State of the Denver Nuggets

One night the Denver Nuggets are getting run out of the building like their socks are on fire. The next, they are tearing apart the best teams in the NBA.

The state of the Nuggets, in a scientific and collaborative estimation, is unstable. Indeterminate. Unknown.

Denver is a smorgasbord of pieces. They don’t contain any “Super-Stars”; no players that can put the rest of the team on their shoulders and just flat-out go at the snap of a finger, but yet they also don’t have a player that can go cold just as easily, find a reason to lose interest as the team falls flat.

Aaron Affalo (13.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Danilo Galinari (15.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Ty Lawson (15.1 ppg, 6.7 apg), Wilson Chandler (12.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Andre Miller (10.1 ppg, 6.4 apg), Al Harrington (14.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Kenneth Faried (9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Corey Brewer (9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg) are all comparable. They are by no means All-Stars, but they are solid additions to any team in the association. The Nuggets are made up a bunch of role players, surrounded by other role players, feeding, once again, off other role players. The sum of its part is no simple algorithm.

.... You can find the rest of this article at
http://sportsmuze.com/state-of-the-nuggets/

Nuggets inconsistency

Night in and night out for the Denver Nuggets, the same team doesn't seem to be on the court. Even quarter to quarter this philosophy feels to be about right.

Denver scored 40 points in the opening period of their 116-115 win over the Detroit Pistons last night at the Pepsi Center. They were smooth, stroking and clicking on all cylinders. Then the next two quarters Ben Gordon almost stole the game back for the opposition.

Inconsistent. Temperamental. Even unstable.

The Nuggets don't have "Star" on their team; an advantage that their opponents cannot key on one player, but also a disadvantage in the same respect.

They can be as good as any team in the league, see March 4th when they beat the number-2 seeded (if the playoffs were to start today) San Antonio Spurs away from home. But they can also be on par with the worst teams in the league, see February 23 when they were blown out of the water by the same Spurs team in Pepsi Center.

On any given night a different team could take the floor, a good thing and a bad thing for Nuggets fans.

Nene No Longer a Nugget

Experts think a do-it-yourself napkin centerpiece would be an improvement for the Denver Nuggets. They are the softest team in the league, according to some experts. They lack the inside presence that, experts say, it takes to win a NBA Championship. 

These ‘experts’ can only be described as the greater population of Nuggets Nation.  

Nene leaving only makes for one large hole to fill. The big Brazilian opted out of his nearly $12 million contract earlier this week; Nene departs any semblance of a productive center in Denver.

Nuggets fans found a way to dislike the most proficient scorer in the league. He Big Bad Wolfed (blew) the top off the rest of the league in field goal percentage this year. He has the 11^th best percentage of All-Time. He is more proficient around the basket than a paper shredder. He’s not flashy, he doesn’t make the wrong play, he rebounds and Denver fans don’t like him one bit.

Nuggets fans, like a sad country love song, won’t know what they had until he’s gone. 

Nene may not be the best center in the league, he’s not in the ‘Elite Centers’ category. He may not even be in the top 5, but Nene looks great compared to many others. Zaza Pachulia or Joel Anthony? Or how about Omer Asik or Chuck Hayes?

The Nuggets do have the Russian Timofey Mozgov waiting in the wings. They will have cap room (pending the decision of higher management, and more likely the departure of Kenyon Martin and JR Smith) to go out and get a “quality” big man. 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1107/nba-top-free-agents/content.1.html

Nene will most likely go get a new, more welcoming home.

ESPN Ultimate Standings: Denver Sports Snub

Just another Denver snub.

People outside of the Mile High region have no idea what goes on in the beautiful city of Denver. We get stereotyped as ski-bums, granola mountain men, and amateur sports fans. When in truth the people are nothing near those.

And when someone questions our fan-hood, the way ESPN did by ranking the Denver Broncos #86, Denver Nuggets #42, Colorado Rockies #8 and Colorado Avalanche #64 there must be a strong reaction.

The rankings pit the popular teams against the not-so popular teams. It's the third grade grade talent show all over again, where the loudness of crowd determines the winner. Just because you are the loudest, doesn't mean you deserve to win. (That's right Jimmy, I said it. I want that ribbon.)

Also the way the categories are determined and ranked is completely subjective and ludicrous.

For example, there is a section on 'Ownership'. First, how is this in any way important? Secondly, how in the world can you rank owners of franchises? (Is there a fantasy draft I can join?). Yet, the Nuggets are ranked 51st, the Avalanche 72nd and the St. Louis Rams 80th in this bogus sub-sectoin and ALL are owned by the same person, Stan Kroenke.

