Division-leading Nuggets and Mavs clash in Denver

A pair of Western Conference powerhouses get together tonight in the Rocky Mountains, as the Denver Nuggets play host to the Dallas Mavericks at the Pepsi Center.

Denver leads the Northwest Division by one game over the Portland Trail Blazers, but has lost three of its last four games. In a 107-96 setback to the Blazers on Friday, Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and nine rebounds, while J.R. Smith added 20 points in defeat.

"They had urgency to their game and (Brandon) Roy led them at a very high level," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We never really got control of his leadership, he had a big stat but his drive was pretty obvious. They knew this was an important win they couldn't give us a two-game lead on them, and we weren't good enough offensively."

Kenyon Martin recorded 12 points and 14 boards in a losing cause. In injury news for Denver, which is 13-1 at home this season, guard Chauncey Billups is questionable for Sunday's game with a groin problem. He had 10 points in the loss to Portland after missing the previous three games.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, will kick off a four-game road trip Sunday against the Nuggets, Rockets, Kings and Lakers, and are 10-4 away from Big D this season.

Dallas has alternated wins and losses over the past five games and is coming off Saturday's 106-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the finale of a four-game homestand at American Airlines Center.

Jason Terry scored 23 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 20 points, while Erick Dampier had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks, who rebounded from a loss to Portland on Tuesday. Jason Kidd contributed 10 points and dished out 10 assists in a winning cause.

"Our balance was very good and we had good balance down the stretch as well," Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle said. "Different guys got involved, with different guys scoring and making plays. Dirk didn't even score down the stretch. That's positive and when you get seven or eight guys playing at a high level, it makes a big difference."

Mavs forward Drew Gooden is questionable for Sunday's game due to back spasms.

Denver Nuggets at Chicago Bulls: Game Thread and Preview

The Denver Nuggets (5-2) head into the Windy City Tuesday night to take on the Chicago Bulls (4-2).

The Nuggets are coming off a pair of difficult back-to-back losses to the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, and look to turn around their East Coast road trip with a victory against the Bulls.

J.R. Smith will make his first appearance of the season after serving a seven-game suspension to start the year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Smith struggle out of the gate looking to reintegrate into this offense.

Kenyon Martin injured his leg on Friday night against the Heat, but his MRI revealed that there was no fracture and he is currently listed as day to day. He will likely sit out this contest. If Martin is unable to go, look for George Karl to turn to either Renaldo Balkman again or Malik Allen to start at power forward.

The Bulls are riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, including impressive victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and the pesky Charlotte Bobcats.

Tyrus Thomas will be out four to six weeks with a fractured left forearm he sustained while lifting weights, but he has been struggling this year anyway and hasn’t been much of a factor even when healthy. The Bulls might even benefit from removing him as a distraction.

In his absence, Taj Gibson is likely to get the start at the power forward spot again. He has been solid, but unspectacular in his starts so far. Also, look for some spot duty time for the Bulls other rookie, James Johnson.

Mismatch in favor of the Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony vs. Luol Deng

At this point, it is too hard for me to resist putting Carmelo Anthony versus almost anyone in the league as a mismatch in favor of the Nuggets.

I think Deng is a physical enough of a defender to give ‘Melo some problems on the block, but the threat of Anthony’s sweet jump shot coupled with his superior quickness should prove to be too much for Deng to contain.

Deng’s size and lack of quickness will prove to be a disadvantage in this matchup. Look for ‘Melo to torch the Bulls and continue his 30-plus point performances.

Deng has been wildly inconsistent this season on the offensive end, and Anthony is a vastly improved defender. I wouldn’t expect much beyond a 10-15-point performance from Deng.

Mismatch in favor of the Bulls - John Salmons vs. whoever the Nuggets throw out there to start + J.R. Smith

John Salmons has been very inconsistent to this point, but he had a break-out performance on Saturday against the Bobcats with 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting.

The Nuggets have been torched by a combined 88 points in the past two games against the opposing team’s shooting guards and I would look for that trend to continue.

While I don’t think J.R. will get the start at the two-guard, I do see him playing the most significant number of minutes. Look for Salmons to have a strong game against Smith, who is sure to be rusty and who isn’t a strong defender even at his most polished.

I expect Smith to come in and force some ill advised shots and really struggle while he presses to pick up where he left off in last year’s playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 5-for-15 type of performance from J.R.

Key Matchup – Joakim Noah vs. Nene

Noah is coming off of a career performance against the Bobcats and became only the third player since 2001 to record at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, while shooting 80 percent from the floor in a victory.

