--F Carmelo Anthony was a bit miffed. But he's ready to move on after his All-Star snub.
"A little bit," Anthony said when asked if he was disappointed at not being selected Thursday as a West reserve for the Feb. 15 game. "But it (isn't anything) I can control. I'm happy for Chauncey (Billups) making it, though." Billups, a Nuggets guard, was selected by West coaches. But Anthony was left off after missing 10 games with a broken right hand.
"I didn't think I did nothing wrong," Anthony said. "My game didn't do nothing wrong. That's the only thing that could have (hurt Anthony is his injury)."
Anthony, who overall has missed 15 of 47 games, returned Friday from the injury. Anthony was an All-Star injury replacement in 2006 and voted a starter last season by fans. He's 0-of-5 when it comes to West coaches choosing him as a reserve.
"(Anthony knows) the injury probably was the major factor," said Nuggets coach George Karl. "It's a challenge now to kind of take on the coaches that aren't giving him the ultimate respect."
--Charlotte coach Larry Brown believes Denver's Karl should be in the conversation for NBA Coach of the Year.
"You lose (Marcus) Camby and you don't get anything back, and then you make a trade after the season started (acquiring Chauncey Billups on Nov. 3) and you don't miss a beat," Brown said. "This might be the best job George has done."
The Nuggets are 31-16. After going 50-32 last season, they have a shot of breaking the team's 1987-88 mark of 54-28 for the best in the team's NBA history.
Asked about Brown's praise, Karl said, "I think Doug Moe (Brown's good friend and a Nuggets consultant) has been sugarcoating it for him."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The best small forward in the Western Conference probably should be in the All-Star Game." -- Nuggets coach George Karl, on Carmelo Anthony not making the All-Star team.
