wordplay: JJ
images: Sean Hartgrove

    As a very young boy, I was a dreamer right around Christmas time. We had little money growing up, and, though I tried to deny it, deep down, I knew that meant very little loot come Christmas morn. Fans of Denver’s perennial Nugget underdogs can surely relate to those feelings of constant disappointment.

But just five days prior to Christmas, even the Nuggets were likely overwhelmed by the package that lay under the holiday tree.

The gift was loosely wrapped, battered and beaten much like most things that are sent from Philadelphia. It was a small package, but promising, and curious enough to make everyone around eager to see it opened up.

Buried deep inside a ton of Styrofoam peanuts was what everyone hoped would be the Nuggets’ Answer.

“I believe in the personnel we have here in Denver,” Nuggets guard Allen Iverson said at a recent press conference. “I believe we can get it done.” 

“You know, (Allen Iverson) plays with tremendous passion and, hopefully, if that could rub off on some of the other guys, that would be great,” Nuggets Head Coach George Karl said. 

As of the All-Star break, it’s been hard to tell whether Iverson has made a positive impact on his new team or not. The Nuggets limped into the All-Star break; having won just two of six home games down the stretch and barely rebounding from a seven-of-eight-game skid just
weeks before.

To the Nuggets’ credit, team chemistry has been hard to build. When Iverson came to the Nuggets, star forward Carmelo Anthony and center Marcus Camby were in the midst of long suspensions. After Anthony and Camby returned, the Nuggets had only a handful of games where they brought the full, healthy team to the court. Injuries to Camby and Iverson have left the Nuggets struggling to live up to their full potential.

“When we’ve got holes, everyone has got to do even more to fill in those little areas,” Karl said. “We’re good enough to win any given night, but we’re going to be really special if we can get everybody on the court.”

To Iverson’s credit, recovering from an ankle injury and getting back on the court is his main concern. In fact, Iverson decided against playing in the All-Star game in Las Vegas, opting instead to take the time off to heal.

“Getting this team back together and winning is more important than the All-Star game,” Iverson said. “I’ve been there and done that in my career. I don’t care about that. I care about this team.”

The Nuggets, in the sixth playoff spot as of the All-Star break, are firmly in the playoff flow; with a one-and-a-half game lead on Minnesota and a two-game lead on Golden State (the team that defeated Denver in the first round of last year’s playoffs).

Despite being in the playoff hunt, though, the Nuggets are still hovering around .500 and are considered by some to be just an average team in a strong Western Conference. And Coach Karl and his staff are not okay with being average.

“We’re cheating the game a little right now,” Karl said. “We’re not giving enough focus and energy and intensity to the little things. There are some good things out there, but we just allow teams opportunities.” Karl continued, ”I’m still excited about what it can be, but if we don’t start playing every-possession-attitude basketball, we’re going to continue to live in the hell we’re in right now.”

Not since the days of Elway has Denver and the great, vacant states surrounding, had but a few big teams to root for, and even fewer denizens of athletic glory to support. Inducted into the NBA the year of our nation’s bicentennial, the Nuggets have yet to advance to the
second round of the NBA playoffs, let alone win an NBA championship.

So, in other words, Iverson is no longer expected to be the Answer. For Nuggets fans, he’s expected to be the Epitome of Knowledge Itself; the Dalai Lama of Denver basketball, if you will.

“I just want to be out there with my teammates and I want to play,” Iverson said. “This is a game I love to play. I want to be there to help, and I think I can give us a lift.”

Here’s to hoping that the final lift for A.I. and the Nuggets will be that of a golden NBA championship trophy.

NBA.com/Nuggets