Denver v. Dallas : Game 5

[corona]

vs.
Friday November 7th, 8:30pm MST, Altitude/ESPN


bench: smith, kleiza, andersen

vs.


bench: stackhouse, diop, bass

Key Matchup:

How quickly can Billups adjust? Will he have an immediate impact on the games of Smith, Melo & Nene...or will there be more of a feeling out and learning curve?

Last Meeting: March 27, 2008
118-105 Denver victory
Iverson & Melo combined for 63 points, while Melo also racked up 10 boards and 8 assists.
Dirk missed the game, but Howard stepped up to score 30 in his place.

Denver: 1-3
First game with Billups as a Nugget since December 16th, 1999.
Atkins is out until the second or third week of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Hunter's out with continued knee issues.

Keys to winning:
Finding a rhythm as a team quickly.
Take the best shot, not the first decent one.
Rebound rebound rebound.

Last (will be) 5 Games:
L Warriors
L Lakers
W Clippers
L Utah

Dallas: 2-2
Devean George is out with a bone chip in his left hand.

Last (will be) 5 Games:
W San Antonio
L Cleveland
W Minnesota
L Houston

Photos:












Game Notes:
http://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/notes.pdf
http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/notes.pdf

Game Chat:
http://nuggets.proboards1.com/index.cgi?action=chat

[Shady08]

Unfortunately for me I will be working all night, I don't get off until midnight. Thank god for DVR, right when I get home I will be watching the entire game, it will be a long night. I hope all goes will for Billups and the Nuggets. I expect Billups to come and play very inspired, with a lot of energy because the game is in Denver. GO NUGGETS!

Edit: corona, was the Billups presser on TV? I missed it, can you upload it if you tivod it? Thanks.

[corona]

i tivoed it, but dont have the stuff to transfer to computer and upload.

i did write out a quick transcript though:

karl introduces chauncey billups. says its a unique opportunity to bring back an nba-allstar to his home city.

karl: "i dont know why #7. i heard john elway was your favorite growing up and 5 and 4 were taken."

bills sort of unresponsive holding up jersey.

billups: (paraphrasing some) i want to say i'm extremely happy to be home. its a dream. at a time in my career that i've established who i've wanted to be. the time before this i was still trying to find myself. my career's a little different now. same person different player. look forward to lead the charge, be the best i can and try to bring a championship to this town. everyone knows i have a lot of pride for denver. being able to have that denver across my chest makes me feel very happy.

karl: from a coaching standpoint, since we made the iverson trade...we've lacked an orchestrator/leader/good decision maker. remembers when he was out of coaching he talked with chauncey in detroit, billups had an incredible dignity to the game...the respect that he has to every game that he plays. from a coaching standpoint we have a leader, an orchestrator, a guy that can defend, space the court...and we have a lot of young players that need that guy and need that direction. next step is to win in the playoffs....any guy that's been to the ECFs 5 years in a row knows how to win in the playoffs. i think its a beginning of a new refreshing experiment of having a point guard. remember first coaching job in great falls montana in the cba and had a junior college coach and was talking about who they should get to run the team. coach said just go get the best point guard, and you'll win a lot of games. thats been my forte and belief in coaching in the past...and i think we one of the best in the nba now.

questions:
asked about issell not thinking he was a point guard in first go around.
billups: dan wasn't the only one. at that time i was trying to find myself. always felt i was a pg. opportunity wasn't at that position. nve came at the same time and was an all-star. just trying to get on the court. never been comfortable at the 2. like being in leadership role. when first came back here i was home town kid. now i'm a man. dan wasn't the only one.

when did you first find out you might be coming back to denver?
i remember doing interviews with you when i had a high top fade
found out when i was in charlotte from my agent. when you're somewhere for so long and you experience the success that we had its gonna be kinda bittersweet. those guys were more than my friends...like my brothers. been through a lot of wars. i was just happy though. coming home. being able to play in front of mom/dad and grandparents and friends and family. makes me extremely happy.

had any conversations with dyess about the trade?
dyess is one of my brothers. i have had conversations. you know....i dont want people to get it confused. heard people say dyess just doesn't like denver. dyess loves denver. i think you all know that. choose to come back here twice. he loves denver & organization. hes in position where he has decision to make. in latter part of his career....tired of moving. its up to him. ill support him whichever way he goes.

are you trying to get him to denver? (i think...hard to hear)
i would love to have dyess. he means a lot to me. when i was here first time with dyess he helped me a lot and helped me through struggles. i would love to play with dyess again. also got a lot going on with just me coming back...so i'll let him make that decision.

did you realistically think this day would happen?
i though maybe a couple years ago when i was a FA that was my best chance coming back. when that came and went i felt like i would be in detroit the rest of my career. obvious things happen...and that's not the case. i wouldn't want to be nowhere else.

joe dumars last season said nobody was safe. couldn't hear the rest. something about being with detroit for this season or not.
i didn't know. one thing i did know is that when you get a special group of guys like that you dont' give it up that fast. a lot of talk in summertime of me coming here, going anywhere. nobody likes that. its part of the game. when didnt happen in summer, i felt like i'd be in detroit rest of season. but i was wrong.

on the basketball court with the difference between pistons/nuggets from a veteran l;eadership standpoint and there aren't many veterans here. do you feel a sense of responsibility to be an older mentor/leader?
i do. i think that i can have good effect on this team. this team is talented. can score the ball with anyone. defensively have some shotblockers. lot of potential on this team. things that i've seen just watching the team before the trade and even last night...a lot of time the players lack some self discipline out there. as far as bad shot selection and turning the ball over. i think its a thin line with run run run and still trying to take care of the ball and get stops and its hard, extremely hard. ive played in slow down system for 5-6 years. im excited to show people i can play in any system.

