Nuggets fire Bzdelik

[dirt_dobber]

12:19 PM CST on Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Associated Press

DENVER -- Jeff Bzdelik was fired Tuesday as coach of the Denver Nuggets, who are on a six-game losing streak and struggling despite the addition of Kenyon Martin this season.

Assistant Michael Cooper was appointed interim coach.

Denver was expected to move near the top of the Western Conference after signing Martin, an All-Star power forward. So far, however, the Nuggets have been hurt by injuries and inconsistency.

The Nuggets started the season without power forward Nene and have used 10 different starting lineups, with star forward Carmelo Anthony missing the past five games with a sprained ankle.

Shooting guard Voshon Lenard, Denver's only legitimate outside shooting threat, was lost for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon in the opener.

Denver opened the season 2-5, won 10 of its next 12 games and has lost eight of its last nine, dropping to 13-15 after a 104-101 loss to Golden State on Monday night.

Bzdelik was a longtime assistant and scout under Pat Riley in Miami and New York before getting his first head coaching job with the Nuggets in 2002. Though Denver struggled to a league-worst 17-65 record in his first season, Bzdelik was credited with turning the Nuggets into a hardworking, defensive-minded team.
======================================

[Bookit]

Wierd. I think he is a good coach. Maybe Kmart ain't all he's cracked up to be. They did alright with Nene last year.

[dirt_dobber]

Did Carmello get him fired ??????????????

grapevine says he was healthy enough to play .... but did'nt

.

[Dooby]

Kiki Vanderweghe had a hard time finding a coach before. Bzdelik was pretty low on Denver's list as I recall. I think the problem was a lot of potential coaches didn't see what Kiki was putting together. I think there was also a lack of respoect for Kiki because of the manner in which he got the GM job. He was basically hired to be coach and GM Issel's lackey, but Kiki ended up getting to fire the man that hired him when Issel made an ignorant racist comment.

Denver won't have a problem finding a coach this time around. I always thought Denver would be a great place to be as a coach. Big city with a nice arena and an ownership that wants to be successful. There problem wasn't resources, it was that Dan Issell was an incredible moron and ruined the franchise.

[HexNBA]

Kiki finally had a reason to fire him. It was pretty obvious from various quotes during last year Vanderweghe only kept Bzdelik on because he kept winning, not because he thought he was a great coach. Already brought in Cooper late last season and was just waiting for a reason to can Bzdelik that wouldnt look weird or disrespectful. Six game losing streak sure does it.

[poohrichardson]

Originally posted by: Bookit
Wierd. I think he is a good coach. Maybe Kmart ain't all he's cracked up to be. They did alright with Nene last year.

K-Mart is the most overrated player in the league.

[Drbio]

Stupid move by an otherwise good GM (Kiki V.).

The fans hate this.

[FilthyFinMavs]

I preached Kidd made K-Mart and the Nuggets sat there and overpaid for a role player. A great one but nonetheless a role player. You have a young guy in Nene who shows flashes of being a Karl Malone clone but you'd rather go and pay for K-Mart? That was mind boggling at the time it happened and it's mind boggling now. There was rumor of Nene being traded during the offseason so I guess they plan on getting something for him. I wonder why you fire Bzdelik now though? With all the injuries the Nuggets have had he definately wasn't the problem.

[MavKikiNYC]

If Kidd made a role-player like K-Mart a star (and I'm not disputing the point), imagine what he could do with a Top 5 player like Duncan, or Garnett, or......Dirk.

Sorry to see Bzdelik take the fall, but looks like the players had stopped responding to him, and it was probably easier to cut losses by firing him, than by trading one (or more) of the underperformers.

So far, Kiki has made all the right moves, but if the team doesn't continue to improve, the spotlight is going to slowly start to shine on him. He needs to make a good head coach hire, and I hope he doesn't get suckered into taking on George Karl.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
If Kidd made a role-player like K-Mart a star (and I'm not disputing the point), imagine what he could do with a Top 5 player like Duncan, or Garnett, or......Dirk.

Sorry to see Bzdelik take the fall, but looks like the players had stopped responding to him, and it was probably easier to cut losses by firing him, than by trading one (or more) of the underperformers.

