Nuggets Coach Pleased With Trade For Billups

[duncan228]

Nuggets coach pleased with trade for Billups
By Jeff Caplan

DALLAS — George Karl is tickled with his end of the Allen Iverson-Chauncey Billups swap.

Karl never mentioned Iverson’s name Monday morning when he detailed Denver’s emergence since the Nov. 3 trade with Detroit. And although Karl initiated a summertime philosophical change to a defense-first system, with Iverson apparently buying in, Karl was clear that Billups has magnified and exemplified his goals, and the team has followed.

"The big thing is professionalism," Karl said. "We weren’t a high professional team from the standpoint of leadership off the court, commitment to certain practices, and I think we knew we needed a change of culture or change of commitment."

Did he say practice?

"Things that I’ve done and the way I’ve always played the game is something that these guys welcomed, and vice-versa, it’s not just one-sided," Billups said. "I appreciate the way these guys play, and the heart and athleticism that these guys have is something that I love."

Rarely does a traded player walk into a new locker room and command the captain’s chair, let alone overnight lift a lower-rung playoff team to contender status. Billups is bringing the defense and enjoying the offensive freedom of a looser offensive system.

"He’s a tremendous player, but he’s also a glue guy," said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, who coached Billups for one season at Detroit. "He makes other guys better, and he helps instill the team feeling with a group."

Billups, averaging 18.9 points and 7.0 assists, and the Nuggets upended the Mavs for a second time this season Monday night to improve to 17-7 overall and 16-4 with Billups.

Iverson, who skipped a Thanksgiving Day practice, hasn’t been as fortuitous with his new club.

"He has a presence that I think is great because basically the simplicity to him is he does the things the right way," Karl said of Billups. "He acts the right way as a professional, he acts the right way as a teammate, he acts the right way as a defensive player, he does things the right way and there’s no nonsense."

Back on boards

The Mavs won the rebounding battle (48-45) for the first time in three games, a major reason they remained in striking distance despite horrible first-half shooting.

However, despite getting 13 offensive rebounds to the Nuggets’ five, the Mavs had just an 8-7 edge in second-chance points.

"I could go into a litany of reasons of why it hasn’t been as good as it could be," Rick Carlisle said of the team’s recent rebounding. "When you’re winning some games, you tend to dismiss some stuff."

The Mavs rely on strong defensive rebounding to trigger the fast break. In the last three games, they’ve been outscored in fast-break points 48-47.

Duncan edges Nowitzki

Tim Duncan, with a 22-point, 12.5-rebound week, led the Spurs to four wins and edged Dirk Nowitzki for player of the week honors. Nowitzki averaged 34.7 points and 10.3 rebounds, but Duncan outplayed him at the end of their double-overtime duel a week ago.

[m33p0]

well, duh.

[Xylus]

I'm pretty sure George Karl whacks off to Billups porn daily, nightly and ever-so-rightly.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

so do alot of upset Pistons fans

[jacobdrj]

Not really upset.

Billups lost his Mojo in Detroit, and needed a change of scenery, and perhaps personnel to, to keep his interest.

I have no ill will towards C-Bill, and hope he regained his mojo by going to Denver (we will see in the playoffs if this is the case). As far as I am concerned, as a fan of the NBA, the more good players playing well, the better. And C-Bill showing special basketball skill in Denver just raises the quality of the overall NBA experience.

[Obstructed_View]

Billups is singlehandedly responsible for preventing Karl from becoming the next coaching casualty in the NBA. The Nuggets are an emotional team without leadership, and Billups is a leader who sometimes lacks spark. This is the perfect combination.