The Birdman Can Still Fly High In Denver But Can He And The Nuggets Join The Mile High Club?

The Denver Nuggets have resigned Chris Birdman Andersen to a 5 year deal . The deal itself is said to be worth in the region of $26m . And it’s a handsome reward for a player that seemingly resurrected his career with the Nuggets.

The high flying Chris Andersen who was resigned by the Denver Nuggets to a 5 year $27m contract. Anderson appreciatie of the commitment shown in him by the franchise. picture appears courtesy ap/photo/Mark Bartlestein ………

For coach George Karl and that of the Nuggets’ hierarchy it was a welcoming reward in the return of a fan favorite amongst the Denver crowd. He brought energy to the team’s home arena and the fans fed off that. And with his zany antics , erstwhile character and willingness to sacrifice his body in order to do the dirty work on the offensive and defensive end in terms of rebounding. It’s easy to understand why it is that the franchise were determined to retain the player.

And though the team fell short of their expectations , having been eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals 4-2 after a determined effort. It has to be said that this will be a team to be reckoned with next season. A year older but much more wiser one would hope. This augurs well for the franchise and their ultimate aim of winning an NBA championship.

Ty Lawson who was selected 18th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves is seen here with Nuggets' coach George Karl after the player was acquired by the team in a trade . Lawson will be the backup to point guards Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter . But in all likelihood he's viewed as the heir apparent to Billups. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo / David Zabulowski ............

And with the experience of having a proven winner within their midst in point guard Chauncey Billups as a well as the maturation of Carmelo Anthony. It’s easy to see why this team may well be one of the few teams in the Western Conference who could give the Los Angeles Lakers a run for their money in defending their NBA title.

Carmelo Anthony (left), Chauncey Billups (center) and Nene Hilario of the Denver Nuggets are on the sidelines during the Western Conference quarter finals game played against the New Orleans Hornets at the Pepsi Center in Denver , Colorado. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Chris Farrior .............

Not lost in all of this has been the draft of the Nuggets. There’s been astute assessment in what their requirements were. And they went about picking up a very talented player. They may well have picked up the heir apparent to Billups in acquiring former Carolina Tar Heel Ty Lawson. The player was orginally taken 18th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves , who then dispatched his rights to the Nuggets via a trade. That in ofitself could well be a blessing in disguise for the team as a whole. With Lawson they get an intense and creative offensive player . Who’s also equally adept on the defensive side of the ball. And with the team’s roster almost seeminly unchanged . The cohesiveness that we saw throughout much of the regular season and into the earlier rounds of the playoffs ought to be still there as the new season beckons.

The aspirations of the franchise won’t at all be lost on the fans in Denver. They’ve shown their loyal support to the team throughout the regular season and then into the postseason itself. And even with the disappointment of the loss to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. They could see the beginning of something fruitful as to the team’s play and the resolve shown.

Yahoo Sports.com reports: via AP Sports Writer Pat Graham …..

Anderson reaches 5-year deal to stay with Nuggets.

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham :
Denver (AP) Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen has reached a 5 year deal to keep his high flying, shot blocking act with the Denver Nuggets , the team he revived his career with last season.

Andersen’s attorney, Mark Bryant , confirmed the agreement on Wednesday , saying it would be signed later in the day.

Andersen, who turned 31 on Tuesday could make up to $26m over the lifetime of a back-loaded contract that gives the Nuggets financial flexibility.

The Nuggets didn’t return phone calls.

Andersen will make close to $3.65 million in 2009-10, up from the $998,398 he made last season, when he averaged 6.4 points and 2.5 blocked shots in 20.6 minutes.

“You write the best scenario, think you’re dreaming and open youre eyes and it’s real,” Bryant said. “He’s very excited . They treated him as a priority.”

With his colorful tattoos and spiky hair, Andersen was an instant hit with the Denver fans, who’ve embraced his return to the court.

Andersen came back to the NBA in 2008 following a ban that lasted almost two years after he tested positive for an undisclosed “drug of abuse”.

