For someone as eccentric as the shot-blocking, mattress-hawking, mustache-rocking Christopher “Birdman” Andersen, it is understood he perpetually lets his hair down. In the past three games, he’s literally done that, dropping his spectacularly spiked faux-hawk.
And, complemented by his sprouting blond ‘stache, Bird looks like, well, Larry Bird. And coincidentally, he’s playing much better, with three of his best games this season in the past week — against the Lakers, Jazz and Mavericks, to boot.
“He looks shorter for sure,” Chauncey Billups said of the 6-foot-10 Andersen’s new look. “Whatever it is, I hope he keeps it, because he’s really playing Birdman basketball.
“When he’s getting offensive rebounds, blocks and flying all over the place, and he’s the hardest-working, most-energized guy on the floor — we’re really hard to beat. When he’s not, when he’s kind of regular, teams kind of take advantage of us and him and his position. But when he plays how he’s played the past three games, that’s the Birdman we know; that’s the Birdman everyone fell in love with last year.”
When asked about his new look, all Andersen would say Wednesday after practice was, “I ran out of gel.” His smile after answering gives hints the spike might be back.
It has been a bumpy flight for the Nuggets’ reserve center this season, distinguished games followed by some “did he even play” games.
But in the statement-making road win vs. the Lakers on Friday, his first game sans product, Andersen produced seven points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. In the loss at Utah the next night, he scored 15 points in 21 minutes. And then, in Tuesday’s mauling of the Mavericks, Andersen scored 14 with 10 boards and two steals.
“He was extremely active, made some outside shots and makes a lot of good things happen for them around the basket with tip-ins and keeping the ball alive,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said.
Tonight at the Pepsi Center, Andersen will face his persona’s antithesis, the softspoken Tim Duncan, “The Big Fundamental.” It will be another tough test, especially if the injured Kenyon Martin can’t play for the home team against the Spurs.
Then again, Andersen did a pretty good job Tuesday against Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki. The all-star shot just 5-for-17, and Andersen battled him with Martin-like tenacity in the low post, keeping his feet moving side to side.
“There’s a lot of times where I want to go after every shot-block attempt,” Andersen said, “but in reality, I’ve got to just play solid defense and keep a good defensive mentality on the floor.”
Last season, Andersen was second in the league with 2.5 blocked shots per game. This season, he’s down to 10th, averaging 1.8, and many times Birdman lunges toward a shooter, only to have the offensive player maneuver around him for a closer shot.
Picking his spots to block is almost as important as actually blocking a shot.
“I love Bird blocking shots,” Nuggets coach George Karl said, “but the whole thing is — everyone on our team has got to commit to what it takes to win. Stats and blocked shots and scoring — the only stat I think we should be concerned about is assists and wins. Because when we pass we win, and wins will dictate where our seeding will be.”
For this season, Andersen’s numbers have leveled out pretty close to last season’s — he averages 6.1 points and 6.3 rebounds, compared with 6.4 and 6.2 a year ago. The blocks are down, yes, and he has battled tendinitis in his knee, but perhaps the most important element has been swagger, which he seems to have back.
“It’s confidence,” teammate Malik Allen said. “It’s a long season and guys go through things, but he’s playing with a lot of confidence, he’s been catching and finishing, guys are finding him. He’s getting to his spots on the floor where he’s effective, underneath the defense.”
At Wednesday’s practice, jokes about Andersen’s mustache flew like jump shots. Andersen said he’s trying to grow his whiskers like veteran Nuggets trainer Jim Gillen, he of an older generation.
“I’m an amateur psychologist,” Karl said, “and I’m trying to figure out the flathead and mustache versus spikehead and Birdman. There might be a metamorphosis going on here.”
Perhaps on the court too.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
New and improved
Like Bill Hanzlik before him, Nuggets center Chris Andersen is now patrolling the paint with a mustache. And Ander- sen’s past three games have been ‘stache-tastic:
Game Pts Reb Blk
Feb. 5 at Lakers 7 15 2
Feb. 6 at Jazz 15 4 2
Feb. 9 vs. Mavs 14 10 1
Season averages 6.1 6.3 1.8
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets: Coach George Karl was unsure Wednesday whether forward Kenyon Martin (knee) would be able to play tonight. Martin will likely be a game-time decision. He didn’t play Tuesday against Dallas. . . . In the big win against the Mavericks, Denver’s Nene thrived (21 points in 26 minutes) because “I thought we were getting him the ball in a very good place,” Karl said. “He had more confidence at just finishing.”
Spurs: San Antonio has lost twice to Denver this season, both times at home. . . . In the last six games, point guard Tony Parker has averaged 10.6 assists, compared with 6.0 for the season. . . . The Spurs are in the midst of their eight-game, 19-day road swing. So far, they’re 2-2.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
Spotlight on Tim Duncan: The future Hall of Famer is still putting up steady numbers in his 13th year: 19.4 points and 10.8 rebounds, compared to his career averages of 21.3 and 11.7. On Jan. 31, he went 5-for-10 from the field for 16 points in a loss to Denver. “He’s just a clever dude on the low block and the last game we played him, we had some control over him,” Nuggets coach George Karl said.
