Kleiza has become 'a whole different player'

Karl: It will be hard to keep forward out of the rotation

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 28, 2006 at midnight

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LOS ANGELES - Opposing public-address announcers still butcher his name, but one gets the feeling that won't happen for long.

Forward Linas Kleiza is making a name for himself after being pretty much unknown as a rookie. He was the biggest surprise of the preseason for the Nuggets, who finished 5-3 with a 112-86 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night at the Staples Center.

After averaging a meager 3.5 points last season, the native of Lithuania averaged 13.9 in the preseason. After shooting 2-of-13 from three-point range last season, Kleiza was 13-for-33 in the preseason.

Is this the same guy?

"I've become a whole different player," said Kleiza, held to seven points Friday.

Kleiza credits his surge to working for a month during the summer with Nuggets assistants Tim Grgurich and John Welch, then with the Lithuanian national team for two months, including in the World Championships. Coach George Karl, who calls himself a "fan" of Kleiza's, said it will be hard to keep him out of the rotation.

Karl expects Kleiza to be Carmelo Anthony's primary backup at small forward, in addition to playing some power forward and shooting guard. That gets Anthony's endorsement.

"His confidence is out of the building right now," Anthony said of the 6-foot-8 Kleiza. "In this league, it's all about confidence."

When Kleiza got out of Missouri in 2005, not many were confident he would be drafted in the first round. He squeezed in as the No. 27 pick by Portland before being dealt to Denver on draft night.

Kleiza, helped by numerous injuries, got into 61 games last season. Then came his rapid improvement.

"It's definitely a big step," Kleiza said. "I can't take the preseason lightly. I'm fighting for minutes."

Karl grumbles at times about Kleiza's defense. But Kleiza makes up for it with energy on offense and helps the poor-shooting Nuggets when he's hitting from the outside.

Kleiza figures to take time from somebody. One who could be hampered is forward Eduardo Najera, who has been a key energy player on the front line but lacks some of Kleiza's offensive skills.

Public-address announcers eventually were able to pronounce the name of Najera, entering his seventh season. It might not be long before they become seamless when identifying Kleiza.

CASSELL EYED NUGGETS: While a free agent, Clippers guard Sam Cassell was courted last summer by Karl, who coached him in Milwaukee from 1998-2003. It almost worked.

"I did give (signing with Denver) a lot of consideration," Cassell said. "(Karl is) one of the coaches that's going to give me the opportunity to become a head coach. That's my dream."

Cassell said the Nuggets offered him a three-year, $11 million deal.

But Atlanta entered the bidding and raised the stakes, and he eventually re-signed with the Clippers for $13 million over two years.

"We were in the game early," Karl said. "We had a limit to where we could go."

REST TIME: Facing the team the Nuggets open the regular season against Thursday, Karl rested some key players and reduced minutes of others. The Nuggets, with guard DerMarr Johnson scoring 17 points, still won easily.

Anthony and forward Nene sat out for precautionary reasons, and center Marcus Camby missed his sixth straight game because of a sore left foot. Camby vows to practice Sunday and play Thursday.

Forward Kenyon Martin left for good early in the third quarter, when he suffered a cut on his right ring finger that required three stitches. Karl said the injury is not serious, but Martin reserved judgment.

"I don't know, man," said Martin, who said he split his finger when he hit the ball. "It's still numb."

Overall, Karl was pleased with his team's final two preseason games.

"I was afraid we were struggling with defensive holes," he said.

ETC.: While the Nuggets are adhering to team policy by waiting until just before Tuesday's deadline, they are expected to pick up 2007-08 contract options on Kleiza ($1.01 million) and guard J.R. Smith ($2.14 million). "I'd be floored if they didn't (invoke Kleiza's option)," said his agent, Herb Rudoy. Said Smith: "My agent (Thaddeus Foucher) said they should pick it up since they traded for me (in July)." Julius Hodge's agent, Marc Cornstein, doesn't expect the Nuggets to invoke the $1.32 million option on his client . . . Details have surfaced on Reggie Evans' fully guaranteed five-year, $23 million contract. The forward will make $4 million ($1 million deferred) this season followed by $4.32 million, $4.64 million, $4.96 million and $5.08 million . . . Karl doesn't anticipate any roster changes by the opener. "There's nothing cooking," he said . . . With the Nuggets having only two point guards, Karl said Anthony would bring the ball up in an emergency.

DENVER - Martin 4-9 5-6 13, Johnson 6-7 1-1 17, Najera 4-6 1-1 11,Diawara 2-4 1-2 7, Miller 6-11 3-4 15, Kleiza 2-6 2-4 7, Boykins 3-10 5-6 13, Jo.Smith 2-6 6-6 10, J.R. Smith 4-11 4-4 14, Evans 2-4 1-2 5. Totals 35-74 29-36 112.

L.A. CLIPPERS - Brand 5-12 4-4 14, Maggette 4-13 7-8 16, A.Williams 3-5 1-2 7, Mobley 3-11 8-10 14, Livingston 0-5 2-2 2, Thomas 2-10 2-3 6, Cassell 3-11 1-2 8, Ross 0-2 0-0 0, Davis 2-9 2-2 6, Singleton 4-8 1-1 9, Korolev 0-1 1-2 1, Ewing 1-4 0-0 3. Totals 27-91 29-36 86.

Denver......38	24	23	27	-	112
L.A. Clippers......22	26	20	18	-	86

Three-point goals - Denver 13-30 (Johnson 4-4, Diawara 2-3, Boykins 2-4, Najera 2-4, J.R. Smith 2-8, Kleiza 1-5, Martin 0-1, Miller 0-1), L.A. Clippers 3-13 (Ewing 1-1, Cassell 1-2, Maggette 1-3, Korolev 0-1, Mobley 0-1, Singleton 0-1, Thomas 0-4). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Denver 59 (Evans 13), L.A. Clippers 58 (Davis 12). Assists - Denver 24 (Miller 9), L.A. Clippers 18 (Mobley 5). Total fouls - Denver 25, L.A. Clippers 28. Technicals - Denver Defensive Three Second 2, L.A. Clippers Defensive Three Second. A - 14,740. (18,964).