January 7, 2009 3:13 PM

Nuggets chat transcript, Jan. 7

Mark_Wolf Joe from Littleton e-mailed this question: With the growing talk for the Nuggets to add a "big" man, do we know when our injured "big" man, Steven Hunter, will rejoin the team? What kind of contribution can we expect from him?

Chris_Tomasson Welcome everybody to our chat. It should be fun. While the major news is Carmelo Anthony's injury, feel free to ask anything. Thanks, Chris
Chris_Tomasson Our first question is about Steven Hunter. He was worried last fall that he might never play again, but his knee surgery in November went well. And his rehab might even be ahead of schedule. There's a chance he could be back before February is done. But it remains to be seen if he can help the Nuggets this season. When the Nuggets are looking at possible trades before the Feb. 19 trade deadline, they can't assume that he will be a big help. Thanks.

Mark_Wolf Anything notable occur at the Heat or Nuggets shoot-arounds?
Chris_Tomasson The only thing notable was that Linas Kleiza will start tonight in place of Carmelo Anthony. But that was kind of expected since he matches up better with Miami small forward Shawn Marion. Nuggets coach George Karl said the starting position could rotate until Anthony's return in late January or early February.

Mark_Wolf Was Dick Vitale in attendance? Actually that should be WAS DICK VITALE IN ATTENDANCE?
Chris_Tomasson He actually wasn't at the shootarounds. I think he was hanging out wih his sister, Terry, who lives in town. But ESPN was getting players and coaches to do Vitale impersonations before a camera. George Karl and J.R. Smith put a lot of energy into the ones they did.

titaniumx I am interested in how melo's injury could have affected any potential trades?
Chris_Tomasson I don't think it affects anything. He'll be back in late January or early February and the trade deadline is Feb. 19. I wrote today that Nuggets coach George Karl doesn't expect Denver to do anything soon. I think Melo will get back and they'll evaluate the team and they will make some sort of move before the trade deadline. If the Nuggets are, say, the No. 4 seed, they would be staring at facing the Lakers in the second round, if they win their first round series. They would need to beef up their big-man situation to have any chance against the Lakers.

Mark_Wolf Do you think George Karl was serious when he mentioned Chucky Atkins as a candidate to start?
Chris_Tomasson Probably not in the near future. Probably wanted to get a shout out for Chucky Atkins looking good in practice and being the consummate pro during his period of hardly playing. But with one extra player needed in the rotation due to Anthony's absence, there will be opportunities when Atkins will be given some significant minutes.

Chris_Tomasson Well, Pro. The word from the Heat is Cook is out tonight. Wonder if they'll throw Yakhouba Diawara a few extra minutes because he's back in Denver against his ex-teammates.

Mark_Wolf Do you expect Chauncey Billups to look to score a little more in Anthony's absence?
Chris_Tomasson There will be times that Chauncey does step up his scoring. If you recall, when Anthony was first having some serious elbow problems, Billups did step it up. But don't forget that scoring is the specialty for J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza. They might actually miss Melo's rebounding more than his scoring.

titaniumx Have you had a chance to watch Sunny Weems practice? Any chance he will see some minutes?
Chris_Tomasson They will monitor Sonnny Weems in practice. Unless a lot of guys get in foul trouble, I wouldn't expect him to play tonight unless it's a rout. He has yet to play in an NBA game. They'll want to look at him in garbage time before thinking of giving him real minutes.

Chris_Tomasson SportsFan23. Is that Michael Jordan or Marcus Camby fan?
Pro Diawara's been playing pretty well when he does get his minutes, so I wouldn't be surprised ther, but I'd also expect Banks and Quinn to get a few more minutes.
SportsFan23 Jordan. The Greatest

glassbloke Do the nuggets make a trade before the The trade deadline?

Pro Who are you guys expecting to start in Melo's place?
Chris_Tomasson Regarding a trade, I think it's almost a certainty. They need to make one more move to feel pretty sure about being under the luxury-tax threshold. And with the Nuggets having a good chance to win the division, they need to make their roster more playoff ready, perhaps picking up another big man
glassbloke I heard Kizla will start tonight
Chris_Tomasson Linas Kleiza will start tonight, as mentioned above (I know you joined late). But the position could rotate. But, if the Nuggets win tonight, I'm sure Karl will keep things the same Friday against Detroit.

Romo Is Kroenke going to let the lux tax get in the way of signing a 4 or 5? I mean this could be our year?? He has paid it before w/o seeing results, now the results are clearly here, but are really thin.

