At the point in the NBA season when the Nuggets must make a statement, has the team lost its voice?
There’s nothing anybody can do except pray for coach George Karl during his fight against cancer. But, in Karl’s absence, the Nuggets cannot afford to stumble if they want to be taken seriously as a championship contender.
On a Saturday, when Denver could have strengthened its hold on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Nuggets instead looked disturbingly indecisive during a timeout in the fourth quarter with a game slip-sliding away against Milwaukee.
To tell the truth, at that crucial moment, the Nuggets appeared lost and uncertain where to turn for guidance.
Looking for an offensive play to give them a shot at pulling out a victory in the final minute, Chauncey Billups and his teammates watched and listened as Denver advance scout Chad Iske scribbled X’s and O’s.
Assistant coach Adrian Dantley, the Hall of Famer assigned to lead the Nuggets in the absence of Karl, watched as the team put its crunch- time strategy in the hands of Iske.
Did anybody else find this strange? Iske is a good, smart basketball man. But coaching by committee is no way to win in the NBA.
And the Nuggets lost 102-97 to Milwaukee.
When I inquired why Iske was drawing up a key play, Dantley replied: “He had something diagrammed in the playbook that he wanted to run that I didn’t see. So, therefore, I didn’t have a problem with it.”
It’s reassuring to know Dantley won’t let his ego get in the way of doing what he thinks is in the best interest of the team.
But if Dantley is the coach who has to take responsibility for wins and losses as Karl endures chemotherapy, then Dantley must be the man who stands up and speaks during crisis situations that inevitably occur during a game.
Input from Iske, Tim Grgurich or any other Denver assistant coach is always welcome. The final message, however, needs to be delivered to the players by Dantley.
“These are times when you learn about your team, and learn about the guys you got. It’s tough, man,” said Billups, whose 29 points weren’t enough to beat the Bucks.
“It’s tough without George (Karl), without having that leadership up top. A.D. is doing a good job. (Dantley) has done a really good job. He just hasn’t had a lot of head coaching experience. You get used to hearing one voice, one dominant voice at all times, and you grow accustomed to that. When it’s gone, it’s a little different.”
On a night when Dallas lost to Boston, the Nuggets squandered an opportunity to take a step forward in the race for playoff seeding.
And now for the tricky part: Denver embarks on a road trip that invites heartburn, with five games in seven nights, including stops in New York, Boston, Toronto, Orlando and Dallas.
“It’s going to be tough. But we knew that all along,” Dantley said. “You see it on TV all the time. We have the toughest remaining schedule of all the teams in the conference.”
We might find out real quick if the Nuggets are the greatest challenge in the West to the Lakers, or if Denver will be satisfied to finish fourth in the conference.
“I feel like this is a huge, huge trip for us,” Billups said. “It’s not make or break, but it is huge.”
I believe Billups could coach this team. Right now.
Yes, I think he could have the final say on substitution patterns and diagram plays while he also plays point guard. In an era where NBA benches are overcrowded with guys in suits, we tend to make the game more complicated than it needs to be.
In Karl’s absence, the strongest, most-respected voice in the locker room and on the court belongs to Billups.
If I were Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, I would have Billups serve as player-coach until Karl’s health improves.
Denver management, however, has decided Dantley should be in charge of game- day decisions. He’s capable. His record as acting head coach is a very respectable 5-2.
So do the job, A.D.
We’ve reached the point of the NBA season where there is no time for messing around.
Somebody has to be the boss.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
