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.

_______________________________________________

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

Birdman Will Be Back In Denver

One of the best things that happened to the Nuggets last season was the emergence of forward Chirs “Birdman” Andersen as an excellent bench player. Anderson was second in the league in blocked shots last season behind Dwight Howard — the league’s defensive player of the year — and has converted that into a nice chunk of change. SI.com:

Chris “Birdman” Andersen has reached a five-year deal to continue his high-flying, shot-blocking act with the Denver Nuggets.

Andersen’s attorney, Mark Bryant, confirmed the agreement on Wednesday, saying it could be signed later in the day. The deal was first reported by the Denver Post.

Andersen could make up to $26 million over the lifetime of the contract. It’s a backloaded deal to give the Nuggets financial flexibility.

He’ll make close to $3.65 million in 2009-10, up from the $998,398 he made last season.

That’s quite a nice raise, and the way he played last season, Birdman deserves it. Coming off the bench, Andersen gave the Nuggets high energy — and production. He averaged 6.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in a little over 20 minutes a night. His length and shot-blocking prowess make him one of the best interior defenders in the league, and a nice complimentary piece in Denver. He became a rockstar in Denver last year, as the fans loved his crazy hair and tattoos. Bringing him back keeps fan interest high and truly does help the Nuggets on the court.

Free Agency News Round-Up

Allen Iverson interested in joining the Memphis Grizzlies

The Oracle’s Take: Allen Iverson isn’t wanted by any of the contending teams, so going to the Grizzlies would be the best move for him and, surprisingly, the Grizzlies.  Allen Iverson wants to get paid more than the minimum, and the Grizzlies would likely give in the mid-level exception and the Memphis Grizzlies desperately need to sell more tickets, and Iverson is one of the most exciting players in the league.

 Allen Iverson is interested in playing for the Grizzlies, according to a league source.

Iverson, a free agent for the first time in his career, had minor discussions with the Heat after free agency opened on Wednesday.

Memphis had no comment on Iverson’s interest in playing for the team.

The Grizzlies are believed to be weighing the pros and cons of signing Iverson, who would likely be asked to come off the bench.

Iverson wrote about his free-agent status on his Twitter page Thursday.

“I’m a Free Agent, healthy again, and capable of signing with any team,” he wrote. “My only preference will be to play for a coach that knows what I bring to the table and that I am going to bring it every night! Someone that knows how to best utilize my skills to make our team the very best that we can be.”

Toronto Raptors offer Shawn Marion 4-year deal

The Oracle’s Take: The Raptors aren’t anywhere near contending for a championship, in fact, it would be a surprise if they were able to make the playoffs.  The shouldn’t be spending their money on 31 year-old players who’s games are based solely on athleticism.  They should save the money and start rebuilding, starting with the trade of Chris Bosh before he leaves as a free agent next season anyway.

The Raptors have offered free-agent forward Shawn Marion a four-year deal worth more than $32 million, according to the Globe and Mail.

The deal could be worth as much as $34 million, according to the report, and is longer and more lucrative than the three-year, $21 million offer Toronto was reported to have made to Marion.

Jason Kidd intends to stay in Dallas

The Oracle’s Take: I believe that the Mavericks are overpaying for Jason Kidd.  If he was younger he would be worth that money for the stats and impact that he has, but he is getting older and won’t be an elite point guard for much longer.

Jason Kidd intends to return to the Mavericks for a three-year, $24 million deal, according to HoopsWorld.

HoopsWorld cited an “informed source.”

Kidd said that he would take the holiday weekend to mull over offers from both New York and Dallas.

Barring an unforeseen development, Kidd is expected to tell the Mavericks on Monday that he will accept the offer.

New Orleans Hornets are shopping Tyson Chandler Again

The Oracle’s Take: Even with the talented nucleus of Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, David West, and James Posey, the Hornets aren’t anywhere near competing for the championship.  The Hornets should start rebuilding around Chris Paul with better players before it is too late.  If they can get Phoenix to take Chandler for Ben Wallace like it has been rumored, or trade Chandler for an expiring contract, then they should do it.

A number of sources said last week that the Hornets are again shopping center Tyson Chandler.

New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower could work on making a trade before he offers a contract to any free agent.

In addition, the Hornets could look to move one of their veteran guards, such as Morris Peterson, Antonio Daniels or Devin Brown.

The Hornets are also interested in bringing guard Jannero Pargo, who played overseas this past season, back.

Stephon Marbury doesn’t think he will be coming back to the Celtics

The Oracle’s Take: Stephon Marbury doesn’t deserve more than the Celtics offered him, especially considering his attitude problems and lack of productivity last season.  No team with offer him more than the Celtics did.

Free agent Stephon Marbury, the former New York Knicks guard who joined the Celtics midseason, says he doesn’t foresee a return to Boston after the team offered a veteran’s-minimum deal that would’ve paid $1.3 million, according to The Boston Globe.

“Thank you Boston for allowing the world to see me play again after all that went on in N.Y.,” Marbury said in an e-mail to The Globe. “The fans treated me with open arms and that’s all anyone can ask for.”

Marbury, 32, joined the Celtics on Feb. 27 after a buyout of his $22 million Knicks contract. Marbury told the Boston newspaper that three other teams, which he wouldn’t name, were interested in signing him for next season.

Marbury averaged 3.8 points, 3.3 assists and 18 minutes in 23 games last season with the Celtics.

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).

No Retreat, No Surrender, For God’s Sake Can Someone Please Remind The Mavs They’re In The Playoffs?

I’m not one to allude to the fact that I think that the Dallas Mavericks aren’t worthy of a playoff berth in the NBA  postseason.  But based on their play thus far in the playoffs, I may well have to rethink my position.

Ok, so I may well have a bone to gripe about as they knocked out my beloved San Antonio Spurs in the first round.   But now they’re making the effort they put forth against the Spurs seem like an aberration.

Kenyon Matin of the Denver Nuggets celebrates with a high five with teammate Chauncey Billups after the team's victory over the Dallas Mavericks. picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Noah E Graham .................

Last   night  in  losing    to  the  Denver  Nuggets   117-105  and  now  going  down  0-2  in the  best of  7  game  series.  It’s   now  easy   to  suggest that they’ve  placed   themselves  in  an  abyss  and   irretrievable   position.   With   Josh  Howard  fouling  out  and   merely  Jason  Terry and   Dirk  Nowitzki    picking   up  the  slack  .   This   team  is   now  taking   on  the  persona   of   the  French   military.   They’ve all  but   raised    the  white   flag  of  surrender.    And   it  may  well   now  be   true  that  this    team   just  doesn’t    possess the   stomach   for  a   real   fight.