(Denver-CO) It’s been exactly 30 days since I last posted anything of any significance pertaining to the Denver Nuggets. The reason for my hiatus was partially because of the emotional let down of the Nuggets having their chances to potentially defeat the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers in the conference Finals and partially because after 98 games of nearly continuous coverage I just needed to step away from all things Nuggets basketball. But after having some time for the emotions to level out and for the wounds of disappointment to heal I’m ready to get back down to the usual business of analyzing, condemning, applauding, affirming, second-guessing, and over scrutinizing everything that concerns professional pebbled round ball in the Mile High City.
The first series of posts I will be publishing are 2008-09 Player Report Cards. These report cards will be in alphabetical order by first name. Today’s offering is back up point guard Anthony Carter.
Anthony Carter’s contributions last season can best summed up with one word: Unsung. After starting a career-high 67 games in the 2007-08 season while putting up career-high numbers in points, assists, and minutes per game played. AC went back to the bench in 2008-09 for 73 of his 78 appearances. And while some might think that was step back for the ten-year veteran, I’m going to go out on a limb right now and say that although all his numbers dipped in 08-09 from the season prior it was this past season which was Carter’s finest to date.
The reason for Carter’s return to the bench was the Denver Nuggets being able to land Chauncey Billups after a trade with the Detroit Pistons sent Allen Iverson packing just a handful of games into the season. Nevertheless, Carter was a steady offensive facilitator, pesky defender, and great teammate in every minute he played. Additionally, not many people know that Anthony Carter was the NBA’s second highest assist man for point guards who primarily came off the bench last season. Carter handed out an average of 4.6 assists this season in 73 games off of George Karl’s bench which was second best to only Earl Watson of Oklahoma City who averaged 5.6 dimes per game of the bench, respectively.
But what’s so much more telling about Carter’s contribution than his averages of 5.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds this season was they way he was able to get the Nuggets playing fluid team basketball. When Carter would enter a game, more often than not, the basketball would turn into a hot potato and the Nuggets would get easy baskets off of the extra pass that usually started with AC. You see, basketball is a funny sport. We always talk about how this or that guy can do so much individually, but we rarely spend the same amount of time appreciating players whose play does so much more for everyone else. And while Anthony Carter will never make an All-Star team or sell a sneaker, he’s one of the players in this league that plays to make the extra pass, dives on the floor for loose balls, and takes charges because it was included in the job description.
Carter’s season highlights included a 20-point scoring performance in an early season loss to the Lakers, six games of double-digit assists, and eleven games with three or more steals.
But the future for Anthony Carter in Denver looks bleak to say the least. Carter is an unrestricted free agent this summer on a team with more pressing personnel to secure money for and the Nuggets already traded the Minnesota Timberwolves a future first round draft pick for rookie point guard Ty Lawson from the University of North Carolina.
Could the writing already be on the wall?
If so, and Anthony Carter did play his last game for the Nuggets in 2009 let me be the first to stand up and applaud his efforts while in Denver with a B- for last season’s campaign. Anthony Carter definitely had a great season backing up Chauncey Billups and at a mere $797,581 in salary was worth every penny.
Go Nuggets!
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