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. How important is the All-Star Game to the players? Do you think something should be at stake, like home-filed advantage in MLB? Thanks.
— Andy, Arvada
That’s a good question, Andy, and I feel that the all-star nod is very important to players. The game, well, not as much. Though I will say that in recent years, I’ve seen some hustle and resilience on the court during the All-Star Game. Last season, West point guard Chris Paul led a furious comeback, but couldn’t capture the win.
But overall, it’s the accomplishment of being named to the all-star team that carries the weight around the league. It’s all about the recognition of being named an all-star, having that on your resume, getting to invite your friends and family to watch you at All-Star Weekend, being referred to in the Denver Post sports section as “all-star Carmelo Anthony.”
There has been some talk in recent years of how to spruce the game up, making it more meaningful. I think it would be tough to get guys to, say, take charges and throw elbows in the midwinter classic. Maybe it would be fun to create a 4-point line or instead of a jump ball, having a dunk-off between two players and have the fans determine who gets the ball by voting on which dunk was cooler. Yes, goofy things like these could hurt the integrity of the game, but it is, after all, the All-Star Game.
I don’t like the idea of the exhibition All-Star Game having any implications on the actual season — in other words, determining which conference has home-court advantage in the NBA Finals, as seen in baseball. I love baseball, and I love that the league tries its best to get the most fans to watch the All-Star Game by promoting that the game “counts.” But I just don’t like how some random exhibition game can alter the course of history. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I liked it when it was just understood that one year, the National League would get home-field advantage and the next year, the American League would. I remember the absolute infuriation in 2006 when Trevor Hoffman blew the National League’s lead in the ninth inning, giving the AL home-field advantage in the World Series (thankfully, my hometown St. Louis Cardinals persevered and won Game 1 in Detroit).
One other thing that irks me about the All-Star Game (and this pertains more to baseball than basketball), is that the game glorifies the accomplishments of a player’s first half — but there is no recognition for a player’s second half. So often in baseball (more than basketball), there’s a guy who hits .310 in the first half, gets an all-star nod, and then hits .240 in the second half. Or a pitcher that catches fire in the second half. I think baseball should annually name a team of “Second-Halfers,” guys who had the best performances at each position in the games following the all-star announcements. Every once in a while, a basketball player will catch fire in the second half of a season, but the way basketball is played, the all-stars today are generally all-stars in April.
Do you think J.R. Smith would be a good player to consider trading? I mean, I know his talent and what he has done for this team. But at the same time, , and he can lose us games at times. And a lot of teams are probably interested in him, so we wouldn’t get cheated out of the deal. What’s your opinion?
— Shawn, Denver
Hey, Shawn. I think the answer is “no.” J.R. Smith is an investment. This summer, Denver could have locked up Eduardo Najera (who Nuggets coach George Karl loved) or another free agent, but Denver instead gave the money to Smith, the 23-year-old who, sometimes, is the best player on the court.
There is no question that Smith’s game is maddening at times. He plays subpar defense and sometimes forces shots, Karl said. But Denver has invested too much already into J.R. Smith. They know he has the potential to be a 20-points-per-game guy. And, really, they’re in too deep — they’ve already dedicated numerous hours of tutelage (and endured numerous headaches) to trade him while he’s still in the process of developing.
Hello, B. How important is someone’s plus/minus numbers? Does Coach pay attention to them? Do you? Thanks for all your insights.
— Mathew, Denver
That’s a fair question, Mathew. Indeed, both Karl and the Nuggets’ staff and front office pay attention to the plus/minus statistic (which compares the amount of points your team scores with you on the court, compared to the amount of points your opponent scores). It’s a pretty telling stat, but not as important as some of the individual stats because, basically, it’s not always a certain player’s fault why the opposition scores. (For all the frustration that J.R. Smith provides Karl, it’s Karl occasionally pointing out that Smith did pretty well in certain games with plus/minus).
It’s definitely a stat to consider — and really, I would say it’s more telling if a guy’s really in the minus, than if a guy is really in the plus. But I think some of the best stats that go underrated are assist-to-turnovers (how often does a guy tally seven assists, and everyone makes a big deal, but he also turned it over five times) and points per 48 minutes and, basically, anything cooked up by John Hollinger, the stat guru on ESPN.com.
Why does George Karl insist on playing Anthony Carter at the end of games? We get the lead without him on the court, George plays him in his end-of-game rotation (with Dahntay Jones on the bench, who clearly needs to be on the court more) and the Nuggets have given up the lead against Detroit on Jan. 9 and against Dallas on Jan. 13.
— Barry Carp, Denver
That’s a fair question, Barry, and yes those lead-losses were frustrating. But overall, Karl feels that Carter’s defense is the best perimeter defense Denver has. Carter’s ability to get in shooters’ faces is top-notch, and Carter spews intensity on the court in the fourth-quarter situations. Yes, Jones is really, really good at defense, too, and as we’ve seen — especially with Carmelo Anthony sidelined with a broken hand — both perimeter defenders have made fourth-quarter appearances. But Karl talks about the Chauncey Billups-Carter combo in the backcourt as, over the course of the season, his best defense against blowing a game. And so, we’ll get more Carter.
I saw your . Who is the best IN-GAME dunker in the league today? And on the Nuggets. Thanks.
— Peter, Denver
Peter – That’s a fun question. I’d have to say J.R. Smith is Denver’s best in-game dunker, because his athleticism allows him to put a little more pizzazz into an in-game dunk.
As for the best in-game dunker in the league, I’d love to hear your opinion — as well as the other readers — but I’d have to go with LeBron James. The dude soars. When he cuts into the lane and elevates, it’s as if he’s a power forward. He attacks the rim with a vengeance. But, like Smith, James has such flexibility, that he can make a showy slam or a silky slam if need be. And he elevates like Dr. J.
Look how high he gets on Tim Duncan (Tim Duncan!):
Here’s one of the best in-game dunks, just because of its timeliness (in the playoffs against Boston):
And here’s him ALMOST dunking from the free-throw line
But there will never be a better in-game dunk than Vince Carter over Frederic Weis:
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
