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Day after perplexes Karl

Coach confused, disappointed by Anthony's arrest

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 16, 2008 at 3:27 a.m.
Updated April 16, 2008 at 3:27 a.m.

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Nuggets coach George Karl talks with Carmelo Anthony at Nuggets practice at the Pepsi Center today.

Photo by Chris Schneider © The Rocky

Nuggets coach George Karl talks with Carmelo Anthony at Nuggets practice at the Pepsi Center today.

When Nuggets coach George Karl received the call Monday morning, there was a deflating feeling. With his team on the verge of clinching a fifth straight playoff berth, some joy was lost.

"It was a little bit of a balloon leaking out," Karl said of learning about forward Carmelo Anthony's arrest on suspicion of drunk driving.

Anthony has had a string of negative incidents. But the only big one since Karl showed up in January 2005 had been Anthony's 15-game, brawl-related suspension last season, which Karl said was "heavier" on the coach.

Karl still is digesting the latest incident.

"I don't know if the word is disappointing as much as confused," Karl said Tuesday. "I thought we were past this point. I can't deny it's confusing. . . . We were looking at more of a celebration of having a great year and finishing up this year as a special season, and then him winning (an Olympic) gold medal in 2008, and I think we can get him back on that track very quickly."

Anthony's 4 a.m. Monday arrest came on a day the Nuggets later clinched a playoff berth. It came just before media ballots are due for All-NBA teams, perhaps hampering Anthony, who has been named two straight years to the third team.

But Karl said the Nuggets will "support" Anthony and do what they can to turn a potential distraction into a positive.

"(The media) all want to write the facts and information," said Karl, who said Anthony will start in tonight's season finale at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. "My job is to make this a positive, make this a mentoring type of growth for Melo. . . . He's done a lot of good. The mistakes he's made have subtracted from it."

Karl spoke several times with Anthony. He said Anthony was "very genuinely upset at himself for making the mistake."

Anthony read a statement of apology. Several Nuggets players declined to comment on Anthony's arrest, with center Marcus Camby shrugging it off as being another distraction.

"Every NBA team goes through situations," Camby said. "No season is perfect."

But Camby said it will "symbolize a successful season" if the Nuggets (49-32) can reach 50 wins for the first time in 20 years. Wanting 50, Karl vows tonight not to rest the starters much.

If the Nuggets win and Dallas loses to New Orleans, they would be the No. 7 playoff seed in the Western Conference and face the Hornets. Otherwise, Denver would be No. 8 and meet the Los Angeles Lakers.

A Lakers series might start Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, with Game 2 on Wednesday. If so, Karl said the Nuggets might return to Denver between games.

Wherever they are, Karl said, "there's going to be some tough things said and written" because of Anthony's arrest.

"I think it will make him better as a person," Karl said. "We can support him and, hopefully, make us better understand that mental toughness is a part of our game."

Karl didn't elaborate on talks with Anthony. But Karl said he was raised hearing about "respect and responsibility," and Anthony "did hear those words."

When asked if the Nuggets will monitor more where players might be at late hours, Karl called it a "valuable question to consider." But he didn't indicate any possible changes.

"We had a bed check when I was in Seattle and (assistant coach Tim Grgurich) would always come back and say all the beds are there," said Karl, Seattle's coach from 1992 to 1998.

More than 24 hours after being deflated, Karl was able to joke.

Comments

  • April 16, 2008

    5:57 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    gwats writes:

    I'm willing to cut Carmelo a little slack this time. I just hope this isn't the start of many 'apologies' to the fans. He seems sincere and embarrassed @ the same time. No matter how much $$$ you have in the bank, public admissions of bad judgment are never easy.

  • April 16, 2008

    11:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    JE writes:

    Melo will be alright. He'll learn from this and grow.

  • April 16, 2008

    12:37 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    cap writes:

    Lots of support for MELO tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • April 16, 2008

    12:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    Shrug it off for now, Melo. Deal with this in the off season. Just focus on 50 wins tonight and hope New Orleans wins as well. I'd much rather see them then the Lakers in round 1!!!!!

  • April 16, 2008

    2:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Hutch writes:

    This most assuredly is NOT the start of many apologies from Carmelo. It's just the latest of many. He apologized as a rookie when he refused to enter a game in Detroit, and again when they found pot in his backpack, and again when he appeared in the stop-snitching video, and again after the nightclub fisticuffs, and again after the infamous slap-and-run in New York.

    I'm a huge Nuggets fan and Carmelo strikes me as an ok guy, to the extent that anybody can make an informed judgment about such things based on media accounts. But he is undeniably immature and irresponsible. There is no telling what kind of force he could be in the league if he chose to genuinely dedicate himself to his game and his team. But the 4 a.m. DUI arrest sheds a revealing light on the questions of why he is carrying extra pounds late in the season, and why he often looks fatigued in the fourth quarter.