Even though I predicted the Nuggets would lose to the Detroit Pistons tonight (so much for my attempt at a reverse jinx), I was infuriated by the total lack of commitment on both ends of the floor in the first half. You see, I had tonight's game penciled in as one of the Nuggets two big "road revenge" games before the season started.
The first of these two games was at New York on November 6th to avenge the "Madison Square Garden Melee" on December 16, 2006. Not that Nuggets fans need a reminder, but the "Melee game" in New York cost Carmelo Anthony 15 games and J.R. Smith 10 via suspension when Coach Karl - perhaps sticking up for his friend Larry Brown who had been ousted after the previous season - kept the Nuggets starters on the floor with a minute and fifteen seconds left in a blowout win over the Knicks. By doing so, Karl goaded all-time-worst-person-in-NBA-history Isiah Thomas into sending his goon squad after Smith, and thus precipitating the biggest NBA brawl since the "Malice at the Palace" of 2004.
While I only blame Karl partially for the brawl (after all, it was Isiah who - allegedly - gave the order to Mardy Collins to clobber Smith), you have to at least know the risks involved when you're coaching against a guy who bankrupted the CBA - a 54-year-old basketball league - in just two years. (As a quick side note, I give Karl major props for publicly calling a Isiah "a jerk" after the incident.)
Anyway, going into 2007-08 I assumed the Nuggets would wax the Knicks in New York. Just wax them. A guaranteed victory. Instead, the Nuggets blew a 10-point lead going into into the fourth quarter, gave up 37 points in that quarter, and lost. What's worse is that you couldn't even chalk this loss up to road fatigue or the usual excuses thrown about by Karl defenders, as the game was the Nuggets first of an East Coast road trip, coming off a two day rest.
I was able to block that game out of my memory (until now) knowing that the Nuggets had one more "road revenge" game on the horizon when they'd return to Auburn Hills to face the Pistons tonight. For those who may not remember, the Nuggets lost to the Pistons in March of last year due to a truly bizarre and completely unforeseen circumstance. Even though the Nuggets were ahead for most of the fourth quarter, they allowed the Pistons to get within three points. But when Detroit's Chauncey Billups missed a three-pointer and the Nuggets grabbed the rebound with 1.5 seconds to go, all the Nuggets had to do was inbound the ball (Karl - correctly in my opinion - even called a timeout just to make sure they inbounded the ball properly).
Instead of simply wrapping up the game, however, Marcus Camby's inbound pass was tipped by Tayshaun Prince and somehow Rasheed Wallace ended up with the ball, and chucked an underhanded, 60-FOOT shot towards the basket and...it went in! You can still see "the shot" on YouTube. 'Sheed's Hail Mary prayer forced the game into overtime, where the Nuggets ultimately lost. And how would the Nuggets react to this fluke / humiliating loss to the Pistons? By dropping both games to Detroit this season.
Why am I pouring salt into us Nuggets fans already deep wounds? I just want to point out that while every team - even great teams - blow games and don't show up every night, the Nuggets have a nasty habit of losing games when more than just a win or loss is on the line (the recent Utah game was yet another example of this).
Is this the coach's fault? The players? Just an anomaly in the course of the season? I'll let you debate that. But as long as the Nuggets continue to fail in big "road revenge" games like tonight, we as fans will remain skeptical about how this team being prepared.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
So much for those two "road revenge" games...
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Maybe Karl has tried his best. But his streetball scheme can't work.
Second has to go is Melo. Can't have a franchise player who only plays on one end and TOTALLY TOTALLY invisible on the defensive end.
This guy is so lazy it's UNBELIEVABLE. Who's he fooling he can't play defense? He can... he proved it at times in the regular season... he proved it on the US squad. On that team, he even played
defense with confidence.
But why is he so bad on defense? Why? Only one reason is he's just a LAZY ASS. He needs to be traded for a true franchise player who wants to play defense and cares about winning.
Can you imagine working with someone where you work your tail off only to see him work with half effort? Would you be infuriated? I would.
