Nuggets thinking big

The big men for the Denver Nuggets are ready to take the next step.

After proving last year they could run up and down the court and play a fast-paced style, even more is expected from a front court that is finally getting healthy.

Kenyon Martin missed all but two games for the Nuggets last year, recovering from microfracture surgery on his right knee. Martin has kept the knee wrapped and iced for the first few days of training camp, but got his first full-contact action on Friday.

"It feels good. I'm doing more each day," Martin said. "Just incorporate more basketball the further we go. I felt if I was doing the four-on-four, three-on-three stuff, then I could do five-on-five."

A healthy Martin could make all the difference in the world.

The former All-Star brings a career average of 14.8 points per game, and most importantly, NBA finals experience.

"He's going to make a big difference," Marcus Camby said. "He's just going to make added depth to our front court. He's playoff tested, battle tested. He's been to back-to-back finals, he knows what winning is all about."

Camby is certainly frustrated at four consecutive first-round playoff exits. He did his part down low last year and was awarded as the NBA's defensive player of the year. Nene chipped in too, having his best season as a pro.

Though the Nuggets lost Reggie Evans in a trade with Philadelphia, the team replaced him with Steven Hunter, who spent the last two seasons with the 76ers.

If they can all stay healthy, the Nuggets seem to have one of the deepest front courts in the league.

"This is the most talented team I've been on," Hunter said. "Especially as far as depth wise. I played on the 2005 team in Phoenix. We had the talent with Amare (Stoudemire) and Steve Nash, but we didn't have as much depth as this team has."

That depth could be increased with Linas Kleiza in the fold.

Kleiza has spent most of his time on the perimeter in his two years in the league. But the 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward from Lithuania has the frame to play in the post. And he's spent plenty of time down low, playing for his national team and in college at Missouri.

"I think especially since coming off the last year, I was able to adjust playing a lot of positions," Kleiza said. "I played a lot of (power forward) for my country a lot in the European Championships. It was a good experience getting back inside and banging again. I hadn't been able to do that since college."

If the depth holds, he might not have to do that with the Nuggets. His .376 three-point percentage was good enough for second on the team.

"We've got talent from top to bottom. Everybody," Hunter said. "This is a team that can beat anybody any given night. I feel like, personally, we're one of the top four teams in the league."

State of the Cap: Denver Nuggets

The Good: Carmelo Anthony took a major step forward this season. The young star's scoring average climbed to 26.5 ppg and his field goal shooting increased to a very nice 48%. Anthony established himself as one of the best scorers in the league and a threat to hit big shots late in games. Melo has one more season on his rookie contract for $4.7 million, and then he will be able to cash in with a max deal. Denver will surely throw one his way.Despite the fact that Earl Boykins played in just 60 games, he was still a good value for the money. He averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 assists coming off the bench. Those are nice stats for a player owed around $2.9 million each of the next two seasons.
The Bad: Injuries took a major toll on the Denver Nuggets this season. Once again, Marcus Camby failed to play a full season, appearing in just 56 games. As always, his stats were incredible when he was in the line-up (11.9 rebounds, 3.3 blocks). As always, to earn the four years and $31.5 million left on his deal, he simply must stay healthy.Another player who saw action in 56 games was Kenyon Martin. With five years and over $70 million left on his contract, Martin is considered an incredible bust. Even when he played, his averages of 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds were some of the lowest of his career. Normally, Denver would be stuck with his dead weight for many years, but recent rumors of the Knicks being interested in Martin has to have Nugget fans feeling giddy.
The Future: Andre Miller's contract has three years and about $28 million left to go. He has never been much of a scorer, but the 8.2 assists he averaged this season was nice. If Miller could add a few more points each night, his contract would be well worth it.A rift has opened between Kenyon Martin and the Nuggets that may not be repairable. Martin was supposed to form a talented trio with Camby and Melo, but he hasn't come close to fulfilling expectations. Now that the team has soured on him, they will be looking to dump the disgruntled forward as soon as possible. With his fat contract and injury history, that will not be an easy task.If they can get rid of Martin, newly acquired Reggie Evans and a healthy Nene could help fill the void. Both are up for new contracts, but the Nuggets could probably keep both for half of what Kenyon makes. Denver is desperate for a shooting guard with 3 point range that can be a second option on offense to take some of the pressure off of Carmelo Anthony. With no cap room to spare at the moment and a big pay raise for Anthony coming soon, it will be tricky for the Nuggets to get anyone of value. This will be a very important summer for this franchise. Can they make their team better and rise higher in the playoffs or will they sink back into the lottery?
Bonus Points… for suspending Kenyon Martin in the playoffs. That move took a lot of guts at such a crucial moment in the season, but a disruption to the team needs to be taken care of immediately. Now Denver needs to take the next step and ship him out of town. Somehow.

