An empire is heavy business. Empire creation involves the unenviable task of placing the correct people at the right spots, spinning the relentless media assault to your advantage, and strategizing against competing enterprises as well as attending to the prodigious inefficient minutia that aggregates with any large undertaking.
And yet CREATION is the EASY half. How do you keep your empire afloat- that's the 77 million dollar question. When you're on top, you must EVOLVE to stay in the same place-- an idea that the uninitiated emperor learns expeditiously or dies by the wayside.
Jeff Bzdelik and Kiki Vandeweghe created an Empire in Denver.
George Karl has sustained it.
Yet he knows any mistake can bring the deck of cards tumbling down. Any misstep can transform today's triumph into tomorrow's forgotten memory. He stays up at night knowing that his is the team to beat.
He knows that this team has ruled the Northwestern Division for almost the better part of the decade; The worst kept secret in the Northwest is that the Nuggets are for real finishing in the top 2 spots the last 4 years.
That's a fact that doesn't go down too well in other parts of the Northwestern United States-- a region synonymous with basketball. At year 1 it was a fluke. Year 2 it was consistency. Now, at year 4 and counting, it's nothing short of a Northwestern dynasty.
The symbiotic relationship that is the Nuggets begins and ends with George Karl. Karl is at the helm of this Nugget's dynasty; this dynasty is the centerpiece to his empire, and his empire can only grow if the dynasty continues which implies the team must win.
And as with all empires, the trick is to sustain.
Not to mention the pressure. Make no mistake about it, football town or not, the local Denver Media Circus has no problem reporting on the Nuggets. If you're lucky and do something good, maybe Zappolo will talk about it. Bad, maybe Kiszla will pick it up. Horrible-- you're squarely in Paige territory.
You don't think Karl feels the pressure? Rest assured, Karl knows this. In fact, if you see him, don't tell him this. He doesn't want to hear your comments. He doesn't care what you think. He's focused. He's loaded. He's ready to go. Just shut the fuck up and enjoy what he's built. He built it for you.
And now, as the season starts picking up, the dynasty of finishing respectable in the Northwestern Division must continue. The team knows full well they have a young feisty Portland team and a confident Utah to contend with. They also know they have something neither of those other teams have: A Ruthless Genius at the helm.
The Nuggets have had an interesting first 10 games. They've had flashes of brilliance and, yet, in many respects, haven't turned the corner into an elite team many thought they would be. They're over .500, however, were blown out by the Celtics and choked against the Knicks. Recently, they've played much better, but one can't help but wonder if that old mediocre Nuggets team will return at the worst possible moment.
Regardless of this good team/bad team Nuggets dichotomy, one thing remains the same-- George's ability to lead.
As Karl plans and strategizes before, after, and most importantly during the games, one can be assured that the gameplay of the Nuggets will improve throughout the season. No matter who they play, regardless of the 10 players on the floor-- just looking at the coach of the Nuggets as compared to their opponent's, it's obvious that there's always at least 1 mismatch in Denver's favor.
That's a nice wrap up. Yep, that's naturally where the article should end. But no. That's not gonna happen is it? Nope. You're gonna bring up stupid shit. You want to talk about what you see as George's Shortcomings.
Fucking Fine.
I'm gonna make you feel stupid just this once, and then please, for the remainder of the season, shut the fuck up and accept that Karl is one of the greatest coaches of all time. Now let me prove it.
First off, Don't talk about Karl's timeout demeanor and expect me to understand. He doesn't want to hear it. I Don't fucking want to hear it. Nor do I want to talk about how lethargic Karl looks on the sidelines. If you want a sympathetic ear to air your fallacious statements-- take that crap to Hytop or possibly the smug doctor. You'll get no love from the -*Sim-u-l8r*-.
But since you asked, let's take a closer look--
The timeout is interesting. Your team isn't performing, maybe they just blew a big lead so you call a timeout. Let's say you're not drawing up a play: in that case, can you really say something in 20 seconds or 2 minutes that can't be said better by NOT saying anything? Answer honestly. During a timeout aren't you better served by just walking away. By realizing you're the leader and taking the high road rather than confronting your underlings about matters of which they have proven time and again that they neither possess the cranial capacity nor the attention span to comprehend.