The energetic forward known for his defensive disruption around the basket provided a spark off the bench as the Nuggets made a run to the Western Conference finals, where they fell short to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

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In order to continue reading Pat Graham’s piece in its entirety . Just click on the headlined text shown above.

Greatness And The Legacy That Comes With It Or More To The Point, The Label The Fans And Pundits Choose To Affix To A Player

Well the age old question is forever cropping up. Who’s the better player ? Or who’s the greatest of them all ? Is it really like comparing apples to oranges ? And more to the point can it be abitrarily done or must we be subjective in the analysis before coming to a resounding decision ?  

Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets. picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Jeb Jacobsohn ...............

For all sense and purpose over the past six years we’ve seen the likes of LeBron James , Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade enter into the league. Where upon comparisons have been made as to their games. Never mind the fact that in the midst of this all perhaps the best player of his era in Kobe Bryant has remained at the vanguard of the game.

A studious Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat looks up at the scoreboard during a game picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Richard Cross ..........

And as with each generation the comparisons are being made about the players of the past to the present. And nowadays players of the present are being compared to their contemporaries. The most hyped conversation that’s become the water cooler topic “….. is the greatness that is Kobe when measured against that of LeBron ?”

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The phenom's presence in the NBA has set tongues wagging as to who's the pre-eminent player in the NBA. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Victor Strassner ......

Whilst I’ve no axe to grind when it comes to the players. I like many amongst you am very much appreciative of their skills. And what each of them brings to the game individually. I’m a basketball fan first , last and always. And if nothing else there’s nothing better than watching these athletes perform at their best alongside their teammates. Because in many ways without being part of a team they would not be the stars they are today.

For Bryant who’s just come off another stellar year. Whereby he led the Los Angeles Lakers to their fifteenth win of the NBA championship with a resounding series’ defeat of the Orlando Magic. It can be said that also having been named the Finals’ MVP, there isn’t more for the player to achieve in terms of his career. He’s now got four championsip rings , an Olympic gold medal and a league MVP trophy now adorning his cabinet. And there’ve been players within the league who’ve never ascended to the heights achieved by Bryant. Accolades alone shouldn’t necessarily be what one ought to judge a player by when it comes to their accomplishments. But yet this is the criteria that is put forth when adjudicating the accomplishments of a player. We also use it rather arbitrarily to make the case as to who’s the best.

 

Post-Game Analysis: Nuggets @ Lakers – Game 5

 

94 – 103

 

 

The Lakers showed why they are a championship caliber team when they dispatched the Nuggets in the 4th quarter and won 103-94 in game 5 to move within a win of reaching the NBA Finals for the second straight year. Kobe Bryant led the way with his unselfish play, scoring 22 pts on just 13 shots while grabbing 5 boards and handing out 8 assists (and 7 turnovers). Carmelo Anthony was the top scorer for the Nuggets as he had 31 pts. The key to the Lakers win in game 5 was their 21-3 run spanning the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter after they fell behind by seven. This turned the seven point defecit (73-66) into an 87-76 lead with 8:11 to play. The Nuggets missed 11 straight shots over this span.

Turning Point of the Game: The turning point of last night’s game should be pretty obvious if you watched the game last night. With 4:20 to play in the 3rd and Denver leading by 5, Chauncey Billups pumped faked at the 3pt. line and tried to lean into Shannon Brown to draw a foul. But Brown did a nice job of avoiding the contact and Billups was forced to change course in midair, throwing an errant pass right to Pau Gasol at the foul line. Gasol led the 3 on 1 fastbreak with Brown on his right and Trevor Ariza on his left while Billups  sulked and let Brown run by him to create the 3 0n 1 instead of a 3 on 2. Gasol flipped the ball to Brown who took two steps and jammed over the outstretched arm of Chris “Birdman” Andersen.

With the dunk, the little used Brown got the crowd involved, inspired  his teammates and boosted the energy and moral  of a Laker team that had been outplayed up until that point. And to add to his excitement, Brown earned himself the #4 play on SportsCenters top ten plays of the day, as well as a poster with his dunk on the Birdman (I can’t wait to see what that looks like).

