(Denver-CO) The Denver Nuggets have got their man, errr, bird. Chris Andersen has signed a five-year deal, that is back-loaded to give the Nuggets financial flexibility in the years to come, to stay in Denver through the 2014 season when Andersen will turn 36. The 2009-10 compensation for the Bird will be $3.65 million which is a tremendous, and well deserved, raise from last year's salary of just under a million dollars, and the final year of this new contract is being rumored to be worth as much as $8 million.

For the Nuggets, resigning the Bird was the number one priority of the season. And, luckily for the franchise, I think Denver the Bird was never thinking about going anywhere else. He's always loved Denver, Denver loves him, and the love affair is just starting to grow now with the security, for both parties, in place.

But what's so much more beneath the surface of dollars and cents is what Chris Andersen means to this ball club. The Birdman is a game-changer. His defense in particular with all the blocked shots and rebounding ability, but Andersen is an even rarer breed. He can change a game and it's not too often that a player, specifically a bench player, is capable of doing that. One big play from Birdman can revitalize a home crowd, silence an opposition's arena, or make a team reluctant to attack the rim knowing that he is swooping from every angle.

Kudos to Nugget brass for spending sound money on the Bird.

Go Nuggets!

Comments (1)

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Add Comment