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Nuggets report: All-Star or wedding for Nene?

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 8, 2008 at 8:03 p.m.

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He Said It

"It's real cool. He really wanted to keep it up, so he asked me to help him."

J.R. Smith, Nuggets guard, who will take over "Cambyland Christmas" on Dec. 18 at Macy's in Cherry Creek Mall because of Marcus Camby having been traded to the Clippers. Camby will provide a shopping opportunity to those in his Marcus' Mentors program and 15 children from Denver's Cope Boys & Girls Club.

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All-Star or wedding?

Nuggets coach George Karl said center Nene has "All-Star talent" now. With that in mind, he could face a dilemma before the Feb. 15 game in Phoenix.

Nene, averaging 15 points and 7.2 rebounds, is getting married Valentine's Day. Asked what he might do if named to the All-Star Game, Nene didn't say precisely but clearly indicated his wedding to Lauren Prothe, of Fort Collins, is more important.

"I don't worry about All-Star," he said. "My wedding. That's my priority. I don't want to (postpone) that. Got to go prepare another time, another year (to make the All-Star Game). It's my wedding. . . . (That) comes first."

It's understandable Nene, who isn't on the ballot but has a chance to be named a reserve, would schedule his wedding All-Star weekend. Even Karl didn't see Nene, who played only 16 games last season while battling testicular cancer, emerging this quickly.

"I said before . . . Nene has All-Star skills and All-Star talent," Karl said. "I didn't think he would move into that realm of competition this year. I thought it would take him a year, year and a half, two years."

Nene won't mind if it takes another year to be named an All-Star.

Etc.

* Karl said there's a "good possibility" forward Kenyon Martin will return Wednesday after he sat out Saturday at Sacramento because of a sore left wrist. Martin called it a "game-time decision." Martin didn't practice Monday because Karl wants him to "feel like he can do more."

* With Martin out, Renaldo Balkman got his first start of the season against the Kings and totaled 17 points, six rebounds and three steals in a 118-85 win. "My role is energy and defense," Balkman said. Karl calls Balkman an insurance policy but predicts he'll play 1,000 to 1,200 minutes this season. "Our coaches have done a good job with his shot," Karl said. "The league thinks he can't shoot."

* Forward Carmelo Anthony said his right elbow contusion continues to hurt, but he doesn't plan to miss time. "They're going to have to tell me to stay home and don't get on the plane before I say I ain't playing in a game," he said. Karl also doesn't believe Anthony will miss time, saying, "He's pretty stubborn, which is a good stubborn."

Comments

  • December 9, 2008

    12:35 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    NuggetsFan94 writes:

    Yes, Carmelo is stubborn. That's why it's the coaches' job to bind him down.

    Coach Karl talks like he's never seen any of his player gone down with an injury. The thing that coach Karl frustrates me the most is not his rotation or not talking to J.R. It's the way he handles his injured players. I've been feeling this for the last two years. We have seen enough Nuggets who missed their entire seasons with their injuries under the Karl regime. I'm not blaming all the injuries we have been through on him, because he's got Mr. Jim Gillen and Mr. Steve Hess, but obviously he's careless about the situation and ignoring to foresee the consequences.

    You see, Melo's not going to have any time off in this season, because he's most likely going to participate in the All-Star game.
    Why are we waiting to get his elbow f***ed up and him missing 5 to 10 games after that when we can treat it well for only having him miss 2 games right now?

    Kenyon is taking the rest right now not because he's not stubborn. If you think Kenyon is not stubborn, I don't know about you.
    Kenyon is stubborn too, but the difference is he's WISER since he'd been through those major injuries on the both knees and he knows what to do for his conditioning now. He understands he has to discipline himself not getting in the games right now in order to be ready for the better results at the end.

    I can guaranty this but, if Melo does not get his elbow healed up completely right now, he's no going to be the force like we need him to be this season. And that means another early exit from the playoffs for us.

