A spoonful of sense to sweeten the All-Star Game: OK, so we'll probably never have a perfect system for picking All-Star starters. But at least we can get the reserves right

Sources in Denver say that new coach George Karl was, indeed, the choice of general manager Kiki Vandeweghe, not handpicked by team owner Stan Kroenke. Karl and Kroenke are business partners, fueling speculation that it was the owner wile picked Karl. But Karl was the only coach Vandeweghe really considered. Vandeweghe long has wanted the Nuggets to employ an uptempo, running style, one that emphasizes their natural advantage--the thin air in their home city. Karl fits Vandeweghe's coaching profile because he stresses defensive pressure and uptempo offense, two staples of Karl's Sonics teams in the mid-1990s. In the wider view, the Nuggets really had no choice but to hire Karl. The team has been in disarray and, though this group has not been completely healthy all season, the real problem has been a lack of effort and willingness to be coached. Besides, Kroenke was embarrassed to have the Nuggets playing so poorly with the All-Star Game scheduled to be in Denver on February 20. Karl was the only candidate available with enough experience and name recognition to have a chance at turning things around quickly. What's baffling, though, is this: Karl got extraordinary security (more than Vandeweghe, it should be noted) with a six-year contract that will pay him a reported $20 million. If things don't work out, expect Vandeweghe, not Karl, to take the fall.

speed reads

Once upon a time, players entered the slam dunk contest because it gave them a shot at endorsements and a nice extra paycheck. Well, these days, high-profile players don't need either. Thus, this is an exercise in futility, but still, we'd like to beg LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to give us a dream dunk contest matchup.

It seems that Minnesota coach Flip Saunders let the experiment of starting Wally Szczerbiak go on just long enough. Szczerbiak whined about starting before the season, so Saunders put him in the lineup. But, with the Timberwolves struggling, Saunders went back to what worked last season-starting defensive-minded guard Trenton Hassell and bringing Szczerbiak off the bench. The Timberwolves, who entered the week with a five-game winning streak, are 17-17 with Szczerbiak in the starting lineup and 7-2 when he comes off the bench.

With the Knicks in a tailspin, big-name coaches are rumored to be ready to step in--Larry Brown and Phil Jackson are two names that have come up. No way. Brown is a local guy, and Jackson would be thrilled to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Red Holzman, but the problem is the guy who does the hiring: team president Isiah Thomas. There's no way Thomas will let someone such as Jackson or Brown steal his spotlight.

sdeveney@sportingnews.com

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