While Noah has been playing outstanding ball to this point in the season (11.3 points and 11 rebounds per game), his wiry frame and lack of strength leaves him vulnerable to be pushed around by the bigger and stronger Nene.

When Nene is aggressive, there isn’t a center in the league that can match up with his blend of size and agility. The problem is that he is only aggressive about 50 percent of the time he plays.

With Martin likely to miss some time while recovering from his leg injury, Nene will have to step up his intensity for the Nuggets to have a chance in this game.

I give the slight edge to the Nuggets in this matchup, but Noah continues to amaze, and seems to prove me wrong every time I underestimate him.

Keys to the Game for Nuggets

- Keep Noah off the boards and win the rebounding battle

- Don’t allow Derrick Rose to control the tempo of the game

- A second scorer besides ‘Melo needs to step up

Keys to the Game for the Bulls

- Keep Carmelo content with the long jump shot

- Capitalize on Kenyon Martin’s absence and win the inside battles

- Slow down Ty Lawson and Nuggets second unit

Prediction – Bulls win 100-93

I think the absence of Kenyon Martin will prove to be too much for the Nuggets to overcome once again. His injury highlights the biggest flaw in this team, and that is its lack of front court depth. In order for the Nuggets to come away victorious, Nene will have to play aggressively and have a 15-point/15-rebound type of game.

Chicago is playing good ball right now, and I see them dominating in the paint against a weakened Nuggets frontcourt and winning the battle on the glass. Even without Tyrus Thomas, the Bulls are deeper and more physical inside. The Nuggets always seem to struggle on their East Coast road trips, and this sets up to be another disappointing game for the Nuggets.

Melo adds fine new title: leader

Pro basketball's long grind is just beginning, as the Nuggets are the first to point out. But it is still worth noticing that through three games, Carmelo Anthony has been the best player in the NBA.

He leads the league in scoring at 37.7 points per game on .536 shooting. He is among the Nuggets' leaders in steals, rebounds and assists.

In short, as he begins his seventh NBA season at the still-tender age of 25, Melo is taking his game to another level.

"He's just so focused," teammate Chauncey Billups said. "And he's just riding a high wave right now. We're just kind of getting on his back."

If Anthony is setting a tone for the season, not only is a scoring title within his reach, so is consideration for most valuable player. And if their star can reach those heights, the Nuggets' championship aspirations take on a more realistic cast.

"I told you all before training camp started I felt better than I ever felt coming into the season," Anthony told reporters after scoring a season-high 42 against Memphis to lead the Nuggets to a 3-0 start.

"My body felt good. My stamina feels great. I just feel good all around. My confidence is up. I've got one thing ahead of me, which is that gold ball."

That would be the ornament atop the Larry O'Brien Trophy, awarded to the NBA champions. This goal is reflected in Melo's increasing emphasis on his all- around game.

Once, he was just a scorer. He could have maintained that niche and had a great career, a Hall of Fame career, without doing much of anything else. Instead, he has used intimations of such limitations as motivation to expand his game.

"I just use what people say, what I read and what I hear, to fuel my fire," he said. "I search for any and all that stuff. That's just me. I'm a competitor, so I'm going to find anything that somebody's saying that I can't do."

He paused, smiling. "I don't hear I can't get out of the first round no more. So that's a good thing," he said.

Anthony showed off his improving focus at the defensive end early Sunday night, stealing the ball from Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay at one end and converting it at the other. Later, he fed Kenyon Martin on an alley-oop, one of his five assists on the night, then was on the receiving end of a lob from rookie Ty Lawson.

"He's one of the players I watched a lot in college," Lawson said. "He was one of my favorite players, so to see him scoring so many points and doing it so effortlessly, it's crazy."

Coach George Karl is more interested in Anthony's maturation than his point totals.

"My big thing with Melo is be a team leader," Karl said. "The more effective and efficient he is both as a player and as a leader, a captain, a locker room guy, the more consistent he is in his approach, I think the more we're going to feel comfortable following him."

A year ago, the Nuggets had a leadership vacuum in the locker room. Then they traded for Billups, a veteran leader. And now their young star is shouldering some of that burden.

"People talk about they want to be a leader," Anthony said. "If you don't have them qualities in you, then you're not a leader. Leadership is something that I always had in me. It's just that it's coming about now.

"I've been through a lot in my six-year career so far, so my teammates are starting to respect what I got to say, respect what I'm out there doing. My game is speaking for myself. They see me out there hustling, diving on the floor for loose balls, playing defense, and they're going to do the same thing."

Along the way, if Anthony should collect a scoring title or get the first serious MVP consideration of his career, he won't object. But he has learned those things are byproducts, not goals.

