Nuggets in trouble, call AAA (Nuggets/Hornets recap)
by Nate Timmons on Jan 23, 2010 10:04 PM MST
in Denver Nuggets: Game Recaps
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Arron Augustin Afflalo put up a season-high 19 points, including 6 in overtime off two huge three-pointers and stepped into the role of difference maker tonight against the Hornets. The Nuggets are now riding a season-high six game winning streak after defeating NOLA 116-110.
Is there a magic formula to these games like Andrew mentioned in his Nuggets/Clippers recap? In the first half tonight against the Hornets I'd have to say yes. With NOLA coming into town after playing last night in Minnesota the key to beating them is to either blow the doors off them by jumping on them early ... or let them burn themselves out in the first half, keep it close and turn it on in the second half and don't let it become a fourth quarter game.
Well, the Hornets came out with a lot of energy and tried to put as much distance between themselves and the Nuggets as possible. It's sort of like a long distance race ... the leader sometimes will try to out run the pack, but more often than not they tire and their lead starts to disappear. With the Hornets up 47-37 in the second quarter the Nuggets started to close the gap. Denver closed the first half with a 16-6 run, as NOLA's energy dwindled, and found themselves down just one 54-53.
In the third quarter the Nuggets started to find their groove and down 69-63 they started to make their second half run. After tying the game at 69-69 Denver grabbed their first lead since holding a brief 32-30 lead and Kenyon Martin's put back dunk over Emeka Okafor on a Billup missed layup gave Denver a 75-72 lead and woke up the Pepsi Center crowd. However, Denver was not able to distance themselves from the Hornets, up just one point (79-78) heading into the final period.
Magic Johnson famously calls the fourth quarter "winning time" and it would be up to either Melo, Billups or Chris Paul to take over the final period and bring home the win for their respective teams. Funny part, to start the fourth quarter the first two minutes belonged to Ty Lawson, J.R. Smith and Chris Andersen. The Nuggets bench provided a bit of breathing room stretching the lead to eight of 88-80. The Hornets grabbed a quick timeout at around the 10 minute mark as momentum was squarely on the Nuggets' side.
When you let a team on a back-to-back hang around they will put forth the effort to win the game late. The Hornets did just that. With the Nuggets down 95-93 Nene stepped to the foul line and sank to monsterous shots. If Nene missed both or just converts one the Nuggets are in trouble. He hit both and Billups sank a huge three to follow. Denver looked to take control, but Billups was whistled for an offensive knee to the chest of Okafor (I guess it didn't matter that Oak was inside the semi-circle as the offensive blocking knee is an automatic foul). Things stayed tight down the wire and Melo found the ball in his hands with just eight ticks left on the clock.
Melo took the ball into the teeth of the defense where Okafor was waiting for him and blocked Melo's running attempt, the ball fell right back to Melo and he put up a bunny in the lane that didn't find its home. Melo ended regulation just 8-26 from the field and threw his headband off in disgust as regulation ended 101-101.
The Nuggets needed somebody to get hot in the extra period and that man was Arron Augustine Afflalo. Triple-A sank two huge three-pointers in the extra period and put the nails in the Hornets coffins. Not to be overlooked was Melo taking a jumper on Devin Brown and coming down and spraining his left ankle. The Nuggets took a timeout and Melo shook off the injury to sink both free throws and finally the Hornets were defeated.
The Nuggets didn't follow the same formula against the Hornets as they did against the Clippers. The Nuggets let NOLA hang around and it almost cost them the game. Denver was able to pull out the win and proved that in the NBA, even if you don't follow the directions you can get the win, but it'll sap some additional energy. At least the Pepsi Center crowd got to see an exciting game.
Denver is now 20-3 at home and got some revenge for their loss in New Orleans earlier in the season.
Additional nuggets:
-The Nuggets once again could not find their groove from distance against the Hornets. Denver finished the game just 10-27 from long range, but Billups and Afflalo did hit some key threes late.
-Lawson with a little bit of a boneheaded play going for a two handed dunk up 88-80 ...
-Denver dominated the offensive glass grabbing 20 offensive boards and dominated the glass overall outrebounding the Bugs 61-37. Bird, Melo, K-Mart and Nene all had double digit boards ... that never happens!
-Chris Paul, like last season in the playoffs, seemed a bit frustrated with the way Denver was defending him, but he still helped carry the Hornets (who were without power forward and jump shooting machine David West.)
-J.R. Smith's slump is now starting to affect his playing time as he only played 12 minutes last night. I'm hoping he was sick or got hurt or something ... but I have a feeling George Karl is just seeing more of what he likes out of Afflalo and Lawson right now than he is from Smith.
ntimmons73@yahoo.com
Twitter: Nate_Timmons
Photo courtesy of AP Photos.
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AAA - awesome!!
beautiful!
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
Tough rims tonight
Melo has a terrible night and still ends up with 30 points.
Now, how hurt is he? I was at the game and couldn’t see the replay. My friend said he rolled it pretty bad?
Also: when he came out to shoot those free-throws after hurting himself, I thought, “wow, what a hero” but then after thinking about it I thought “wow, he really wants to score 30 tonight.”
Or am I imagining things?
+1 about Afflalo. The guard rotation was different tonight. And Afflalo stepped up when his number was called down the stretch. Great offseason pickup for the Nuggets.
Am I doomed to hell for all my rock 'n' roll?
Didn't seem hurt too badly
he was standing on the bench throughout the last minute and then did the interview with altitude after the game. Also Melo wanted to stay in game after he got his 30, so I wouldn’t say that he only came out to get that number of points.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
Melo's FT...he had to shoot them.
If someone else shot for him, he would have been taken out for the rest of the game, according Hastings.
