What a gutsy win for the Heat 101-100 over the Mavericks last night for a 3-2 lead in the Finals…I know there will be a lot of hand wringing over the timeout that Josh Howard called (twice apparently) and over the foul call on Wade with 1.9 seconds left (I didn’t see it but the picture above shows Dirk is holding him) and over the backcourt violation as he came up the floor (not sure either), but at the end of the day, the Mavs did not do enough to win…look this game was there for the taking for the Mavs…look:

a) The Mavs were not aggressive…especially in the second half….it took 9+ minutes of the third quarter to finally draw a foul on the Heat and they still didn't attempt a single free throw in the period…the Heat shot nothing from the free throw line (32-49, including 2-12 for Shaq) even though they had the free throw advantage, the Mavs were not aggressive to the basket and did not get the same number of free throws…which is a shame because they shot a very high percentage (21-25)…

b) To that end, the Mavs lack of aggressiveness was reflected in Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki shooting 0-for-7 from behind the arc in Game 5….instead of going to the basket…

c) The Mavs single covered Wade for much of the game and as a result he drove the lane on everybody getting to the line often (duh!) and shooting 21-25 from the line, and only turning it over 3 times in 50 minutes…why not double him…make James Posey and Gary Payton beat you for God’s sake…the worst was in the last 3 minutes of Regulation where He basically abused Adrian Griffin for 3 straight jumpers and then the game-tying off-balance layup…Hey coach Johnson…this just in, Adrian Griffin sucks and he cannot guard Dwyane Wade…

d) Why is Marquis Daniels not guarding Wade at the end…Griffin has been useless, as has Devin Harris…Daniels was the only guy doing anything to keep Wade in front of him…

e) The Mavericks into missed three of four free throws in overtime. Josh Howard's two missed free throws Sunday came with 54 seconds left and the Mavericks ahead 98-97 were especially egregious…

f) Speaking of Josh Howard, he had a good night overall with 23 points and 8 boards through three quarters but only two points and two boards thereafter…

g) Joey Crawford, the crew chief, speaking for the officials, said: "Josh Howard goes to Joe DeRosa and not only once, but twice asks for timeout. Forced to call it, simple as that."…no conspiracy here folks, just a dumb-ass move by Josh Howard…

So..the star was Dwyane Wade who in 50 minutes, he scored 43 points on 11-28 from the floor and 21-25 from the line, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals…Scored a playoff career-high while setting Finals' record for most free throws made in a game….and hit shot that sent game into OT, and hit the two free throws that won the game in extra session…by the way he's averaging 40.3 points in the past three games…however, the Heat bench was also fantastic outscoring Dallas’ bench 23-12 with Gary Payton leading the way with 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting, including a two-handed scoop shot high off the glass to put the Heat ahead 99-98 with 28.8 seconds left in OT. James Posey also came up big with 10 points and six boards in 44 minutes...for the Mavs, Jason Terry, was fantastic in 50 minutes, scoring 35 points on 13-23 from the field including 4-9 from three and 5-5 from the line, with 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal…if the Mavs win the series, I have to think that Terry will be Finals MVP…if the Heat win, well it’s obviously going to be D-Wade’s award…did you see this? Once the Mavericks left the floor at the end of the game, Mark Cuban ran onto the court to scream at Joe DeRosa, and then went to the scorer's table and stared/screamed at NBA commissioner David Stern and other league officials for 10 minutes. Cue the fine and maybe a ban from the arena…

After Dwyane Wade scored 43 points in Game 5, it marked his third straight NBA Finals going for 35 points or more. Here's the exclusive club he joins:
'06 Dwyane Wade MIA
'02 Shaquille O'Neal LAL
'01 Allen Iverson PHI
'00 Shaquille O'Neal LAL
'93 Michael Jordan CHI
'67 Rick Barry SF
'62 Elgin Baylor LAL

Trade Rumour: Pacers GM Larry Bird is willing to swap Jermaine O'Neal for a pick that would land Adam Morrison…The Nets are shopping SF Richard Jefferson with the premise being that he and Jason Kidd are not getting along…Grizzlies send PG Bobby Jackson and SF Hakim Warrick
to Utah for PF Carlos Boozer…

Couple of draft notes: All-Big East center Aaron Gray will skip the NBA draft and return to Pittsburgh for his senior season, a decision that could make the Panthers the conference favorite going into next season. Meanwhile, Carl Elliott has withdrawn from the draft and will return for his senior season at George Washington, and Mustafa Shakur will skip the draft and return for his senior season at Arizona. UCLA's Jordan Farmar is staying in the draft and will forgo his final two years of eligibility.

