Melo & J.R. Practicing Hard & Waiting J.R. is now sprung from David Stern's massive 10 game suspension and plays Wednesday night against the Spurs. Melo plays Monday Jan. 22 against the Grizzlies. The two great players have been taking as much advantage as possible from a bad situation, getting alot of practice time. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"><u>Melo, Smith Staying Close Suspended Nuggets Maintain Intensity, Rapport in Workouts</u> By Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News January 7, 2007 Bent low in a defensive stance, Carmelo Anthony crowded J.R. Smith near the three-point line. Smith, trying to create space for himself, countered by swinging his arms across his body in a clockwise motion, inadvertently striking Anthony on the left temple. With physical workouts like this, who needs boxing lessons? Smith was apologetic as his best friend took a standing 8-count, and Anthony returned to the court within a few minutes during a recent practice session that has become commonplace the past three weeks. This workout took place in a high school gym in Los Angeles, but the locations are irrelevant. The primary objectives for Anthony and Smith are always the same: sharpen their skills and maintain their conditioning while serving respective 15- and 10-game suspensions for their roles in Denver's Dec. 16 fight with the New York Knicks. "They've come every single day with the same type of intensity, the same type of energy," said Nuggets assistant Jamahl Mosley, an active participant in the workouts. "They challenge each other, they push each other to go and work. In spite of the situation, they're still staying active and motivating each other. It's impressive." Since his arrival in a July 20 trade with the Chicago Bulls, Smith has become a fast friend with Anthony, and their relationship has been strengthened through adversity. They often spend 2 to 3 hours working out together on game days, and they watch the games together on TV in accordance with the NBA's rule banning suspended players from the arena within 2 hours of tip-off. "I think game days is harder than anything," Anthony said. "I come in here in good spirits during shootaround, and then after shootaround, it's like, 'What am I going to do now? What's next?' I'll be glad when it's over." Anthony, 22, likens his suspension to a jail sentence - "I'm doing a bit. No early release." - and he and Smith, 21, track their time by crossing out each day on a calendar. Tonight's game against the Milwaukee Bucks will mark the end of Smith's suspension. He will return to the lineup Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs. Asked if it will be tough to be left behind, Anthony shakes his head. "No, because once I know he's back, I know my day's coming," said Anthony, whose return is scheduled for Jan. 22 against Memphis. "I think it's going to be more exciting than hard because he's getting out there on the court and pieces (are) going to start falling into place." Smith said he plans to continue the individual workouts with Anthony even after his suspension is lifted. "I'll still be there for him," Smith said. "I think I'm going to continue my routine throughout this whole season because I think it's making me a better player." Smith will get no argument from coach George Karl, who preached the importance of practice and daily improvement to his young shooting guard early in the season. The ability of Anthony and Smith to stay sharp was evident to Karl in a recent scrimmage. "They played the other day against our guys. They're fresh, they're rested and their bodies showed it," Karl said. "I don't think they've lost any edge." <font color=""Red"">The biggest benefit for Smith might be defensively. He has spent much of the past three weeks playing one-on-one against the NBA's leading scorer, while giving up 2 inches in the process. "When I come back, I'll be ready to guard Kobe (Bryant) and Tracy (McGrady) and those guys," Smith said, citing two players with 14 All-Star appearances between them. </font> </div> Source
I'll believe it when I see it. At least articles are now being written about JR Smith going to practice and improving on areas he's been lousy at, shooting and defense. The Nuggets are going to have plenty of scoring between Melo and AI. If JR Smith can evolve his role into a lockdown perimeter defender, the Nuggets are going to be tough to beat once chemistry is established. This roster is loaded with talent, it's just a matter of the players having time to mesh and define specific roles on the team. AND ABOVE ALL STAY HEALTHY!