Obviously the object of winning is going to factor into heavily how well eat team did, because if you are winning everything else doesn't seem so bad. The price of hot dogs appears reasonable, the quality of stadium can be rationalized; there is a general glaze over the fans eyes.

But this doesn't seem to be the case with Denver. This, our city, has one of the richest traditions of success in all of sports. (If not always in the form of Championships.) The Rockies 2007 World Series appearance, Nuggets 50-plus wins the last 4 years, Broncos 2 Super Bowls and Avalanche 2 Stanley Cups.

Most other cities don't win as much as Denver, and then get more publicity than Denver. Just saying.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/teamrankings

Nugget Run

Scott Hasting, Kiki Vandeweghe and Adrain Dantley better bring their Icy/Hot Patches, and the sneakers to the arena and start scouting Kevin Durant’s every move.

The Nuggets have the toughest matchup of the first round of the NBA Playoffs in the Oklahoma City Thunder. And they’ll have to take the challenge on shorthanded. The injury list looks more like a Seattle weather-man’s prediction on rain for the week…Gallinari 85%, Mozgov 60%, Felton 90%, Afflalo 45%, Lawson 85%, Andersen 80% and NOW Nene 85%.

But even with a healthy lineup George Karl was going to install the Guarding-Kevin-Durant-By-Committee defense anyway. And that may not even work.

In the playoffs stars win games, stars win series and stars win championships. This isn’t baseball where momentum carries you over the top. On the hardwood you need that great player, now those great players (OKC, LA, Boston, Chicago), to hoist their team above the rest.

And let’s say the Nuggets somehow find their way moving onward. (NOT losing in 6 games to the Thunder) It could mean trouble for the rest of the West. The playoffs have as many days off in between game that even Ferris Bueller gets jealous, and that could be just what the doctor ordered.

So then the only thing really stopping the Nuggs from THE NBA FINALS is Los Angeles. But I’m liking our chances…. if it’ll rain, it’ll pour.

Melo Yellow

In the latest installment of the Melo Trade rumors, Anthony is supposedly headed to the City of Angels, Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles or LALAL. (You know Anthony’s wife likes the sound of that….)

(I guess this was foreshadowing, Anthony is definitely leaving the station.)

And, right now I know what you’re thinking… you think I’m going to delve into why Anthony would be good/bad trade for both teams. And that Laker Yellow is not his color, but come on, I’m a little more clever than that.

Let me put this as elegantly as I can…. NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

Carmelo Anthony is too yellow to go anywhere other than New York. He’s flat-out scared and afraid to go someplace, anyplace else. New Jersey… There will be no talent to speak of and he would waste a promising career away on the edge of the big city. Detroit… It’s a rundown city with a rundown team. The Pistons already had their shot at Carmelo, it’s too late now. Denver?... We’ve turned our back on the kid that saved our franchise; we ridiculed him to a point that he doesn’t want to stay. (Can you blame him?) Los Angeles … butting heads with Kobe, in a Black Mamba driven town. He’s been THE man since probably middle school or before and you want him to slide over and be unnoticed.

That leaves New York, and frankly, it’s a perfect fit. HIS team, BIG city, and TALENT all around him.

So sit tight Nuggets fans, anticipation will gradually build until the 24^th of February and then it will dissipate faster than the Hindenburg. And when the off-season comes all Mile High natives will be able wish Melo bon voyage, because he will be leaving with the chance to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

Carmelo Unveils

Why are we on Melo’s case? How can we take a ‘no comment’ and make it into a whole big story? How much can we make seem like the truth out of answers he doesn’t give us? Do people know something I don’t that makes you understand this situation infinitely better?

I believed all of that…. Until yesterday.

And you could see it coming. The La-La comment, the post-game interview after the Heat game, and finally, all culminating yesterday, when he said it was his “ultimate dream” to play in New York. He just flat out said he does NOT want to be here anymore.

The once media savy, ‘No Comment’ King, Carmelo Anthony couldn’t handle the pressure anymore and finally cracked. And this thing could get ugly really quick.

It may go from bad to worse faster than Steve Carroll movie. Melo will be traded, it’s only a matter of minutes now. We’ve been waiting the whole year and now people, including the Nets, Melo, fans, Nuggets execs, and even Super Mascot Rocky are really getting fed up with the whole situation.

I’m so utterly over the fact that this trade is going to happen. Get it done, it’s ridiculous.