Chris Herren

[Thndrblt31@aol.com]

No need to use our draft pick for a point guard when an able guy like Herren 
will be a free agent next season.  We better go after him before Denver 
resigns.

Herren shoots ahead in point-guard growth 

By Dave Krieger
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer


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In Chris Herren's first NBA game nearly five months ago, he played 8 minutes 
in relief of Nick Van Exel at point guard for the Denver Nuggets. He took two 
shots, both three-pointers, missing them both. He finished with no points, 
three assists, two turnovers.

In Chris Herren's 38th NBA game Tuesday night in Seattle, he played 20 
minutes, in relief of Van Exel and beside him. He took eight shots, seven of 
them three-pointers, making four. He finished with 12 points, seven assists, 
no turnovers.

The education of this rookie point guard has been one of the understated 
stories of the Nuggets' season, but, particularly in the past month, it has 
been dramatic.

"I don't have anything bad to say about it. I really enjoyed every single bit 
of it," Herren said. "I enjoyed being on the injured list, as odd as that 
might sound. As much as you wanted to be out there, I enjoyed working with 
(strength coach) Steve (Hess) and getting better physically. Because when 
you're a rookie, you don't realize how much work you need to be out there. I 
didn't think I came in ready."

The high-risk draft choice, the kid who added baggage at Fresno State 
University to the load he already was carrying, has become one of the most 
grounded, enthusiastic, team players the Nuggets have.

"He has really, really grown in the last month, and I think we, as a group, 
have been able to see what he does best within the framework of our team," 
said assistant coach John Lucas, referring to Herren's first extended playing 
time. "He's making better decisions from the point every day."

Getting a chance to play has erased the doubt and fear all rookies face.

"I had doubt coming in; I did," he said. "There's a fear factor, because you 
don't want to make mistakes. I didn't know how quick guys were, I didn't no 
how much they were going to overplay the lanes.

"I worried about a lot of things -- turning the ball over, I wanted to keep 
things pretty much intact. But after a while you realize, hey, I haven't 
turned the ball over much, so get out there and play ball and try different 
things. If you turn it over, do something to get it back."

Much of his season was spent on the injured list waiting for roster problems 
to be resolved. But even that, he says, was productive. Working with Hess, he 
brought his weight down from 210 to 195, got quicker, "tightened up" his body.

When Van Exel and coach Dan Issel were ejected from a game in Orlando, 
suddenly Herren was the point guard. When Van Exel had to miss a home game 
against Miami because of a strained groin, Herren was the starting point 
guard. The flashes he showed in training camp began to last longer.

"A couple of things that I really like," Issel said. "When he comes in the 
game, he's really capable of pushing the basketball. I think that's what you 
have to have when you bring a point guard off the bench. I think he has to 
bring the level up a notch, and Chris is able to do that. The other thing I 
like is, depending on the defensive matchups, we can play him and Nick 
together at times."

Though Herren was a scorer in high school and college, passing came naturally 
to him in training camp. Intimidated by all the scorers around him, he was 
hesitant to shoot. But his bombs Tuesday in Seattle showed that's passing, 
too.

"I was open, you know?" he said afterward with a grin. "The first one, they 
were backing off me so much that I really had no choice. Luke's been working 
with me on that. It's a shot that I've been working on. I just never had the 
guts to take it, to be honest."

He was talking about Lucas, a former point guard, and a pull-up three-pointer 
from the top of the key -- a brazen, Van Exel-style shot.

Although Herren was a second-round pick who did not get the guaranteed 
three-year contract automatically awarded first-round picks, his Nuggets deal 
guarantees his second year if he's on the roster the final day of this season.

Carrying a reputation for substance-abuse problems and a role in Jerry 
Tarkanian's Fresno quagmire, Herren has been nothing but reliable and upbeat 
in Denver. Having married and settled himself as a person, he is emerging as 
a pro player.

"My confidence is booming," he said. "I still feel tight in games. I'm still 
nervous running in to check in. I think I'm always going to be like that 
because that's the type of guy I am. But you get to a certain point where you 
feel a little more free out there. You feel like, OK, I can experiment with 
my game now. Like you did in college. You try different moves, you try 
different angles. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, but at least you 
have that nerve to try it, and I'm getting that gradually."

For Issel and the Nuggets staff, it is affirmation of their decision to take 
a risk many teams would not.

"He's a tough kid," Issel said. "He's been through some tough times and he 
has persevered and he has straightened his life out. I think he's the perfect 
kind of player to have in a backup role at the point guard position."

His future?

"It depends on Chris and his summer work ethic over the next two years," 
Lucas said. "When you're in a situation like his, most organizations take a 
three-year look and then make a decision."

Herren remains eager to prove himself.

"I can't wait for summer," he said. "I want to work on everything. I don't 
have anything that I don't have to work on.

- thndr