I hope someone is starting a www.trademelo.com somewhere. He's pathetic and will never EVER in his NBA career lead Denver to a championship unless he completely, dramatically changes the way he approaches the game: with focus, energy, intensity, sense of urgency.
- Snake -
Snake, you're an idiot. Melo is not invisible on defense. I mean, he isn't a great defender, but to say he's invisible on defense is pathetic
Why does this team continue to go zone against hot shooting teams??? Karl says after the game that the strategy going in was to clog the driving lane and challenge the perimeter shots... (Or something to that effect...) But not only did the team NOT do so they stayed in a zone for much of the 1st and 2nd quarter of the game!?! Isn't this the same Zone he ran against Phoenic while they were shooting 70+ Percent on us?!
As bad as Melo was at defending Prince... Carter and Atkins did horrible jobs on Billups who just kept driving and scoring. I for the life of me couldn't understand why he came in with Chucky instead of JR in the first quarter as the pistons were scoring at will and its a lot to ask AI to continually guard Rip who's 8 inches taller then he is... Melo played D on the US team because it was demanded and the scheme was good. The Nuggets Defensive scheme stinks. If you watch them they purposely play the ball handler on one side of him giving him the lane which is supposed to be guarded by Camby... Needless to say it doesn't work like that always... It only works when a team isn't in a real offensive groove, which is why they get tortured by teams like LA, Utah and the Pistons cause both teams run solid and well oiled offenses.
Its sad a team 14 games over 500 won't make the playoffs but George has to go. Sometimes your team needs you to rally them when their down... when the Pistons stretched the lead to 15 he was still sitting down... Why?! I can blame the players but until they get a coach that can put them in the best position to win, it just isn't fair. Karl has done a less then good job with them this season, and it shows in the games we most importantly need the most... Why is he giving them Practices off when they need to get into the playoffs?! Forget that 25 assists / 125 points crap! I thought he was focusing on Defense!? Well if those are your reward points what about some Defensive reward points!?
One thing I can say about this team is that nobody can stop them from scoring and that is far from their problem... to have such a balanced passing offensive game was great bot to lose like they did shows that the only thing this team lacks is Defense... If they had that they'd win a ring. No doubt about it.
Andrew,
Yes Melo is invisible on defense.
This is not about knocking on his defensive skills it's knocking on his attitude, effort, and intensity.
Much like the coach.
I disagree with the assessment of melo's defense. He played decent defense last night on Prince. He doesn't hustle like he should though. But for the most part, it's the scheme that kills them defensively. Not only does Karl stay in a zone while Detroit is shooting the lights out, but guys try to extend and the zone doesn't collapse, and they give up layup after layup.
Anthony Carter was abused last night, so was chucky atkins, but not by Chauncey, it was Rodney Stuckey who just kept going by those guys like they were standing still.
how can this guy continue with chucky atkins and anthony carter? these guys couldnt play in the CBA. might as well give taurean green a chance
I can't stand watching mediocre efforts, lack of leadership, and laziness (all responsibilities of the head coach). Will someone please call out Marcus Camby for defense intensity and lack of REBOUNDING on the road (0 in first half vs. sixers). It seems that since he got defensive player of the year, he thinks he gets a pass. Why can't he play with the same intensity on the road as he does at home?
It is, obviously, both of their fault. Karl doesn't know how to prepare his team, and the players lack the right kind of attitude.
There's something really annoying about the Nuggets as presently constructed. There's a palpable sense of entitlement about them, and Melo in particular. They think they are basically so talented someone should've given them a title already. They certainly aren't willing to put in the hard work (defense and hustle) required to get that feat accomplished. I'm actually happy they are gonna miss the playoffs. They pretty much represent everything that's wrong with the NBA - arrogance, lack of team ball and defense, etc. etc.
On a general tip, I wholeheartedly agree with the premise of this blog. I have always thought and said it: George Karl is a terrible coach who's had all the talent in the world at his disposal yet hasn't won anything.
Also, he's over the hill, and this should absolutely be his last gig in the NBA ever.
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