"This is the way I look at it: If I do what I've got to do, if my team wins, then all them accolades will come," he said. "I'm not coming out saying I'm going to get MVP. It's too early for that. But if we're winning and we're playing great, then we'll see what happens after that."

Three games are the blink of an eye in the NBA's six-month marathon. Still, they are enough for Anthony to offer up a glimpse of the transcendent player he might yet become.

Hoops is not on Anthony's agenda

His Olympic experience behind him, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is moving on to his next order of business.

Rest.

"I'm not even thinking about training camp right now," Anthony said Tuesday during a news conference in Denver. "What is it, three weeks away?"

It's actually four, but either way, don't expect Anthony to be at full speed from the start. His summer was filled with basketball, and that may take a toll on his early effectiveness when the regular season starts Oct. 29. Last year, after having played in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Las Vegas, Anthony took it easy throughout much of training camp. He expects to do the same this year.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be taking that same approach, especially after this run," Anthony said. "My whole summer was taken from me; for the past four years, really. I don't think I've had an off summer yet. I'm going to take my time.

"Not going to get out of shape or anything like that, but as far as going full speed, and get after it, it's going to be hard for me to just sit in the gym and watch the team practice. I can't do that. But I'm pretty sure we'll figure out a way."

Anthony said he was "surprised" at the Nuggets' busy offseason, though he said he didn't pay too much attention to all of the moves because he was "caught up so much with USA Basketball."

The Nuggets traded center Marcus Camby and re-signed guards J.R. Smith and Anthony Carter.

They let forward Eduardo Najera go via free agency. Yakhouba Diawara wasn't resigned. The Nuggets also signed forwards Chris Andersen and Renaldo Balkman and guard Dahntay Jones. Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said he will not comment on the team's busy summer.

"I'm not going to get into that conversation," Warkentien said.

The Nuggets are taking a beating in early prognostications. Espn.com has the Nuggets finishing 10th in the Western Conference with 39 wins.

"We like that talk; people were saying it last year," Anthony said. "It's going to happen every year. I'm pretty sure we're motivated. I'm not the only one. I hope I'm not the only one that's motivated."

Carmelo and Phelps

Two great athletes were groomed just miles apart.

But on Wednesday, Carmelo Anthony and Michael Phelps were 6,944 miles from Baltimore when finally united — two of America's golden hopes, two charms of Maryland's "Charm City."

At the Olympic Village, the basketball player and the swimmer spent their first extensive time together, talking shop and taking snapshots.

"This was my first chance to really interact with him," said the Nuggets all-star and a Team USA starting forward. "Just a good vibe."

Phelps, of course, is in contention to win a record eight gold medals.

Anthony is a star among all-stars on Team USA, aiming to win basketball gold for the first time since 2000.

Both hail from Baltimore, Anthony 13 months older than Phelps. Both were prodigies: Anthony leading Syracuse to an NCAA title as a freshman, Phelps participating in his first Olympics at 15. Both are a marketer's dream, filling magazines with articles and advertisements. Both, infamously, were arrested for DUI.

Though Phelps and Anthony participated in the 2004 Games, the two never hung out in Athens. In Beijing, they have hit it off like they were back in Baltimore. Anthony said he hopes to attend one of Phelps' races, perhaps his first on Saturday.

"If it wasn't for him, I would never be wanting to go over there and see a swimming match," Anthony said. "He's going to bring some gold back to Charm City. Hopefully I can bring a gold back. We'll have a parade together."

For Anthony and Team USA — which opens play Sunday against China — winning gold will take a Phelps-like focus.

"In the NBA game, some guys tend to take possessions off — here, you can't take plays off," said Anthony, who has yet to get out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

In tuneup games, Team USA coaches have implored Anthony to focus on rebounding. In a recent game against Australia, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski asked Anthony to get a double-double. Melo complied, logging 12 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes.

"He knows I can score," Anthony said. "But it's not going to take me scoring 20, 30 points for us to win basketball games — it's going to take 10-plus rebounds. I'm going to try to get most of the rebounds — it's going to take someone who wants to grab all the rebounds."

