--Coach George Karl says fans aren't giving Nuggets point guard Anthony Carter a fair shake. Carter has lost minutes this season as Chauncey Billups' backup because of the emergence of rookie Ty Lawson. "I think sometimes the fans have been too hard on A.C.," Karl said. "The man has been a big part of what this team has become and is built on. And not to respect what he does is I think fanatically fanlike." Carter has missed the past three games because of a left hip strain, the latest a 106-99 road loss to the Clippers on Friday. Lawson had some good moments, scoring 12 points in 14 minutes. But he didn't have a single assist.
Carter, 34, is getting near the end of his career. But one thinks there still will be opportunities when he can help the Nuggets this season.
--F Carmelo Anthony is looking to become only the second Denver player to have won a scoring title. The only other one has been 1982-83 winner Alex English, a player Anthony greatly respects.
"He paved the way for me," Anthony said of English, who played for the Nuggets from 1980-90. "He's a legend. He did a lot for this community, city and town."
Anthony said he's watched a "lot of tape" on English. Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups grew up in Denver, and watched English on TV.
"Alex is a legend and Melo is going to be a legend," Billups said. "Their games are totally different. But as far as being able to score very easily, I can see that as being very similar."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We can't complain. We just want to get better and take all the things that we've done wrong, the negative things, and turn them into positives. But we still have a long way to go." -- F Carmelo Anthony, assessing the first three weeks of the season.
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