The Worst News I Have Heard Since My Grandma Died 15 Years Ago
by Jeremy on Jul 10, 2008 6:00 PM MDT
8 comments
The Rocky Mountain News confirmed the biggest fears of Nugget fans today. The following quote from Anthony Carter sent chills down my spine.
"I talked to coach (George) Karl, and he said they're looking to bring back pretty much the same team as last year."
Dear God, in the name of all that is holy and righteous, no! How on earth can they bring this same team back intact next season? Are they trying to kill me?
In the same article it even reports that the Nuggets have contacted Bouna Ndiaye, the agent for Yakhouba Diawara, about Kuba taking a minimum contract to return to the Nuggets next season. Ndiaye throws out a few other teams who he claims are interested in Kuba, but we know he was pulling our collective leg, because they were all NBA teams.
If everything goes perfectly for this team, Nene, Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby and Allen Iverson all stay healthy and play 75 plus games, they all play defense and George Karl proves to be more active than your typical three toed sloth from the bench then I can see this group approaching 53-55 wins. This is absolutely a talented team.
What the Nuggets brass does not seem to realize is it is not a contending team.
If Stan Kronke is content to put together a roster full of exciting offensive players who can sell a hoard of jerseys then this bunch is his ideal team and management deserves a great deal of credit for implementing the wishes of the owner. However, if the goal is to win a championship, then it is inexplicable that they would bring the same core back from last season.
Here is the list of teams that will be better than the Nuggets next season as long as they are healthy:
The same article points out that the Nuggets are already more than $8 million over the luxury tax for next season even though they only have nine players signed. They still must bring on at least four more players to meet the league roster minimum of 13 warm bodies. J.R. Smith still needs to be resigned, probably at a starting salary around $5.5 million a year, and then there is Eduardo Najera as well. Bringing back the same core players will cost at least $17 or $18 million in luxury tax payments. In case you were wondering the luxury tax bill for last season was “only” $13.57 million.
If Kronke believes he will get his money’s worth out of this team, he is either being misled or his scoreboard does not count down to zero.
We know based on the choice to bring in the decrepit Chucky Atkins as a replacement for the competent Steve Blake from last season that Kronke is not into blindly paying the luxury tax. To me that means that Eduardo Najera had better pack his bags seeing as how he is the last free agent on the Nuggets roster who is able to earn a contract for more than the league minimum.
In the end maybe it is unfair to the Nuggets to say they are bringing back the same team. If Eddie is shown the door along with his hustle, heart and smarts they will actually be slightly worse than last season.
Makes me wish I could afford season tickets.
Or not.
1 recs |
8 comments
Email
Print
Comments
Trade for Billups
Hear me out on this one. Denver needs to trade melo for billups and prince.
FEAR THE NEVERMORE DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Benji5203 on Jul 10, 2008 6:14 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
that will solve a lot problems
I am so tired of the Melo bashing, and wanting him traded.
by broncfanstuckinsd on Jul 11, 2008 2:33 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Welcome to basketball purgatory!
Where we aren’t good enough to seriously contend, yet not bad enough to be in the lottery, create cap space and get significantly better. Awesome! I am psyched for next year.
Also, don’t forget guys, we are doing it George Karl’s way next year so all should be fixed! No need to do anything if we’re doing it Karl’s way, right?
I sincerely look forward for the AC and Chucky Atkins platoon at PG cutting into JR’s minutes. I look forward to watching Camby continue to play lazy defense, not jump over the top of screens and never leave the paint yet still be considered a great defender. I look forward to AI dribbling out the shot clock only to force a bad shot. I look forward to Nene coming into camp 35 pounds overweight, getting his inevitable injury because he’s overweight and hear Karl and the Nuggets brass tell us we’ll be a lot better when he gets healthy. I look forward to Melo doing something immature and telling everyone he is sorry and saying it’s time for him to grow up for the 29th time. I look forward to Mario Chalmers making the all-rookie first team and trying to hide my tears as we could have easily nabbed him with the 20th pick to replace AC.
Ah, yes, the 08-09 campaign should be a blast!
by RyanBuff on Jul 10, 2008 9:50 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
On the bright side...
at least I’ll save the ~$500 I spend on tickets every year. That’ll be nice. Maybe I’ll put it in my 401K.
The artist formerly known as Nuggets4.
by JLucas4092 on Jul 11, 2008 8:04 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Adios Najera
He signed with The Nets
This is going to be a great season!!!!!!!!!!!!!
His Wolves, My Nuggs
by Kay on Jul 11, 2008 1:47 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I hate this team
Seriously, why am I a fan of this team? It’s like being in an abusive relationship. “Yeah, well, she lit me on fire once, but she said she loves me, so it’s obviously in the past. She’d never do it again. Oh, those cans of lighter fluid in the corner? No, I don’t know where those came from…”
The artist formerly known as Nuggets4.
by JLucas4092 on Jul 11, 2008 2:16 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let me make sure I've got this so far
Let one of your hardest workers and practically only guy who moves without the ball go to keep luxury tax money for billionaire owner down. Check.
Bring back essentially the same talented, yet poorly constructed and overall disappointing roster. Check.
Bring back the same apathetic head coach who’s content to do as little coaching as humanly possible and scapegoats individual players when things go wrong. Check.
All that’s missing is for someone to come out and tell us that getting a full season of Nene will be like adding a free agent (for like the third year in a row) and we’ll be all set. Of course, a full season out of Nene is about as likely as Kobe being the best man at Shaq’s next wedding.
Unless something very unexpected happens here, we’re staring at another frustrating, underachieving team that will make a quick and quiet playoff exit if they manage to scrape their way in.
by Clockwork Orange on Jul 11, 2008 9:12 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Denver Stiffs
Related FanShots on Denver Stiffs
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
DENVER STIFFS T-SHIRTS!
Enter your email for updates
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