    He can't keep playing shitty like he is playing right now all season.
    He is supposed to have a bright future.
    Why do we want to sacrifice it like Kenyon did two years ago.

  • December 9, 2008

    6:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    NuggetsFan94 isn't it the TRAINERS job to tell the coach if they feel like a player shouldn't be in the game? Last time I checked, his name is George Karl, not Dr. Karl.

    And where do you get off saying Melo is playing badly? He's not averaging as many points per game this year, but his rebounds, assists and steals are up from last year. He doesn't HAVE to score 30 every night for them to win anymore.

    I do agree that he should sit out a few games to get better now though. This week they only have 2 games so now is the perfect time to do it.

  • December 9, 2008

    9:45 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    wj_nugs writes:

    Melo is playing badly?? You have to be kidding. How many of us have waited and passionately suggested that Melo HAS to become an all-around force?! Melo needs to average 22-8-6 and NOT 30-4-2. One of the main reasons why the Nugs are a much better team is because of Melo's decision to finally play a more team-oriented game.

  • December 9, 2008

    9 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GOPteacher writes:

    wj_nugs, well said! Melo can't win. Everyone wants to change the rules on him. When he averages 30, he's a bum because he's not rebounding or setting up others, and now that he's a force on the boards and a playmaker, he's playing bad 'cause his scoring is down.

  • December 9, 2008

    10:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    NuggetsFan94 writes:

    OK, Mr. kmeissner, I'll rephrase it.
    "We have seen enough Nuggets who missed their entire seasons with their injuries under the Gillen regime."

    Well, the thing is I interpreted Melo's comments lately about his elbow as him saying "Please please please please somebody stop me. I can't take a rest because of my ego. So, somebody do it for me."
    Am I wrong?

    He's been in this "Sacrifice is a virtue" mentality for almost all his life since he started playing in a sport team, so of course he can't say he will stop.
    Somebody else (hopefully a wiser elder) need to take this job to tell him to stay home.
    Maybe LaLa need to tie him down to the bed in the morning. But if I were a head coach, I'd think it's my job.

    Moving onto "Melo playing badly" objected by Mr. kmeissner, Mr. wj_nugs and Mr. GOPteacher.

    Yes, I'd like to see him become all-rounder too. But before that, let me point out some facts.

    Firstly, Melo's averaging 8.1 rebounds per game this season, and that is only less than 1 more rebound than the last season (7.4rpg) even he does not have Camby around anymore.

    Secondly, steal per game this season is 0.8, which is way down from the last season's 1.3.

    Thirdly, his assists is 3.6 comparing to last season's 3.4, but he was doing identical job two seasons ago (3.8apg), so I don't see it as an improvement.

    Lastly, lets see his shooting.
    OK I'll try to be fair here and not looking at his points-per-game which everybody sees it awful, but since everyone is trying to convince me "Melo's busy doing other things....." ;-)
    So, field goal percentage must be a very fair stat.
    I'll just write his FG% every season since his rookie season accordingly.
    .426
    .431
    .481
    .476
    .492
    .409
    You see, he's got his FG% almost 10% dropped from the last season, and this isn't a coincidence.
    Since Melo said he's felt pain in his elbow from the training camp, it's just obvious the injured elbow is doing quite job on his shooting.
    I'm also afraid that he could catch some bad shooting form in a long run trying to avoid the pain unconsciously.

    However, there is one lucky byproduct of his shooting elbow injury. He's playing better with his left hand now as Scott Hastings always mentions.

    I'll admit he was playing with some good focus in the last game. But if he had been playing with that focus and his healthy shooting arm, he would have been a player who is battling in the league of LeBron and Wade and those by now.
    Less than that, to me, is "he is playing shitty," simply because he's not what he can be.

    And I can guarantee if he get his elbow healed this week, he'll get close to become that complete player he can be much much much much faster, which ultimately will help the team big time.

  • December 10, 2008

    6:10 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    cap writes:

    I still plan on writing in Nene's name on the ballot everyday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!