ducks
03-12-2005, 05:36 PM
Role players on guard for Nuggets
Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News
They are less Fab Four than Forgotten Four, a group once defined by broken bones, buyouts and bad vibes.
DerMarr Johnson, Bryon Russell, Greg Buckner and Wesley Person.
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Four men who had experienced varying degrees of NBA success. Four men with something to prove. Four men who simultaneously are teammates and rivals.
Four men who rarely show up on the late-night highlight shows but are central to the Denver Nuggets' late-season playoff push.
Whereas baseball has the bullpen-by-committee, Denver is relying on a shooting-guard-by- committee as starter Voshon Lenard continues to recover from a torn Achilles' tendon.
In Johnson, Russell, Buckner and Person, the Nuggets have a four-headed two-guard that offers coach George Karl a variety of options depending on the situation.
Buckner is the defender. Russell is the savvy veteran with 10 years of playoff experience. Person is the sharpshooter. Johnson is the young guy who make plays at both ends of the floor.
"Everybody brings something different to the table," Russell said. "That's why we're winning in this streak because everybody's bringing something different and everybody's contributing."
The Nuggets will put their seven-game winning streak on the line tonight against the San Antonio Spurs in a road game that presents Denver with its biggest challenge since Karl took over as coach six weeks ago.
For Johnson, Russell, Buckner and Person, the whole season has been a challenge.
Out of basketball for a year after a near-fatal car accident in 2002, the 24-year-old Johnson arrived in Denver with a question mark and a non-guaranteed contract.
His stock improved during the preseason and then shot up after Lenard was injured on opening night. Johnson, averaging 6.2 points in 16.6 minutes, has started every game of the winning streak.
"I came here just trying to make the team and now I'm starting off games and trying to get my career back to where I think it should have been before my accident," Johnson said. "This is a great opportunity."
Denver also has proved to be the land of opportunity for Buckner, who enjoyed a big contract but was frustrated by a minuscule role with the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
After agreeing to a buyout of his six-year, $18 million deal with the Sixers, Buckner received a fresh start from Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe.
The move has been a good one for both sides because Buckner has given Denver a defensive presence lacking last season while playing nearly 22 minutes a game.
Asked about his status as a castoff-turned-contributor, Buckner declined to gloat.
"I play to win. I don't give a flying (flip) what the rest of the league says about Greg Buckner, and I'm pretty sure (Johnson, Russell and Person) feel the same.
"We're all here to win the game and win a championship. I think Kiki instilled that confidence in us by bringing us in here when other people didn't. So be it."
Like Buckner, Person also escaped from a bad situation in midcontract.
Briefly exiled to the injured list in Miami, Person and the Heat reached a buyout agreement on March 1, and the Nuggets signed the veteran after he cleared waivers two days later.
Person, who has played for seven teams in 11 NBA seasons, has scored 28 points and made four-of-seven three-pointers in the past two games.
"I knew I still could play," Person said. "You just have to be in the right situation. Now I found the right coach and the right mix.
"A lot of guys, when things happen like that, don't survive. They go away. But the guys that continue to keep working, those are the guys that last this long in this league."
No one on Denver's roster has lasted longer than Russell, now in his 12th season. Four months after opening the season with a non-guaranteed deal, Russell often finds himself on the floor in key late-game situations.
"I like older guys on a team that know how to win a little bit," Karl said. "I like Bryon Russell because he's responsible to winning. He plays to win. That's kind of the way I've always been taught."
Karl, who holds a diploma from basketball's old school, enjoys seeing his role players compete for playing time and believes the internal rivalry ultimately benefits the team.
"You have four guys who have to play with a tremendous intensity because they know another guy might make a shot or might get a better opportunity," Karl said.
And nobody knows the value of opportunity better than the members of the Once Forgotten Four.
Nuggets at Spurs
• When: 6:30 MST tonight.
• Where: SBC Center, San Antonio.
• TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950).
• Starting lineups
Denver (31-29)
Pos. Ht. Pts.
15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 20.2
6 Kenyon Martin F 6-9 15.2
23 Marcus Camby C 6-11 10.1
3 DerMarr Johnson G 6-9 6.2
24 Andre Miller G 6-2 13.4
Coach: George Karl
S.A. (47-14) Pos. Ht. Pts.
12 Bruce Bowen F 6-7 8.4
21 Tim Duncan F 6-11 21.2
8 Rasho Nesterovic C 7-0 5.7
17 Brent Barry G 6-7 6.5
9 Tony Parker G 6-2 16.6
Coach: Gregg Popovich
• Injuries - Denver: Camby (strained right hamstring) and F Kenyon Martin (left knee tendinitis) are probable; F Nene (sprained left knee), G Voshon Lenard (Achilles' tendon) and G Luis Flores (strained right hamstring) are on the injured list. San Antonio: Duncan (sprained right ankle), G Manu Ginobili (strained groin) and C Nazr Mohammed (strained groin) are questionable; F Linton Johnson III (broken left ankle) and F/C Sean Marks (sprained left foot) are on the injured list.
• Notes: Camby (10.1 points and 10.0 rebounds) is attempting to become the first Nuggets player since Antonio McDyess (20.8, 12.1 in 2000-01) to average a double-double for an entire season . . . The Spurs have won the past five meetings and eight in a row in San Antonio . . . All-Stars Duncan and Ginobili, along with reserve Mohammed, sat out Wednesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns, but the three could return tonight . . . Earl Boykins' next assist will be the 1,000th of his career.