So far, Kiki has made all the right moves, but if the team doesn't continue to improve, the spotlight is going to slowly start to shine on him. He needs to make a good head coach hire, and I hope he doesn't get suckered into taking on George Karl.

Exactly. I'd love to see what type of player Kidd would make out of Dirk but thus far Kidd hasn't been performing like in previous years. I don't know if he's still lingering from that injury or what but I wouldn't dare touch those damaged goods until he returns to his oldself which may take him off the trade market.

[seal614]

give him time, he shows a flash here and there early. 11 assists 11 rebounds, now just SCORE and you've got mr. triple dub all over again.

- Brian

[jayC]

Kidd would be an interesting pickup for the mavs. If you could trade Henderson, Stackhouse and Harris for Kidd would you do it? The Nets could recieve even more capspace with Henderson and be out from under stackhouse in two years. Harris would be the perfect fit for NJ. I still would like to see this thing through, but Kidd is the best pg on the planet when healthy. The best part is that he wouldn't have to shoot.

[jayC]

Kidd would be an interesting pickup for the mavs. If you could trade Henderson, Stackhouse and Harris for Kidd would you do it? The Nets could recieve even more capspace with Henderson and be out from under stackhouse in two years. Harris would be the perfect fit for NJ. I still would like to see this thing through, but Kidd is the best pg on the planet when healthy. The best part is that he wouldn't have to shoot.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: jayC
Kidd would be an interesting pickup for the mavs. If you could trade Henderson, Stackhouse and Harris for Kidd would you do it? The Nets could recieve even more capspace with Henderson and be out from under stackhouse in two years. Harris would be the perfect fit for NJ. I still would like to see this thing through, but Kidd is the best pg on the planet when healthy. The best part is that he wouldn't have to shoot.

I wouldn't do it. I'd love to have Kidd but not at the risk of Harris. Only deal i'd probably want to pull is a Stack/Booth or Wahad. Nets wouldn't do it but i'd only go after Kidd if I wouldn't have to give up much in return especially with his injury problems.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Originally posted by: jayC
Kidd would be an interesting pickup for the mavs. If you could trade Henderson, Stackhouse and Harris for Kidd would you do it? The Nets could recieve even more capspace with Henderson and be out from under stackhouse in two years. Harris would be the perfect fit for NJ. I still would like to see this thing through, but Kidd is the best pg on the planet when healthy. The best part is that he wouldn't have to shoot.

I wouldn't do it. I'd love to have Kidd but not at the risk of Harris. Only deal i'd probably want to pull is a Stack/Booth or Wahad. Nets wouldn't do it but i'd only go after Kidd if I wouldn't have to give up much in return especially with his injury problems.

[Pirate]

Kidd is a hard decision, if he is available. The contract is awful, and he has age and health issues (even if he is "healthy" he still has a really bad knee). He cant shoot a lick. But of course he can pass and rebound.

NJ's asking price would probably be too high for the risk. We need Henderson. He has been an important contributor. So the only expiring contract we could offer would be Armstrong.

And I wouldnt include Harris, no way. My list of possibles would offer Stackhouse or Daniels (but not both), Booth, Wahad, and Armstrong. MAYBE a young center, if there is any sense that one or the other isnt going to pan out. None of that would really excite NJ, I bet, but I wouldnt be willing to pay more, with all the negatives.

Whether NJ would be interested would certainly depend on what sort of offers other teams would make. If Kidd has ruled out Portland, you have to wonder if any other team would be willing to absorb his contract, plus offer significant talent. The rumors say yes. Common sense says no.

[Pirate]

Kidd is a hard decision, if he is available. The contract is awful, and he has age and health issues (even if he is "healthy" he still has a really bad knee). He cant shoot a lick. But of course he can pass and rebound.

NJ's asking price would probably be too high for the risk. We need Henderson. He has been an important contributor. So the only expiring contract we could offer would be Armstrong.

And I wouldnt include Harris, no way. My list of possibles would offer Stackhouse or Daniels (but not both), Booth, Wahad, and Armstrong. MAYBE a young center, if there is any sense that one or the other isnt going to pan out. None of that would really excite NJ, I bet, but I wouldnt be willing to pay more, with all the negatives.

