Nuggets on first losing streak of season (Nuggets/Hawks Recap)
by Nate Timmons on Nov 7, 2009 9:30 PM MST
in Game Recaps
27 comments
Denver could not get back on track tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. George Karl switched up the starting lineup by inserting Renaldo Balkman (for injured K-Mart) and Joey Graham (for A.C.) and even played some small ball with Billups, Lawson, A.C., Afflalo, and Nene, but nothing worked against the Hawks.
The picture that accompanies this story tells the story of game. The Hawks used their athleticism, hot shooting and hustle to outplay and frustrate the Nuggets. Denver once again struggled to find any offense and leaned heavily on Melo's hit or miss shooting to get the job done.
The Nuggets looked good in spurts ... Birdman found Billups on a pretty bounce pass for an And1 layup, but Denver was down 46-34 at that point already. The Nuggets played unselfish, but thing just were not consistently clicking for the Nuggets.
The small ball lineup inserted by coach Karl didn't seem to help things for a team that has been struggling to rebound the ball. With just Nene on the floor with four guards (Afflalo essentially playing power forward with Lawson, A.C. and Billups) Denver couldn't prevent Atlanta from getting to the rack and the Nuggets had virtually no shot at offensive rebounds.
I liked Balkman and Graham starting the game ... it seemed to be working all right at the outset as Graham had an offensive tip-in and Balkman was fed the ball on the baseline for a wide open layup, but whether it was Graham's health or Karl's mistrust of the players on the floor, the lineup didn't last very long.
The two biggest road tests for the Nuggets thus far on this roadtrip have been a complete disaster. The Bulls have shown that even though Ben Gordan left, they are still going to battle for a playoff spot in the East. The good news for the Nuggets is that even though they are on a two game losing streak, they do get a shot in the arm with J.R. Smith's expected return (after a seven game suspension).
Two losses over the weekend stings a bit, but Denver is 5-2 and still has a shot to salvage this season long road trip with two more games to be played. It's just too bad J.R. isn't a sweet shooting seven-footer.
Photo courtesy AP Photos: Gregory Smith
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always look on the bright side of life
denver played 5 and a half games without one starter and one and a half games without 2 starters. they are 5 and 2, in first place in the division and jr is back. winning 5 of 7 games projects out to a 58 game win season. out of 7 games 6 were back to back and 5 of 7 on the road. the bench has scoring from afflalo and lawson. san antonio with all of their upgrades are 2 and 3. portland with ande miller is 3 and 3. dallas is 3 and 2 with all of their additions. all things considered it should have been much worse.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
by nohoops4u on Nov 7, 2009 9:45 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
We're okay
I’ll be the first to admit the negativity here went way over the top which is partially my fault. I think a lot of us were angry because we saw this coming even while riding high on top of such a great start. The Nuggets weren’t playing their best winning ball during that streak, and they got satisfied and comfortable with what they were doing. You have to keep trying to improve no matter how good it is. The Miami loss really sent me over the top. Sometimes you just don’t have good enough to win, like tonight. Atlanta was more fired up to play team ball and they dominated, fine. But in Miami, I have never seen such poorly mismanaged lineups and a stubborn refusal to adjust to the way the game was being played. Guys were giving great effort that night and clawed their way back out of a 30 point hole because GK gave up, deciding to rest his “best” players.
It’s not too surprising, but a little sobering to lose the last 2 so badly. All the pieces are there, but the bench is no longer dominating because the competition is better and guys just don’t know what their role is, how much they are going to play or who they’re going to play with. The 3 ball has not been a weapon for us lately, and I’m telling you JR back off the bench adds a whole nother dimension that was missing. We’re still good, just seeing the other side of the coin – playing good teams on the road when the lucky breaks don’t all bounce your way.
by runningdonut on Nov 7, 2009 10:59 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Didn’t get a chance to catch this one. How did Balkman look out there?
Also, any word on how long K-Mart will be down and out?
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
by FrankD on Nov 7, 2009 11:17 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
I am so pumped for the return of JR "Don't call him Swish" Smith
I still remember him absolutely lighting it up in Chicago a couple years ago. Hopefully the Nuggets can muster up the energy to improve their defensive performance for these last two road games.
by snafu on Nov 8, 2009 12:13 AM MST reply actions 0 recs
Good news
The Post is reporting that K-Mart’s injury ain’t as bad as first thought. MRI suggests that there’s no fracture in the fibula on his right leg (which he’s already broken once or twice!). They’re saying his day-to-day.
