George Karl Sulks, Are the Refs Listening?

Over the years, I have acquired a great deal of respect for George Karl, the Denver Nuggets head coach. He has weathered adversity both on and off the court. Having to deal with cancer plus all the difficulties of playing Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson on the same team and hearing rumors that you are about to be fired is a load for anyone to handle.

Perhaps, George Karl can win my respect back.

I say win it back because he lost it with his staged dramatics at the end of Game 5 in Denver’s series with the Lakers.

I have given Karl a pass on numerous occasions when he has played the bleeding heart card after losses in the regular season as well as the playoffs. I simply attributed to his personality. Sure, some may consider it a personality defect, but then we all have those. So, no big deal.

But Wednesday night’s theatrics were positively uncalled for. To allude to anything that Phil Jckson had said about the officiating following Monday night’s Game 4 as the reason for the Nuggets losing Game 5 is ludicrous.

And to allow players to use that as an excuse with one of them saying, “the Lakers got their money’s worth,” (alluding to the $50,000 fine the NBA levied on Jackson) is downright negligent.

As the Nuggets head coach, Karl needs to let his players know that they lost that game not the referees. The Nuggets had a nine-point lead in the first quarter and let the Lakers tie them. They had a seven-point lead late in the third quarter and let the Lakers catch up once again with a 7-0 run.

Then they allowed the Lakers to continue the run in the fourth quarter – 11 more points without an answer. Altogether that’s an 18-0 run.

And who finally answered? Was it Carmelo Anthony? Chaucey Billups? J.R. Smith? Kenyon Martin? Nene? No, none of them. It was Linus Kleiza who tore off on a 7-0 run of his own that kept the Nuggets in the game.

In fact only two Nuggets players scored in the entire fourth quarter, Kleiza and Anthony. Meanwhile the Nuggets missed 16 field goal attempts in the quarter.

That is why the Nuggets lost. It was the Nuggets suddenly feeling inadequate when they had that late third quarter lead that cost them Game Five, not the officiating.

When they realized they were about to go from being swept in the first round last year by the Lakers to beating them in the conference finals this year. It suddenly, became too much for them to handle.

Quite a leap, wouldn’t you say? But the Nuggets shied away from taking it. That is what George Karl needed to address publically after Game Five.

Phil Jackson has no problem criticizing his players in front of a national audience. But, instead, Karl sulked about Jackson’s gamesmanship and then lamented the fact that gamesmanship has become a part of the NBA.

Wake up, Geoge, puh-lease? Phil Jackson and Pat Riley were the two kings of NBA gamesmanship way back in the 90’s. Where have you been, George? This is nothing new, especially for Jackson.

If Jackson thinks something will give his team any kind of an advantage, he takes it. That’s exactly what a coach is supposed to do, George.

Even though my readers know that I have been as critical of Phil Jackson as anyone, I will say this. Phil Jackson is not a hypocrit. He came right out and said what he felt he had to say.

But to lament the fact that gamesmanship has become a part of coaching in the NBA and to say you hate it, then to turn around and do it right there in your press conference is hypocritical, George.

And to go Phil Jackson one better by calling out one of his players – Pau Gasol – when you should be criticizing your own guys is disgusting.

So now that you have made Pau Gasol a marked man for tonight’s Game Six, beware, George, you may just get what you are wishing for.

Gasol may just get hit with three quick fouls and a technical and have to take a seat. That will keep Andrew Bynum in the game.

I’m sure Bynum is just itching to get back at his critics, like myself, with a big game. And you know the young man has one of those brewing inside of him just waiting to explode. You know, one those 28 and 18 games.

Beware, George, it may just explode it your face. Then you will really have something to sulk about.