On Wednesday, the Broncos welcomed a Nugget to Dove Valley.
George Karl spent the day at team headquarters, sitting in on meetings, watching practice and getting to know Head Coach Josh McDaniels.
McDaniels reached out to the Denver Nuggets head coach, hoping to “pick his brain” about coaching at the professional level. After all, Karl’s first NBA coaching gig came when he was just about the same age as McDaniels.
“I’m a big fan of his and what he’s done in his career,” McDaniels said. “He’s had great success as a coach in the NBA and I’m a big NBA fan. Certainly (he’s) overcome a great deal of adversity personally with the things he’s had to deal with. It’s just a great privilege for our team to have him around us.”
Karl, who recently battled with neck and throat cancer, said he has spent time at other NFL facilities in Cleveland and Green Bay during previous coaching stints, but had never been to Dove Valley. He jumped at the opportunity.
“There’s a juice to starting the season that I’m getting into,” he said. “Sometimes just going to another place and learning and getting a feel and a sense for another sport that I played — but so long ago that I don’t remember — I think it’s just an energy.”
Karl and an assistant watched how the Broncos prepare for a game — which he compared to the way the Nuggets get ready for a playoff game since there’s a full week to install a plan.
McDaniels was happy to give the coaching veteran an inside look at the process.
“They’re just paying attention to some of the things that we do to try to get our team ready to go,” McDaniels said. “It’s kind of a full circle because I’m going to pick their brains and see if there’s anything that we can do better that they know.”
The experience got Karl thinking about which Nuggets would make good NFL players. His first thought? Nene as a 6-foot-11, 250-pound tight end.
“Quickness-wise, Ty Lawson is probably a guy I think could be a defensive back,” he added.
With the start of the NBA season a little more than a month away, Karl hopes to return the favor, inviting McDaniels out to watch him coach the Nuggets.
“Hopefully Josh and I will spend some time together and develop a relationship,” he said. “If we can be friends with one another, hopefully they have a great year then he can come see us play great basketball.”
-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com
Check out DenverNuggets.com’s coverage of the visit here.
Below are photos from Wednesday’s practice.
This just makes me laugh, by Mike Chambers:
Maroney recovering. Newly acquired running back Laurence Maroney, who was obtained from the New England Patriots on Tuesday, did not practice Wednesday because of a thigh injury.
It was rumored that Maroney’s trade wasn’t finalized, but McDaniels said he didn’t practice because the former first-round draft pick from the University of Minnesota isn’t healthy.
“He just has a thigh (injury),” McDaniels said. “When he’s ready to roll we’ll put him out there and get him going.”
That last sentence has been the season in a nutshell so far, he is not healthy yet, we are not going to rush it, when he is good and ready blah, blah, blah… and yet he bring new players just like this so he can say that again !!!!
I rather laugh than cry, LOL.
LOL Baylin, what you just said is a big source of my frustration. I used to play running back and I have a bad knee. Can I get a contract?
It really is getting riduculous. We are going to be called the lame (injuries) Broncos soon if the whole injury thing keeps getting worse.
I read on the Denver post on one of the question/answer articles that Doom is suppossed to be coming back in 2010? HUH…. Did I miss something?
Doom was placed on IR, it is an irreversible situation, he cannot play this season or post season whether anyone wants him to or not. Obviously false information or just typo, 2011 season is when he’ll be back.
Here are some interesting quotes from an article in the DP today about how appearently the Broncos think if they don’t get 3 or 4 yards on first down then they are forced into “pure passing situations” on third down and that is why they can’t convert??
“You always hear third down being talked about as such a critical down, but if you’re having issues on third down, you can trace a lot of those to first down,” Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton said. “I’ve always been from the school you have to win first down more than you have to win third down.”
(Huh, and I thought you had to try and win all three downs??? Ortons world would cave in if we ever have to go for it on 4th and 10… I didn’t know if you got 5 yards on first down that you win??? what? sheesh!)