• Nuggets statistics
Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News
They are less Fab Four than Forgotten Four, a group once defined by broken bones, buyouts and bad vibes.
DerMarr Johnson, Bryon Russell, Greg Buckner and Wesley Person.
ADVERTISEMENT
Four men who had experienced varying degrees of NBA success. Four men with something to prove. Four men who simultaneously are teammates and rivals.
Four men who rarely show up on the late-night highlight shows but are central to the Denver Nuggets' late-season playoff push.
Whereas baseball has the bullpen-by-committee, Denver is relying on a shooting-guard-by- committee as starter Voshon Lenard continues to recover from a torn Achilles' tendon.
In Johnson, Russell, Buckner and Person, the Nuggets have a four-headed two-guard that offers coach George Karl a variety of options depending on the situation.
Buckner is the defender. Russell is the savvy veteran with 10 years of playoff experience. Person is the sharpshooter. Johnson is the young guy who make plays at both ends of the floor.
"Everybody brings something different to the table," Russell said. "That's why we're winning in this streak because everybody's bringing something different and everybody's contributing."
The Nuggets will put their seven-game winning streak on the line tonight against the San Antonio Spurs in a road game that presents Denver with its biggest challenge since Karl took over as coach six weeks ago.
For Johnson, Russell, Buckner and Person, the whole season has been a challenge.
Out of basketball for a year after a near-fatal car accident in 2002, the 24-year-old Johnson arrived in Denver with a question mark and a non-guaranteed contract.
His stock improved during the preseason and then shot up after Lenard was injured on opening night. Johnson, averaging 6.2 points in 16.6 minutes, has started every game of the winning streak.
"I came here just trying to make the team and now I'm starting off games and trying to get my career back to where I think it should have been before my accident," Johnson said. "This is a great opportunity."
Denver also has proved to be the land of opportunity for Buckner, who enjoyed a big contract but was frustrated by a minuscule role with the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
After agreeing to a buyout of his six-year, $18 million deal with the Sixers, Buckner received a fresh start from Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe.
The move has been a good one for both sides because Buckner has given Denver a defensive presence lacking last season while playing nearly 22 minutes a game.
Asked about his status as a castoff-turned-contributor, Buckner declined to gloat.
"I play to win. I don't give a flying (flip) what the rest of the league says about Greg Buckner, and I'm pretty sure (Johnson, Russell and Person) feel the same.
"We're all here to win the game and win a championship. I think Kiki instilled that confidence in us by bringing us in here when other people didn't. So be it."
Like Buckner, Person also escaped from a bad situation in midcontract.
Briefly exiled to the injured list in Miami, Person and the Heat reached a buyout agreement on March 1, and the Nuggets signed the veteran after he cleared waivers two days later.
Person, who has played for seven teams in 11 NBA seasons, has scored 28 points and made four-of-seven three-pointers in the past two games.
"I knew I still could play," Person said. "You just have to be in the right situation. Now I found the right coach and the right mix.
"A lot of guys, when things happen like that, don't survive. They go away. But the guys that continue to keep working, those are the guys that last this long in this league."
No one on Denver's roster has lasted longer than Russell, now in his 12th season. Four months after opening the season with a non-guaranteed deal, Russell often finds himself on the floor in key late-game situations.
"I like older guys on a team that know how to win a little bit," Karl said. "I like Bryon Russell because he's responsible to winning. He plays to win. That's kind of the way I've always been taught."
Karl, who holds a diploma from basketball's old school, enjoys seeing his role players compete for playing time and believes the internal rivalry ultimately benefits the team.
"You have four guys who have to play with a tremendous intensity because they know another guy might make a shot or might get a better opportunity," Karl said.
And nobody knows the value of opportunity better than the members of the Once Forgotten Four.
Nuggets at Spurs
• When: 6:30 MST tonight.
• Where: SBC Center, San Antonio.
• TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950).
• Starting lineups
Denver (31-29)
Pos. Ht. Pts.
15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 20.2
6 Kenyon Martin F 6-9 15.2
23 Marcus Camby C 6-11 10.1
3 DerMarr Johnson G 6-9 6.2
24 Andre Miller G 6-2 13.4
Coach: George Karl
S.A. (47-14) Pos. Ht. Pts.
12 Bruce Bowen F 6-7 8.4
21 Tim Duncan F 6-11 21.2
8 Rasho Nesterovic C 7-0 5.7
17 Brent Barry G 6-7 6.5
9 Tony Parker G 6-2 16.6
Coach: Gregg Popovich
• Injuries - Denver: Camby (strained right hamstring) and F Kenyon Martin (left knee tendinitis) are probable; F Nene (sprained left knee), G Voshon Lenard (Achilles' tendon) and G Luis Flores (strained right hamstring) are on the injured list. San Antonio: Duncan (sprained right ankle), G Manu Ginobili (strained groin) and C Nazr Mohammed (strained groin) are questionable; F Linton Johnson III (broken left ankle) and F/C Sean Marks (sprained left foot) are on the injured list.
• Notes: Camby (10.1 points and 10.0 rebounds) is attempting to become the first Nuggets player since Antonio McDyess (20.8, 12.1 in 2000-01) to average a double-double for an entire season . . . The Spurs have won the past five meetings and eight in a row in San Antonio . . . All-Stars Duncan and Ginobili, along with reserve Mohammed, sat out Wednesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns, but the three could return tonight . . . Earl Boykins' next assist will be the 1,000th of his career.
• Nuggets statistics