Karl’s Yellow Streak Underlines The Fact That He Has No Guts

After last night’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.  There’s no denying that the Denver  Nuggets’ coach George Karl really is the liability for the team as a whole.  Instead of trying to accentuate what needs to be done by his team in trying to win this series. 

Carmelo Anthony of the Nuggets and the Lakers' Lamar Odom contest a loose ball during the game . picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Tom Scott

What has been uttered from the lips of Karl has been nothing but platitudes and a list of complaints that stretch for miles.  And in no way will change the outcome of what has transpired already.

If anything this clearly shows Karl for what he really is.  And that’s a coach who appears to be way in over his head when it comes to coaching a team in the postseason.  Albeit that he’d had measured success in previous stops.  Most notably in his stay with the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle Supersonics.  And as we know what has since befallen that franchise.  As they’ve since become the Oklahoma  City Thunder.

Shannon Brown of the Los Angeles Lakers takes the ball downcourt against the Denver Nuggets during game 5 of the Western Conference Finals played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles , Calfornia . picture appears courtesy of nbae/ getty images/ Andrew D Bernstein

 For three quarters the Nuggets were able to remain competitive with the Lakers before succumbing to a 103-94 loss in a pivotal game 5.  But if anything showed that the team’s heart may no longer be in this series.  Then the actions of Karl and his addressing of the press in the postgame conference was clearly indicative of this.

Rather than suggesting where he felt the team went wrong in terms of their overall play.  He was more concerned with the fact of the officiating and the fact that his team wasn’t getting their fair share of the calls.  The question I would ask of Karl is, since when did he expect there to be any semblance of consistency when to comes to the officiating in the NBA postseason?  We’ve continuously see the inconsistencies not only in the postseason, but also in the regular season itself.  And it’s not about to change anytime soon.  The vagaries of the game being what they are.  And the mere fact that even NBA Commissioner Stern feels that his officials are above reproach.

Pre-Game Analysis: Nuggets @ Lakers – Game 5

2009 Western Conference Finals

 

 

 V.S.

 

Going into game 4 down 1-2 the Denver Nuggets needed to come out with a lot of energy to avoid going down 1-3. And coming out with energy they did; with Carmelo Anthony ailing (virus and hurt ankle) the Nuggets role players stepped up big time. The Nuggets just looked like an energetic team facing elimination, and were very aggressive on the boards (winning 58-40). The Lakers on the other hand, looked like a very weary team. Aside from Kobe and Gasol nothing seemed to work for the Lakers. You could say that it was another case of Los Angeles not caring as much when they were not backed into a corner, but I just think that they were a little exhausted. The time for being exhausted will have to wait a couple more weeks as these two teams head back to L.A. for game 5.

Key to the Game:

Lakers

1. For the love of God, can they get the ball inside to Pau Gasol? It was very evident at the end of game 3 when the Lakers won to go up 2-1; that Pau Gasol could not be contained. In game 4 he finished with a solid 21 points on 11 shots, but saw the ball very seldom in the second half managing only 4 shot attempts. That is a very disturbing and unacceptable stat. instead of giving him the ball to continue his dominance in the low post the Lakers thought it would be a better idea to hoist up an unbelievable 31 shots from behind the arc. If this continues to happen don’t expect the Lakers to go back to Denver ahead in this series.
2. The Lakers Bigs need to act like it and start showing some dominance on the glass. As stated before they were killed on the boards 40-58. That is just an unacceptable margin with a roster that boast two seven footers (Gasol, and Bynum) and a very athletic 6’10 power forward (Odom); these three only had 23 between them with Gasol having 10 of them. The Nuggets had 20 offensive boards leading to many second chance points and that left the Lakers with very little chance of winning game 4.
3. My last point is asking Coach Phil Jackson to have a sense of urgency, and treat this game like an elimination game. In a sense it is the Lakers do not want to go back to Denver down 2-3. By urgency I mean leave Kobe in the game 48 minutes or until the game has been decided; in game 4 Kobe took what I felt was too long of a break and the team suffered Denver just extended their lead with him on the bench. He also needs to make it a point to his players to get the ball inside to Gasol and occasionally Bynum; if the ball is getting inside he needs to call a few timeouts and remind his players what needs to be done. I also would like to see Coach Jackson use Shannon Brown A LOT more. I understand everything that Fish has done for us, and Phil’s loyalty to him; but he is s-t-r-u-g-g-l-i-n-g. He cannot seem to find his shot and simply isn’t the same on defense as he was in the past.

