The Nuggets Beat -- May 2010 Entries

Birdman shows heart in playing through injury
submitted by Aaron Lopez 5-27-10

Nuggets fans love Chris Andersen’s tattoos, his ever-changing hairstyles and his relentless energy.

They now have another reason to love Birdman.

His heart.

Andersen suffered a partial tear of the patella tendon in his right knee in Game 2 of Denver’s playoff series against the Utah Jazz, but played each of the final four games of the series.

Fighting through the pain, Andersen helped the Nuggets stave off elimination with 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in Game 5. He averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in the four games after the injury.

Andersen’s determination in the playoffs was simply an extension of his attitude during the regular season. His right knee started bothering him in November, yet he missed only six games (one because of the knee, one because of a strained back and four because of a sprained ankle) all year.

Andersen, 31, averaged a career-high 6.4 rebounds per game and was sixth in the NBA in blocked shots per game at 1.88.

After having knee surgery this week, Andersen can begin the process of getting healthy for 2010-11 – something that really never happened in 2009-10.

Approaching anniversary of 2003 LeBron lottery lends itself to a game of 'What if?'
submitted by Aaron Lopez 5-20-10

On May 22, 2003, Nuggets fans clung to the hope that the NBA draft lottery would favor their team with franchise-changing good fortune.

In the end, maybe the basketball gods prevented a lot of hand-wringing and heartbreak.

Had the combination of ping-pong balls turned out differently seven years ago, actor Don Cheadle, Denver mayor John Hickenlooper and local rockers the Fray might currently be part of a marketing campaign to prevent LeBron James from fleeing as a free agent.

After going 17-65 during the 2002-03 season, the Nuggets tied the Cleveland Cavaliers for the worst record in the NBA. Both teams had a 22.5 percent chance of receiving the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery, but Cleveland ended up with the winning combination, while Denver dropped to third, behind the Detroit Pistons.

James, of course, became a two-time MVP with his hometown Cavaliers, and the Nuggets drafted a franchise player in Carmelo Anthony after the Pistons chose Darko Milicic with the second overall pick.

Milicic, 24, set an unofficial record as the youngest player to be labeled a “journeyman,” while Anthony is a three-time All-Star who ultimately wants be bigger than John Elway on the Colorado sports scene.

Anthony, who is under contract for 2010-11 and has an opt-out clause for 2011-12, has given no indication he wants to play anywhere other than Denver. Two time zones to the east, James is weighing his options and could leave Cleveland when he becomes a free agent on July 1.

For all his individual accolades, James has not been able to bring a championship to Cleveland while appearing in 11 playoff series. Playing in a more difficult conference, Anthony has appeared in eight playoff series and taken the Nuggets as far as the Western Conference finals.

Would things have been different for the Nuggets if LeBron had landed in Denver? Impossible to say.

Would Nuggets Nation be losing sleep over LeBron’s pending free agency? Undoubtedly. Just remember how everyone reacted when Dikembe Mutombo bolted to Atlanta in 1996 and then multiply it by a thousand.

Good luck with all that, Cavs fans.

Melo selected as judge for Miss USA pageant
submitted by Aaron Lopez 5-13-10

He’s played alongside Mr. Big Shot. Carmelo Anthony now will have a hand in crowning Miss USA.

The Nuggets forward has been selected as a celebrity judge for the 59th Annual Miss USA Pageant, which will be broadcast on NBC live Sunday from Las Vegas.

Joining Anthony on the panel are Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, actor Oscar Nunez and fashion model Melania Trump, wife of the ubiquitous Donald Trump, among others.

Anthony, who has his own movie production company (Krossover Productions), continues to build his brand outside of basketball.

He and fiancée La La Vazquez recently announced plans to produce a five-episode reality series that will focus on preparations for their upcoming wedding in New York on July 10. The series will air on VH1 starting Sept. 13.

Karl released from hospital
submitted by Aaron Lopez 5-4-2010; UPDATED 5-6-2010

Nuggets coach George Karl has been released from the hospital after being treated for a blood clot in his right leg and swelling in his arthritic left knee.

Karl’s life partner Kim Van Deraa said the 58-year-old coach was released Wednesday after having 60cc of fluid drained from his knee. Karl checked into the hospital last Friday because of a blood clot and stayed an extra day due to the knee.

Karl completed treatments for throat and neck cancer four weeks ago, but he has been hospitalized twice for blood clots.

In order to keep friends, family and well-wishers updated on Karl’s recovery, Van Deraa has been posting regular updates on a blog at MyLifeLine.org since mid-March.

Nene now able to laugh at injury scare
submitted by Aaron Lopez 5-3-2010

Upon falling to the floor, Nene felt the pain resonate from his left knee to the depth of his memory bank.

It was the exact pain the Nuggets’ center experienced nearly five years earlier when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

The immediate feedback did nothing to alleviate his anxiety. A team doctor told him he would bet his house that Nene had now torn his left ACL.

Some of the best bets are the ones you never make.

As he reclined on a training table Monday morning, Nene was able to smile and laugh about the frightening knee injury he suffered in Denver’s Game 5 playoff win over the Utah Jazz on April 28; an MRI confirmed a sprain, with no ligament damage.

“It was a miracle,” said Nene, a cancer survivor and devout Christian. “It was God’s mercy. He wouldn’t let that happen to me again.”

Instead of a six-month rehab, Nene should be able to start working out again in about a week. He still plans to play for his native Brazil in the FIBA World Championships Aug. 28-Sept 12 in Turkey.

Though he was relieved that his knee injury wasn’t more serious, Nene said it was hard to watch the Nuggets lose Game 6 – and the series – to Utah.

“Oh boy. It’s hard to see the last game,” he said. “I’m so mad, so frustrated because I’m not there to help my teammates. I’m glad because I know they play hard. They did the best that they can do. Utah did better than us. Now we prepare for another season.”

It’s almost hard to believe the 27-year-old Nene has eight seasons under his belt. He played in all 82 regular-season games for the first time in his career and averaged 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists – second among NBA centers.

“Evaluating my performance, I did good,” he said. “I did my best for the team. The good news is I’m good, too. My knee is getting healthy. I’ll just enjoy the summer and think about the next season, what I can do better.”