ducks
10-06-2004, 12:58 PM
Nuggets expecting to take next step after adding Martin
By JOHN MARSHALL, AP Sports Writer
October 6, 2004
DENVER (AP) -- Tired of the constant elbows he was receiving from Nene, Kenyon Martin wheeled and punched his new teammate in the eye.
Training camp hadn't even started, yet already it was clear there's a different attitude in Denver. A year after hoping to get better with emerging star Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets are expecting even bigger things with Martin added to the mix.
``This is what we imagined, this is what we're here for, this is, as a coach, what I embrace,'' Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik said. ``I want this pressure, I want to see this team be all it can be.''
It's hard to comprehend just how quickly the Nuggets have reached this point. For the better part of a decade Denver had been the doormat of the NBA, threatening futility marks with lineups at times better suited for the minor leagues.
That changed last season.
With a roster overhaul by general manager Kiki Vandeweghe and the arrival of the charismatic Anthony, the Nuggets put together one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history. After winning only 17 games a year earlier, Denver went 43-39 to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
In just one season, the Nuggets regained respect, rekindled fan interest and rebuilt expectations. And now they're expected to take the next step and become one of the elite teams in the Western Conference.
``I'm excited,'' Vandeweghe said. ``I've always sort of liked taking the last-second shot, I like kind of being in a pressure situation at the end of games. To me, that's the fun of basketball. It's better than the alternative.''
Martin makes it possible.
For all the success the Nuggets had last season, they still had trouble grabbing offensive rebounds, defending the opponents' top scorer and playing with the grit needed to close out tight, physical games. Kevin Garnett exposed those weaknesses in the playoffs when he helped Minnesota take out Denver in four games.
Martin has the ability to tie up all those loose ends.
The former New Jersey star is a tenacious defender, an exceptional rebounder and a strong finisher on the break, which should fit in well with the Nuggets' uptempo style.
Teamed with Anthony, Nene and Marcus Camby, Martin gives Denver one of the best frontcourts in the West.
But his impact is expected to go deeper -- into the locker room. With an intimidating presence on and off the court and two trips to the NBA Finals in his past, Martin has the kind of swagger that could rub off on the young Nuggets.
``He gives our team more of an identity, plays with aggression, heart and emotion,'' Camby said. ``You need that in tough games going down stretch. He's the kind of guy you want in your corner.''
With Anthony, who led Syracuse to an NCAA title in 2003 and was one of the league's best rookies last season, the question is his maturity.
It was lacking at one point last season when Anthony refused to go back into a game after teammates complained about his shot selection. In the Athens Olympics, Anthony was portrayed as a selfish player and a pouter by U.S. coach Larry Brown, who kept the Nuggets' star on the bench most of the time.
Anthony also was involved in a dispute at New York bar last month, something he said was blown out of proportion.
It was a difficult offseason to be sure, but it could work in the Nuggets' favor.
``That right there motivated me to come back and try to prove people wrong that I'm not the person that they portrayed me to be,'' Anthony said. ``I want to prove people wrong, so that's going to motivate me. Everybody knows I like to win, so I'm going to do what it takes.''
By JOHN MARSHALL, AP Sports Writer
October 6, 2004
DENVER (AP) -- Tired of the constant elbows he was receiving from Nene, Kenyon Martin wheeled and punched his new teammate in the eye.
Training camp hadn't even started, yet already it was clear there's a different attitude in Denver. A year after hoping to get better with emerging star Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets are expecting even bigger things with Martin added to the mix.
``This is what we imagined, this is what we're here for, this is, as a coach, what I embrace,'' Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik said. ``I want this pressure, I want to see this team be all it can be.''
It's hard to comprehend just how quickly the Nuggets have reached this point. For the better part of a decade Denver had been the doormat of the NBA, threatening futility marks with lineups at times better suited for the minor leagues.
That changed last season.
With a roster overhaul by general manager Kiki Vandeweghe and the arrival of the charismatic Anthony, the Nuggets put together one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history. After winning only 17 games a year earlier, Denver went 43-39 to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
In just one season, the Nuggets regained respect, rekindled fan interest and rebuilt expectations. And now they're expected to take the next step and become one of the elite teams in the Western Conference.
``I'm excited,'' Vandeweghe said. ``I've always sort of liked taking the last-second shot, I like kind of being in a pressure situation at the end of games. To me, that's the fun of basketball. It's better than the alternative.''
Martin makes it possible.
For all the success the Nuggets had last season, they still had trouble grabbing offensive rebounds, defending the opponents' top scorer and playing with the grit needed to close out tight, physical games. Kevin Garnett exposed those weaknesses in the playoffs when he helped Minnesota take out Denver in four games.
Martin has the ability to tie up all those loose ends.
The former New Jersey star is a tenacious defender, an exceptional rebounder and a strong finisher on the break, which should fit in well with the Nuggets' uptempo style.
Teamed with Anthony, Nene and Marcus Camby, Martin gives Denver one of the best frontcourts in the West.
But his impact is expected to go deeper -- into the locker room. With an intimidating presence on and off the court and two trips to the NBA Finals in his past, Martin has the kind of swagger that could rub off on the young Nuggets.
``He gives our team more of an identity, plays with aggression, heart and emotion,'' Camby said. ``You need that in tough games going down stretch. He's the kind of guy you want in your corner.''
With Anthony, who led Syracuse to an NCAA title in 2003 and was one of the league's best rookies last season, the question is his maturity.
It was lacking at one point last season when Anthony refused to go back into a game after teammates complained about his shot selection. In the Athens Olympics, Anthony was portrayed as a selfish player and a pouter by U.S. coach Larry Brown, who kept the Nuggets' star on the bench most of the time.
Anthony also was involved in a dispute at New York bar last month, something he said was blown out of proportion.
It was a difficult offseason to be sure, but it could work in the Nuggets' favor.
``That right there motivated me to come back and try to prove people wrong that I'm not the person that they portrayed me to be,'' Anthony said. ``I want to prove people wrong, so that's going to motivate me. Everybody knows I like to win, so I'm going to do what it takes.''