So (JaVale) McGee toils in the spotlight though getting limited playing time. He remains one of the NBA’s premier shot blockers, averaging two per game, and has seen growth in his impact on altering other shots. He insists he has never been concerned about his playing time, only that he’s happy to be with a winning team.

(Nuggets coach George) Karl, who emphasizes that he is impressed with McGee’s skill set too, wants him to be more Tim Duncan and less Latrell Sprewell.

“He’s got to understand that lazy and crazy isn’t going to make it work,” Karl said. “We want solid and we want fundamental, and we want spectacular but only when it happens, not forcing the action where sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t.”