Remember Lenny Bias: Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Maryland All-American Len Bias to a cocaine overdose — two days after the Boston Celtics made him the second pick overall in the 1986 NBA draft. But Bias was hardly the lone soldier out of what has often been called the drug draft. Four of the top seven picks had drug-shortened careers. No. 3 pick Chris Washburn, No. 6 William Bedford and No. 7 Roy Tarpley were uncommonly talented big men who were suspended for drug usage and had shortened careers.

1) Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports on the combine results and who’s in/out of the draft:

Combine results: Best athletes

While the height and weight measurements from the NBA predraft camp are interesting and relevant, NBA GMs and scouts also spend a lot of time dissecting the results of the NBA physical combine. Last year Joey Graham (Raptors) rated as the top athlete in the draft, boosting his draft stock. Rashad McCants (Timberwolves) and Luther Head (Rockets) also finished in the top 10 and saw a nice little bump to their stock, too. Players are asked to bench press 185 pounds as many times as they can, test their vertical jump two ways (no step and maximum) and run several drills to measure speed and lateral quickness. For the fourth straight year Insider has obtained this confidential report from a league source. North Carolina's David Noel tested as the top athlete in the draft. He was followed by Arkansas' Ronnie Brewer, Louisiana Lafayette's Dwyane Mitchell, Michigan's Daniel Horton, Memphis' Rodney Carney, Villanova's Randy Foye, Louisville's Taquan Dean, Georgetown's Brandon Bowman, Maryland's Nik Caner-Medley and UNLV's Louis Amundson. St. Louis' Ian Vouyoukas, Denver's Yemi Nicholson, Bradley's Patrick O'Bryant, Oklahoma State's Frans Steyn and Texas' Brad Buckman tested as the worst athletes in the draft. UCLA's Jordan Farmar shocked everyone by recording the biggest maximum vertical with a whopping 42 inches. Five other players jumped 40 or more inches in the maximum vertical jump: Mitchell (41.5), Brewer (41), UConn's Rudy Gay (40.5), Washington's Brandon Roy (40.5) and Iowa State's Will Blalock (40). Nicholson (26) and UConn's Marcus Williams (28) had the two worst scores in the camp. Hartford's Kenny Adeleke and Gonzaga's J.P. Batista tested as the strongest athletes in the camp. They both bench pressed a 185-pound bar 26 times. Three other players got the bar up 20 or more times: Duke's Shelden Williams (25), Bowman (24) and Cincinnati's Eric Hicks (20). Memphis' Shawne Williams tested the worst with zero reps. In the lane agility testing, Horton had the best score, finishing the drill in 10.35 seconds. Foye and Dean tied for second at 10.53 seconds. Noel and Illinois' James Augustine (10.54) also tested very fast. Nicholson had the worst score (13.7 seconds). In the three-quarter-court sprints, Carney led the way in a blinding 3.06 seconds. Noel (3.07), George Washington's Danilo Pinnock (3.08) and Charlotte's Curtis Withers (3.1) also tested well. Nicholson came in last again (3.72). Here's a look at how the top players in the draft performed in every category:

COMBINE RESULTS
Player Rank No Max Bench Lane Sprint
Step Vert. Press agility
Vert.____________________________

Maurice Ager 37 29.5 35 11 11.73 3.22
LaMarcus Aldridge 68 26.5 34 8 12.02 3.43
Hilton Armstrong 67 28.5 31.5 13 12.28 3.53
Ronnie Brewer 2 35 41 19 11.32 3.14
Rodney Carney 5 32 38.5 10 10.57 3.06
Mardy Collins 33 31.5 37.5 9 12 3.27
Jordan Farmar 12 33.5 42 11 11.07 3.17
Randy Foye 6 32 38 14 10.53 3.23
Rudy Gay 26 33 40.5 9 11.03 3.32
Aaron Gray 75 26.5 30.5 17 12.63 3.71
Adam Morrison 59 25.5 30.5 11 11.46 3.37
Patrick O'Bryant 79 26.5 30 13 12.68 3.63
J.J. Redick 51 27.5 33 6 10.94 3.29
Brandon Roy 30 34 40.5 6 11.13 3.27
Saer Sene 72 28.5 31 7 12.52 3.38
Cedric Simmons 20 30.5 35 15 11.05 3.31
Tyrus Thomas 21 34 39.5 8 11.36 3.2
Marcus Williams 73 24.5 28 4 11.3 3.4
Shawne Williams 57 32 31 0 10.69 3.3
Shelden Williams 31 29 33.25 25 11.53 3.59