I doubt they play him against Chicago. As long as they don’t play big with Miller and Noah, we’ll last with Melo or Balkman playing the 4 spot most of the night on Taj Gibson considering that Tyrus Thomas (STUPID TIP IN!) is hurt.
by andoi_25 on Nov 8, 2009 6:23 AM MST reply actions 0 recs
what if SJAX came to denver...
i know its not that great of an idea, but could help with the stale offense recently and help cover kobe….
rep flipballer 31 for the photoshop… from insidehoops.com
by hvino on Nov 8, 2009 1:28 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
I'd do Cap Jack and Biedrins for Melo
Both those players are incredibly underrated and most importantly, NOT SELFISH. They actually care about winning and the team more than themselves and their freakin stats.
As for the game. George Karl’s sanity (if he ever had any to begin with) entirely flew out the window the moment he put Ty Lawson, Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter all in at the same time. I don’t know if any of you realize, but that is 3 FREAKIN PGs out there on the floor together. What did Karl plan on doing exactly? Was he going to pass the ball through the rim? I just don’t get it. And you know why? Because it doesn’t f*#$ing make any sense at all! The man is a nut, he has absolutely no clue. People wonder why our offense is so stagnant, maybe it’s because there are NO PLAYS BEING RUN!!!! I sit there and watch the Nugs on offense and maybe once out of every 10 offensive possessions Chauncey raises a finger or two and calls a play, other than that it’s an all out clusterf$%k and we spend our time running around like chickens with our heads cut off until the ball gets to Melo so he can affirmatively never pass it again to any of his teamates and hoist up either an off balance contested j, or drive the lane where there are 4 guys who already knew what he was doing seconds before he even did because he’s that predictable. These 2 games we lost were inexcusable. I can handle losing to the Hawks and Heat who are both very good teams, but 1) they aren’t better than us, and 2) the fashion in which we lost was embarrassing and pathetic. Losing by 20 plus points to both those teams is INEXCUSABLE, but becuase we have a joke of a coach it has become “excusable”. Don’t be naive Denver fans. Realize GK’s time here is close to expired if this continues. There is a damn good reason he didn’t get an extension this summer.
by GoldenNugget on Nov 8, 2009 5:21 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
DUDE rly
LIKE seriously STFU like always loved this site cuz we were all smart nuggets fans who talk amognst eachother, but my g-d these last couple of days every1 has been saying trade melo, WTF he has been playing the best in his career in u want to trade him! seriously i gaurantee that if we went 7-0 (we went 5-2 which is still better than we thought we would btw mostly due to melo) u wouldnt but since we lose 2 in a row u wanna trade the number 1 MVP canidate right now….
im starting to think u r just a bandwagon fan now golden nugget
by hvino on Nov 8, 2009 7:40 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Best ball of his carreer my ass
The first 2 games, maybe. But these last few Ihave been close to throwing my remote at the tv after watching him. Like I already said, anybody can get 30 ppg the way Melo is. But it takes a real star to get them AND keep your other teamates involved as well. It’s not just a coincidence that the leads get drastically smaller the past 2 games once Melo left the court. I admit I totally overreacted, but jeez, Melo stresses me out with his selfishness sometimes. But calling me a bandwagon fan? That’s just low man. Really low.
by GoldenNugget on Nov 8, 2009 11:52 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
trade melo to gs
denver gets jacko, biedrins AND WARRICK!
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
by nohoops4u on Nov 8, 2009 9:42 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
only one thing is more asenine than the 3 pg lineup
and that’s the idea of trading melo for jackson and biedrins.
by Rainbow skyline on Nov 8, 2009 9:46 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Cap Jack and Biedrins for Melo
REALLY????
by 3ple2Ble on Nov 8, 2009 5:47 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
Way to go GN
I like your moxie about GK. He sucks and I’m not naive to the fact that these last two games were ours for the taking. That 3 pg bs should have his ass fired today.
