When Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau watches the Nuggets, he sees a collage of the Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nuggets once coached by George Karl.
But mostly, he sees a Denver team developing in the image of first-year Nuggets coach Brian Shaw. And while this team bears the characteristics of others, film from this season and seasons to come will show a team that’s unmistakably Shaw’s, Thibodeau said.
“Brian was well prepared for this job,” Thibodeau said Thursday. “He worked for Phil Jackson for a long time. He worked for Frank (Vogel). He had a great career as a player. I think he has a great understanding of the game. He’s got his own beliefs.
“One thing about him is, he’ll be true to himself.”
Watching the weather. The snow Thursday morning postponed Denver’s pregame shootaround, but Shaw made sure to get his players in the arena earlier than usual for Thursday night’s home game.
“I didn’t want our guys having to drive in and then drive back and then drive in and drive back in that weather,” Shaw said. “But we came in earlier and we did our walk-through.”
The plan was to get film study in earlier too, to “give ourselves a little bit more time to digest that before the game,” Shaw said.
He had no worries, saying it all went well.
“I think they appreciated the rest that they got not having to come in,” Shaw said. “A couple of the guys, I think, came in anyway.” Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