“If you put yourself in a good position with a good first-down play, the defense can’t really predict what’s coming because you can still do so many things,” Broncos running back Correll Buckhalter said.
(It’s not what you did on 1st down that makes the play predictable, duh, it’s the guy calling the plays! There’s no rule that says you HAVE to pass on 2nd or 3rd and 10.)
“They’re certainly not pinning their ears back and coming after you if you’re in good shape,” Orton said. “They have to play everything because you can still run everything. It keeps you out of that pure passing situation where they just try to get after you, just attacking.”
(uuh, their pinning their ears back and attacking you because they know your coach wont call a running play on 3rd-10 and you can’t make a pressure pass.)
“It’s tough to take a shot on second-and-10, and then you’re sitting there third-and-10 and you’ve almost wasted a series.
(Like admitting that you give up and the drive is dead because you took a shot on 2-10 and missed. Oh third and ten is soo horrible??)
“At second-and-4 you can take a shot for a big play and still come back and run a play to get the first down if it doesn’t work out.”
(oh yeah, I guess you can’t take a shot down field on 3rd and 4?? what a joke..)
These quotes from Orton and Bucky give a clear view into the window of McDaniels Game Phlisophy and points directly at the reason why his game plans are soo predictable!!!
Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who will play against the Broncos this weekend in Denver, said “a quality first-down play is nice to have, but not a requirement for success.”
Thank God Hasselbeck was there to say something intelligent about 1st downs…
That is what I though BAylin, but I saw it with my own two eyes. Someone was asking about the organization and if they have insurance for big $ players when they get injured, so the organization doesn’t have to take a big hit financially when the player cannot play. Not sure but I think it was Klis that said the Broncos expect Doom back in 2010. My understanding of IR is just how you stated it, so I was completely confused.
Typo. You can’t believe everything you read.
Like RB Brown, they brought him here knowing he had a turf toe injury, he passed his physical, took a spot on the roster, less than two weeks later they release him without an explanation, nothing. Either they don’t know how to give a physical or they ignore the physical and hope for the best???? Musical chairs in the world of the damaged, LOL.
OC, I can see what Orton and Bucky mean, I mean it’s pretty clear that if you get a big first down, the rest becomes easier, but the way they layed it out sounds kind of defeatist, if you don’t have a good first down, you’re screwed, which could be nothing further from the truth, you deal with what you got, that whole yacking about that was kind of negativity, and if not at least pointless. Just my opinion.
Yup, the injury plague and the decisions that our coaching staff is making is getting frustrating. Hopefully, they all know something that we don’t because it is not looking too pretty right now.
All that means to me is that we are playing scared, Orton, Bucky, McD all are afraid to take chances, which is exactly why I said earlier something like a 1-5 record after 6 games might be a good thing as it might signal a time of liberation for McD. I mean if you are stinking up the joint with your conservative play calling and you get into a huge hole, you stand to lose nothing to open it up, you already stink, right?
Okay, the gameplan in a McNutshell…
1st down = run the ball, try and get 4 yards and “win”
2nd down A. if you “won” 1st down = take a shot down field.
2nd down B. if you “lost” 1st down = run the ball to try and get 4 yards.
3rd down A. If you “won” 2nd down = run ball up middle for final 2 yards
3rd down B. If you “lost” 2nd down = Pure passing situation = 3 and out
are you sayin that I was “yacking and pointless”?
Sssshhhhhhh… not so loud , you are telling the Seahawks our game plan, LOL.
Man, I said Orton and Bucky’s yacking was pointless negativity, not you you, duffus, LOL.
oh..cool! I almost got my feelers hurt….haha
Remember, I’m on your side, and anyhow I argue for fun, I never argue for spite, that would of been mean.
Do you know how bad Eddie Royal is injured?
Thats a secret OC. We aren’t allowed to know that info. LOL
Guess the new blog answered the question OC.
I know a seeecret! I know a Seeecret! Siiiiiike!!!!!