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Rusty Simmons: Denver coach George Karl kicked off the postgame mudslinging by asking, "Did Draymond Green play football or basketball at Michigan State?” Twitter @Rusty_SFChron

Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, George Karl, Draymond Green 

Now the pressure is on Karl and his third-seeded Nuggets as they face elimination in Game 5 Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center. "Deep down inside, philosophically, I like having speed and quickness on my side," Karl explains. "Now they're going to add a position [power forward] where they might have speed and quickness on their side. "Do I play with the same guys that we played? Or do we try to match?" Years ago, these questions would have tortured him. He'd have worn everybody out trying to come up with solutions and adjustments. His angst palpable to his team, his grip on everything tightening. It's part of what made him great. The intensity, the intelligence, the fire and the passion. "Furious George," they called him. Affectionately, most of the time. ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching 

There are still vestiges of the old George. Quirky things, like how he hangs his suits up after games, puts a box score in one pocket and his game tie in the other. "I pull out the stat sheet later, and if it's a loss I throw the tie away," he says, laughing at himself. "There's some superstition there, but it's more that I like the tradition. I like taking the walk after shootaround when I'm on the road. I like to take my nap. "I used to have these little sayings -- just things that fell into my life along the way -- during the playoffs." He hasn't done that this year, he says. Nothing has popped into his head. "Except for one thing," Karl says, catching himself. "We had this shirt made up for the guys." He fumbles around his desk looking for it, then realizes it's on his chair. On the front of the shirt is one word: TRUST. ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching 

Ujiri studied Karl's great Seattle teams from the mid-1990s. The type of players he got the most out of. The types who didn't fit. The way he liked to play. "The most impressive thing is his system," Ujiri said. "The way he coaches allows players to be very successful. Role players, star players, all kinds of players -- they all did well for him. "When I came here [Nuggets owner] Josh Kroenke told me that, if Carmelo left, the type of players we wanted to bring in were young and energetic, who would fit with his system." It was a conscious choice to aggregate talent and essentially shun the star-centric system. To prioritize speed, depth, athleticism, defensive ability and hustle over play-making and scoring talent. Or, as Karl puts it, ''Why don't we just go get really good players and try to make 'em great?" ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching, Masai Ujiri, Josh Kroenke 

Denver has won a franchise-record 57 games without a true superstar this season. They go 10- or 11-men deep on any given night, run their opponents off the court, and play the type of unselfish, joyful basketball Karl has always preferred. "This team is fun to coach," he said. "I don't think many coaches use the word 'fun' to describe their teams." He is one of the favorites to win the coach of the year award. And despite his earlier jokes, he would welcome the honor. "It will mean something to me because I have a lot of respect for the coaching business," he said. "I think there's great coaches in this league, and there are great [assistant] coaches sitting next to the great coaches. They don't get the love that they deserve. ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching 

He's changed so much now, you forget there was a time he was considered arrogant and egotistical. When the Bucks paid him $7 million a year starting in 1998-99, it only added to that reputation. That contract made Karl the highest paid coach in any sport. But it wasn't the kind of validation he sought. It wasn't what was going to make him happy. It wasn't him. He says the contract sat on his desk for six months before he finally signed it. "He became, I thought, a really great coach in Seattle," Harris said. "It took getting fired a couple of times to help make him that." Harris chooses his words carefully out of respect for his friend. As it turns out, there's no need. "I needed to be humbled, and I was," Karl said. "I'm sure I was more fiery or confrontational or demanding. I had an insecure ego. I was a young guy. A lot of people thought I could coach, but I didn't know how to handle the responsibility of coaching." ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching 

Taste was the least of his concerns, though. He'd beaten prostate cancer before, in 2005. He didn't want to try his luck with a third round. So he read everything, studied the issues, the biology and chemistry like he would break down film in a playoff series, and came up with a new game plan. "I try and eat real food now," he said. "I eat stuff that's come out of the ground, or was an animal recently." He made smoothies filled with fruits and vegetables. He started walking. He prioritized family time. He slept more. He left his job at the office as much as he could. He told everyone about what he'd learned. He made plans to start a foundation that would promote patient advocacy and cancer research. The George Karl Foundation was founded two years later. "I don't know where it's going to go yet, but so much of my beliefs are that the navigation of the patient needs more attention," Karl said. "The doctors are too busy, the insurance companies are too concerned about getting paid, the pharmaceuticals are into research and making money, the hospitals are trying to find the balance of all this." ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching 

But on this day, the morning after Denver's Game 1 victory, he seems lighter. The flatscreen TV in his office is tuned to the X Games Foz do Iguaçu, in Brazil. He eats chips and freshly made guacamole as a skateboarder flies around an obstacle course. "This is what I don't get," Karl says. "I went into the locker room yesterday and three of my players are watching this skateboard stuff. What in the hell is it? Why? … But I guess they have boards, too. Longboards." ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching 

