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Jazz-Nuggets Preview

Oct 27, 2010 - 12:01 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Utah (0-0) at Denver (0-0), 9:00 p.m. EDT

This could be Carmelo Anthony's final season opener with the Denver Nuggets. If it is, he couldn't be happier it's coming against the Utah Jazz.

While Anthony's decision not to sign an extension with Denver may not make him the most popular person at the Pepsi Center on Wednesday night, he'll try to make sure coach George Karl's return to the bench is a successful one when the Nuggets host the Jazz.

Denver failed to get Anthony to sign a $65 million extension that's been on the table since June, so the team began looking for potential trade suitors for the third overall pick in 2003.

The Nuggets were close to sending him to New Jersey last month, but that deal fell through when Denver's new front office wanted a better package in return. The New York Knicks are considered the current frontrunners.

For now, Anthony said he's not distracted by all the trade talks and is looking forward to taking on the Jazz. Both teams finished 55-27 last season and tied atop the Northwest Division, and while the Nuggets won the division via tiebreaker, the Jazz won the first-round playoff series in six games.

This is the second straight year the teams have opened the season against each other. Anthony scored 30 points last October when the Nuggets won 114-105 at the Pepsi Center.

"I think the NBA was reading my mind. They granted my wish," Anthony said. "I wanted Utah the first game. I know there's going to be a lot of excitement. They got us out in the playoffs last year. We kept that in mind."

While Denver is likely to try and trade Anthony before he leaves as a free agent to get some compensation for him, Karl remains steadfast in trying to convince Anthony to stick around and pursue an eighth straight playoff berth.

"My job any time I talk to Melo or talk to his people is to try to convince him that we won (55) games last year and we're very capable of being a lot better than we were last year," Karl said.

While Anthony said he isn't sure about the reception he'll get from fans, Karl's return to the bench is likely to be an emotional one. He missed the last two months of last season after being diagnosed with throat and neck cancer - his second bout with cancer - just before coaching the West squad in the All-Star game.

The Nuggets were 42-21 under Karl, but 13-12 under assistant Adrian Dantley, who also coached them in the first-round series loss.

Karl said the only concession he expects to make is not flying with the team right on nights when the Nuggets play back-to-back home and away, which only occurs a couple of times.

"I've been scared now a couple of times. And I think my love for the game of basketball, I'd go crazy if I didn't do it," Karl said. "If the doctors, said, 'Hey, man, I think you should stop.' I would. But right now that hasn't even come up."

Besides the Anthony drama, Karl has other personnel problems to worry about. Kenyon Martin and Chris "Birdman" Andersen are recovering from offseason knee surgeries and are expected to be sidelined until January.

One of the few additions the Nuggets made during the offseason was Al Harrington, who is expected to provide the inside presence the Nuggets need with Martin and Anderson out. The 30-year-old averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds with the Knicks last season.

The Jazz experienced what it's like to lose a key member of a franchise after Carlos Boozer left via free agency this summer. The departures of Boozer and reserve Kyle Korver - both of whom signed with Chicago - as well as Wesley Matthews had guard Deron Williams voice his opinion that the front office wasn't doing enough to put together a competitive team.

However, Utah's offseason moves would eventually satisfy Williams. While Boozer's 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game will be missed, the Jazz traded for Al Jefferson, who finished with 17.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in 2009-10.

Utah also signed free agent Raja Bell, who was limited to six games last season after undergoing wrist surgery to repair a torn ligament, and Earl Watson for backcourt depth.

"The moves they made this year I think made our team better after we lost some guys," Williams said.

Jefferson will have the difficult task of replacing Boozer. He spent the last three seasons with Minnesota and failed to average a double-double last season for the first time in four years.

"I like to be in the paint. That's where we get nasty," Jefferson said.

After playing for a team that won a combined 61 games the last three seasons, Jefferson joins one that was swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Jazz also have injury issues to start the season. Mehmet Okur remains sidelined after tearing his Achilles' tendon during the playoffs against Denver.

Denver won three of four games between the teams in the 2009-10 regular season.