Broncos Surpass Expectations; Elam's Improvement & More

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen understands the fluidity of expectations.
Before this season, the lines in Las Vegas and nearly every preseason publication expected Bowlen's Broncos to finish somewhere from 7-9 to 9-7.
Now that the Broncos are 9-3, expectations have been raised. Given their remaining schedule, anything less than a 12-4 record, an AFC West division title and a No. 2 seed in the conference playoffs would be considered a disappointment.
"That doesn't surprise me one bit," Bowlen said.
And what are Bowlen's feelings about his team's season?
"I'm unhappy we lost to Kansas City," he said. "It's a game we could have and should have won. But at the three-quarter mark, I'll take 9-3. I don't think anybody would have expected that before we got started. What I like is all those things you talked about that are in front of us are in our hands. We have a talented team, but maybe more than that, we have a very mature team."
The Elam one-step
This is a rare case when injury has boosted performance. The once-troublesome calf muscle in the left (non-kicking) leg of the Broncos' Jason Elam is 100 percent healthy. But because he has made 100 percent of his field goals since tweaking the calf, Elam will continue to kick as though he's gimpy.
It's the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory of kicking. Before the Broncos' game last month against the New York Jets, Elam hurt his calf enough to shorten the 2 1/2-step approach he used throughout his 13-year career to a step-and-kick maneuver.
After an early-season slump when he made 11-of-17 field-goal attempts, Elam has gone 8-for-8 since a late-game miss against the New York Giants, including 5-for-5 with the one step.
"I'm not changing until I miss," Elam said, "and even then I may stay with it."
A challenge the one step has yet to meet is the 50-yard attempt. His two longest one-step strikes were from 47 and 40.
Lynch decision coming
The NFL is reviewing the penalties Broncos safety John Lynch received first for a helmet-to-helmet hit against Kansas City receiver Eddie Kennison and later for unsportsmanlike conduct. Back judge Kirk Dornan called both penalties.
Ordinarily, the NFL announces its disciplinary findings on Friday, but given the publicity with this case, a decision could come earlier.
The video presentation presented Monday by Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and CBS replays viewers saw in-game Sunday appeared to show Lynch struck Kennison with his shoulder.
The Broncos hope the punishment levied against Lynch is nothing more than the 20 yards assessed for the two penalties.
Footnotes
With an average of 7.27 yards to go on second down, the Broncos rank second in the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts are first, averaging 6.78 yards to go on second down. ... Then there's third down, where the Broncos rank 29th by converting a mere 33.1 percent. Only Pittsburgh (31.9 percent), Chicago (28.5) and San Francisco (24.3 percent) are worse. Don't bother asking who's No. 1 in third-down conversions. It's Indy at a whopping 52.6 percent. ... So much for the benefits of having three extra days to rest and prepare. The four Thanksgiving Day participants - Denver, Atlanta, Dallas and Detroit - went 0-4 last weekend.

Camby Only One Saving Nuggets From Dreaded "Small Ball"

The formula has been a simple one for George Karl as he tries to duct tape a frontcourt together from his banged up Nuggets forwards:
Marcus Camby goes out, Karl's blood pressure goes up.
Denver's 125-116 win over Atlanta on Tuesday was a perfect example of the juggling Denver must do these days. Francisco Elson sat with an infected right foot, and the tendinitis in Kenyon Martin's left knee would not let the forward come back for the second half. Nene is out, possibly for the season, with a right knee injury.
That meant 37 minutes for Camby, a high number. He and his coach have acknowledged a need to rein him in so he can last all season.
Camby entered Wednesday second among NBA centers with 35.5 minutes per game, to go with his 17.3 points and 13.9 rebounds. Since he can't play the whole game, small ball is all the Nuggets could play as he sat Tuesday.
Their only options for "center," to use the term loosely, were three 6-foot-8 players undersized even for power forward - Eduardo Najera, Linas Kleiza or Carmelo Anthony. And Najera and Anthony are battling their own injuries.
Karl did not sound enthusiastic Wednesday in rating the littler lineup.
"I would be more confident if we'd rebound the ball," Karl said. "We don't rebound the ball when we play small. When we play small without Marcus, it's a prayer to get a rebound.
"We've addressed it. We've shown them stats. We've just kind of gotten a little bit of a crutch because Marcus is such a great rebounder. And as a team, statistically, we've been pretty effective, but I don't think we can rebound the ball. When Marcus is out of the game, I'm scared to death."
Even when healthy, Martin stands at 6-9. Combine that with a three-guard lineup that often includes the NBA's shortest player, 5-5 Earl Boykins, and the Nuggets are giving away inches wholesale.

