Looking healthy and energetic following his second defeat of cancer, Denver Nuggets coach George Karl finally has the team he has always wanted. On any given night, the Nuggets could dominate with their starting five or cobble together a win with contributions all the way down the bench.
The Nuggets currently lead all NBA teams in points per game at 105.5 – a tick better than the Miami Heat’s 105.4 – and are perched firmly at second place in the Western Conference. Only the division rival OKC Thunder are better in the West right now, but watching these young Nuggets you get the feeling that they are still a month or two away from playing their best basketball.
George is living in a coaching dreamland in Denver. He’s got the kind of depth and athleticism that even most big market NBA teams lack. Karl just has to decide who has the hot hand, who makes the best matchup, and which of his ten floor-worthy players get time each night.
Coming over from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005, George was heralded as a matchups guru with the ability to challenge the best coaches in the league. Now that Phil Jackson has retired from Lakerland, Coach Karl may be the best matchups coach in basketball. And with Carmelo Anthony slowing the offense to a crawl in New York, the Nuggets have the cap space and floor time to run the most dynamic, team-oriented style in the league.
In his early years with the Nuggets, Karl had the pitiable task of making sure Melo got his points every game. Now George can watch five players score double-digits and have a half-dozen guys geared up to make big shots in the final minutes. Plus, an increased load on the bench means the Nuggets can throw a relentless up-tempo attack at their opponents for 48 minutes. No wonder Denver leads the league at 24.5 assists per game.
On Wednesday night Karl’s Nuggets will have a chance to close out an undefeated five-game road swing. Four victories so far include overtime triumphs versus the surprising 76ers and the struggling Knicks. Now Denver draws the defensively challenged Kings in Sacramento. With six Nuggets averaging 10+ points per game, Denver looks strong to return home Friday with one of the best records in the NBA.
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