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 .
Does George Karl realize that on offense? He catches and finishes very well coming off a pick and roll; he scores with either hand out of the low post; he gets opposing big men in foul trouble; and he’s one of the best passing centers in the league. And if Karl sees all this, why can’t he get more of Nene’s teammates to give him the ball on a consistent basis?
— Jason, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Well, Jason, I would say you have a good basketball eye. Karl is indeed pleased with , notably his scoring efficiency. The guy shoots about 61 percent from the field, which is not only tops on the Nuggets, but also tops in the NBA.
I think point guard Chauncey Billups — and, of late, J.R. Smith — have done a pretty good job at keeping Nene involved offensively, but, yeah, it’s tough to get him Carmelo Anthony-like shot attempts when Carmelo is on your roster — much less Billups and Smith, sharpshooters in their own right, and Linas Kleiza off the bench, too. And Nene does occasionally pick up early fouls. I’m writing to you from courtside at Memphis, where Nene is on the bench, because he got two fouls in the first seven minutes of the game. But overall, I would say Nene is in a good place with Denver, and if he picks up his work ethic, which his coach has questioned in the past, Nene could be an all-star — which his coach says he very well could be.
How is Carmelo Anthony’s rehab going? When will he return? Thanks.
— Mitch, Denver
Mitch – It sounds like the rehab is going well. He has been shooting and made the trip to Memphis and New Orleans, where he has spent extensive time with Steve Hess and the rest of the strength and conditioning staff, as well as the training staff. We will see if he’s cleared to play at his Thursday doctor’s appointment, but Anthony is confident he will return in Friday’s home game against the Bobcats.
He is averaging 21.1 points per game this season and 7.3 rebounds and coach George Karl says he’s an all-star. More on that next.
Hey, Benjamin. Do you think Melo’s injury had a lot to do with his fall in the all-star balloting?
— Rick, Denver
Yeah, Rick, it’s definitely possible it did in the fan voting, and maybe it could come into play with the coaches’ selection of the reserves. Obviously we’ll know for sure on Thursday.
As for the fan voting, the Suns — who are hosting the All-Star Game — spearheaded a major campaign for Amare Stoudemire (including a website called ). With Tim Duncan the top forward in votes, Melo was actually second after the third voting tabulations, but plummeted to fifth in the final announcement on Jan. 23.
The results:
* Duncan, Spurs – 2,578,168
* Stoudemire, Suns – 1,460,429
* Bruce Bowen, Spurs – 1,392,398
* Ron Artest, Rockets – 1,362,565
* Anthony, Nuggets – 1,337,519
So maybe Melo not playing had something to do with it, but note that San Antonio has a fervent fan base and a lot of Rockets fans are in China, which could have catapulted Bowen and Artest in the final weeks.
As for the coaches’ voting, Nuggets coach George Karl said that Melo is the top small forward in basketball but, yeah, his injuries could hurt his situation — especially with Chauncey Billups, a Nuggets teammate, likely a lock as a reserve. I wrote , but one thing the coaches might take into consideration is the recent surge of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Forward Al Jefferson puts up all-star numbers, but now that his team is suddenly winning — and Melo is watching — maybe a vote-swaying coach would pick Jefferson. We shall see.
Is it safe for handicapped people to attend a Denver Nuggets game? My grandmother is 88 years old and would like to attend the San Antonio-Denver game Feb. 3. Also, how do I acquire the handicap section tickets?
— Mark Everett, Centennial
Mark – I inquired and was told that yes, it is safe. Just call the box office and request handicap-accessible seats — (303) 405-1212. Or you can visit . One thing to keep in consideration is that the games do get pretty loud, notably the player introductions.
With the Nuggets hanging on to first place in our division, there is some talk of making a trade before the deadline for a scorer. Why not look at the disgruntled Ben Gordon from Chicago to push us to the next level and trade either Linas Kleiza or J.R. Smith, who have proven to be good off the bench but inconsistent, to say the least?
— Grant, Casper, Wyo.
Hey, Grant. I think the Nuggets will make another move to enhance their team, but I would suggest that they will acquire another low-post player, to give them more size off the bench. A player like Gordon would be fun — the dude can light it up — but who would Denver be willing to give up for him?
You bring up an interesting debate with Kleiza, who is a restricted free agent but also expressed curiosity about playing overseas next season. He and Smith are both long-range threats off the bench. Could you get some different type of reserve for Kleiza, whose defense isn’t the best? But the Nuggets have loved what he brings in running the court and with his ability to drive from the perimeter. And Denver developed him. All things to consider.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Nuggets Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