Ex-Bronco Reuben Droughns Proves He's No One Year Wonder

You've got to give credit to Reuben Droughns. He is showing he is more than just product of the Broncos' running back system. Droughns came out of nowhere last season and gained 1,240 yards for the Broncos on 275 carries. Before that, Droughns had a total of 40 totes in three NFL seasons.
Droughns was sent to the Browns in the offseason for defensive linemen Ebezener Ekuban and Michael Myers after asking to be traded. Droughns, who still is looking for the big contract - which prompted his departure from Denver - has shown he can succeed outside the Broncos' system.
He has been a star for the Browns, rushing for 1,029 yards on 241 carries.
Droughns' 75-yard twisting, turning touchdown run against Miami last month was one of the most memorable plays of the season. He has a chance to be a 1,400- to 1,500-yard rusher.
Denver is happy with the trade, which also has worked out for the Browns and Droughns.
It's a near certainty Droughns and agent Drew Rosenhaus will continue to pursue the big contract they asked the Broncos to give the running back in January.
Droughns initially held out of the Browns' offseason program and returned only at the urging of former teammate Rod Smith.
After gaining another 1,000-plus yards this season, Droughns - who has one year remaining on his contract - has earned a new deal.
One year in Denver may be considered a fluke. A second consecutive big year, behind a much weaker offensive line in Cleveland, proves Droughns is a legitimate NFL back.
Shaking things up in Buffalo
Buffalo: Don't discount speculation of a massive shake-up in Buffalo. General manager Tom Donahoe and coach Mike Mularkey could be in trouble.
The Bills haven't progressed under the guidance of the two. The team was expected to be a serious playoff contender the past two seasons, but has fallen flat.
Now, there isn't much reason for hope. Quarterback J.P. Losman is an uncertainty, which could get Donahoe in trouble. He mortgaged a ton to get Losman.
Don't be surprised if Donahoe is on the way out, while Mularkey gets another year. If that happens, Donahoe likely will get another chance. He is a strong, longtime football man who can help some team.
Trouble in Bear country
Chicago: Leave it to the surprising Bears to be in this goofy situation. The Bears are 9-3 and have been one of the top stories of the season.
But they are unhappy with their quarterback. The team is on pace for a 12-4 season yet is unsure of the most important position. Quarterback Kyle Orton has been horrible. The fourth- round pick is showing no progress. He has been inaccurate and his passer rating is 60.2 - worst in the NFL. Coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo have publicly challenged Orton. But what are they going to do? It's too late to make a change. The Bears have to hope their defense continues to dominate and Orton somehow improves, or this great story will end soon.
Perfection takes back seat
Indianapolis: The Broncos may have played a major part in the Colts' run for history. Colts coach Tony Dungy has indicated he will likely rest his starters some, if and when the team clinches home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, regardless of the Colts' chance to end the regular season 16-0.
While the Colts improved to 12-0 last week, the Broncos lost in Kansas City. Thus, Indianapolis has a three- game lead over the Broncos, Jaguars and Bengals in the AFC playoff chase. If the Colts win two more games, the race for the top seed will be over. The Broncos may have made Dungy's choice easier as the Colts' pursuit of home-field advantage is shortened.
Hanging with Saban
Miami: New coach Nick Saban is sinking into his players' minds. The team hasn't been successful this season, but it will be soon.
The team is responding to Saban, who is becoming a master of getting his message to the team via the media. In recent weeks, Saban said publicly that receiver Chris Chambers was just doing a "decent" job, then he made his famous comments about it not mattering if the team won again this season.
His players were listening. Chambers was more than decent - let's call it spectacular - against Buffalo last week as he made 15 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown.
And Saban fired up the entire team by saying the final six weeks of the season didn't matter. The Dolphins have won two consecutive games since his comments, including a stirring fourth-quarter comeback against the Bills. Saban has this team right where he wants it - hanging on his every word.
Rebuilding on agenda
Oakland: Guess all the questions on whether Oakland tries to keep quarterback Kerry Collins next season have been answered. Collins, who is owed more than $11 million in the offseason, will be elsewhere.
With the Raiders apparently ready to turn the final month of the season over to backup Marques Tuiasosopo, the Collins era is all but over. But it's not as if Tuiasosopo, a career backup, has much of a chance. The Raiders just want to get rid of Collins.
With coach Norv Turner likely on his last legs with the Raiders and a quarterback change on the horizon, things are a mess in Oakland, which is 13-31 since reaching the Super Bowl in January 2003.
With so many needs on both sides of the ball, the Raiders can't afford to stake the future on trying to move up in the draft to select USC's Matt Leinart. The team likely will need another veteran stopgap quarterback as it tries to rebuild once again.
Fisher could be fishing
Tennessee: There likely will be a major change in Tennessee. The chances are general manager Floyd Reese or coach Jeff Fisher will go elsewhere. The league is watching this one closely because Reese and Fisher are considered among the best at what they do.
The word is these two haven't recovered from a dispute over the direction of the team that occurred more than a year ago. The relationship has worsened.
The Titans are mired in a rebuilding program that may take a couple more years.
While Fisher has done an outstanding job with a limited roster, he may be tiring of the situation.
Something is going to break here. Reese and Fisher likely can't work together any longer.