Ray Allen reflected on his tenure with the Bucks and the infamous trade and said he didn’t harbor “any bitterness” toward any Bucks officials. That includes then Bucks coach George Karl, with whom he often butted heads. Allen said that he hasn’t spoken to Karl since their Milwaukee days, even though they have seen each other on numerous occasions. “We’re like ships passing in the night,” Allen said. Before signing with Heat last summer as a free agent, Allen said he also had offers on the table from Memphis and Minnesota. He said Milwaukee never contacted him. Racine Journal-Times

Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Ray Allen, George Karl 

Karl was a pesky guard for the Spurs back in the 1970s. He was asked before Sunday's game about Bogut, who had taunted Nuggets center JaVale McGee in Game 3 to punch him in the face. "I was once sent into the game to instigate a guy to punch me in the face," Karl said. "Brian Taylor, he punched me, I punched him, and it was a 16-minute fight. Well, Brian Taylor hit me first, I hit him from behind and then it was going on all over the place. I was sent into the game to hold, grab and wrestle — things that Bogut does really well." Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Javale McGee 

Scott Howard-Cooper: George Karl clearly concerned about Nuggets' confidence. Never expected to hear that. This is a team that has handled doubt for years. Twitter @SHowardCooper

Denver Nuggets, George Karl 

Scott Howard-Cooper: Karl also said Kenneth Faried, who came off the bench in G2 after returning from ankle injury, likely returns to starting role Friday. Twitter @SHowardCooper

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Injuries, Kenneth Faried 

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, one of Mike Dunlap’s mentors, was saddened but not particularly surprised Dunlap didn’t get a second season as Charlotte Bobcats head coach. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Karl said that being fired in a situation like this is mostly a disappointment but also somewhat of a relief. “About 80 percent of Mike Dunlap is sad and despondent because he wants to continue coaching in the league,’’ Karl said. “There will be a piece of him that is relieved. In general, we get paid a lot of money to do a very difficult job. Sometimes it’s not an appropriate or thankful job.’’ Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching, Mike Dunlap 

Rusty Simmons: Denver coach George Karl said he expects the Warriors "to dust off the moth balls" on Richard Jefferson in this series. Twitter @Rusty_SFChron

Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, George Karl, Richard Jefferson 

Marcus Thompson: Jackson said Denver had the coaching advantage. Karl's response: "Pile on the expectations, why don't ya. I've been the underdog before." Twitter @gswscribe

Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, George Karl, Mark Jackson 

George Karl and Erik Spoelstra are two of the leading candidates for the Coach of the Year award. and neither wants it. The Nuggets coach made that clear with some recent comments, and Spoelstra — when asked by the Palm Beach Post after Thursday’s practice — echoed Karl’s sentiments. “I tell you what, it’s unanimous,” Spoelstra said. “Every coach knows the history of that award.” The history is that winners often get fired within a couple of years. Palm Beach Post

Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, George Karl, Coaching, Erik Spoelstra 

Are you the Coach of the Year? George Karl: “I want to finish second. (Host: Who are you second to?) There are a lot of good ones this year. I think Frank Vogel has done a great job. I think Pop (Greg Popovich) has done a great job fighting through. Mark Jackson. I think Erik (Spoelstra) has got to get some consideration. I don’t study the East as much as I study the West but I’m kind of shy about the situation because a lot of times those guys get fired within a year or two.” Sports Radio Interviews

Denver Nuggets, George Karl, Coaching 

The Bucks and Denver Nuggets play in Milwaukee's home finale Monday night, but many thoughts before the game were about the tragedy that unfolded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Two bombs exploded in what federal authorities are calling a terrorist attack, and two people were killed and more than 100 injured. The attack shattered windows and barricades and smoke filled the air in Copley Square in Boston. "When things like that happen, we all get a little scared," Karl said. "Security is a big part of life. It's like what happened in Denver (Aurora, Colo.) with going to a movie theater. Every time I walk in a movie theater there's a flashback or a subconscious feeling that nothing is safe any more. "The marathon run for many, many people is the dream of their lives to run. Then to have tragedy and disaster hit you. And then I think we think just the worst. What's going to be next? Is it going to be more than just one. "It's a heavy day for our country. Our country is learning to deal with these things. A lot of countries around the world have had them more often than we have had. I hope we're never callous to it." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

George Karl 

The defending Coach of the Year believes the Nuggets’ George Karl has fashioned a strong case to be this season’s recipient of the award. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich cited Karl’s work with a team of non-superstars as a prime reason he should be strongly considered. “This isn’t disrespect to his players,” said Popovich, “but LeBron (James) doesn’t play here, and Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant. They don’t have superstars, and he’s molded them into a group where they’ve all accepted their role. They execute the system he’s put on the court magnificently. They do it on a consistent basis, and you see the results, how they’ve been winning and the stats they have for their team. “That comes from George. I think he’s done a hell of a job.” San Antonio Express-News

Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, George Karl, Coaching, Gregg Popovich