Think about how many times someone has asked you: “What’s gonna happen with Melo?”
Now think if you were Chauncey Billups.
The Nuggets guard and Denver native is asked about Carmelo Anthony as much as Tom Brady is asked about his Bieber haircut.
” ‘I don’t know’ — that’s all I can tell them,” Billups said. “But nothing I can say can calm (their fears), since I don’t know.”
With the Nuggets’ season opener just three days away, the closest Anthony is to Manhattan is Johnny’s New York Pizza in Lakewood.
Billups, the soul of the Nuggets, admits that the uncertainty over Anthony’s future used to eat at him. But now? He’s getting ready for the games that count.
“I’ve taken myself all the way out of it,” Billups said. “We can’t control it, so why would I give it that much thought? All I can do is hope for the best for our team and for the city, and you know what that is — him staying here for as long as possible — but that’s all I can really do.
“It’s bigger than what I can tell Melo. It’s him, his circle, his family making their own decisions. I can’t tell him anything he doesn’t really know.”
It has been a roller-coaster couple of months for Mr. Big Shot, who snagged gold with Team USA at the world championships, dealt with the Melo-drama at the Pepsi Center and endured his 14th preseason camp preparing for another stab at leading a championship team, yet not knowing who will be on his team.
Coach George Karl has said the attitude in camp has exceeded his expectations. He has singled out the play of numerous players, notably guards Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson. Both of these positives are due, in part, to a certain veteran point guard.
“When I say we’ve had a good attitude in camp, I think a lot of that goes to the veterans, the older guys who haven’t let the off-the-court situations become a problem on the court,” Karl said. “I think the guys are policing themselves more than in the past few years. It seems more of guys are going off and talking to the younger guys when they’re in a bad place, instead of me always being the policeman.
“We’ve got everybody wanting a better situation, attitude and locker room.”
In basketball, people talk about coaching trees, the lineage of disciples who learned from one head coach and then became one themselves, passing the knowledge like an alley-oop.
There’s something of a Chauncey tree too. His poise, his dedication, his team-ness (a Karl word) rubs off onto teammates, who then pass it to others.
“He’s a true professional, coming in every day looking to teach, and he practicing what he preaches,” said Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, a fellow point guard who played with Billups on Team USA. “He tries to find ways to make the game a lot easier for myself and the younger guys. . . . I learned stuff from him — how composed he is and when to take big shots. That’s one of the biggest things I learned.”
The relationship of the 34-year-old Billups and the 22-year-old Lawson has evolved since Lawson’s Carolina blue turned Nuggets blue. Think Yoda and Luke. One or both will be Denver’s point guard for the next few years.
And Karl has cooked up a lineup to use, on occasion, with both point guards on the floor. The strategy is fascinating from an offensive end, and according to Karl, Lawson has made huge strides at the defensive end.
“It should be a lot of fun, man,” Billups said. “You’re talking about two playmakers on the floor, two guys who can space it, shoot it, knock down the 3-ball. And also get in there and make plays. It’s going to be tough for teams to have to guard us like that.”
When the Nuggets try to push the ball and run, Lawson is going to have the ball. But in the slow-down half-court game, Billups will call the sets and run the plays.
“When we have high pick-and-rolls, angled pick-and- rolls, we’re going to need his speed in there, getting in there, causing problems,” Billups said. “And Ty is shooting lights out. It’s been consistent. He doesn’t just have one or two good days. He’s been consistent. I think everyone is saying — ‘Wow, we’re not going to be able to leave him open for shots all the time,’ like they tried to last year.”
Even the scoring champ grabbed onto a branch of the Chauncey tree. Kevin Durant was clearly the best player on Team USA, and he’s obviously also the best player for Oklahoma City, a team some feel can finish second in the Western Conference. For the Thunder to do so, it will take a dynamic Durant to lead like a Billups, even though he’s the same age as Lawson.
“Chauncey has become a big brother since Turkey,” Durant said. “Of course I’m going to ask him for tips, ways to approach leading my team. He’s one of the better leaders in this league, and I learned a lot just by watching him. I can see how he’s won a championship.
“(As a captain,) he just got on everybody — he was like a father to everybody. He made it easier, because he brought it every day in practice. When the captain does that, everybody has to follow.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com, Twitter@NuggetsNews