Whether NJ would be interested would certainly depend on what sort of offers other teams would make. If Kidd has ruled out Portland, you have to wonder if any other team would be willing to absorb his contract, plus offer significant talent. The rumors say yes. Common sense says no.

[Pirate]

JAYC, Kidd will NEVER be healthy - he will always have a bad knee, though how much that will effect him, and how often, is unknown. And you say he wont have to shoot if he is here - but he will do so anyhow, unfortunately. Which is a really ugly thing to behold. In his last 3 games, he has had Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson as his wing men. In spite of that, he is 3-19 (16%), including 1-11 on 3's. It wont be any prettier if he is in a Dallas uniform.

[Pirate]

JAYC, Kidd will NEVER be healthy - he will always have a bad knee, though how much that will effect him, and how often, is unknown. And you say he wont have to shoot if he is here - but he will do so anyhow, unfortunately. Which is a really ugly thing to behold. In his last 3 games, he has had Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson as his wing men. In spite of that, he is 3-19 (16%), including 1-11 on 3's. It wont be any prettier if he is in a Dallas uniform.

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
If Kidd made a role-player like K-Mart a star (and I'm not disputing the point), imagine what he could do with a Top 5 player like Duncan, or Garnett, or......Dirk.

Sorry to see Bzdelik take the fall, but looks like the players had stopped responding to him, and it was probably easier to cut losses by firing him, than by trading one (or more) of the underperformers.

So far, Kiki has made all the right moves, but if the team doesn't continue to improve, the spotlight is going to slowly start to shine on him. He needs to make a good head coach hire, and I hope he doesn't get suckered into taking on George Karl.

All parties will live to regret this.

George Karl in Negotiations for Nuggets Post

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

George Karl and the Denver Nuggets are in negotiations to try to hammer out a coaching deal, league sources told

The sides have not yet reached an agreement but the Nuggets are hoping to move quickly, sources said.

Karl and Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe met Monday night in Chicago but neither was immediately available for comment.

The Nuggets boast a 4-8 record since interim coach Michael Cooper replaced Jeff Bzdelik, who was fired Dec. 28.

The Nuggets, according to sources, want a veteran coach to toughen up an underachieving (and injury-ravaged) team that sits at 17-23 entering Tuesday's game at Chicago.

Karl, currently an analyst for ESPN, has coached four NBA teams (Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle and Milwaukee) and has a career record of 708-499.

Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke did not attend Monday's meeting, sources said, but Kroenke has known Karl for years as a friend and business partner.

[FilthyFinMavs]

So basically your taking George Karl over Bzdelik? Wow. That's a downgrade. I would've thought that they would've been in talks with Phil Jackson. It's the perfect situation for him if he's looking foward to coming back. Most of the teams that are playing well and have good records don't plan on changing coaches and if you look at Phil's history he's taken over good teams that wanted to make it to the next level. That's the Nuggets IMO. Team full of good players who need a better coach.

[MavKikiNYC]

The vauge rumor is that Jackson wants to come back to the NYKs, but doesn't want to work with the disaster that is Isiah Thomas.

[chumdawg]

When do all parties start regretting this? When does KiKi (Vandeweghe, that is) start looking like a sucker?

[MavKikiNYC]

Anyone who commented (intelligently, that is) said short-term gain, long-term loss.

Check Karl's record, and report back in a couple of years.

BTW, you're not still ambivalent (cf Merriam-Webster Online) about Nellie's resignation, are you?

[chumdawg]

When the short-term gain is so terrific, it's hard to imagine a net loss long-term.

I was never ambivalent in the first place about Nellie stepping down. I'm coming around to that, though.

By the way, thanks for the link. I wasn't aware that you could look up big words on the internet.

[Drbio]

I was against the firing of Bzdelik, simply because he was a very good fundamentals coach. I thought he did a fantastic job. I was also against the Karl hire, but I am pleasantly suprised at the results. There is not a hotter team in basketball right now period. 22-2 in the last 24 games? That is just sick. I have no idea on the long term prognosis of the Nuggets, but I will now submit that I have found the Karl hire to be a good one, despite my earlier thoughts to the contrary.

