Denver Post sports writer Benjamin Hochman posts his Nuggets Mailbag on Tuesdays during the 2009-10 NBA
season.
for the
Nuggets Mailbag.
Last week’s Bucks game showed a disturbing trend which almost every time results in a loss. Carmelo and Chauncey combined for 46 shots, on a night when their shooting was off, and only five (yes 5!) assists between them. Leave the rest of the team out and you may not even make the playoffs. Or, if you do, you’re a first-round elimination. How can those two, or coaches Karl and Dantley for that matter, not see this? (BTW, I think both Melo and Chauncey are great, but great TEAMS distribute the ball). Don’t you agree?
–Mark, Pasadena
Mark: What’s up? It’s an interesting point you bring up. The more the Nuggets look like the AI-Melo Nuggets, the more there’s cause for concern. Denver is at its best when it shares the basketball. Period.
The Nuggets entered the week 40-7 when they have 20 or more assists. Yes, star players such as Melo and Chauncey have an unwavering confidence they can shoot their way out of a slump (and many times, that happens). But when guys aren’t shooting well, as Karl often says, the best remedy is trying to get to the line. But like you said, the overarching issue is sharing the ball, moving the ball.
I’ll tell you Mark, I think that’s where guys like Anthony Carter and Ty Lawson are so key. Billups is one of the best living point guards, but he’s also a great shooter. When he’s in there with one of those speedy, unselfish point guards, Denver often has a knack for moving the ball more.
George Karl (and now Adrian Dantley) seems to preach again and again that the Nuggets seem to always find a way to not start games as aggressively (defensively) in the first and second quarters. They seem to wait until the third and fourth quarter to play with urgency. This makes no sense to me. Championship teams don’t operate that way. If the coaching staff is going to preach about it like a broken record, then why isn’t there any accountability? And why do these Nuggets play down to their opponents? Losses to lowly teams will make the difference when it comes down to who gets that second seed in the west.
–James, Houston, TX
James: Good analysis indeed. I remember my first season on the beat, 2007-08, when the talk was always about the Nuggets’ light-switch mentality toward intensity. The squad was so talented — Melo, Iverson, Camby, Kenyon, J.R. — that when they finally turned up the intensity and the “team-ness” as GK says, they could score in bunches and bury a lot of teams. But there were nights against good teams when the Nuggets spent three quarters digging themselves out of a hole. That team played poor defense, but it still could have won 52-54 games if the four-quarter focus had been there. Instead, the Nuggets won 50 (still a respectable amount) but faced the No. 1 Lakers in the first round. We all remember what happened.
So, fast-forward to this team. Indeed, first-half setbacks have been a problem, seen often on this wild road trip. Actually, it was the previous trip where it really reared its ugly head.
Chauncey and the gang talk a lot about playing intensely for 48 minutes, but there have been many recent instances where we’ve only seen it for 24. I don’t know if it’s putting in Ty Lawson or Anthony Carter ahead of J.R. Smith, just to get a spark, or even starting Birdman, who for the most part, can provide energy. (I mean in Kenyon Martin’s spot when K-Mart is out with the injury).
But the fact is, Denver can’t just keep talking-the-talk about increasing its early intensity.
Mr. J.R. Smith has caused me to endure moments of discomfort in the past. But no one can cause me more joy than what this growing young man is doing since his pre-cancer pow-wow wtih Coach Karl. Chauncey and Melo have helped him “grasp” his reality. He and Nene J.R may finally have found it’s the proper way to play. I certainly hope so. I think he deserves it.
–Dwayne, Park Hill
Dwayne: What’s up man? Hope things are going awesome in Park Hill. Did you know that CHAUNCEY BILLUPS is from there!!! LOL. Yeah you make a great point about J.R. Smith, who has played better of late — though, it’s not like he’s But he has been splendid in many games – notably the Memphis win – and he has even been one of the few bright spots in some losses – notably the Boston loss.
I’m writing this on Monday morning, before the Dallas game, but in March so far, he’s averaged 16.5 points per game, his best scoring month of the season. Then again, Two seasons ago, Smith averaged 9.9 points per game before the all-star break and 15.7 after. And last season, the numbers were 13.7 before, 17.9 afterward.
Something fun to watch with Smith is his ability to find Nene on pick-and-rolls. At times, the two have a beautiful connection. There’s no question that Smith will be key in this stretch run – we’ll see if he can contribute beyond the stat sheet.
This road trip is killing me to watch. What’s wrong? Are the players more upset by George Karl’s absence than they let on? Where’d the defense go? Where’d the swagger go? The Nuggets have pushed teams around the past few seasons because they have an attitude like no one will ever be as tough. But that’s AWOL now. What
gives?
–Chris, Boulder
Chris: It’s been a tough trip for sure! (Granted, I’m writing this to you on Monday morning, so it’s possible Denver could salvage the trip with a win against Dallas, but still, that loss at the Knicks? Sheesh!) the Nuggets must find a way to attack the glass more consistently – that means more of a hunger and a desire from guys like Petro, Birdman and Melo.
But like you pointed out, the swagger is fluctuating. I thought these were the guys who, for much of the season, knew they were better than the Lakers. Yet, there they were, playing tentatively at New York, “soft” — Melo’s words — at Boston and then nervously at Toronto. Kanye raps that his swagger is Mick Jagger. In these games, the Nuggets’ swagger was Tommy Tutone.
Hey BenJAMMMIN: Just read a rumor about the Knicks vying for Melo in 2011. Is Carmelo interested in other markets?
–Zack, Grand Lake
Zack: What up man? How’s Slater? Yeah, what happened was the Knicks president mentioned to the N.Y. Post that just because the Knicks have a bunch of cap space this summer, they’re very cognizant that Melo and others are in the Class of 2011, and the Knicks might save some space this summer to make a run at someone next summer.
I’ve spoken to Melo about his future, and I sense that he – just like LeBron — truly wants to be a champion. Melo has won at the college level and the international level, but until last postseason, he was an annual first-round oust.
The fact is, elite players have all the money and fame they could want — The goal is to separate themselves from the others, and that’s by winning a championship. As we’ll talk about often in the coming weeks, the Nuggets have a closing window – likely two years. From George Karl to numerous players, there will be many decisions to make in the next two summers, because by the summer of 2011, most key players won’t be under contract anymore.
So, no, Melo’s not trying to bolt out of town. But if Denver doesn’t make a title push the next two seasons, there will be questions to answer.
Benjamin Hochman is in his third season as the Nuggets and NBA beat writer for The Denver Post. for the Nuggets Mailbag.