Analysis: The big winner here is obviously Brewer, who tested much better than expected in the vertical jump and strength categories. Combine that with his excellent measurements, and it looks like Brewer could move up in the draft. You don't find that combination of size, strength and athleticism in a guard very often. His so-so lane agility test was the only thing that hurt him, but given his size the score isn't bad. Farmar also should get a big boost from his combine results. No one -- and I mean no one -- expected him to top out the vertical jump testing. He also tested well in the strength department. His speed scores were a little on the average side for a point guard, but given the type of game that he plays, this was a win for Farmar. People have been saying Foye is a poor man's Dwyane Wade. How does the tale of the tape between the two compare athletically? Here's a look at Foye compared to Wade's 2003 testing:

TALE OF THE TAPE: WADE VS. FOYE

Height Weight Wingspan Standing reach Max/vert Bench Lane agility Sprint
Wade 6-5 212 6' 10¾" 8' 6" 35 9 10.56 3.08
Foye 6-3½ 212 6' 6¼" 8' 1" 38 14 10.53 3.23

Wade is considerably bigger when you add wingspan and standing reach to the equation. Foye jumps higher and is stronger. Both have similar lateral quickness, but where Wade really shines is in the sprint. That score would've been good for third place in this draft class. Gay, Thomas and Carney have been billed as the best athletes in the draft, and their scores certainly verified that. What was a little more surprising was Roy. He's been billed as an average athlete, but he tested better than expected -- especially his 40.5-inch vertical. As we reported earlier, Redick tested better than you'd think in just about every category except strength. He is by no means a great athlete, but he's not a bad one, either. Five top players really took a huge hit in the testing. Marcus Williams tested dead last among all guards in the draft. Guys like Gerry McNamara, Carl Krauser and even Mardy Collins tested better. When several GMs called him a below-average NBA athlete, they weren't kidding. Collins didn't fare so well himself. The lane agility score of 12 seconds is awful for a guy trying to play guard. O'Bryant also tested poorly for a guy who looks so athletic out there. He tested as the 18th-best center at his position. That's not good. His vertical jump, lane agility and sprint were all poor. That was a major surprise. Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge is athletic but he pales in comparison to LSU's Tyrus Thomas in almost every category. Aldridge ended up being ranked 28th out of 33 power forwards in the draft. Gonzaga's Adam Morrison also didn't do anything to dispel talk that he's not a great athlete. Only one true small forward, Marquette's Steve Novak, tested worse. The only thing that saved Morrison from sinking to last place was a good showing in the bench press. One note: A number of potential first-rounders were either not invited to the combine or were unable to attend, so we don't have their scores. They include Italy's Andrea Bargnani, Kentucky's Rajon Rondo, Villanova's Kyle Lowry, Michigan State's Shannon Brown, Switzerland's Thabo Sefolosha, Ukraine's Olexsiy Pecherov, Florida State's Alexander Johnson, Miami's Guillermo Diaz, Rutgers' Quincy Douby, Cincinnati's James White, UConn's Josh Boone, Colorado's Richard Roby and Texas' Daniel Gibson.

Who’s in/out?

The deadline for college underclassmen and international players under the age of 22 to withdraw from the draft was Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. Based on interviews and conversations with NBA agents and team personnel, here's a closer look at some prominent names who decided either to stay or withdraw from the draft.

IN

Renaldo Balkman, F, South Carolina: A strange decision for Balkman. While he played well at the Orlando predraft camp, he should've returned to South Carolina for another year and played the three. He's got great energy and athleticism, but he doesn't have the perimeter skills yet to make the transition to the NBA. Likely second-round pick.


Lior Eliyahu, F, Israel: A bit of a surprise. One of Eliyahu's agents, Marc Fleisher, told Insider that he had decided to remain in the draft. Not much more to say at this point. He's got a great chance to be drafted in the second round and a team may have committed to him there with an agreement to leave him overseas. With a couple of years of big-time European experience (Eliyahu is rumored to be on the way to Euroleague power Maccabi Tel Aviv), he could prove to be a steal in the second round.