[MavKikiNYC]

I thought Karl would probably impose some structure on the Nuggets and would prod them into a competitive 7th or 8th-seed team this year.

But I found myself looking the other day to try to figure out what was going on there to have them streaking so hot. Someone was suggesting that Karl had come in at a soft spot in the schedule, but even if that were true, 22-2 would still be impressive. I'll hand it to him--he's done EVEN BETTER than people (myself included) suggested he would. Way too much talent on that team for them to've been wallowing around in lottery territory earlier in the year. He's finally gotten Andre Miller to start playing like an All Star PG again--Miller has games of 14, 15, 16 and 17 assists in the last month.

Bzdelik must've just totally come disconnected from them. But unfortunately Karl has demonstrated the same tendency, both self-destructively and team-destructively in Golden State (where Nellie had to relieve him of duty), Seattle, and Milwaukee. Hopefully, for his sake and for the Nuggets, he can avoid a repeat. But there's a pronounced pattern of past behavior to suggest otherwise.

[MavKikiNYC]

Okay, Karl has the Nuggets up to 28-26, currently 6th Best record in the Western Conference, leading the Midwest Division which will get them 3rd seed in the West.

What's up in Denver? I know that both Camby, Martin, and Nene have had some injuries, but a year ago the Nugs seemed poised to be a better team. And judging from trade rumors (and the report below) they are ready to jettison the other Kiki's biggest move: K-Mart.

What's up out there? Are Kiki and Karl on the same page? Is Kiki likely to stay, leave or be let go?

Is Karl getting reasonable production out of Kiki's acquisitions?

What's going on out there?

KENYON MARTIN (F, DENVER) - Martin and head coach George Karl simply don't belong together. The Nuggets are ready to trade the 6-9 Martin, who signed a reported seven-year contract worth more than $90 million with New Jersey before being traded to Denver in July 2004 in a sign-and-trade deal. The 28-year-old Martin has not been as productive for the Nuggets as he was in his last two seasons with the Nets. The Knicks will try and see if they can acquire Martin. However, Denver is a team that wants to be in the playoffs and may not be willing to simply take on some expiring contracts of players that can't play anymore.

[Drbio]

The rumors are rampant that Kiki V. will not be offered an extension. Karl is being careful to walk the line and preserve his job. The big differences in the clubhouse are between Andre Miller and KMart and Karl happens to agree with Miller. The issue revolves around professionalism and team first issues. Those are the rumblings anyways.

[dude1394]

I thought that Karl's welcome wore out quickly? Am I wrong about that?

Of course K-mart is a stinkin' idiot as well, so that can't help.

[MavKikiNYC]

Sorry to hear about his son. He sounds like he has a full plate.

May 2, 2006
Karl Contemplates Future in Coaching

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 8:48 p.m. ET
DENVER (AP) -- A season filled with afflictions and anguish for the Denver Nuggets has left George Karl emotionally spent and harboring misgivings about his future in coaching.

''Winning became a relief rather than an exhilaration. That's not something that I want,'' Karl said Tuesday, a day after the Nuggets were bounced from the playoffs in five games by the Los Angeles Clippers. ''I don't want to live a life of relief. I want to live a life of feeling good. Maybe that's the NBA. That's just where I'm at.''

That sure sounds like a man wrestling with whether to return for the third year of his six-year contract.

''Good observation,'' Karl said after a long pause. ''I don't think I need to answer that right now.''

It's not just that the Nuggets' had a dysfunctional season that saw them lose eight of nine after clinching their first divisional title in 18 years. Or all the injuries, that began in the season opener, when forward Nene was lost for the year with a torn knee ligament.

Or Julius Hodge getting shot in a drive-by. Or Marcus Camby losing out on an All-Star bid because of a broken hand. Or Kenyon Martin getting suspended for insubordination in the playoffs. Or Carmelo Anthony's inability to find the basket in the postseason after a breakout season in which he averaged 26.5 points and became the best clutch shooter in the NBA.