SportsFan23 What kind of emotions should we expect when AI and the Pistons are here Friday? and will Chauncey have a huge game versus his former team?
spursfan go spurs go
Chris_Tomasson I think the Nuggets can get a decent player at the trade deadline and stay under the tax. They'll just throw in a draft choice and/or pay somebody to take Chucky Atkins and/or Steven Hunter off their hands.

glassbloke Who are the nuggets looking to pick up the most in a trade?
Chris_Tomasson I think the real fun will be March 3, when Billups returns to Detroit. The ovation should be thunderous. Chauncey is beloved there. I think Iverson will get a decent hand Friday and there will be some emotions. But he only was in Denver two years and I

Chris_Tomasson Regarding trades, I've written before that the Nuggets are looking at all of the Oklahoma City big men that could be available. There's Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith and Nick Collison. Of those, Wilcox is the best and also provides the best bulk, Smith is a consummate pro, has been here before but is more of a perimeter guy. Collison is a long shot because he's got too much money left on his contract.

Mark_Wolf Any chance Reggie Evans might return?
Chris_Tomasson Can't see the Nuggets picking up that crazy contract that they gave him a few years ago

spursfan the nuggets can anyone they want but they are stilll choke artist...plain and simple just look at there playoff record

Arn The Nuggets have been putting on a brave face about Melo's injury, but the break is the big bone that extends from his middle finger. That's the guide finger for most shooters. Wondering if he might be out longer than expected?
Pro If you guys trade for Wilcox, what would be a likely deal, and how would he find minutes with Nene, K-Mart and Birdman?
Chris_Tomasson The Nuggets pretty much have to win a first-round playoff series this season or it won't be much of a campaign.
glassbloke Yea I hear you but the nuggets play some defense this year and its new team with billups at the helm.

mikev5446 Any chance Sonny Weems gets on the court while Melo is out? Chris Wilcox would be the best fit here.
Chris_Tomasson Hey Arn, it doesnn't sound like it's a super serious break. But naturally there's going to be some rustiness when Anthony comes back. Looks like he probably will miss the Jan. 25 Utah game at home. That's a big one. If the Nuggets drop that one, they'll probably lose the season series to the Jazz and Utah would only need to tie to win the division. But the Jazz has much bigger injury problems than Denver.

spursfan i agree with Chris dont get me wrong i like the nuggets i used to liove in denver but if they cant get past the first round getting billips would be for nothinh
Chris_Tomasson Regarding Wilcox, as stated above, the Nuggets would need to appease Oklahoma City (or any team in a possible trade) with draft picks and/or cash.
Chris_Tomasson Yes, the Nuggets have stepped up their D. That should help them in a first-round playoff series. And they pretty much need to win the division to get a decent seed.
glassbloke Does Billups get MVP award concideration if he leads this team to a divison crown.
Chris_Tomasson We had talked about Sonny Weems earlier. Don't see him helping any time soon. Let's see first how he looks in garbage time.

Chris_Tomasson It's hard to throw Billups in the MVP conversation. Right now, the list is pretty much LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Mark_Wolf Some Nuggets fans are perplexed that Renaldo Balkman gets inconsistent minutes even though he usually plays well and raises the energy level when he's in the game. What's the deal?
spursfan left.
Chris_Tomasson Regarding Balkman, Karl, when the Nuggets are at full strength, usually goes nine deep. Three reserves are Smith, Kleiza and Carter. For the ninth, it's either Andersen or Balkman. He doesn't go 10 deep, and doesn't need to. But there will be chances for Balkman with Melo out

rocketman17 Based on the schedule, what do you think the nuggets record will be from now unitl Anthony comes back? better than the 7-8 when he was suspended??
glassbloke Does Chucky Atkins get some minutes to raise his value for a trade.?
mikev5446 I agree, Karl needs to find at least some minutes for Balkman . Any word on Nene's neck? He is finally playing they way we all thought he could. Should be an all-star.
Chris_Tomasson Regarding the record, of the next eight, I think the Nuggets have a shot to go 5-3. Seven of the games are at home. The one road game is a toughie at Houston. There are some tough home games, though, such as Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix, Orlando and Utah.
Chris_Tomasson I think you will see Chucky Atkins playing in stretches. If you recall, he got some real minutes when Anthony was out with his elbow problem, and had a solid out against Philadelphia. The Nuggets also wouldn't mind showcasing him for a deal
Chris_Tomasson Regarding Nene's neck, he seems to be doing better. But, the way he's been playing lately, I'm sure the Nuggets aren't too worried.
Chris_Tomasson About Nene being an All-Star, check out my blog from last week. If coaches voting by the letter of the law and only for players regularly playing center, he'd have a shot. But that doesn't happen. I think your two All-Star centers will be Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq is having a pretty good season.

glassbloke Nene is an All Star anyways he is only just beggining

titaniumx How realistic are some 10 day contracts from the NBADL with only 12 healthy players? Any specific candidates?
titaniumx make that maybe 11 without steven hunter??
mikev5446 left.
Chris_Tomasson Don't see any 10-day contracts soon. The Nuggets are right at the luxury-tax line. They're not going to be spending any extra money unless they make a deal that gives them enough cushion to do that.
Arn When Melo comes back will his ability to crab dribble be affected? :)
Chris_Tomasson I think Melo has a crawfish dribble.
rocketman17 How much if any time do you expect Sonny Weems to get?
glassbloke no much he said earlier
Chris_Tomasson Wow. Sonny Weems is popular today. Have Arkansas fans jumped on? I would see only garbage time in the near future.
Mark_Wolf Sounds like a Sonny Weems groundswell is building.