If you built this empire and you sustained this empire and then your troops fucked up, how would you react?! Would you scream at them like children, or would you do the sensible thing and just walk away from them not acknowledging their existence. Wouldn't you eventually realize that you're on a higher plane than they'll ever be and that their mediocrity can at best bring you down; Realize that maybe your aim is to mitigate the amount their inability hurts the team?
Put yourself in Karl's shoes. Imagine you had more knowledge than everyone you worked with.
Is it not beneficial for you to accept that the player's minds possess and processes maybe 1/10th of the thoughts your mind does? Understand that no matter how hard you try, no matter what, your unlimited intelligence and effort is only as strong as your weakest link-- namely the players.
Would you honestly not walk 10 feet onto the court and silently think to yourself that your empire was being held up by your own gargantuan body in spite of the team you had.
Would you not contemplate leaving during the timeout? Atlas shrugged if you will-- walk away from the thankless enterprise that only exists because of your blood sweat and tears? Maybe you get 10 steps out, look at the assistant coaches scurrying out to meet you, and think to yourself, "Man, if I had the ability to run, I'd totally bolt right now. One day, I'll be in shape, and I'll just take off leaving it all behind. One day I'll be free." Maybe the next game take 12 steps out as you longingly look past the crowd towards the exits.
But yet that's the furthest you'll ever get from leaving your responsibility. Because if you are George Karl, you know that an emperor cannot leave without leaving an empire in disarray. And people are depending on you. A city is depending on you to win the most cutthroat division in basketball. Right now, that city needs a leader.
Over time, The player screw ups wouldn't kill you, per say, but the energy you once had would slowly just sap out of your body. As the ref signaled play was back on, you might feel the wind escaping your sails as you lethargically crawl to the bench and slump into your seat unable to move a muscle for the rest of the game.
I know I would. I've heard Jesus didn't move from the cross, Gandhi didn't eat during violence, and Moses sat up on Mount Sinai staring at the weak willed monstrosity that he was leading and wondering what the fuck was going on.
And yet, for an empire to evolve, the emperor must also evolve.
Flash to a few games ago in Indiana. The Pacers go into halftime up 18 points.
The Nuggets players seemed to still be in Washington. Thank God George showed up.
Then again George always shows.
And as great coaches often do, he adapts.
As the 2nd quarter horn sounded signaling halftime, George Karl was no longer crawling. Instead, he slowly slithered into the locker-room. He stood in the corner and waited until everyone was seated. Then, he took all that emotion, blood, sweat, tears, and energy he crafted into making a dynasty, his infinite wisdom, and his infinite understanding-- Taking the sum total of all his powers-- he bundled it up and looked at his children for what was, in essence, the last time. Then, George Karl obliterated his players.
The third quarter started. The Nuggets came out swinging. They overcame the deficit despite shoddy play. They won the game. They had taken advantage of a key matchup-- The coaching mismatch. And in the end, they had prevailed.
After the game, the corpses of the Nuggets lined the visitor's locker room. In their place stood the confident team we see today. The same team that's intent on sustaining the empire. It's no secret that the ultimate starting lineup would consist of 5 George Karls with physical ability to match the wisdom; the team that emerged from the first half in Indiana is a very close second.
Interviewed after the game a solemn Carmelo gave his analysis. "He cursed us out," Anthony said. Then Anthony pushed the mic away and sobbed like a child. Good. The screaming was a means of teaching. The sobbing. . . well that means they're learning. Though I've never been a fan of cursing out underlings, I also have never been a fan of people fucking up something beautiful. For now,It seems that destruction has been averted and something incredible has, instead, been salvaged. And there's only one man you can thank for that.
Once again, this season, the Nuggets are looking to be the empire built by a city and sustained by the Emperor. Given this new Nuggets team under the direction of the greatest leadership in recent sports history, it would not at all be surprising if this chapter ended up being immortalized on the rafters at Pepsi Center for years to come.
Northwestern Division Champions '07-'08.
-*Sim-u-l8r*-
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