''It's been a tough year, but you have to throw cancer in there, too,'' said Karl, who underwent treatment for prostate cancer before the season.

''And cancer with my son.''

Karl revealed that Coby, a guard at Boise State, was undergoing a new round of radiation for thyroid cancer Tuesday.

''I found out yesterday he was going to have a treatment that he's going to take this week. So, end of the week, next Monday, everything's great and we're having a good time,'' Karl said, choking back tears. ''It's waiting to find out. There's a possibility of finding out he's got some more cancer.''
Composing himself, Karl said he was thinking positive.

''He'll be stronger for what's going on. He'll be a better player for what's going on. He'll be a better person for what's going on. But this is the period of crisis. This is the period of nervousness.''

Maybe Karl's misgivings about his coaching future are clouded in the crisis at hand, because at one point in his half-hour chat with a few beat reporters and a columnist he suggested, ''I think you're reading a little too much into my emotion right now. I don't think I'm a quitter. I think I'm a winner and there's a desire in my winning to be a champion someday. That's why I'm here. There's a lot of emotion in my life right now. It'll probably play out.''

What does general manager Kiki Vandeweghe make of Karl's doubts about his future in coaching?

''It's a tough day today. That's what I make of it,'' Vandeweghe said. ''Competitors take losing hard.''

And he said his son's health ''is a factor in his thought process, as it should be.''

Vandeweghe's own future with the franchise is up in the air. His contract expires Aug. 1 and owner Stan Kroenke has shown no signs that an extension is forthcoming.

Several players have expiring contracts, but the biggest question is whether K-Mart has stamped his ticket out of town.

Karl said he's open to repairing his relationship but their differences teeter on irreconcilable. Martin wasn't at the season-ending meeting Tuesday and Karl said he doesn't want to talk to him for a couple of weeks until things cool off.

''I want Kenyon Martin healthy for him and maybe for the Denver Nuggets,'' Karl said. ''It's got to be a mutual agreement.''

Martin had an ugly blowup with Karl and several teammates at halftime of Game 2 in Los Angeles. Limited to a career-low 56 games by his surgically repaired left knee, Martin was upset about coming off the bench and playing limited minutes in the playoffs, saying he's no role player.

''Kenyon's had an incredibly frustrating year and I respect what he's gone through,'' Karl said. ''But I also respect the game and I think they came in conflict and his actions (forced) me to make the decision. But I think Kenyon wants to be the player he once was and I think his injury probably negated that this year and my wish right now is for him to get healthy, mentally and physically healthy.

''And then we can figure out where he fits -- if he wants to be with us and if we want him with us.''

The Nuggets failed to make it out of the first round for the third straight season, leading Anthony and Camby to suggest some of their teammates quit on them.

''My recommendation to everybody right now is not to blame anybody,'' Karl said. ''It's a tough time. It's a frustrating time. But I think time will show the Clippers are a damn good basketball team and we were probably too short-handed to beat them.''

[Drbio]

KMart can suck it.

[MavKikiNYC]

Vandeweghe era appears on brink of being erased
By Mark Kiszla


Los Angeles - The Nuggets exited the playoffs with a shrug rather than a fight. What can you do? This is a broken team that has lost its way, its commitment and its sense of harmony.

Will general manager Kiki Vandeweghe get a chance to fix what's wrong?

"I don't know," Vandeweghe said Monday night, when Denver was eliminated from the NBA playoffs with a 101-83 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. "I'm not going to worry about it now. When am I going to start worrying about it? Maybe tomorrow."

Vandeweghe's contract expires Aug. 1. He professes love for the Nuggets. Franchise owner Stan Kroenke, however, refused to discuss the uncertain future of his general manager.

The mess on the court is a reflection of backstabbing among the team's disjointed leadership, with ugly infighting that has left Vandeweghe's reputation bloodied.

The rap sheet against Kiki, being leaked by his detractors, hints why Vandeweghe's days with the Nuggets are numbered.

Although beloved by Denver players, Vandeweghe is viewed as lax whenever discipline is required, allowing Carmelo Anthony to pout during his rookie year and letting forward Kenyon Martin believe practice was an unnecessary evil.