Jordan Farmar, PG, UCLA: Farmar was torn right up untill the end. However, the fact that he's a virtual lock for the first round was the biggest factor. Depending on whom you talk to, Farmar is anywhere from the second-best to the fifth-best point guard in the draft. He could go as high as the Wizards at No. 18 and probably doesn't slip past the Lakers at No. 26. The Knicks, Nets, Cavs and Grizzlies also have interest in Farmar.

Joel Freeland, F, England: The kid was the star of the Reebok Eurocamp and could be a surprise late first-rounder based on the buzz he's received. At the very least, it looks like a team has guaranteed him a selection early in the second round.

Daniel Gibson, G, Texas: Gibson's decision to stay came as no surprise. He's been eyeing the draft all year. Gibson thought it was unlikely that he'd get to play the point much at Texas next season, and decided it was now or never. He's generated a fair amount of positive buzz from his workouts. A few teams, starting with the Suns at No. 27, could take a chance on him in Round 1. More likely, he's an early second-round pick.

Kyle Lowry, PG, Villanova: If Lowry had returned to school he might have been the top point guard in the draft next year. However, the feedback he's receiving from teams has him squarely in the mid-first round anyway -- somewhere between the Sixers at No. 13 and the Nets at No. 22. It's doubtful he slips past the Cavs at No. 25.

Olexsiy Pecherov, PF, Ukraine: Pecherov has been getting significant first-round buzz from teams. He could go as high as No. 14 to the Jazz and it's doubtful he slips below the Suns at No. 27. The Hornets, Bulls, Pacers, Wizards, Kings, Knicks, Cavs and Lakers all have interest.

Sergio Rodriguez, PG, Spain: The feedback he's been getting from workouts has been phenomenal. He didn't want to stay in the draft without a first-round promise that a team would draft him. Does the fact that he decided to stay in mean he got his guarantee? His agent, Herb Rudoy, wasn't saying: "Let's just say that we're very comfortable leaving him in the draft. Very comfortable."

Mouhamed Saer Sene, C, Senegal: Sene looked like a second-round prospect two months ago. But now the buzz has him ranked as the second-best or third-best center prospect in the draft, behind Patrick O'Bryant and Hilton Armstrong. He could go as high as No. 14, and it's doubtful he slips past the Suns at No. 21.

Darius Washington, PG, Memphis: Washington's father told me on Sunday that his son was staying in the draft. Washington Sr. said his son wasn't going to hire an agent at this time, which means he could retain his college eligibility if he were not drafted. Right now, Washington is a second-round pick, but a handful of teams are high on him.

OUT


Arron Afflalo, SG, UCLA: Great decision for Afflalo. He was a second-round pick, at best, this year. Another year at UCLA to work on his ballhandling and athleticism could help his stock.

Morris Almond, SG, Rice: Almond was very impressive in Orlando and put himself clearly on the NBA's radar screen for next year. If he can go and duplicate his performance at Rice last year, he's got a good shot of working his way into the first round. We'll be watching him closely next year.

Bobby Brown, PG, Cal State Fullerton: Brown's had some buzz all year, but questions about his ability to run the point combined with a so-so performance at Orlando kept him out of the first round. Another year at Fullerton focused on distributing instead of scoring would help his stock.

Rudy Fernandez, SG, Spain: Fernandez continues to play well in Spain. But NBA scouts continue to be concerned about his frail body. He's had some injury issues in Spain and teams see it being a bigger issue in the NBA. Fernandez needs to hit the weight room if he's going to move his stock back into the first round.

Aaron Gray, C, Pittsburgh: A good decision. The draft was weak for big men, but Gray wasn't generating a lot of buzz. Another strong year at Pitt should solidify his position in the first round.

Brad Newley, SG, Australia: Newley's so-so camp in Orlando didn't help his stock. He would've likely have been drafted in the second round. He's a legit NBA prospect, but he needs more time. Given his upside, another year overseas could help his stock.

Richard Roby, SG, Colorado: Roby also made the right call. Roby is a good prospect for next year. He's got a nice combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability. What he needs now is to have a big season and to be a leader on the floor. Questions about his personality hurt his stock more than anything else. But as a prospect, he has definite first-round potential with a great year at Colorado next season.

