Father-son chalk on hold

Coby Karl sent to NBADL, won't face Nuggets tonight

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Andrew D. Bernstein / NBAE via Getty Images

Had Coby Karl, right, played against the Nuggets tonight, he would have been the third son to play in an NBA game against a team coached by his father. But the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday sent him to their NBA Development League team.

Isaac Brekken / Associated Press/2006

Nuggets coach George Karl watched Coby play for the Lakers during the (Las) Vegas Summer League last year.

Coby Karl will be playing today at the Staples Center.

It just won't be against his father's team.

Coby is scheduled to play in an afternoon game for the NBA Development League's Los Angeles D-Fenders against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. But at least he will sit on the bench for the main event between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nuggets, coached by George Karl.

Karl had been in line to become the third man to coach against his son in an NBA game. But that will have to wait, with the Lakers on Wednesday assigning the rookie guard to the D-Fenders.

"This is not a sideshow," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said by telephone. "We're not looking to be in the position to just make this the third father-son (meeting). We're trying to do what's best for Coby and the Lakers."

Kupchak said what's best now is for Coby to get playing time. He wasn't getting that with the Lakers, having logged four minutes in two games.

So history will have to wait for a third father to face his son.

On Nov. 9, 1976, the New

Orleans Jazz's Butch Van Breda Kolff met son Jan Van Breda Kolff of the New York Nets. And Mike Dunleavy Sr. of the Los Angeles Clippers has coached in 16 regular-season games against Mike Dunleavy Jr., the first 13 when Mike Jr. was with Golden State and the next three after Mike Jr. was traded in January to Indiana.

"Sure, it's disappointing," George Karl said of Wednesday's move. "At the same time, I'm obviously a big fan of the minor leagues. Sometimes you get stale when you sit around, so he gets a chance to play and get better."

Coby was less disappointed at the timing.

"I was indifferent," he said. "I probably wasn't going to play anyway (tonight). By sending me (to the NBADL), it shows that (the Lakers) want to invest in me."

The Lakers and the Nuggets play Wednesday at the Pepsi Center. But Lakers assistant general manager Ronnie Lester said Coby Karl likely will still be with the D-Fenders, a team the Lakers own and share a practice facility with.

"It's not a one-, two- or three-day assignment," Kupchak said.

The Karls had been looking forward to the possible meeting. Coby said it would have been "surreal" and his father vowed that, if he were to face Coby, he would "probably cheer for him."

Kupchak said he expects Karl, a former teammate at North Carolina, to give him some grief for the move. Kupchak left a message for Karl but had not heard from him by early Wednesday evening.

"He wasn't too disappointed," said Coby, downplaying how his father felt. "At least now he can come and see me play a full game (today for the D-Fenders)."

The Nuggets and Lakers will meet for a third and final time this season Jan. 21 in Los Angeles, but there's no guarantee Coby still will be with the Lakers then. He signed a $427,163 minimum contract, with only $100,000 guaranteed.

The Lakers must make a call on Coby by Jan. 10. If he's still on the roster then, his contract is guaranteed for the season.

"It's tough to speculate on what's going to happen two months down the road," Kupchak said.

The Lakers, though, will have a much better idea once they see Coby log big minutes in the NBADL.

Nuggets at Lakers

* When: 8:30 MST tonight.

* Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles.

* TV/radio: TNT; KKFN-AM (950).

* Starting lineups

Denver (9-6) Pos. Ht. Pts.

15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 25.2

4 Kenyon Martin F 6-9 8.6

23 Marcus Camby C 6-11 9.6

3 Allen Iverson G 6-0 23.7

5 Yakhouba Diawara G 6-7 4.4

Coach:

George Karl

Lakers (8-6) Pos. Ht. Pts.

10 V. Radmanovic F 6-10 9.4

7 Lamar Odom F 6-10 13.2

17 Andrew Bynum C 7-0 11.1

2 Derek Fisher G 6-1 12.3

24 Kobe Bryant G 6-6 27.9

Coach:

Phil Jackson * Injuries: Nuggets - G Chucky Atkins (groin strain), C Steven Hunter (right knee surgery) and F Nene (torn left thumb ligament) are out; Martin (right knee bone bruise) is questionable. Lakers - F Kwame Brown (moderate ankle and knee sprains) is out.

* Notes: Karl expects Martin, who missed a 112-110 loss Tuesday against Indiana after being hurt Saturday in Houston, to return. . . . Camby, the NBA's leading rebounder with a 14.8 average, has been battling illness this week but still had 12 boards against the Pacers.