Vandeweghe was too wishy-washy expressing displeasure with former coach Jeff Bzdelik, delaying his inevitable dismissal to the point where a messy situation left everyone feeling dirty.

The selection of draft bust Nikoloz Tskitishvili in 2002 demonstrated the weakness of Vandeweghe's scouting department, which has never produced a contributing player from any pick outside of a lottery choice.

It seems painfully apparent Kroenke now trusts the basketball judgment of confidant Bret Bearup more than that of Vandeweghe.

The problem? Bearup, a financial adviser in private business, cannot be found on the team's organizational chart, yet was in the room when the decision to suspend Martin from the playoffs was made.

What happens when somebody not on the payroll has a significant say in personnel decisions?

"There's no accountability," Vandeweghe said.

What's next for your local NBA franchise? Extreme makeover: Nuggets edition.

Coach George Karl and Martin have lost that lovin' feeling. But what's harder to trade than a player with a bad contract, bad knee and bad attitude?

Andre Miller is the ultimate warrior, but is he's not the man to push the pace in Denver.

So long as the team's most effective shooting guard is 5-feet-5, the team's time in the playoffs will always be short.

How much money are the Nuggets willing to gamble on the unfulfilled potential of Nene?

"It was obvious guys didn't want to be here," center Marcus Camby said. "Guys are pouting and frustrated with one another. Arguing with Coach. And all that stuff is not necessary. We need to bring guys in who want to be committed to winning and playing and doing things the right way."

Before Denver can make any of these tough choices, however, Kroenke must decide who's in charge.

A sign of the times: Kroenke no longer sat alongside Vandeweghe on the baseline at the Pepsi Center during home playoff games. The owner hid out in his private box, with Bearup's ear a whisper away.

If Vandeweghe departs, don't count on Kroenke to spend big money on a new GM. It seems far more likely to be management by committee, with Karl's voice the loudest at the table.

King George and his court.

Someday, we will look back at this and it will all seem funny.
"If you believe in basketball karma," Vandeweghe said, "and you believe you've done things the right way, then you have to believe good things will happen."

But nothing good is happening here for Vandeweghe.

The Nuggets could've been a contender. Nevertheless, it's time to stop pretending that Kroenke and Vandeweghe can work together. Their differences seem irreconcilable.

"Kiki brought me here," Anthony said. "I'd hate to see him leave."

From Chauncey Billups, who grew up to be MVP of the NBA Finals, to Mike D'Antoni, who somehow got smart enough to be named the league's coach of the year, the Nuggets have demonstrated a nasty habit of running winners out of town.

It's about to happen again.

[MavKikiNYC]

Nuggets part ways with GM Vandeweghe

Associated Press
DENVER - Kiki Vandeweghe won't be the one fixing the Denver Nuggets this summer. Team owner Stan Kroenke said Friday that he's not going to extend his general manager's contract.

Vandeweghe reshaped the Nuggets and returned them to respectability after taking over as GM on Aug. 9, 2001, but speculation about his future ran rampant all season as Kroenke stayed silent regarding an extension.

Thed 47-year-old Vandeweghe met with Kroenke on Friday, four days after the Nuggets bowed out of the playoffs in the first round for the third straight season.

"After meeting with Kiki today, we agreed his contract will not be extended. We appreciate the time he spent with the Nuggets and wish him good luck as he seeks out his next challenge," Kroenke said in a statement. "We remain focused on attaining our goal of establishing a team that consistently competes at the highest levels and will make every effort to achieve that goal."

Kroenke didn't say if he had anyone in mind to replace Vandeweghe.
Although there's no real urgency to get a personnel man in place because the Nuggets don't own a first-round selection in the June 28 draft, there are many issues confronting the club this offseason.
Star Carmelo Anthony is eligible for a contract extension of some $80 million and there's the question of what to do with fiery forward Kenyon Martin, who was suspended in the playoffs for insubordination.

Coach George Karl also issued a plea this week for more shooters after the Nuggets' dismal performance in the playoffs, although his wish list didn't stop there.

"How about four?" he said. "Can we get a big man who can make a shot? Can we get a true shooter on a 3-point line? Maybe a scorer and a shooter? A penetrator?"

