<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The No. 2 guard spot is still the Nuggets' revolving door position, but Greg Buckner is expected to get his second consecutive go-round tonight against Atlanta. Buckner, now in his seventh season, signed as a free-agent defensive specialist last season, had six points, seven rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes Saturday in a 101-99 victory over Miami in his first start of the season. But what most impressed coach George Karl was, and is, Buckner's professionalism. The two guard position is "by committee," Karl said after practice Monday. "Right now, I'm going with the guy that I think defensively and (otherwise) gives me the best professional focus." The Nuggets started the season with Voshon Lenard, who has since asked to be traded as his playing time has decreased. Karl has tried DerMarr Johnson. Now he's on to Buckner. And, Karl points out, he could go with point guard Earl Watson swinging over. "They each kind of give me a different advantage, and it's right now my choice to figure out which one I want to play," Karl said. Buckner will probably start tonight against the Atlanta Hawks at the Pepsi Center, Karl said, because the team has gotten off to a better start with him in the lineup. "It seems like we're more mentally into the game at the beginning, and his mental toughness is probably the reason he's in the league," Karl said. "Right now, I'm just hoping to get us playing in a good rhythm and starters don't mean that much to me. I'm just trying to get the game started in a good manner. I'm choosing mental toughness and professional toughness maybe over scoring or things like that. ... "If we keep passing the ball and keep moving the ball, I think our offense will come. We're very close to being a top seven or eight offensive team. We're just not shooting as well as we could." Buckner said he doesn't put much stock in who starts, either. "We all just want to win games," he said. "We've all played well at times; we've all played bad at times. Just because I'm starting doesn't make this team better or worse." </div> Source
