Just when it appeared the Nuggets had blown $29 million so coach George Karl and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe could wage a petty fight, the poor guy caught in the middle of this spat saved his bosses from embarrassment.

Maybe Earl Watson is not a big waste of money after all.

In fact, before this basketball season is over, Watson could be the most valuable guard on the Nuggets roster.

"I never played for a coach who didn't love me," Watson said Saturday.

Before he could earn acceptance from fans, Watson fought merely to get noticed by Karl. The forgotten free agent finally has been discovered. The Invisible Man has got game. Who knew?

"I tried not to think about it, because if you think about it, you can build your own monster, make the negativity bigger than what it really is," said Watson, who was caught in the crossfire of NBA office politics.

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl has been suspended two games without pay for publicly criticizing and attacking the integrity of the officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred following the Nuggets 101-92 loss on Monday to the New Jersey Nets at Pepsi Center. Karl will serve his suspension tonight when the Nuggets host the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and Friday while the team visits the Phoenix Suns.

Voshon Lenard and his agent, Joel Bell, have talked with Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe in the past week about Lenard's free fall from the starting lineup to the end of the bench.

Lenard had not played in six consecutive games before seeing his first action in nearly two weeks Monday night against the New Jersey Nets.

Before scoring four points in 17 minutes, Lenard had played a total of 19 minutes since losing his starting job to DerMarr Johnson on Nov. 13.

During a meeting with Vandeweghe last week, Lenard did not ask to be traded, but Bell inquired about the possibility of a trade if the pattern of inactivity continues.

"I said (to Bell), 'I'm open to it,' but we're not there yet," Vandeweghe said Monday. "I definitely think he wants to be here first."

A source said that the Milwaukee Bucks also have shown interest in Lenard and predicted he would be traded by Christmas.

Nuggets F Carmelo Anthony suffered a sprained left ankle in the first quarter against New Jersey last night and did not return.  

X-rays taken last night and an MRI performed today were both negative.  He is listed as day-to-day.

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony left Denver's game against New Jersey after spraining his left ankle in the first quarter Monday night.

Two minutes into the game, Anthony drew a foul while driving to the basket and falling hard to the floor. He stayed down for a minute, then hobbled off the court during a timeout. He returned and sank both free throws before going to the trainers' room.

X-rays were negative and his return was questionable.

George Karl does not foresee Denver trading Eduardo Najera to Portland for troubled swingman Ruben Patterson. TNT reported Thursday the Nuggets have discussed such a deal with the Trail Blazers.

"I don't think it will happen," Karl said. "It might be a de-energizer. Right now, we've got to stay strong and figure it out. I love Ruben as a basketball player. But, if he doesn't get minutes, he doesn't get the opportunity, I'm not sure (where he might). We need a bigger body."

The Trail Blazers sent Patterson home for the final six games of an ongoing seven-game trip after he cursed at coach Nate McMillan during a game Sunday at New York regarding lack of playing time. Patterson is averaging 7.0 points in 19.3 minutes.

If the Trail Blazers can't trade him, there is talk they might buy out his contract. He is making $6.4 million this season and $6.8 million next season in the final year of a six-year, $34 million deal. It remains to be seen whether the Nuggets might have interest then.

"That's something I can't control," Najera said of his name being linked to a report about a possible trade. "I don't even want to think about it. It makes you worry if you think about it."

Former NBA star Shawn Kemp's agent plans on calling a handful of teams - including the Nuggets - to gauge their interest.

Kemp's agent, Tony Dutt, said he believes Denver could be a good fit because his client had his best years under Nuggets coach George Karl in Seattle. With Nene out for the season with a right knee injury and Kenyon Martin suffering from tendinitis in his right knee, another frontcourt player could aid Denver. But to add a free agent, the Nuggets would have to waive a player.

"Shawn told me he has had no problems with Karl and he could play there," Dutt said.

Kemp played for the SuperSonics from 1989-97. The five-time all-star also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando before ending his career in 2003. He has a history of weight issues and off-the-court problems. The Nuggets worked him out two years ago, but Kemp was grossly overweight and didn't have a solid outing. Dutt says Kemp now weighs about 270 pounds.

"That was a real wake-up call that if you're going to try to return, really do it right," Dutt said of the workout with the Nuggets.

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin ran wind sprints on the Washington Wizards' practice court Tuesday.

Tonight, Martin hopes to be running up and down the Detroit Pistons' home court during the game.

After running the past three days, Martin intends to return to action tonight if his ailing left knee is feeling good this morning. He has missed the past four games, including Tuesday at Washington, with tendinitis in his left knee. Knee problems have cost Martin five games this season and forced him out in the first half of a game at Dallas on Nov. 15.

"I'm trying to see what I can do," Martin said. "I'm not trying to do too much right now. I don't need any setbacks. That's what (Tuesday) was, to just get a gauge and see how it felt. I've been running on it and jumping on it and things like that. It felt cool today."

According to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post, there's titillating talk that Nuggets Andre Miller and Kenyon Martin are having on-and-off-the-court problems.

"I know nothing about any off-the-court issues," says someone on the scene who may not be privy to the kind of unpleasantness I'm hearing went down, writes Vecsey. "I do know when Kenyon first got here last season he got real frustrated with Andre pounding the ball. But I haven't seen any friction this year. Andre does tend to over-dribble, but not as much as Boykins; now he's really hard to play with."

Nuggets forward Nene had surgery on his right knee Monday.

Team physician Steve Traina repaired a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament and a lateral meniscus tear, the Nuggets said.

The Brazilian player was injured Nov. 1 in a season-opening loss to San Antonio after falling while the Spurs' Tim Duncan stole the ball from him. At the time, the Nuggets said he would likely miss the rest of the year.

Nene is in his fourth NBA season, all with Denver.