Mustafa Shakur, PG, Arizona: Shakur would've been happy with a promise in the second round, but given the volatility of the draft, he couldn't secure that before the deadline. He's going to have to improve his jump shot and his leadership skills his senior year to get back into favor with NBA scouts.

Tiago Splitter, PF/C, Spain: Splitter would've been a likely top fifteen pick in the draft. However, he was unable to secure the promise that he needed to stay in the draft. On talent, he's one of the two or three best centers in the draft. However, serious questions about his buyout have been scaring NBA teams away. It looks like he's a minimum of two years away from coming to the league.

Ali Traore, PF, France: Traore, like so many other prospects, couldn't get the first-round guarantee he was looking for. A big year in France next year could do it. He's got a great body, excellent size and length, and he really progressed from last year to this year. Another year under his belt in the French league could get him a late first-round nod in 2007.

2) Oh Boy, things are REALLY bad for K-Mart in Denver, from Thomas George of the Denver Post:

His floor - Martin says halftime tirade, suspension result of season-long friction

Kenyon Martin, the Nuggets forward, who has a $92.5 million contract and a surgically repaired left knee, says he could have stopped playing “halfway through the season. My doctors said I should have. Look where it ended up.” The third quarter was rolling. Kenyon Martin was stewing.
It was April 24, Game 2 of the Nuggets' playoff series against the Clippers in Los Angeles. The teams were playing, but Martin was in the locker room. He finally slogged to the bench and found a seat and placed a towel over his head. He was trying to hide a swollen face from tears shed.
He was hoping to hide his anger. His pain. A day later, he would be suspended, in all likelihood ending his career in Denver. For the first time publicly, Martin tells his story of what happened at halftime of that game and what led coach George Karl to suspend him for the rest of the series. Martin describes how that halftime fiasco, in his view, was not an isolated incident but the culmination of friction between himself and his coach and teammates. "George never told me I was not going to play," said Martin, who played 6 minutes, 55 seconds during the first half of that game. "I was shocked. He put me in the last of the first quarter. He put me in late in the second quarter. Both times for just small minutes. I'm sitting there thinking any minute I'm going back in the game. We were getting down further and further. I was (upset). "I went to the locker room at halftime. I had made up my mind. I couldn't take it anymore. I had had all I could take. Here this was happening in the biggest moment of the season. I told George he didn't have to play me. I went off. Maybe I handled the situation wrong. But look what led to that." What led to it, said Martin, was a season in which he practiced and played sporadically after undergoing micro-fracture surgery on his left knee in May 2005. A season in which he was treated as if he were faking pain to avoid practice, a season of discontent with Karl and some teammates. "The thing happened with George in the hallway," Martin said. "The coaches were in the hallway talking about the game. It was not an exchange. It was me talking and the coaches listening. I had my say to George. Then I went into the locker room and had my say with the players. Yes, it was full of cuss words both times. "Any teammate that does not understand that does not know how it feels to want to play and they don't play you. I could have shut it down halfway through the season. My doctors said I should have. I was trying to be competitive for the team and the season. Look where it ended up." Grgurich helps situation…Nuggets assistant coach Tim Grgurich played a vital role in saving face the rest of the night, for Martin and the franchise. It was Grgurich who convinced Martin to return to the bench. And though Martin didn't re-enter the game, at least his appearance on the bench avoided further embarrassment for the team. The Nuggets reported after the game, in what was an obvious lie, that Martin did not play in the second half because of a bruised left knee. Martin credits Grgurich with defusing a volatile situation. "Coach Grgurich stayed with me in the locker room," Martin said. "I understand team play. I am not a quitter by any means. He said: 'Don't do this to the team. Guys need you. Guys need you. And if you don't go out there, I'm not going, either. I'm going to stay right here with you.' I had taken off my jersey, tape, socks, shoes. This man picked them all up for me and gave them to me. It hurt real bad. I appreciated what he did. "As the second half started, I was in no shape to go back. I had to calm down. I was angry, hurt, frustrated. I did come back and sat on the bench with the towel over my head. I didn't want anyone to see the emotion. Of course, it was tough to hide. My mom knew." The Martin blowup was symbolic of a troubled organization with tension in the relationships, from the owner to the general manager to the coach to the players. The bottom line in the Martin- Karl drama is Karl was told by the team's medical staff Martin was cleared to