Mark_Wolf What do they gain by starting Linas Kleiza over J.R. Smith, who played well the last time he had to fill in for Anthony?
rocketman17 sorry, I missed the answer the first time
Chris_Tomasson Kleiza matches up better with Miami's Shawn Marion. If you remember, Marion played power forward for Phoenix. Karl could change the lineup based on matchups and, of course, whether the team is winning.
glassbloke Does the Birdman See More Minutes now with Carmelo's injury?

Pro Do you see Jones' starting spot as cemented or does Smith have a chance to take it anytime this season?
Chris_Tomasson It could affect the Birdman in some games since Melo at times did slide to power forward. But I don't think his role changes too much
Chris_Tomasson Regarding Jones, as long as the Nuggets are winning, he's safe. When the Nuggets lost three straight in late December, there were some rumblings about whether Smith might start, but then the Nuggets started winning again and Jones has played pretty well lately.
Arn A little off the wall but do you think Chauncey's presence has contributed to the rst of the team's improvement at the free throw line?
observer I like Dahntay Jones, I liked Diawara. But I don't understand why Karl starts players that don't seem to be as productive as other players such as J.R. Smith. Can you explain that to me?
glassbloke Jr .turns the ball over to much for me!

Chris_Tomasson Billups is a good bit better of a career shooter than Iverson, so that alone helps the team's percentage. Billups is career in the upper 80s while Iverson is career in the upper 70s.
Arn Seems like everyone else on the team is shooting btter from the line since he arrived.
Chris_Tomasson Karl likes to start guys who give a perimeter defensive presence. The thinking on Jones (as it was with Diawara) is he gets 10 minutes at the start of each half using his best perimeter defender on the other team's best perimeter offensive player. Then J.R. can come in and bomb away, often against second-teamers.
Chris_Tomasson I'd have to hammer out the numbers. If you've got time on your hands, Arn, feel free to break down Denver's free-throw shooting last season, taking out Iverson, and Denver's shooting this year, taking out Billups. Thanks.
glassbloke How is K-mart Holding up with those bad knee's
Chris_Tomasson Martin seems to be doing really well. He doesn't mind scoring less than he did in New Jersey. Coach Karl is very impressed with his defense this year. But Karl does admit he's worried about minutes piling up on Nene and Martin
glassbloke Why did Martin have his knee's done by two doctors Dr. Steve Trania And Then DR. Steadman
Chris_Tomasson I haven't fully talked to Martin about his choice of doctors. I know that he did get several opinions for his last knee surgery. There's always factors that go into doctor selections. The bottom line is that both of Martin's knees seem to be holding up well.

Arn I think Martin has been playing great baksetball this season but I too am worried about the minutes. That's why they MUST make a trade for a big man who can eat a minutes and give some fouls.
Chris_Tomasson I agree with you, Arn. They don't even have a big guy now they can throw in for fouls or to steal a few minutes. Even a guy like Jamal Sampson would help for that.

glassbloke Prediction here do the nuggets get it done tonight ?
Chris_Tomasson We can keep going until 2 p.m. That's OK with me.
Mark_Wolf You're an ironman.

glassbloke How do you feel abouty dick vital doing the commentary?
observer Who are the nuggets going to have guard Wade?
Chris_Tomasson I like the Nuggets chances tonight. Much tougher, though, will be home games in this stretch against Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix, Orlando and Utah
Chris_Tomasson Regarding Dick Vitale, it should be fun. I talked to him yesterday and I know he's brushing up on the NBA. But he once was an NBA head coach, if you remember
Mark_Wolf Dick's career NBA coaching record: 34-60.
Chris_Tomasson Regarding Wade, I'm sure Dahntay Jones will start out on him. But the Heat would need somebody else to step up to get a win.
glassbloke left.

observer Thanks for the info. Go Nuggets!!! See ya!
Chris_Tomasson You're right, Mark. They didn't put Vitale in the Hall of Fame for his coahing
Mark_Wolf Is it likely Smith will miss the Dallas game to make a court appearance in New Jersey relating to the traffic accident in which a friend of his was killed?
observer left.
Chris_Tomasson The Nuggets aren't sure yet on Smith. As you know, all sorts of court dates get changed. Plus, with the time-zone change, he would have a chance of making it back anyway.

Pro Thanks for the time Chris, good luck to the Nuggets tonight.
titaniumx I'll be going to my first game of the season tonight. If we lose you can just blame me in your article tonight! GO Nuggets
Chris_Tomasson Thanks Pro and Titaniumx.
Mark_Wolf Thanks to Chris for his time and for all the excellent questions/feedback.

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