Baltimore, Preparing for Beijing

Carmelo Anthony is expected to start at forward for Team USA at the Beijing Olympics. He completed his fifth year with the Denver Nuggets in the N.B.A. and led Syracuse University to the 2003 N.C.A.A. title. He’ll be contributing a basketball diary and his own photographs to The New York Times from now through the Beijing Olympics.
I have a very bitter taste in my mouth from the 2004 Olympics, like I just ate a sour grapefruit or something. This summer in Beijing, we’re going to drink a lot of Kool-Aid, because revenge is going to be sweet.
I am headed to Vegas on the 20th for USA Basketball training with my teammates and I won’t be back until Aug. 26. We’re going to be gone for a whole month, but I’m really excited about the whole thing. Not just playing, but being involved and being part of it. We’ve been working out and practicing together for the past three years, and anytime you can get a group of guys like us together as much as possible to play and practice, all that experience and togetherness helps.
Before I left, though, I put on my fourth annual H.O.O.D. (Holding Our Own Destiny) 3-on-3 Tournament challenge this weekend in my hometown of Baltimore. It was incredible. It was a great turnout for the whole community. The kids had a lot of fun and the whole city was in an uproar — everyone enjoyed themselves. It’s been growing and expanding a little bit every year, and every year I see the city getting more and more behind it. I can really relate to the kids playing because I’ve been there before. I’ve been one of those kids looking for something like this. I didn’t have a chance to experience it. They do.
I took some pictures at my tournament; its something I’ve been doing since I took a photo class at Syracuse. I love pictures and film. I don’t just like basketball photos, I like all different kinds — pictures of the wild, animals, the jungle, things like that.
Over all, it was nice to come back to Cloverdale Park, a place I spent a lot of time as a kid, and give back a little.

Chris Mannix: 'Melo proving to be U.S.' best player'

You won't find too many bigger fans of Carmelo Anthony than Kiki Vandeweghe.

Sitting alongside the former Nuggets general manager in the media row at the Thomas and Mack center, Vandeweghe, in Las Vegas to observe the new and improved Team USA, is effusive in his praise of his former protégé.

"In my opinion, he's the best post player on this team," said Vandeweghe. "And he just keeps getting better. He's the kind of kid who if you tell him something once, he learns it right away."

With three games in the books at the FIBA Americas tournament, there are plenty of arguments to be made for the team's tournament MVP. Jason Kidd, the U.S.' lone gold medalist, is the team's spirit and de facto leader. Michael Redd has given the U.S. its first real shooting threat in years while Kobe Bryant is in the process of reclaiming his status as the world's elite player.

But it is hard to argue with Anthony's credentials. The leading scorer for the United States in the 2006 World Championships (19.9 points per game), Anthony has picked up right where he left off, matching Redd in scoring in the U.S.' first two games before exploding for a team-high 25 points against an overmatched Canada team Saturday afternoon.

Typically an isolation player in Denver, Anthony has used his superior size (he weighs in at a muscular 230 pounds) to bully opponents underneath. He has run the floor well (he was on the receiving end of a beautiful 70-foot long toss from Kidd midway in the second quarter) while collecting 14 rebounds in the tournament. He has even grown more comfortable with the three-point line, connecting on three of his four attempts against Canada.

"Don't forget, for Carmelo and LeBron, this is their [third] year playing international basketball," says Vandeweghe. "They are going to get better."

Like the rest of his U.S. teammates, Anthony seems to have bought into the team concept.

"We all always know where everybody is at on the court," Anthony said. "We are all superstars on the team so there isn't a need for anybody to be selfish."

Indeed. The United States roster is so stacked with star power that it's difficult to distinguish who exactly the role players are. Because while Anthony, Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire have been virtually unstoppable around the rim, they have been aided by consistent performances from Mike Miller (who connected three times from three-point range on Saturday) and Redd, who after another stellar performance (19 points on 50 percent shooting from beyond the three-point line) might be inclined to pack his bags and join the Euroleague.

"You're almost surprised," said Vandeweghe. "When Redd actually misses."

For Anthony, however, his stiffest test awaits: a matchup with Nuggets teammate Nene in the U.S.' final game in the preliminary round. Nene is not one to be bullied -- actually, more often than not he is the one doing the bullying. A superior performance by Anthony on Sunday would go a long way toward proving a point some already believe is true: that in this tournament anyway, Carmelo Anthony is the U.S.' best player.

Did Melo Resurrect the Nuggets?

Larry Bird and the Celtics... In 1978-79 the Celtics won 29 games. The following season the Celtics won 61 games. Much of this improvement, although certainly not all, could be linked to the outstanding rookie performance of Larry Bird. As Table One indicates, the Celtics improvement in the late 1970s marks the fourth biggest one-year leap by a franchise since 1973-74.

Table One: The Most Improved Teams since 1973-74

Typically these leaps are associated with a specific player being added to the roster. For example, the Spurs have made the two biggest leaps. In 1989-90 the team added David Robinson and improved by 35 wins. In 1997-98 the Spurs added Tim Duncan (and a healthy David Robinson) and improved by 36 wins. And certainly the Celtics leap fits this pattern. What of the other teams on the list?

