Speaking with the Rocky Mountain News' Chris Tomasson (who continues his excellent coverage of the Nuggets so bloggers like me have something to opine on), Carmelo Anthony threw out the number 60 for the second year in a row. As in, that's how many games Melo thinks the Nuggets might win again next season.Last year, it wasn't just Melo but several Nuggets - including head coach George Karl - who threw out the 60 number and got ignorant fans like me all excited...and then viciously disappointed. So pardon me for tempering my optimism this season, but I'll be shocked if the Nuggets come within five wins of 50 again.
On the one hand, I appreciate Melo's confidence. As well as the newly displayed confidence of Karl, Nene, Kenyon Martin and others. But all the Nuggets and their coach have done for the past three or four seasons is talk, talk, talk. It's time for them to keep their mouths shut and try surprising us for once, rather than serving up false hope they aren't competent enough to deliver on.
To Karl's credit, he's being a bit more candid about his situation this season (but let's be frank, he's playing with the house's money at this point in his career). In his Friday interview with Tomasson, Karl admitted to being left out of personnel decisions lately, referred to Bobby Jones and Taurean Green as "nothing" (I love that line) and is self aware about possibly being pinned as the Nuggets fall guy this season when - err, should (trying to be positive, its only September!) - they fail to get past the first round of the playoffs again. And for those of you who have followed this blog from Day One know, I won't let the Kroenke Cronies make Karl the only fall guy when - err, if - we finish with another season of playoff ineptitude. When - err, if - Karl gets the axe at season's end, then Mark Warkentien and Rex Chapman should get the axe with him.
That being said, Karl is being paid $3 million this season and next, whether he's in Denver or not, to figure out how to make this team win. And win now. So while I appreciate some of Karl's newfound candidness, he could do without drinking the Melo Kool-Aid with quotes like (copied from Tomasson's interview):
"I love people [basketball pundits] saying that, 'They're awful. They're going to be bad.' I don't see us as bad. My belief is we have enough talent to be ultra successful."
Memo to Melo and Karl: we do have the talent to be ultra successful, so stop talking and start acting.