Like a left tackle and a right end, Carmelo Anthony and Arron Afflalo continuously slammed into one another during Friday’s scrimmage. They pushed for position, banged bodies and talked trash. It was fun to watch.
“That’s my man,” Anthony said afterward of the ultra-competitive Afflalo.
While Melo waits to find out what potential trade the Nuggets will cook up next, he is approaching scrimmages with playoff intensity, as is Afflalo, a blue-collar player.
The two are making each other better, Chauncey Billups explained.
“They’ve got this unbelievable friendly but competitive rivalry in practice,” the point guard said. “We’ve been having some very spirited scrimmages. It’s just great competition. It’s bragging rights, fun stuff, but it’s good.”
After Friday’s practice, coach George Karl complimented the “spirit” of the scrimmages. The North Carolina alum also pointed out that newcomer Shelden Williams, despite being from Duke, is having a great camp.
“I would say Shelden has been one of the top-five players in camp right now,” Karl said of the power forward. “His basketball IQ is at a good level, and he kind of knows who he is more than the younger guys.”
Vocal lack of support.
Anthony isn’t used to hearing anything that isn’t unbridled adulation. That’s why Thursday night at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield was so strange.
Anthony — and other Nuggets and Broncos players — were in the house to watch the mixed martial arts World Extreme Cagefighting event. The arena video boards had a television feed, and when the camera settled on Anthony . . . the boos rained down.
Anthony told the Nuggets twitter site: “First time in my life I’ve been booed.”
Asked what Anthony could do to win back his fans, Karl quipped: “Sign the extension.”
