Nuggets release Ceballos

Sorry NugzFan, it appears that you lost Ceballos anyway. They even released Cook, whom they surrendered a #1 draft pick obligation for. That sounds to me like poor decision making.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,90%7E196856,00.html

Cook, Ceballos not part of Issel's plan

By Joseph Sanchez
Denver Post Sports Writer

Friday, October 26, 2001 - The Denver Nuggets reduced their roster to the regular-season maximum of 15 on Thursday, cutting rookie point guard Omar Cook, veteran free-agent forward Cedric Ceballos and center Mengke Bateer.

It wasn't easy, said coach Dan Issel, who also is the club's president of basketball operations.

The most difficult cuts a coach has to make, he said, "are the ones where guys are going out the door and the ones where guys can't get in the door." He said he thinks Ceballos probably is at the end of his career, but that Cook eventually will make it in the NBA.

Those two cuts opened the door for rookie point guard Kenny Satterfield and veteran guard Isaiah "J.R." Rider, though Issel said work on the 15-man roster isn't necessarily finished. Final rosters have to be turned in to the NBA by 4 p.m. Monday. The Nuggets open the regular season Tuesday night in Phoenix.

"With Cedric, it was just a case of numbers and the way that J.R.'s been playing, and the way he's been behaving himself, " Issel said. "I think he has a better chance of helping our team than Cedric does, and we just have too many people at that position."

Rider, who has had behavioral problems throughout his career, again demonstrated his on-floor talent Wednesday night with a 16-point performance in Denver's 89-75 preseason victory over the Chicago Bulls, but that's not all that has impressed Issel.

"I know what kind of basketball player he is, and I know he can get back to that," Issel said. "I'm more excited about the fact that he has been a terrific citizen for the past three weeks."

A backup with Los Angeles Lakers last year, Rider never had any doubt he would make the team, but said, "I'm glad to be here."

"I'm not here to make waves," he said. "I've been in the league long enough to where I can accept my role, whatever it is. My thing is we get some wins, we get in the playoffs, we get some notoriety. "

With Cook, Issel said, "what it came down to was a tight race between him and Satterfield. Kenny got in here early and worked even before training camp started, and Omar didn't get in until about a week after training camp started, and he just never made up that difference.

"I think Omar's going to be a good point guard in this league. He does have to improve his shooting so that teams don't lay off him so much. But I still think he can play. It was our determination that Kenny's going to be better."

Satterfield is also believed to have a guaranteed contract, whereas Cook, according to Issel, "came in on a make-good contract."

Satterfield and Cook have been friends since grade school, competing with and against each other in junior programs in New York.

"It's always hard to see one of your friends go," Satterfield said. "But this is a business, and Omar, I just hope the best for him . . . just hope everything works out."

As for Satterfield, he said there couldn't be a better situation than getting to learn his position behind Nick Van Exel and Avery Johnson.

As expected, the Nuggets released the 6-foot-11, 290-pound Bateer "because we knew he had the obligation to go back to China," Issel said.

The Nuggets added center/forward Scott Williams to the roster Monday through a three-team trade, but Issel said the club may not be finished making roster moves.

"We're always looking," he said. "We're looking to make a deal to get another big guy."

 

At this rate, what makes you so sure you'll still have Raef? I'll tell you what, we'll give you your choice of either Cato or Collier in exchange for LaFrentz.