to karl: hows it make you feel to hear your new guy say that about last nights game...something you dont hear from the current players?
i think teams been in offensive funk so far this season. he made the comment that our shot selections almost turnovers. we push the line on shot selection last night to the point that 10-15 of the shots were basically turnovers. i thought that was a good analogy. talked about it in practice today. cant put all responsibility on chauncey to clean it up. everyone needs discipline to clean up shots. i need to do better job of orchestrating. spend 75% of camp on defense...that has shown. so has lack of offensive practice.

iverson was popular in lockerroom. how concerned are you...(couldn't hear rest)
that's not something that you try to do. i'm coming to work, i'm coming to win. if guys want to win...they're going to fall in line. that's the only reason i play...to win. everyone on the team i know personally.thats not something that you come in and try to do....you come and try to win games and i think they gain respect for you as you go on.

how'd first day go?
good. lots of information, plays, defensive terminology.

talk about first time around....how much more comfortable, easier itll be now. everyone else a distraction?
wont be disraction. doesnt see it as too much pressure. not trying to recreate something or do something i havent done before. feel comfortable with role.

home for good?
i hope so, i hope so. wife was talking last few days....hope its the last move. you all know im always a denver boy. going to give all i have to this organization like i did for detroit.

how much longer you going to play for?
as long as i'm healthy and im able to be effective out there. can't put age on that. never know how your body feels year to year. god forbid anything happens. you never know. as long as im healthy....im not a speed guy or jump guy. i can play for a long time if i'm healthy. i ain't dunked in 10 years.

first time was here...how much of a factor was shoulder injury?
hard time. first year was lockout, then we had a lot of guys and expected good things. then tore shoulder up and it was my free agent season. that was tough. all those kind of experiences have shaped me into person/player i am now.

if not for injury stay here?
yea...i think if it wasn't for injury i would have hada really good season.

question about number?
of course my favorite number is always #4...but kmart has that. and i wore #1 in detroit because dumars had #4. thought about it for a couple days. came to me...thinking about me coming home...opportunity it could be. thought about how elway ended his career and the legacy he left with. gonna try to wear that number and be proud and try to get lucky.

question about role model in community...
excited to be home and back in my community. family, cousins, nieces/nephews....able to be home and have a direct connection with them. his kids able to be around the rest of his family. excited about that.

thoughts about bronco games?
die hard broncos fans. gotta get a win.

are you a better coach today, george? (i think that was the question)
when you're 1-3 you're looking to be anything. i think so. i think just the feel of everything...the spirit of the trade...there's an energy to it. we didn't win last night, make the energy even more. team has inner confidence, they know chaunceys a great player. we havent put the pieces in the puzzle togeter...going to be easier with a great point guard. and as he says...he does it with a control that's pretty classy.

[legendarywalton]

God I love the city of Denver.

[pickaxe]

Looking forward to this one. Great to see coach, pg on the same page. It's gonna be kind of cool to see the contrast between last game and this one.

Who do you think clicks with Billups right off the bat? Nene, Melo, Martin, JR, or Jones?

[Shady08]

Thanks corona!

[el loco]

Unfortunately for me I will be working all night, I don't get off until midnight. Thank god for DVR, right when I get home I will be watching the entire game, it will be a long night. I hope all goes will for Billups and the Nuggets. I expect Billups to come and play very inspired, with a lot of energy because the game is in Denver. GO NUGGETS!

Edit: corona, was the Billups presser on TV? I missed it, can you upload it if you tivod it? Thanks.

Here is a link to it if anyone missed it, but Corona did one hell of a job getting it typed out for us. That was a nice gesture on his part.

http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=49018

[el loco]

I am calling MHizzle out.

We are getting tired of all of these close losses in the 4th quarter and I am holding you personally responsible. Bring out the secret weapon already and put up a Carrie picture.

[The_Cut]

i just don't get it why j.r. is still not starting...

[Shady08]

Because Karl is the coach....why does that not make any sense? lol

[andykeikei]

Isn't it great to have a local guy to play for your team? He would stay loyal for sure.

How much hate george karl have against JR Smith always amaze me to be honest!
He prefers Jones AND Carter before Smith? LMAO

Hope Billups fit in for you guys. will be watching his debut tonight!

[MHZ]

Game time. Anybody else going to the game tonight? Should be a sweet atmosphere.

[el loco]

^^^ Good Job.

Now the season can officially start.

[el loco]

Looking forward to this one. Great to see coach, pg on the same page. It's gonna be kind of cool to see the contrast between last game and this one.

Who do you think clicks with Billups right off the bat? Nene, Melo, Martin, JR, or Jones?

I think Kmart will benefit the most initially, he will finally start to get rewarded for cutting to the basket and getting out on the break.

[corona]

Game time. Anybody else going to the game tonight? Should be a sweet atmosphere.

thought about it. but i don't think i will.

late start, its snowing here, long/late drive home...gotta work tomorrow morning.

game chat should be fun though.

[MHZ]

I'm pumped. The intro of Chaunce should blow the roof off the place.

[RRFB]

I'll be there too.
The crowd is going to be awesome, although I don't expect it to be as loud as it was for AI's first game in Denver.

[Don_eMOCION#31]

hope the nuggets can get back on a winning mode again! should be another great game for nene because dallas is absoluetly without defense

[milehigh]

Anybody else going to the game tonight? Should be a sweet atmosphere.

I am going with 3 of my buddies it should be a lot better than the last game I went to, game 3 of the lakers/nuggets series.

I will be very loud and drunk.

[denvers_finest]

I'm going. heading to the bar right now to get warmed up.