it to trade him for a draft pick — a second-rounder, no less?
— Mike T., Fort Collins
Well, Mr. T, I believe was more money-oriented than anything. The trade — along with the Atkins move — pushed Denver below the luxury-tax line. And a draft pick is always a valuable trade commodity.
As for Samb the player, the Nuggets were clearly intrigued by the guy, and it’s very possible he could become a player someday. I did , and it broke down his game, notably his shot-blocking and smooth shot. It’s not like the Nuggets had given up on him, it was just that the trade would save them money today — and there wasn’t a guarantee that Samb would help them tomorrow.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
