INDIANAPOLIS — The Nuggets are in first place, and credit has been passed around as though it were in Chauncey Billups’ hands.
There’s the Nuggets’ three-headed brass, coach George Karl and his sleepless staff, a maturing Carmelo Anthony and, of course, the homecoming king himself.
But looking back at the construction of this contender, fact is, this is Enos Stanley Kroenke’s baby.
“What we’ve done has been a direct result of Stan’s input and his vision,” Rex Chapman, the Nuggets’ vice president of player personnel, said of the team’s owner.
In previous years, Kroenke emulated one of the two men he was named for, Stan Musial, a poised and polished slugger who hit 475 home runs. Kroenke, after all, swung for the fences for Allen Iverson. But after yet another first-round playoff ousting — and the economy melting down like Joaquin Phoenix — Kroenke emulated the other man he was named for, Enos Slaughter, a scrappier, smaller player who pieced together his Hall of Fame resume utilizing hustle and creativity.
Under Kroenke this season, Denver cut costs and built a winner.
“My whole thing is — sometimes if organizations have many voices, it becomes a weakness, a distraction,” Karl said. “This summer, the voice was pretty strong and pretty clear. Even though it might have scared us a little bit, the voice was consistent and honest, and because of that, I think the leadership became more fortified.”
With a payroll nearing $90 million, Kroenke stood behind the unpopular decision to essentially dump Marcus Camby’s contract. And the boss oversaw the creative acquisition of Chris Andersen and Dahntay Jones, as well as the re-signing of Anthony Carter, each of whom makes just around $1 million, but each of whom contributes with intangibles that don’t pop up in box scores.
“Last year we played too many games without a competitive spirit,” Karl said. “Most of our decisions this summer was to change the culture of defense and competiveness. So our philosophy seemed to solidify behind Stan. And the Chauncey trade magnified the philosophy.”
Of course, Kroenke pulling the trigger on the Iverson-for-Billups trade was his masterstroke. And then came Jan. 6, when Denver’s minor trade of Cheikh Samb had major implications — the Nuggets finally were under the NBA luxury tax. Before that night’s game, Kroenke strolled through the Nuggets’ locker room wearing a $71.15 million smile.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@
