Last season George Karl helped guide the Nuggets to perhaps the best season in the history of the franchise since it joined the NBA in 1976. This summer hopes are high and the Nuggets are the toast of the town after making it to the Western Conference Finals. Quite a change from a season ago when everyone was predicting doom and gloom for the Denver's pro basketball outfit.
Just how far the Nuggets have come is readily apparent. All one has to do is look at Karl's face. The only pain the coach seems to be in these days is physical pain as a result of recently having rotator cuff surgery.
"It's an injury that I would not recommend," Karl said with a smile. "It's a painful injury, and it's also a painful recovery. At nighttime it's a hard injury to not feel like it's hurting. But old men get old. My body is falling apart. It seems like every summer I get something wrong with my body."
Physical rehabilitation aside, Karl is feeling great. He's got a very good team he's excited about coaching, a new point guard from his alma mater, and his son Coby just finished competing for the Nuggets' summer league team.
"I've never seen him play as efficient as he's playing right now," Karl said of his son. "He's kind of gone away from taking a lot of shots to only taking good shots. Every touch he has he's looking to be efficient rather than being a scorer, and he's had some great nights. He's had some nights where he hasn't missed a shot and had 16 to 18 points by making the open shot and also being pretty efficient with the pass. Probably the biggest improvement I've seen with him is he now has a consistent defensive effort. He might have been a weak defender in the past, and I think right now he's borderline improving to the point where he's a good defender."
Coby Karl was definitely solid during summer league play. However, the Nuggets will likely only carry 13 players next season, which certainly diminishes Coby's chances of making the roster.
While he was rooting for his son last week, Karl also had a keen eye on Ty Lawson, the team's rookie point guard. Despite the fact Lawson struggled in his first two outings, Karl saw plenty he liked. Karl's faith was well founded, too, as Lawson was very good in the team's final two games in Las Vegas.
"Even in his poor performance statistically I thought he was a NBA player," Karl explained. "He has the knack of getting into the paint, that's the one thing he does since our point guards are kind of more old fashioned, conservative basketball players. We like his ability to run the point, run the break, and be a penetrator. He's going to have to learn how to shoot over the bigger players. I think when I first came into pro ball as a player I never shot with a hand in my face, and in pro ball there's a hand in your face almost every time you shoot it. I think that's what bothered him early, but he's been making the three the last couple of games. I don't think he's a great shooter yet, but I think he has a chance to be a damn good shooter. His knack and savvy for the game is first class."
While summer league is a nice chance to get a look at some young players, the regular season is always in the back of a head coach's mind. In Denver, some are questioning whether or not the Nuggets have done enough to match the moves made by teams like the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though the fanbase is a bit restless in Denver while waiting for a major move, Karl is content with what the Nuggets already have.
"My hope is that we get (Anthony Carter) and (Linas Kleiza) back in a happy manner," Karl said. "Free-agency right now, both of them are looking for a better deal than what is out there. Maybe they'll get it, maybe they won't. I would like to keep our team fairly intact from last year along with (Arron) Afflalo and Ty. I think that would be a good step. Our improvement is going to come with our younger players mostly meaning Nene, Melo and J.R (Smith). People don't understand that we are a fairly young basketball team. The nucleus, we have four or five guys under the age of 25 or 26 years of age. They made some big steps last year, but there is still a window of improvement there."
While Karl makes a valid point about the team's relative youth, will the team as currently constructed be good enough to match the moves made by other teams?
"Change doesn't always make you better," Karl asserted. "In fact, I think there should be some things written that change a lot of times doesn't work. I like what San Antonio's done, but you don't know the chemistry and how they're going to fit. It makes the media have a lot of fun in the summertime. Everybody's predicting. Like last year, everybody thought we were done. Somehow, someway the pieces fit better than they ever did. We got kind of a miracle year out of Chris Andersen, we found a great pickup in Dahntay Jones, and J.R. and Melo took great steps along with Nene."
Karl has one other thing that has been on his mind this summer and that's a contract extension. Karl will be entering the final year of his current contract this season, and multiple sources have indicated that the two sides closing in on a contract extension.
"I think everybody right now is in a mode to try and make something happen," Karl explained. "I would like to finish my career in Denver if that's possible, but we're in a very kind of dangerous financial area in the negotiations of a contract for a coach right now. I hope we get something done, but if we don't I'm happy. I've got a great team. I can coach that team with a one-year contract or a three or four-year extension."
No doubt Nugget fans are hoping Karl can top the job he did a season ago and get the team into The NBA Finals for the first time in the history of the franchise.
To watch a video interview with George Karl, click here.
