Piling up W’s with some “D”.
“Nobody wins an NBA championship without playing defense. As long as the Nuggets had Carmelo Anthony, our chances of winning a championship were zero. Melo doesn’t play defense; it’s not part of his DNA. Now it will be up to coach George Karl to build a tough-minded defensive team and hope we get a superstar with upcoming draft picks. At least now the Nuggets have the possibility to be great.”
Paul, not a Melo fellow
Kiz: You are not alone in your lingering bitterness for Anthony’s lack of commitment to defense. Did you hear Karl on national TV blasting Anthony after the star departed town? Melo fired back on Twitter that Karl was a snake. Heck, if both men brought that high intensity to the 2009 Western Conference finals, the Nuggets might already have won an NBA championship. But the basketball future in Denver will be shaped by Karl’s vision. A contract extension for the 59-year-old coach is near completion. In fact, the deal between Karl and the Nuggets could be signed, sealed and delivered within 48 hours.
No callow Gallo.
“I am sorry for Denver’s broken basketball heart after losing Chauncey Billups and Anthony. But I have a suggestion: Fall for new Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari the way New Yorkers did. Watch him hit a trey to beat the buzzer. Watch him take a pounding in the paint and draw the charge. After he endears himself to you, you will see Gallo jerseys in the stands. He might not fix every broken heart, but sometimes a new love helps heal the wound.”
Rob, Long Island, N.Y.
Kiz: Letting the pain out does a body good. While all broken-hearted Nuggies lovers sang along with Cee Lo Green to forget you, Melo, the mad crush on Gallinari took about 2.3 seconds to bloom. Karl has already compared Gallinari with Dirk Nowitzki. Don’t know ’bout that, but the newest Nugget does possess Italian good looks, works relentlessly on the court and knows how to flop like a veteran Euro soccer star. OK, let’s take the next step: Nuggets public-address announcer Kyle Speller might as well slam the memory of Anthony by replacing his Harry Belafonte crooning of “Mel-o” with “Gall-o.”
Pointed controversy.
“Kiz, are you determined to send me to the nuthouse? You think the Nuggets have a point guard controversy? Stop! Haven’t we been through enough? Can we all sing “Kumbaya” for 30 days? But you did miss the opportunity to stop the lovefest for Nuggets president Josh Kroenke and general manager Masai Ujiri. Their press conference announcing the trade was such great acting they should be on the Oscar list. The Nuggets had to include Billups in the trade. Really? Let’s see, one of their “reasons” for the trade was so Ty Lawson could move in the starting lineup without Billups looking over his shoulder. Now, according to you, Lawson has to compete for the point guard position with Raymond Felton, rather than learn from a mentor. Which do you think is better for Lawson’s growth?”
Dawn, Denver
Kiz: Lawson is the point guard of the future. But here’s betting Karl would rather rely on the more experienced Felton in the present. Stay tuned. This could get juicy.
Topical or tropical?
“My husband sent me your column regarding the lowly state of Denver’s pro sports teams. We had planned a trip from Canada in March to see Avalanche and Nuggets games to celebrate our oldest son’s 18th birthday. Should we reconsider?”
Lisa, Thornhill, Ontario
Kiz: A perusal of Expedia revealed round-trip flights from Toronto to Cancún for as little as $640. Just sayin’.
The out-of-towners?
And today’s parting shot fires a warning: If the Avalanche’s next move is to acquire Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn to play goalie, then it might be time for the team to leave town. Forever.
“Is Stan Kroenke trying to pull a trick from the movie ‘Major League’ with the Avs? Almost every move this hockey team has made, including the trade of Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart, just stinks to the point that the only logical explanation is ownership wants attendance to be so bad in Denver that it’s possible to relocate the franchise.”
Art, San Diego