Did Carmelo Resurrect the Nuggets?

The Denver Nuggets, after winning only 17 games in 2002-03, took Carmelo Anthony with the third choice in the 2003 NBA Draft. With Carmelo added to the roster, the team improved 26 games in the standings. Anthony also led the Nuggets with 21.0 points scored per game. So was this leap all about Melo?

When we look at Anthony’s productivity - both during his rookie season and in the next three seasons - it is hard to see how Carmelo could have been the one player who resurrected the Nuggets.

Table Two: The Career Performance of Carmelo Anthony

Table Two compares Anthony to the average NBA small forward. When we look at Carmelo’s rookie season we see a player that was below average in terms of shooting efficiency, steals, blocked shots, assists, and turnovers. Yes, Anthony could score. But this was primarily because he took a large number of shots, not because he was particularly good at getting shots from the field to go in the basket.

Now he was not bad at everything. Anthony was a slightly above average free throw shooter and rebounder. But these small advantages were not enough to offset his many negatives, and consequently his WP48 (Wins Produced per 48 minutes) was only 0.032. Such a mark is well below the average WP48 of 0.100.

Anthony’s second season saw a very similar pattern. In his last two seasons, though, his shooting efficiency has surpassed the average mark. His ability to grab rebounds, though, is now below average. Consequently, given his disadvantages with respect to turnovers, steals, and blocked shots, he has yet to produce at an above average level in his career.

If Not Carmelo, Who Was Responsible?

Okay, Anthony has not been a great player in his NBA career (although he is a great international player, a point I will make in a near future post). So if Anthony did not spark Denver’s improvement, exactly who was responsible?

To answer this question we need to look at who was on the roster of this team in both 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Table Three: The Denver Nuggets in 2003-04 and 2002-03

The team in 2002-03 was led by Donnell Harvey (hard to believe, isn’t it?), who produced 5.1 wins in 1,613 minutes. Obviously if your most productive player only produces 5.1 victories (and is Donnell Harvey), your team is not going to win many contests.

The next season the Nuggets were led by two players who posted double digit Wins Produced totals. Surprisingly (well, if you read the previous section, maybe not surprisingly), neither player was named Anthony (or Carmelo or Melo).

No, the two players who led the 2003-04 Nuggets were Marcus Camby and Andre Miller.

Camby was part of the 2002-03 team and actually led that squad in WP48. But when you only play 616 minutes you are not going to generate many wins. The next season Camby managed to post a career high in games played. Although he still missed ten contests, he appeared often enough to produce 14.2 wins. Camby has posted a career WP48 of 0.258. So Camby producing wins when he plays is fairly typical. What is not typical is Camby actually playing. Again, he has missed at least 10 games every season he has played, and has actually appeared in only 71% of all possible regular season games (about 58 per season) during his career.

The other leader of the 2003-04 Nuggets was Andre Miller. Like Camby, Miller is also a very productive player. Unlike Camby, though, Miller consistently plays, appearing in at least 80 games each season he has played in the NBA. In 2002, Miller joined the Nuggets as a free agent proceeded to produce 12.4 wins with a 0.204 WP48.

Okay, let’s summarize. The data clearly indicates that Melo - although a great scorer - has not been a tremendously productive player. In addition, Miller and Camby combined to produce 26.6 wins in 2003-04, a mark quite similar to the team’s overall improvement. Consequently, it looks like the story in 03-04 was the health of Camby and the signing of Miller, not the drafting of Anthony.

Let me close with one last note on Anthony. Melo left Syracuse after his freshman season (by the way, he was quite good at Syracuse). Had he stayed at Syracuse for four seasons, Anthony would now be entering only his second NBA season. Again, to date he has not been a great NBA player. But given his age, maybe he can improve. Yes, that is a big maybe. But young players have been known to get better in the NBA, and the calendar tells us that Melo - a veteran of four NBA seasons — is still a “young” player.

Anthony makes final roster for Olympic qualifying tournament

Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony is on the final roster of 12 for the Olympic qualifying tournament that starts Wednesday.
However, the Seattle SuperSonics' Kevin Durant and Nick Collison have been dropped. The American team announced its decision about two hours after practicing at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Monday. The final roster needs to be submitted on Tuesday, a day before the U.S. opens the FIBA Americas tournament against Venezuela. The U.S. roster includes: Anthony, along with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Michael Redd, Mike Miller, Tyson Chandler, Tayshaun Prince and Deron Williams.

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