The scene with Maxey is one from a collection of opponents interviewed by
The Athletic over the past month about Camara and his defense. The responses were as varied as they were telling. Brooklyn’s
Ben Simmons detailed a mini-confrontation. Denver’s
Jamal Murray sat silent, stewing for several seconds, before begrudgingly giving an answer. San Antonio’s
Jeremy Sochan couldn’t contain his admiration. And the
Clippers’Norman Powell was still trying to figure out how Camara came out of nowhere to block his dunk attempt.
“There was a moment where I thought he was complaining to the ref about me,” Camara remembered. “So, I went up to him, and I asked him, ‘Oh, are you complaining about (my defense)?'”
Maxey assured him that was not the case.
“I told him, ‘Nah. You can come play with us any time you want … you can come do this on our team any time you want,'” Maxey said. “I was messing with him, like, ‘Look at you — playing fullcourt all game. You can come play with us any time.'
Another key moment in Camara’s emergence as a defender happened behind the scenes: Before games last season, Billups said he would meet with the referees and educate them on Camara’s defensive skills.
“Last year, the refs were calling so many fouls on him … so many,” Billups said. “So, I went up to them and said, ‘This is going to be one of the best defenders in the league in a very short amount of time. You all have to get used to him, just like he has to get used to you all.’ And, 30-40 games in, they started to call less fouls.”
So much so that Adelman said part of the
Nuggets’ scouting report on Camara involves the officials.
“We tell our guys don’t expect a call,” Adelman said. “The refs are not going to call everything, and (Camara) is one of those guys that’s going to toe that line a little bit. But again, that’s how the league is and has always been like that. If you foul every play, they won’t call it every time. That’s not to say he’s doing that, but he definitely plays with a physical mindset up and down the court.”