We’re All Vulnerable, But Some Are More Than Others

Over the  Memorial   Day   weekend    my   buddies  and   I  got   together.    The girlfriend  saw  fit to  return  to  Orlando  to  check  on  her  apartment   there  as  she  resides   in that   city.   I   only  make  the  city   the  place of my  work.   Which  is  soon   to change  as  I’ve  just been   offered a   position within a  noted  law firm  to work  within  their  corporate  business   division,  in terms  of   mergers  and   acquisition.  

And  being  the  sport’s  oriented testosterone  driven  males   that  we  are    the  subject  of  sports   arose.   And  in  particular the    NBA   and  the  plight  of the  Detroit   Pistons.

We  didn’t  feel  in the  mood  to  be   discussing  the  wars  in Afghanistan  or  Iraq , given the  fact that each  of   us   in  our   own  way  have   seen  and  been  in the  service  of  our contry  in one  form  or  another.  

I’d  spent   6  1/2  years  myself  as   a  Marine  in  the  British  military  .  And  I  saw   active   service   serving in  Ireland  during  the   early to mid   eighties.  And  whilst  there  I   lost   several  comrades   there.    Furthermore   I’d   also  served   in  various  parts   of Europe  and   North  Africa  with  the British military  as part  of  a   UN  peackekeeping  force. 

 

Darko Milicic on draft day in 2003 . Milicic was the Pistons' #1 draft pick on the day. The franchise had the chance to take Carmelo Anthony at the time but they forsook the choice. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Richard Curtis ................

But  the   crux  of  this  piece  really   gathers  and  is   about  the  fortunes  and  shall  we  say   the  demise  of the  Detroit  Pistons  as  a  franchise.   For  six   straigth  years  the  franchise  had  ridden  on the  crest  of a  wave   having  been  part of   six   straight   appearances   in the  Eastern  Conference   Finals. 

However  somewhere along  the  way   things  started  to  fray  around  the edges  for the  franchise  under the  custodianship of  GM Joe  Dumars.   My  colleagues  and  I as  we  discussed   this   came  at the  topic   in  differing   directions.   

I  took  the  stance that  the  malaise started  when   Dumars  chose   to  take   as his   number  one   pick   Darko  Milicic    and  second  overall    in  the    NBA  draft of 2003 .  When  he  could’ve  at the  time  taken  then   star  of  the   NCAA  Tournament   that   year ,  Carmelo  Anthony.  Carmelo if  one  remembers   led the Syracuse  Orange men to   the  national  title  that  year as a sophomore.      The  others who  were   part  of the  discussion   felt   it  was  just     the  mere  fact   it  was  a  misguided choice.  Milicic  for  his  part  never   truly   fitted  in what   it  was  perceived   Dumars   required   from  him  as  a player.

 

Joe Dumars GM of the Detroit Pistons seen here with Allen Iverson recently after the player's trade to the team from the Nuggets in exchange for Chauncey Billups. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Richard Crouch .........

 

And  when  choices  such  as this are  made   and  they  don’t  eventually  pan  out  to  something   tangible.   They  can   and    do  tend   to set  a  franchise  back   a  number of  years.  Especially  when    the  player  is  or  has  been  viewed  as   a  franchise  player  and  the  linch   pin  of  the  organization  for   the  forseeable   future.  That being  said   if  the   error  isn’t  immediately   rectified    you often  see  a  player   who’s   not  contributing  much  that team.    And  then  comes  the  lack  of  confidence  on  both  fronts   from  the  player  and  that  of  the  coaching  staff.   For  Milicic   it  didn’t take    long   for  him   to  prove  that   Dumars’   faith  in  him   wasn’t  justified at  all.  

