Denver Post sports writer Benjamin Hochman posted his Nuggets Mailbag on Wednesdays during the 2008-09 NBA season. This is the season finale.
, or .
I recently saw Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess give an interview on the Altitude network, and I’m wondering where he’s from. He has a very unique accent and is a very enthusiastic fellow!
— Hannah, Denver
Hey there, Hannah. Pound-for-pound, the strongest dude on the Nuggets’ roster might be Steve Hess. The guy is probably 5-foot-6 or 5-7, but he’s built like a heyday Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I get a handful of e-mails like yours, asking just who the heck this guy is. So I’ll tell you. The South African native is a key facet to the development of the players. Just like the on-the-court coaches groom the Nuggets, Hess, an assistant coach of strength and conditioning, does the same inside the weight room. (Hess works closely with athletic trainer Jim Gillen, as well as Matt Friia and Dan Shimensky, who are both assistant athletic trainers and strength and conditioning assistants.) Hess, of course, is the most visible; he’s got a puffy chest and dreadlocks down his back. And he’s the most audible; he’s loud and loquacious.
“He just has energy,” coach George Karl said, “and has a passion for being strong, being in the weight room and doing things the right way and eating the right way. It’s very contagious. I think he’s one of the best in the business.”
Asked his responsibilities, Hess said (in his famous accent): “The first responsibility is to make sure that every player is able to function at top physical capacity. I have to make sure they’re strong enough, fast enough, flexible enough, agile enough to function the best they can. I work with Jim, Dan and Matty and we work together to do the rehabilitation of the majority of the players, and we also do preventative-type stuff and we work together to create a great environment that muscle soreness and joint soreness is alleviated through exercise.”
Hess has been with the Nuggets for 12 seasons — “I’m in love with Colorado — the people and the state” — but his journey began in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he lived until he was 12. He moved to London from 12-13, then Zimbabwe from ages 13-15, then back to South Africa until he was 18.
He spent one more year in London before starting his undergraduate studies at Ithaca College in New York, where he also got his master’s degree. Between school, he spent time in Colorado, and now he’s an integral part of the Denver Nuggets and the Denver community — Hess is a part owner of FORZA fitness and performance center. He is also one of 10 trainers worldwide who sits on the Under Armour training council.
As for his hair, he said he began growing it out five years ago because “I was getting so tired of putting gel in my hair.” And as for his energy — the guy acts like he drank a keg of coffee — he explains that “It’s simple — I’ve got two speeds — I’m going all-out, or I’m asleep. I don’t know the in-between. You ask me — why I’m energetic? It’s just who I am. If you ever see me not, then I’m sick.”
Ben – The West seems like a horserace down the wire. Who has the best chance to show in view of the schedule residue?
— Jay, San Antonio
What’s up, Jay? Hope things are going well in San Antonio and, who knows, maybe we’ll be down there in a few weeks if the Nuggets happen to meet the Spurs in the postseason. As for the Western Conference, for a while it seemed like there were just a bunch of Alydars and Affirmeds. Entering the final day of the season, there are now two races — for 2-5 and 6-8.
I think Denver’s best bet will be if it plays the Hornets, a team stung by the injury bug (no pun intended … seriously … because it wasn’t that great of a pun to begin with). As for your town’s Spurs, it’s just hard to imagine them making a Spurs-like playoff run without Manu Ginobili. I think, just as predicted in October, that the Trail Blazers will be the new “hot” team in the West to grow up in the postseason.
And I think Utah will take whichever opponent it has in the first round to six or seven games. It’s the same darn roster it’s always had in the postseason and the same savvy coach, too. And that college-like arena is such a tough place to play. George Karl talks all the time about how hard it is to get foul calls there. So if the Jazz splits the first two games with its opponent, I think it will definitely win at least one game at home in Games 3 and 4.
Hi, Benjamin! I’m concerned that the Nuggets have some players having the best seasons of their career (like ) who are going to be free agents after this season, as far as I know. And isn’t the fact that they put up some nice numbers going to play a role in whether they’ll be offered more money elsewhere (like last summer, when Eduardo Najera went to New Jersey)?
— Nedko Krastev, Bulgaria
Nedko! I cannot believe people are reading The Denver Post in Bulgaria. That’s pretty awesome. As for your question, it’s true — the Nuggets have a lot of tough decisions to make. As you and your fellow fans know, the Nuggets thrived because players like Andersen, Carter and Dahntay Jones make right around $1 million and have each maximized their potential.
Obviously, there will be offers from other teams and decisions from everyone to make in the coming months, but I think it’s understood that Denver — the team and the city — is a perfect fit for Andersen, who has a steady support staff here in town. This was where he remade himself during the two-year suspension. This is where he met his fiancée. And, of course, this is where he rediscovered his game and swagger. I think if there’s going to be a splurge, it should be on this guy.
What’s up with Carmelo Anthony’s technical fouls? In the heat of playoff atmosphere, those will cause him to sit out one game, and it will make the whole world remember Melo’s mistakes in the past if he leaves his team alone during the playoffs. What do you think about this, and what is Melo’s thinking about this?
— Batuhan, Istanbul, Turkey
Batuhan … what a treat! First Bulgaria and now Turkey (though I heard that Dahntay Jones is huge in Istanbul). Indeed, Melo’s technical fouls have been a cause for concern this year. He entered the final few games with 14 — and 16 get you suspended for a regular-season game. Clearly, there are times when Melo loses his cool on the court. But a lot of times, it’s (I guess) justifiable.
Melo is a 6-8 punching bag when he enters the lane. There are sometimes, in my view, that he’ll get fouled twice on a layup attempt and there won’t be a foul call. I know George Karl is infuriated by this — as we’ve discussed in previous weeks in this mailbag — and while sometimes Melo just laughs it off, other times it eats him up on the inside. Then, on the next bad call, he’ll lose it and get a tech.
It will be fascinating to watch Carmelo in the postseason to see how he responds to non-calls, because I’m sure there will be a couple. All season, we’ve talked about different circumstances where Melo has matured, be it as a leader or on defense. The playoffs will be his time to show this to the world. His composure will be vital.
Can the Nuggets win the championship?
— Dani C., Los Angeles
Well, Dani, I must say, your town’s Lakers are really tough. They play brilliant defense and have two low-post weapons and the reigning MVP. For anyone to beat this team four times will be a triumph of triumphs.
But Denver is equipped. Chauncey Billups is the perfect fit for this team — a hard-nosed general who makes his teammates better. Melo and J.R. Smith are explosive. Nene, Kenyon Martin and Birdman provide low-post sturdiness. Linas Kleiza is an X-factor off the bench. And role players such as Dahntay Jones and Anthony Carter put the D in Denver.
Can these guys advance to the Western Conference finals — and then maybe the NBA Finals? It will take a commitment to half-court defense, smart ball-handling (the turnovers have been a big problem this season, as I wrote about in ), shooting just a few crazy shots (because those are just as bad as turnovers when missed) and an inner-belief in one another that, just like in the wins at Boston or at Orlando or against the Lakers at home, this team can compete with the elite.
We’ll see what happens.
Benjamin Hochman covers the Nuggets for The Denver Post. , or .