practice and play from the season's start. Martin insists he was cleared to play for careful minutes early in the season in order to build strength but suffered severe pain in his knee early in the season. He said he reinjured his knee when he fell on it in practice in early February but throughout the season was treated as if he were faking pain. Bret Bearup, a confidant and adviser of Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke's, offered this about Martin and Karl: "You've got two people with two different views. Who is to say who is right and who is wrong? I think there is enough blame to go around." Martin at odds with Karl…One of Martin's teammates offered this harsh analysis of the Nuggets' highest-paid player: "Kenyon was not playing a lot but was in the locker room encouraging guys to 'get tough, get ready.' We were listening and thinking of a guy who was out partying last night, on his feet, but does not practice and play. There is the perception that Kenyon does not want to be a professional. Are you really hurt? Kenyon is obnoxious, ignorant, boisterous." Karl said at the start of the season that Martin was cleared to play, so he played him. "I tried to focus with Kenyon, and I talked to him many times," Karl said. "I am here to manage my basketball team and not his ego. Is that right or is that wrong? I tried to fit Kenyon in. The medical reports? That is something for the medical people to speak about. I let them tell me and I go with what they tell me. I knew that Kenyon was not 100 percent. I never expected that of him. I don't think I bashed Kenyon in the media. I tried to support him as much as any player I worked with." The Martin-Karl relationship seemed doomed from early last season when in a morning shootaround before an evening game, Martin sat. Karl asked him if he was going to work. Martin replied, "You can have me now, or you can have me later." Karl answered: "I'll have you now. We'll see about later." Their relationship appeared to go downhill from that day. Listen to their juxtaposing views about a Jan. 18 home victory over Cleveland during which Martin, in 37 minutes, scored 16 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Afterward, Karl complained to the media about his team's lack of rebounding. Martin: "I was a little perturbed about the situation. I felt I played (hard). I understand the coach being upset we did not close it (out) at the end like we should have. But for a coach to say that was not the thing to say. He might have said it to the press and he definitely said it in the locker room. He said guys weren't rebounding. He said to Marcus Camby, 'I can't wait 'til you get back, big fella.' "The next day was a day off. The following day we were at practice, a shootaround. George comes over. I told him, 'I don't want to talk to you, you know, I don't rebound the ball. I'm not going to say anything to you.' I get up and walk over to (then general manager) Kiki (Vande- weghe). George comes over to me again. I said: 'I don't want to talk to you. Go talk to Marcus. He's your rebounder."' Karl said: "When I talked to the media and the team after the game, it was to let them know that overall our rebounding had to improve. I understood Kenyon was upset about it and took it personally. I went to Kenyon a day or two later and tried to talk to him about it. It didn't work. He was in a mood about it. How I handled it was a mistake. I thought I was doing that in a jovial way. "I look at coaching, at my team, like a triangle. Kenyon is one player and there are 15 at the base of that triangle. I do not just manage Kenyon. I manage the whole basketball team. It's not about the best player. It's about the best team. We need to have a better basketball team. Players and coaches and all." An up-and-down season…Martin's season was a roller coaster of games played and games missed, with the reasons listed for him missing games most often being left knee tendinitis and left knee contusion. "My season began with micro- fracture surgery that happened three days after we lost to San Antonio in the playoffs," Martin said. "The surgery was serious. It's serious anytime they put a hole in your bone.
"I rehabbed for about six weeks. For training camp, they told me everything was fine. In early October, I started to have pain again. It was similar to the pain before the surgery. I told them, but as the season went on, it wasn't really acknowledged. They treated me like I was faking it. There were little things being said. I tried to be professional about it. I wasn't always professional about certain situations. As the season went on, we had come to the conclusion, especially Kiki, that I couldn't practice. Yet, it was still being said that I didn't practice." Martin and his agent, Brian Dyke, in November sought a second medical opinion on Martin's left knee. That revealed, both said, an opinion that Martin should sit out until after the all-star break in late February. But with center Nene injured and gone for the season, and Camby out for 24 of 28 games, from Dec. 15 through Jan. 25, with a right pinkie fracture, Martin said he played through pain to help the team. "I did not get to this point in my career by not practicing and working on my game," Martin said. "When I first got here as a Nugget, I was the first guy