 

Iverson seen here who at the time seemed in a much happier place. picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Terry Shaw .............

 

And  though  some  might  say   that  it  hasn’t  been  until  this  year that we’ve   seen  Carmelo Anthony  produce  some of the  best  play  of  his  career  thus  far.   We  all   knew  that  there  had to  have been   something   special about the  player. Otherwise   why  would   they  have   voted   him    player of the  tournament   during   the  Final  Four  of  the  NCAA Tournament  when  Syracuse won  it all  ? 

Post Game Analysis: Lakers @ Nuggets – Game 4

 

 

101 – 120

 

 

For the first time in this exciting, dramatic Western Conference Finals, the team that led after the first quarter was able to end up on top as the Denver Nuggets throughly outplayed the Los Angeles Lakers en route to a 120-101 win in game 4. Denver was on top from the start, leading for all but one minute in a thrashing of the defending western champions. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 34 pts on just 10-26 shooting while Pau Gasol added 21 pts and 10 rebounds. The second seeded Nuggets received 24 pts each from Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith to offset a poor night from Carmelo Anthony who was held to 3-16 shooting from the field.

The Lakers did not listen to our keys to the game as they came out sluggish, while the Nuggets came out strong in the first quarter, taking a 7 point lead only to see the Lakers cut the defecit to 3 after one quarter. But Denver responded, led mostly by its bench as J.R. Smith (9pts and 4 assists in 2nd quarter) and Linas Kleiza (7pts in the quarter) combined to lead the Nuggets on a 17-7 run and take a 39-26 lead midway through the 2nd quarter. Kobe Bryant’s 19 first half points allowed LA to stay within striking distance as Kobe repeatedly got to the line and knocked down his jumpers. The key to the Nuggets’ first half success was its passing, which led to easy baskets and open jump shots. J.R. Smith was effective in driving the ball into the interior of the Laker defense, causing LA’s bigs to step up to stop him. This left Nene open underneath for an easy slam and led to a Linas Kleiza wide open 3 pointer.

Denver also did an excellent job of contesting every shot by Kobe Bryant. Kobe took multiple shots falling away with a hand in his face so give credit to the Nuggets for executing their game plan. They also dominated the boards, outrebounding LA 58-40 including 20 offensive rebounds which led to tons of extra possessions.

Pre-Game Analysis: Lakers @ Nuggets – Game 4

The Lakers took care of business in game 3, taking a 2-1 lead in the series behind a very efficient 41 points from Kobe Bryant and aided by another horrible inbound pass from the Nuggets late in the game. Now LA looks to take a commanding 3-1 lead and a chance to close out the series at home on Wednesday. The Nuggets will do everything in their power to guarentee themselves another game in Denver by evening up the series 2-2.

Keys to the game:

 

1.    First things first, the Lakers must have a sense of urgency from the opening tip. Too many times this year, we’ve seen the Lakers take it easy and relax when their backs are not up against the wall. Well here we are they are up 2-1 and have recaptured home court; are we going to see a hungry team wanting to put a choke hold on the Nuggets with a 3-1 lead, or are we going to see complacency because they can “afford” to lose this game.

2.    Pau Gasol needs to get the ball early and often. Late in the fourth quarter of game 3 Gasol was an absolute force on the block. The Nugget defenders are active and athletic, but they are simply not big enough or skilled enough to contain Gasol. If the Lakers continue to exploit this matchup Kobe will not have to try and do everything to keep his team in the game.

3.    Speaking of Kobe, did you see how dead tired he was at the end of the game? He could not even stand upright when he was being interviewed. The Lakers reserves really need to step it up; Trevor Ariza has joined the party, now it’s time for the likes of Vujacic, Walton, Odom etc. to help out. I’m not sure how long Kobe can keep going at this strenuous pace without contributions from everyone. If they can step it up like they did in the regular season, Kobe will get some much needed rest on the bench.