Sunday, September 30, 2001 - LOS ALTOS HILLS, Calif. - As Foothill College assistant basketball coach Keith Moss watched jumper after jumper go through the net, he turned to a newspaper reporter and asked, "Doesn't his shot look a lot better?"

Denver Nuggets guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad had a frustrating 2000-01 season, averaging career lows in points (3.8) and shooting percentage (.387). The four-year NBA veteran's jumper often was flat. Never noted as a great offensive player, he nevertheless got a six-year, $43.3 million contract before last season.

Sunday, September 30, 2001 - LOS ALTOS HILLS, Calif. - Several days passed before Khadija Ibn-Lahoucine finally viewed the sun again.

The still, lingering dry heat in the South Bay Area takes its toll on Ibn-Lahoucine, who dons Islamic dress that reveals only her face and hands. But the after effects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, not the arid temperature, was the reason the wife of Denver Nuggets guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad was staying inside her nearby Los Gatos home.

The New York Daily News reports that both the Knicks and Nets have talked to the Denver Nuggets about a possible deal to acquire the former St. John's point guard.

Cook has become expendable in Denver since the Nuggets acquired the rights to Kenny Satterfield from Dallas last week. The move came largely because Cook and the Nuggets were at an impasse in contract talks. Cook wanted a two-year guarantee similar to fellow second-round pick Gilbert Arenas, but the Nuggets balked.

Two NBA sources, though, said last night that the Nets are "the frontrunner" for Cook at the moment and perhaps could trade a future pick and an unspecified amount of cash for Cook, who was selected in the second round (32nd overall) by Orlando before being dealt to Denver.

Ardently we celebrate our freedom in these sorrowful days. Less ardently we tolerate its expression. So you might not want to hear what Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has to say.
But if freedom of thought and expression are among the values we defend in this new war, he has a right to a seat in the national conversation. He is an American Muslim with something to say.

Forward Cedric Ceballos, a former NBA All-Star who fell on tough times last season, is expected to be among the players participating in the Denver Nuggets' training camp, which starts Tuesday.

The 6-foot-7 Ceballos, 32, has averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game over his 11-year NBA career. But last season, when he played 27 games for Miami and 13 for Detroit, he managed just 6.5 points per contest. A career 50 percent field goal shooter, Ceballos connected on just 44 percent of his attempts in 2000-01.

The Rocky Mountain News is reporting the Denver Nuggets have signed Isaiah Rider to an "incentive-laden" contract.  The Nuggets seem to think that Rider is worth the risk and, wisely, they have consulted with their veteran players before making the deal. George McCloud said, "Rider is a proven scorer in this league, a guy who has had a lot of success on the court. For whatever reason, things haven't worked out for him in the situations he's been in. But he's older now. It's a situation where this team needs him and he needs the team. It's a win-win across the board if he does what he's supposed to."

The Denver Nuggets have been incredibly understaffed for years, or so their overhaul would indicate.
Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe, hired in August, continued his own hiring spree Thursday.

Vandeweghe concluded his front-office makeover by hiring Jeff Weltman to fill a second assistant general manager position. Assistant GM David Fredman was hired during the weekend. Additionally, former NBA star Clyde Drexler was added to the front office in an unspecified capacity.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports that Clyde Drexler has accepted a position with the Denver Nuggets.  His exact duties are yet to be determined, but he would be an assistant to GM Kiki Vandeweghe, a friend from his days in Portland.

While Michael Jordan has taken a very different, much-publicized new position this week, former Rockets and University of Houston star Clyde Drexler also has found a new gig in the NBA.

Drexler has taken a position as a consultant/aide to Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe, a friend from their playing days with the Portland Trail Blazers, a source familiar with the hiring said Wednesday.

While Drexler's exact title and duties have not been determined, he has been interested in obtaining NBA front-office experience since his two-year term coaching at his alma mater ended after the 1999-2000 season.

Kiki Vandeweghe wasn't kidding when he said he would surround himself with talent.
The Denver Nuggets general manager has all but completed the front-office overhaul that began when the team hired Vandeweghe as general manager in August.

Vandeweghe said Tuesday he has hired longtime NBA and college coach John MacLeod to serve as a consultant to the Nuggets coaching staff. During the weekend, Vandeweghe hired David Fredman as assistant general manager.