But GN,
Melo was trying to carry the team on his back. Isn’t that what a leader is suppose to do? GK doesn’t utilize a rotation that’s worth a damn.
GK has no half court plays and Nene is somewhat lacking in the post.
With Kmart Melo just tried to take it upon himself to get this game. He tried but he was outnumbered
by samdman on Nov 8, 2009 6:02 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
I understand what you're saying
About Melo trying to carry the team on his back, but that’s not what see. I mean, maybe you are right an he is trying to do that but he obviously has no clue how to. Not passing to your teamates and taking ill-advised shots all game is the opposite of what you should do to carry your team. And even if he does have to be selfish, his fg% and choices on the court have been atrocious.
by GoldenNugget on Nov 8, 2009 11:56 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Jax and Biedrins for Melo !?!?
WTF? You can’t be serious. JR Smith in a year or two will be better than Stephen Jackson! I’m not even gonna bother reading your post. Stephen Jackson is a ball hungry attention seeker who wouldn’t know a thing about winning with team basketball. Sound familiar? Well that’s because we just traded one of those for Chauncey Billups. Who, if you didn’t know, took this team to the Conference finals in his first season. Now he’s got a full season and a preseason under his belt, and Melo is in the form of his life… the only way is up from here. Don’t even consider letting a cancer like Stephen Jackson ruin such a good thing!
by andoi_25 on Nov 8, 2009 7:25 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
smith is already better than jacko
jacko turns 32 years old this season, has a bad contract, shot 41% and led the nba in turnovers last season. the last thing denver needs is a one man turnover machine.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
by nohoops4u on Nov 8, 2009 9:48 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
We already have one of those
and his relationship with the coach, the secret handshake deal to secure himself minutes – is part of why Denver is having trouble utilizing all of the talent on their roster and winning as a team. The Nuggets have talent and depth, the things that they lack are size and discipline both offensively and defensively. It’s frustrating, but this is an elite team if you fit all the pieces together properly, and hopefully the ship will get righted soon.
by runningdonut on Nov 8, 2009 10:34 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
If anyone is actively advocating trading Carmelo Anthony, they are retarded.
That is all.
Swats.
by BeefySwats on Nov 8, 2009 10:58 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
Rotation for Chicago:
PG: Chauncey/Lawson
SG: JR/Afflalo
SF: Carmelo/Graham
PF: Andersen/Balkman
C: Nene/Allen
We are going to run them into the ground.
Swats.
by BeefySwats on Nov 8, 2009 11:00 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Unless Kenyon is back, but I would not expect it.
In which case, PF would be Kenyon/Andersen
Swats.
by BeefySwats on Nov 8, 2009 11:02 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
andersen will come off the bench
i like the idea of andersen staring but he is too valuable coming off the bench. balkman can start as long as jr starts. chicago does not have low post scoring. with thomas being out they have no shot blocking. melo needs to rebound. denver does well if 2 of their bigs get 10 rebounds each. nene should dominate. it would be great if balkman and noah guarded each other. maybe they could get their hair tangled up.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
by nohoops4u on Nov 8, 2009 11:56 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
This doesn't reflect the 20 or so mins
that Karl’s favorite pet will get.
by Ski Bum on Nov 9, 2009 10:15 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Ok, I was a bit dramatic
About trading Melo. But, you people need to open your eyes a bit. Melo isn’t exactly playing good basketball of late. Just because his ppg are high that doesn’t mean he’s playing good. Hell I liked things a hell of a lot better last year when he wasn’t on this mission to lead the league in scoring. We seemed to do perfectly fine then.
by GoldenNugget on Nov 9, 2009 12:01 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
Now I get it...
OK, so you didn’t want to actually trade Melo, why didn’t you just say that about 10 posts ago?
Anyways, I do understand your point (sort of). Nobody likes to see a ball hog on the court. We all want to see the nice assist and easy lay-up/slam dunk at the end of the play. However, when Melo gets the ball, everyone just stands there. Nobody cuts, screens, does anything?! Can’t blame that on Melo, he’s just trying to make something happen.
The loss of Kenyon these past 2 games shows how vulnerable the Nuggets are in the paint. Got killed on the boards…WHERE ARE YOU BIRDMAN?!
by CSprings_Tommy on Nov 9, 2009 7:41 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs
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