With the exception of “The Godfather, Part II” and Frank Fox’s second daughter Megan, sequels are seldom scintillating.
But your hometown Nuggets hope they are en route to an encore, beginning training camp this weekend following their best season since the Reagan administration.
Naturally there have been whispers about the Nuggets all summer, some from doubters — the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks and Trail Blazers all got better — and believers — Denver was the No. 2 playoff seed in the West last year, so teams are simply trying to catch up with them.
Indeed, the Nuggets didn’t make any roster overhauls or sign any marquee names, Chris “The Birdman” Andersen notwithstanding. Instead, Denver has tried to keep its payroll, again, around the luxury-tax line, and hope that will be sufficient in the ever-wild West.
Back are old friends, be it Chauncey Billups, our town’s “Mr. Big Shot,” and Carmelo Anthony, who’s become “Mr. May” (with hopes of one day becoming “Mr. June”). The knock-on-wood low-post is back after a season without a major injury. Coach George Karl often calls Nene a future all-star; is this the season? And ask all-stars David West and Dirk Nowitzki — they’ll tell you that Kenyon Martin is an all-star type defender. K-Mart’s back for another run.
Back also is the complicated J.R. Smith, who will be the starting shooting guard, starting in the eighth game of the season. Smith has been suspended by the league for his role in a tragic traffic accident that killed a close friend of his. He also spent nearly a month in jail this summer, the same summer he acted foolishly in an online video that showcased the immaturity of a player perennially maturing. But with more minutes, an improvement in defense and valuable postseason experience, Smith is primed for a breakout season.
Last season, Denver’s bench was one of the best in the league. Some of the key cogs are back, notably the soaring Andersen, who finished second in the NBA with 2.46 blocks per game, and Anthony Carter, who is the second-team’s pace-setter at point guard. Denver did lose Linas Kleiza and his double-digit points off the bench, as well as Dahntay Jones, a starter who played “bench-type” minutes. But Denver is banking on (well, not really because they’re not too expensive) guard Arron Afflalo and rookie Ty Lawson, whose last game was the NCAA championship game for North Carolina.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
Back in business
The Nuggets tip off preparations for a new season Saturday:
Nuggets training camp: Saturday-Wednesday
Preseason schedule
Thursday at Utah, 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 Belgrade, at Pepsi Center, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 8 vs. Indiana, in Taipei, Taiwan
Oct. 11 vs. Indiana, in Beijing
Oct. 18 at Portland, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 Minnesota, at Pepsi Center, 7 p.m.
Oct. 22 at L.A. Lakers, in Anaheim, Calif., 8 p.m. (TNT)
Oct. 23 at L.A. Lakers, in San Diego, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Regular season starts
Oct. 28 Utah, at Pepsi Center, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
