His wingspan features wings — bright, red ones, tattooed on the inside of his biceps — and each time Chris Andersen blocks a shot, the wings are visible, a menacing reminder that he, indeed, is “The Birdman.”
Blocking shots. That’s what he does.
“The feeling is exhilarating,” the Nuggets’ reserve center said of swatting away the ball. “Guys know that I’m in there, in the paint. In the back of their mind, they’re knowing there’s a shot blocker in the paint. I’m just trying to be patient out there. But defense is what gets us out running on the break.”
Entering Wednesday, he was fourth in the NBA with 2.05 blocks per game, but his numbers are soaring — eight swats in the previous two games, four each night.
“He’s a committed shot blocker,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “He likes attacking the ball, and per minute, he’s as good as anyone in basketball. Would he be able to continue that if you played him longer minutes? I’m not sure he would, but he would have games that would be spectacular.”
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
