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| Tuesday, October 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last year: 14-36, sixth place in Midwest Coach: Dan Issel Arena: Pepsi Center (19,300) Last NBA title: None Record the last 5 years/NBA rank: 122-256 (26th)
Outlook By Vicki Michaelis Basketball News New coach, new players, new outlook. For the Nuggets, it's a sequel of a sequel of a sequel. And Denver fans are just about as weary of it as movie critics were of all the "Friday the 13th" reincarnations. That's why -- even though the Nuggets have players with marquee names such as Antonio McDyess, Ron Mercer and Nick Van Exel; even though a healthy Raef LaFrentz is back at full strength at center; even though Dan Issel is back on the bench; even though new owner Donald Sturm has deep pockets; even though the Nuggets now play in a state-of-the-art arena -- no one is gushing with optimism. Not even the Nuggets themselves. Guard Bryant Stith's season preview: "I'm cautious." Issel's thoughts on making the playoffs this year: "We're probably still a ways away." And of anyone in the organization, Stith and Issel are probably right to hedge. Stith has been behind the scenes for virtually every Nuggets horror show this decade, and Issel has seen the unguarded positivism of his predecessors haunt them through to their bitter ends. That's not to say the Nuggets don't have hope. For the first time in ages, they have NBA-caliber talent at more than just one or two positions. They have worthy contributors coming off the bench. They have reason to believe they can compete every time they take the court. But they also have perspective. They've won just 25 games in the past two seasons combined. They've been hit with freak injuries. They've repeatedly set their sights on improvement only to end up in further decline. The Nuggets won't make promises this season. First off, they have to make believers out of everyone, including themselves. Issel plans for his team to pull it off not just by scoring points, which should come easily given the athletic scorers it has, but by playing better defense, which has been nonexistent for the Nuggets in recent seasons. Only then, maybe, will they see their names up in lights, or at least up in the standings. And fans won't write off this incarnation of the Nuggets as just another bad sequel.
Point guard Rookie Chris Herren, whose pinpoint passing will pave his way in the NBA, is expected to be Van Exel's everyday backup. But Issel also would like to develop Chauncey Billups at the 1-spot, so Billups will see time at the position as well -- especially when the Nuggets need his defense against the league's bigger point guards.
Shooting guard Surprising rookie James Posey has impressed Issel, and his playing time likely will come at Billups' expense. The Nuggets could choose either to send in Posey for Billups or to put Posey at small forward and move Mercer to shooting guard. With such possibilities looming, it's clear Billups is playing for more than just a contract this season. Ultimately, he might find himself being used as a backup at both guard positions or even being shipped out of town.
Small forward Now that Mercer is in Denver, no one is certain for how long. Mercer will be a free agent this summer and said he'd "definitely be renting" once the Nuggets refused to give him a contract extension immediately after trading for him. But Mercer might find that he likes it in Denver, especially since he'll be one of the Nuggets' primary options on offense. Mercer already says he feels unshackled in Issel's system, which allows him to improvise inside as often as he sets up for jumpers. When the Nuggets need perimeter scoring from this position, they'll turn to George McCloud. When they need to suffocate the opposing small forward on defense, they'll turn to either Posey or Stith, both of whom are expected to swing between the 2- and the 3-spots. They also plan to play wiry, 6-11 Keon Clark here, helping to give them the most depth they have at any position.
Power forward McDyess has a personal goal of making this season's All-Star team. To do so, he merely would have to repeat his performance from last season, when he ranked among the league's top 10 in scoring (21.2), rebounding (10.7) and blocked shots (2.3), all while averaging a career-high 38.7 minutes a game and guarding opponents' best big man night after night. After McDyess, the Nuggets fall off dramatically. Popeye Jones, still carrying questions about the health of his left knee, played through the preseason as McDyess's backup. Having only Jones as insurance leaves too much of the burden on McDyess and leaves the Nuggets dangerously exposed should he get hurt. That's why Issel has made finding another big man a top priority.
Center LaFrentz is bigger and stronger after his injury layoff. However, no amount of rehab will ever make him the kind of dominant defender the Nuggets need for matchups against the league's bigger centers. For that, Issel is desperately seeking another big body. The Nuggets brought 6-10, 235-pound Roy Rogers, 6-11, 250-pound Shawnelle Scott and 7-2, 285-pound Dwayne Schintzius to camp, but none of those players provides a long-term solution to the Nuggets' lack of frontcourt depth. Issel insists LaFrentz can be a center in this league, but he certainly can't do it without a banger coming off the bench for him.
Coaching The team is fully under his direction. Unlike Issel's last coaching stint, when he had to try to win with whatever and whomever the owner and general manager gave him, he has all the control. Sturm, the Nuggets' new hands-off owner, is letting Issel right this ship on his own. If Denver sinks again, Issel will have no one to blame but himself. Material from Basketball News.Visit their web site at http://www.basketballnews.com |