Westhead is sticking with his beliefs that he can devise an offense that can outgun and outrun every team in the league. He plans to keep telling his players to fire at will, critics be damned. He is a field general determined to push on against the odds. Times may be hard, but Westhead maintains he isn't discouraged. With so many players hurt, the Nuggets are having to hustle just to give teams a battle. In late December, Denver scored 101 points against Portland, 110 against Dallas, 128 against Sacramento and 114 at home against Miami.ĭenver's recent struggles show that in the NBA, the players are more important than the system. Lately, the Nuggets have had to work hard just to get past 100 points. but it isn't the wild offense that was in place at the start of the season. Denver still leads the league in scoring. Now that the injuries have set in, the Nuggets aren't any better than the expansion teams.īut rest assured the Nuggets' problems have not led to a cease-fire. That is especially true since Jackson's minutes have been limited. Although the Nuggets put him on the injured list this season when he had adverse reactions to medication, Bickerstaff insists the illness hasn't caused other problems.Įven when they were at full strength, the Nuggets had a collection of mostly non-descript performers. Jackson, 20, suffers from Tourette's syndrome, a disorder that causes involuntary movements and speech. "The bottom line is, 'Let's stop bitching and work and play basketball.' " But in the interim, some people are filling his head with garbage that he's the greatest player on earth. "We understand that he's going to have some problems, like every rookie. The decision was made to go pro, so that means you are a man. He told reporters: "Chris Jackson is in the big leagues now. Less than two weeks ago, general manager Bernie Bickerstaff lashed out at Jackson. But the Nuggets maintain Jackson will carve out his niche and are eager for him to progress. Possible mismatches such as those, and Jackson's inability to excel at point guard have limited his playing time. Opposing shooting guards, such as Michael Jordan, 6-6, and Clyde Drexler, 6-7, would relish the chance to post up against Jackson. Jackson would face long odds at the off-guard spot, because no player his size has ever excelled at the position. He must play point guard because of his size, but seems to lack the natural instincts for that position. Jackson, averaging 14.2 points and 21 minutes, is a crowd favorite, but he is a liability, too. Westhead wasn't hired until September, long after the Nuggets had spent the third pick in the draft to take guard Chris Jackson, 6 feet 1, of LSU. The points that were so easy to come by in exhibition games are more difficult to register. Lichti, a shooting guard, is out with a sprained ankle. He will be out for two months with a detached retina. Woolridge, a muscular forward and the club's top gun, was averaging nearly 30 points and having the best season of his career. It will take time, Westhead tells them again and again.ĭenver, which was scoring 140, 150 points per game during the preseason, is troubled by the injuries. They don't fully understand what Westhead wants. The Nuggets' cannons are more like pop guns. At least for now, Westhead's creation has short-circuited.
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