out there at practice. I was healthy then and felt good, and I worked on my game and got better." Before a home game against Portland on Feb. 4, Martin fell on his surgically repaired left knee in practice. He missed that game. He said it set him back for the rest of the regular season but he could have played more in the playoffs. "I'm a competitor," Martin said. "I wanted to play. I know my knee, how it feels. I was brought to Denver to play basketball. My knee did not allow me to do that. No one on that team should ever question how I work and the work I do." Asked about rumors of his clubbing, then not practicing, Martin said: "You ask the people I go out with. When I do go out, I have a table reserved when I go and find me a seat. I don't like people bothering me. I find a seat. Me being on my feet? It was not like I was always in the middle of the dance floor all night. I don't run the clubs, but when I did go it was just to blow off steam." He said he played not to justify his $92.5 million contract but to help the team. "I put pressure on myself," Martin said. "The money, I earned that. I put more pressure on myself than anybody and not because of the money. I am my biggest critic. I put all the pressure on myself." Of the perception Vande- weghe tried to nurture him, while Karl was not interested in that, Martin said: "Kiki did not nurture me. I'm a grown man. I didn't need nurturing." About Karl managing his ego, Martin said, "If he has to manage my ego, he has to manage his ego as well." And about his teammate who described him as obnoxious, ignorant and boisterous? "That is his own shortcomings," Martin said. "He's not a man. He's a coward." Martin: "I'm no angel" When Karl talks about "drama" engulfing the Nuggets this past season, Martin was in the thick of it. There was an incident in which Martin did not wear a proper sports coat, according to the NBA, and fumed about not being allowed to sit on the bench. There was a Christmas party he threw where only a handful of players showed up and Martin supposedly was upset. Martin said he threw the party for guys who did not have families in town and needed a place to go. More angst was created when two Nuggets fans said Martin sent a friend into the stands after one of them heckled Martin during a Feb. 8 home loss to Chicago, a charge the Nuggets denied. After the game, multiple witnesses said Martin cursed near fans. He later was fined $15,000 by the NBA. Martin's struggles with the Nuggets, his rambunctious play and attitude can be traced to his first season in Denver, 2004-05. The Nuggets worked a deal for him from New Jersey because they wanted to toughen their team. They wanted the "beast" that is Kenyon Martin, a Nuggets official said. It didn't take long for Martin to be noticed. "When Kenyon first came, it got off like this," said a teammate. "Nene has always bullied people. He does it with his elbows. He did it to Kenyon. Kenyon said, 'You do it again, it's me and you.' Nene did it again. Kenyon popped him in the eye. And the coaches loved it. They had never had that before. We needed that element. We weren't tough. Kenyon was a bullet. We went out and got Kenyon to get that. Kenyon is not going to let anyone bully his team." In the end, though, it appears what the Nuggets sought from Martin helped turn the team inside out. That is Karl's view.
"I heard that story," said Karl, who was not coaching the Nuggets then. "That might have been the beginning of the problem. A lot of everything that has happened might be rooted in that story." Karl has not talked to Martin since the blowup at halftime of Game 2 of the playoff series. It's believed the team is actively shopping for a trade. "I will not talk to Kenyon right away," Karl said in an interview the first week of June. "But we will talk before the draft (June 28). My belief is with emotion you make bad decisions. My dad taught me that. Right now, I am probably still too emotional about it. Kenyon probably is, too." Martin answered, "I have nothing to say to George." This is a player and a franchise that appear bound to split. "I'm no angel in this by any means," Martin said. "Maybe I could have handled it better. I can take responsibility for that. I can look in the mirror and say I messed up. My outburst in the playoffs. The rebounding thing, I could have handled it better, talked to him. I could have handled it better, but I didn't. "On and off the court there were a lot of things. I thought this organization was about winning basketball games and at the end of the day trying to win an NBA championship. Put basketball first. I didn't have to play at the beginning of the season, but I did for those reasons. I didn't want to be the bad guy in this. I made a situation worse, but I don't think you can fault someone for wanting to play in the playoffs or play the game they love." Martin spoke for this series after initially declining to be interviewed. He decided to give his views after his teammates and other members of the organization offered theirs. Because of that, Dyke, his agent, insisted upon issuing this statement: "I told Stan Kroenke more than a month ago that we would be professional and try to handle this matter as professionally as possible, and I'm somewhat disappointed that his own organization was not able to do that."