November 27, 2008 1:55 AM
Game against Camby provides some closure
By Chris Tomasson
Rocky Mountain News
Now, everybody can move on.
There were a lot of hard feelings after Nuggets big man Marcus Camby was traded last July to the Clippers in a salary dump. Camby blasted the Nuggets. Coach George Karl felt bad about losing his beloved big man.
But Wednesday at the Staples Center provided some therapy on Thanksgiving eve. Karl had said before the game he had left a message, but hadn't spoken to Camby since the deal was done.
If there was any animosity, Camby sure didn't show it. He approached Karl before the game and gave him a big hug.
Then Camby came out and nearly was the game's hero. His straightaway three-pointer with two seconds left banged off the front of the rim, and his Clippers fell 106-105.
"I thought it was online and on target,'' Camby said. "I thought it just hit the front of the rim... We're just trying to get victories out here. It's been tough out here. We're trying to get any win we can out here.''
The Clippers are a mere 2-13, but there is some hope following last Friday's acquisition of forward Zach Randolph, who played his first game Wednesday. And Camby, who totaled 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 38 minutes, is starting to get into a groove after missing the entire preseason and the first three regular-season games due to a bruised heel. That included missing an Oct. 24 preseason and Oct. 31 regular-season game against the Nuggets.
Although Camby blasted the Nuggets initially for dealing him, he has backed off in recent weeks. Before Wednesday's game, he took the microphone and wished fans Happy Thanksgiving. Then he warmly greeted his former teammates.
"It's been in the past,'' Camby said of the trade, which could result in the Nuggets saving more than $20 million. "They moved on. They're playing well. But that's never been their problem. We always had great regular seasons, every since I've been there. A lot of people have been asking me about the trade, Chauncey (Billups) for (Allen Iverson on Nov. 3 in a deal with Detroit). It really ain't going to be able to take its toll until the playoff time and we'll see how it turns out.''
For now, Camby was happy didn't mind holding his own in his first regular-season matchup with Nuggets center Nene, his good friend and a teammate for six years. Nene had had 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes.
"You see how he fouled out, right? joked Camby about how Nene had joked Camby was "scared'' by not playing in the season-opener against Denver. "But Nene has been playing great. I always follow him and text him and tell him he's playing well. I just want to him to be consistent.''
Nene said it was odd playing against Camby for the first time.
"It was very strange,'' Nene said. "I know what he does. He knows what I do. It's a differerent feeling. It's different becaue we played together for six years and now I play against him. I miss him. But I wish the best for him.''
Karl expressed similar sentiments.
"I just said I respected him and I'm going to miss him,'' Karl said of their pre-game meeting with Camby. "He joked around a little bit.''
No doubt Camby and members of the Nuggets will joke around again March 14, when the Clippers visit Denver. But, for now, everybody close to the Camby trade drama can move on.
HAMMER TIME: Karl showed he means business with Wednesday's benching of guard J.R. Smith. Karl said Smith was "extremely late'' to Monday's practice, and Smith paid for it by watching the entire game and never removing his warm-ups.
Karl last May said he was going to have more of a "hammer'' with this season's team after he felt players last season got away with too much. Wednesday's move was a perfect illustration of that. Karl said "lateness is going to be handled'' differently than it was last season.
Maybe the benching will wake up Smith, who hasn't had much of a season since the Nuggets signed him to a three-year, $16.5 million contract last August. In 14 games, Smith is shooting a mere 38 percent, including just 28.8 percent from three-point range, while averaging 10.9 points.
Because Dahntay Jones plays so much better defense than Smith, Smith hasn't come close to unseating Jones as the starting shooting guard. Jones isn't known for his offense, but even he, at 41.9 percent, is shooting better from the field than Smith.
BILLUPS GIVES BACK: Billups, a Denver native and former University of Colorado star, will have 11 pairs of a collector's edition shoe auctioned off Friday on NBA.com, with proceeds going to Denver's Porter-Billups Leadership. Bidding for the adidas TS Creator Thanksgiving Day shoe, which is in University of Colorado-inspired gold and black and features the words "Go Buffs'' and his nickname "Mr. Big Shot,'' will start at $100.
Also for Thanksgiving, Billups will provide 150 academy youngsters tickets to next Tuesday's game against Toronto.
"I'm thankful for everything, man,'' Billups said of celebrating Thanksgiving 3 ½ weeks after he was traded back to his hometown. "I'm thankful that God has given me this platform to be in a position to give back, to be in a position to have people that raised me that are still alive that I can show my thanks to. My family is coming back from Detroit for the holidays. I'm thankful.''
WHO WILL START?: With Randolph having joined the Clippers and big men Camby and Chris Kaman, does that mean Camby will go to the bench?
Clippers assistant coach Kim Hughes, who filled in Wednesday with head coach Mike Dunleavy at a funeral, wouldn't want that to be the case. But he said there's a chance Dunleavy could end up bringing Camby off the bench.
"If it was me, it might be a different answer than Mike,'' Hughes said. "I think I would do Marcus and Chris (as starters). I believe you start your best defensive team. I think Mike may start Zach because we can't score right now.''
QUOTABLE: How excited was Karl to see the Nuggets (10-5) reach 10 wins before November is done (and they still have three games left in the month) against a tough schedule?
"We would have sold our children probably for 10 wins,'' he quipped.
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