Vandeweghe didn't answer a phone call from The Associated Press on Friday, but in a statement released by the team, he said: "I am truly grateful to Mr. Kroenke for the opportunity he gave me and for everything I have learned from this experience. I am excited about moving in a new direction."

Vandeweghe began his 13-year NBA playing career in Denver in 1980 after leading UCLA to the national championship game as a senior. Vandeweghe, a two-time All-Star, averaged 23.3 points in 293 games for the Nuggets.

Denver was expected to jump into the elite echelon of the Western Conference this season but injuries and inconsistencies did them in. Although the Nuggets won their first divisional title in 18 seasons, they were bounced from the playoffs in five games by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Afterward, Vandeweghe said he would go to work as usual even though his contract was set to expire Aug. 1 and there were no signs Kroenke wanted him to stick around.

"The first thing is to get over this loss and get our team healthy," he said Tuesday. "After that, I'm sure we'll sit down at some point to discuss my situation. That's all I can do."

Vandeweghe reshaped the Nuggets during his tenure, changing them from a perennial lottery team to one that won its first division title since 1988 despite injuries to forwards Nene and Martin and center Marcus Camby, among others.

He got Nene and Camby in a draft-day deal from the New York Knicks in 2002. But his best move came a year later, when he selected Anthony with the third pick in the 2003 draft, and the Nuggets improved their win total by 26 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

He acquired Martin in 2004 from the New Jersey Nets for three first-round draft picks, which he had stockpiled through a series of deals, and Karl came aboard midway through last season and led Denver to the playoffs again.

This season began with high expectations but Nene went down in the opener with a torn knee ligament that sidelined him all season, and the team never found a rhythm on the court or chemistry in the locker room.

Vandeweghe was the first to pay the price.

[dude1394]

That martin is a career killer. Didn't the Coach at NJ get fired as well?

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally Posted by dude1394

That martin is a career killer. Didn't the Coach at NJ get fired as well?

Byron Scott?

He did get canned, but it wasn't Martin who was spearheading it, rather it was Jason Kidd.

Pretty widely circulated that Scott deserved the boot. Reported that he left all the strategy and practices in the hands of his assistants (primarily Wizzards coach Eddie Jordan), and was extremely hands-off--that is, until game time. Then he was often clueless, and inflexibly stubborn.

Amazing that Vandeweghe gets his team to the playoffs and gets fired. Thomas leads NYKs to an historically bad record and gets a vote of confidence from Dolan. Amazing.

The other Kiki will work again, and soon.

[Five-ofan]

Scott did not deserved to be fired. No one that leads their team to back to back finals appearances deserves to be fired. As for leaving game planning up to his assistants, larry bird did the exact same thing and won COTY for it. I would imagine that Avery Johnson does a large amount of that himself. As for Kiki, people forget how bad that team was when he got there. You are correct he will get another job.

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally Posted by Five-ofan

Scott did not deserved to be fired. No one that leads their team to back to back finals appearances deserves to be fired. As for leaving game planning up to his assistants, larry bird did the exact same thing and won COTY for it. I would imagine that Avery Johnson does a large amount of that himself. As for Kiki, people forget how bad that team was when he got there. You are correct he will get another job.

I disagree with you about Coach BS. He definitely DESERVED what he got.

He was a joke in New Jersey--mismanaged and alienated his personnel, from star to spare; didn't put in the hours, then hogged the credit when players, journalists and observers knew that Eddie Jordan was responsible for the success.

If you watched Scott during the games, you knew he was in way over his head; he didn't have a strategy other than to stick with what wasn't working. He has bounced back somewhat in New Orleans/Oklahoma, and rehabilitated his reputation, but if you're going on the Nets' two championship appearances, then you should give the credit to: 1) Jason Kidd, and 2) Eddie Jordan.

[Five-ofan]

Kidd yes. Players always deserve more credit than coaches but Jordan? DO you give Harris more credit than AJ? Because Harris does at least as much as Jordan did. Jordan was the offensive coordinator and for all of his alienating they still went as far as they possibly could have with the personel they had so i dont see how they could have been that mismanaged.