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Thursday, April 19, 2001
Van Exel says he must communicate
Associated Press
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DENVER – The dysfunctional Denver Nuggets are at it again.
Point guard and tri-captain Nick Van Exel was suspended for
Tuesday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers after
missing two workouts without contacting team officials.
Van Exel arrived at the Pepsi Center less than two hours before
Denver's game against Portland and learned of his suspension during
a meeting with coach Dan Issel.
"I'm frustrated basically with myself and injuries and my
family situation, but hopefully everything will be taken care of
and worked out," Van Exel said. "I've just got to learn to
communicate with people. That's my biggest problem."
Issel said he understood Van Exel's angst as Denver (35-39)
stumbles through its sixth straight losing season, but he was
disappointed with his point guard's conduct.
"He needed a couple days away, and he handled it in an
unfortunate way," Issel said. "That'll be the end of it."
The Nuggets, who made headlines by boycotting practice after a
winless four-game road trip in December, concluded a six-game road
trip Saturday with a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Issel gave his players permission to return to Denver on their
own, but Van Exel failed to show up for practice Monday and was not
at the team shootaround Tuesday morning.
Van Exel said he flew from Atlanta to Indianapolis to see his
mother, and he also spent time at his home in Houston before
returning to Denver. He admitted that he could have handled the
situation better.
"Anytime you get media attention and you're not playing well,
it's probably something negative," he said. "I'll apologize to my
teammates and move on. You can't say much more when you make a
mistake. You can't go back in time."
Van Exel, who averages 17.9 points and 8.5 assists, has been
slowed by various injuries to his foot, back and knee this season
and could miss the final seven games after his suspension.
He would not go into specifics about his personal situation but
said it went beyond his immediate family.
"This is my eighth year and I've never felt like this -- ever.
All of these injuries, people coming at you from a thousand
different angles. It's just built up. It's frustration," he said.
"As far as my teammates and the coaching staff and the
organization, I love all of these people. They have nothing to do
with this."
Already without Van Exel, the Nuggets also faced Portland
without All-Star forward Antonio McDyess, who remains hobbled by a
dislocated kneecap.
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