Denver Post sports writer Benjamin Hochman posts his Nuggets Mailbag on Wednesdays during the 2008-09 NBA season.
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Hey, Ben. So Carmelo Anthony’s been doing pretty good after missing 10 games but says his elbow is still not 100 percent. Do you think it will get any better with the seven-day, all-star break and Melo not playing in the game? With him playing at this level with his elbow still bothering him is sick. I’m hoping at 100 percent he can show that he can still contend with the King in LeBron James.
— Raymone, Akron, Ohio
I’ll tell you, Raymone, I think the all-star break could be a blessing in disguise. Of course, I have been very outspoken about my belief that Carmelo should be an all-star this season. . But, OK, now that we can take a deep breath and he won’t be there, let’s turn this into a positive.
The guy’s body has taken a beating this season. How can 4-5 days of rest not help? He’s going to just rest and relax in Denver, hang out with his family and not put any wear and tear on his body, not to mention the fatigue that comes with all-star obligations and celebrations. So I think he will be ready to go and, with an all-star chip on his shoulder, play some of his best basketball in the final couple months of the season.
As for your guy, King James, I think it will be fun to see if he will beat out the reigning MVP for the award this season. Kobe Bryant seemingly elevates his game each month. But James is putting up historic numbers. Should be exciting. (But, man, what a frustrating week for the Cavaliers — Mo Williams gets snubbed, again, for an all-star spot; LeBron gets a 50-point triple-double in Madison Square Garden, only to have it taken away because his 10th and final rebound went to Ben Wallace; and then you all lose your first home game of the season to Bryant and the Lakers. Did Brad Daugherty’s dog die, too?) Still, you guys are clearly one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and I think Melo’s Nuggets deserve to be in that category over in the West.
Benjamin – Can you tell a Nuggets fans living in Australia why it seems the Nuggets have a bad attitude when they play certain teams? For example, against the “B team” Spurs the other night. The Rugby League team I support in Sydney suffers from the same disease. HELP!
— Ben Hawes, Sydney, Australia
To my namesake down under, I would say that a big hurdle in the NBA — and as you pointed out, in most sports — is focus. Often, we see teams “playing down to their competition.” The 2006-07 Nuggets, for example, might have gotten a higher playoff seed if they hadn’t blown so many home games to under-.500 teams. (The Carmelo 15-game suspension didn’t help, either.)
Sure, during the course of the season, there are going to be forgettable performances by every fan’s team. But the key is cutting down on those by not playing down to a lesser team’s level. That’s exactly what Denver did in the aforementioned Spurs game. San Antonio was without its three best players, so the Nuggets approached the game with less intensity than they otherwise would have. You can see it in their effort, their hustle and their defense. Roger Mason couldn’t miss.
Before the season began, Carmelo Anthony talked about his quest to improve his defense. He talked a lot about “playing mind games with yourself” and tricking yourself into approaching a game against a bad team like it’s a game against a great team. Denver has excelled against teams with losing records, losing just once with Chauncey Billups in the lineup. And Melo’s defense has somewhat improved. But, yeah, down the stretch, Denver cannot afford to blow games, and that’s going to take focus.
As for rugby, which NBA player do you think would be the best rugby player? I think LeBron could hold his own, and I bet Kenyon Martin would because he just would refuse to be tackled. And maybe a brawny point guard like Deron Williams? Your guess is better than mine.
When a team is inbounding the ball, is it legal for the player throwing in the ball to do a lob pass for the alley-oop jam? I couldn’t remember ever seeing this and wondered if it was illegal or just hard to pull off. Thanks.
— Travis, Los Angeles
Funny enough, Travis, I was discussing your question with Nuggets PR dude Tim Gelt on Tuesday night when, sure enough, Kenyon Martin answered your question. In the first quarter against Miami, Denver’s Anthony Carter inbounded the ball from the sideline, near the Nuggets’ bench. He lofted a perfect pass to Martin, who cut into the lane, caught the ball in the air and dunked the alley-oop past Michael Beasley.
How come the Nuggets never wear throwback uniforms such as teams like Cleveland and others?
— Jamal Kittles, Pittsburgh
Hey there, Jamal. The Nuggets tell me they won’t be wearing any throwbacks this season, and often it’s the NBA that coordinates with the teams whether or not they will wear the uniforms. Of course, this gets me going about jerseys, and you being from Pittsburgh, it reminds me that some of the cooler underrated throwbacks are from those forgotten Pittsburgh ABA teams. (George Karl, a Steel City native, can talk your ear off about memories from those teams.)
and the .
I’m partial to , notably Fly Williams’, which on the back said “FLY” above No. 35.
Hey, Benjamin. One of my dream jobs is to become a Nuggets writer and get to interview players and write articles for the paper. I was just wondering if you thought it was a good job. What are the best parts and bad parts? Thanks!
— Kayla, Lakewood
Hey, Kayla. I’d say unless I could be shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals or the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, things are OK right now. My job is pretty rewarding.
The good parts?
* I have the proud responsibility of being the link between Denver and the Denver Nuggets. I am the news gatherer and storyteller, and along with my Post teammate Chris Dempsey, I get to take the readers inside the locker room, inside the minds of the players and coaches and inside the huddle.
* I get to know personally some of the more fascinating personalities in sports.
* I travel the country and, really, the world (from Toronto to Beijing to Bismarck).
* I write where I can attack and dissect fascinating issues with the Nuggets and NBA, issues I otherwise wouldn’t get to analyze.
* I go to basketball games for a living.
The bad parts?
Cleveland.
Now, the job does require an intense work ethic, hustle and thinking outside the box. There is pressure, be it deadlines or breaking news. And the travel is draining. But it’s pretty much a dream job, like you said.
For you, and other aspiring sports journalists, I’d say make your dream job a “goal job.” Prepare early. Write often. Read often — be it the local sports pages; magazines such as SI, The New Yorker and Esquire; websites such as ESPN.com; and (gasp) even books. And take chances with your writing. Rick Reilly once said of Steve Rushin — he’d rather sell his sister to the Iraqis than write a boring sentence.
And if there are any students out there with questions about sports journalism, feel free to e-mail me with questions. I remember when I was a young lad — do people still say “young lad” these days? — I read Bernie Miklasz in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch like it was homework or something. When I was in high school, I occasionally e-mailed him questions about sports journalism. The guy wrote me back. It was pretty cool. He was engaging. He took time to give me thought-out, thoughtful advice about writing and reporting.
Personally, I’m still learning as I go, believe me, but I’d be happy to pass on any info I can, just as Bernie did for me.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. , or .