He rolled it over pretty far. It looked nasty on TV. And it will probably be worse tomorrow.
M
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
Also, I could be wrong...
but I believe that NOLA would have chosen the player to shoot the FTs if Melo was unable. So they could have chosen KMart to shoot those two. Had it been a flagrant foul, Denver could have chosen who would shoot them.
by NuggBuckets on Jan 24, 2010 12:58 PM MST up reply actions
I just saw the replay...
That looked like a nasty ankle roll. I wouldn’t be surprised if Melo is out a couple weeks. Denver’ll be lucky if it is just a couple games.
That he was standing on it after the game and even felt well enough to want to stay in doesn’t mean jack. Anyone who’s had an ankle injury knows that they usually don’t start hurting until later. Bummer.
Melo: you are the best scorer ever in Denver. Sorry to question your motives. I hope you forgive me for ever doubting your intentions.
11 rebounds is pretty awesome in my book. MVP.
Am I doomed to hell for all my rock 'n' roll?
Last time I rolled my ankle it hurt right away
then a shit load the next day, and got better a few days later. But I couldn’t walk without a limp for 2-3 days, Melo wasn’t even limping after the game much. A few weeks would have looked much worse.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
Yup
I’ve hurt my ankle and had it hurt right away.
And I’ve hurt and and been able to finish games. There’s lots of different ways to hurt your ankle. But from the looks of the replay, I think he’s out for a while. I just meant to suggest that his staying in the game and standing on two legs at the end isn’t exactly a sign that things are OK.
Maybe he looked OK on the TV? But his walking to the locker room after the game was definitely labored. That could tighten up on him and give him some trouble. At least two games says me.
Am I doomed to hell for all my rock 'n' roll?
Yeah 2-3 games
but not 2-3 weeks and if I’m wrong then hello 6 seed by the end of the inury.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
last time i rolled my anke story:
it hurt a LOT right away, but by the next day i felt pretty much fine. maybe i’m weird though…
JR in Doghouse
JR is definitely in the doghouse with Karl and he may stay there a while with the solid play of AA and Lawson. When JR was taken out early in the 4th, he stormed off to the lockerroom. I saw Rex Chapman and others run into the lockerroom, presumably to get JR back on the bench. A few minutes later, JR slowly walked out of the tunnel and back to the end of the bench, where he stayed the rest of the game.
Trouble is brewing with Junior.
by ACEIII on Jan 23, 2010 11:15 PM MST via mobile reply actions
were you at the game?
if so, did JR looked pissed? like are you sure he was storming off the court, and not getting something checked up or going to the bathroom (you never know)
he might not even be mad at Karl
the past few games, when JR made a bad play, he would walk back , and just put his hands on his head and GENUINELY looked so mad at himself. I think JR is playing a lot more seriously this year…hasn’t always produced results but its nice to see that he cares (i think). Still one of my favorite players
The rotation was definitately different tonight.
Lawson was playing minutes that JR usually gets. And, down the stretch, it was Afflalo.
And, no offense JR, but going with Double A late in the game was a good move by coach Karl tonight.
Am I doomed to hell for all my rock 'n' roll?
Yep
12 minutes for JR and I’m totally fine with that. He was completely ineffective and looked lost, going just 1-5 (all 3s).
I feel like JR is on his way out.
Swats.
Hey Beefy and the rest of the JR haters!
If youre at all happy about JR possibly being traded I hate to tell you, it ain’t gonna happen and of he goes off for 20-30 pts in a playoff game, I want a full description of what crow tastes like…feathers and all….give the guy a break. This is a TEAM game. And this guy is part of it.
Throw All the stats you want at me…but this team will continue to blow your mind based on what you’ve statistically figured…
Great win!
Go nuggets!
by SternfluffsKobe on Jan 24, 2010 1:11 AM MST via mobile up reply actions 5 recs
rec'd
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
Karl
As much as I, to the chagrin of many here, like George Karl, he doesn’t seem to know how to deal with JR very well…the guy needs more help than suspending him. But maybe he knows something we don’t. Well, hopefully he does. I don’t know…
Quick side note: have you guys read comments posted by people on DP.com? It’s wierd that they don’t know about this site!
They seem like they want their voice heard and to have some back and forth but, unlike here, none of the writers for the DP seem to care enough to respond…
by SternfluffsKobe on Jan 24, 2010 4:39 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
winning ugly the hard way........again
melo started the game 0 for 5 from the field. the 1st quarter billups had 6 assists. after 41 additional minutes of playing time he had 3 more assists. andersen played less then 24 minutes and had 13 rebounds. if chauncey had 1 more assist and andersen 4 more points denver would have had 5 players with a double double. nuggets have 4 players on the roster that were not on the team a year ago. lawson and afflalo make up 25% of the 8 player rotation. that is even more outstanding when you consider lawson was not in the nba last season. lawson struggled shooting from the field going 2 for 7. he found other ways to contribute by making 4 of 6 free throws, 6 assists, 1 turnover in 21 minutes of playing time.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
Ugh
So many numbers and stats…what happened to the thrill of winning? We won….the only thing now our minds should be ……NEXT!
by SternfluffsKobe on Jan 24, 2010 2:22 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
Its Nohoops
King of the random stream of stat consciousness. Some of them tend to be pretty interesting though.
We won, so we should analyze what we did right and emulate it in the next game
Or you could just not care.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
"If the NBA were on channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love were on channel 4, I'd watch the frogs, even if they were coming in fuzzy." - Bobby Knight
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
new to the board
hello, im a student in bangkok, born and raised in denver, and i thought id join the board. i love the nuggets more than oxygen and i’m able to watch the games online, very early in the morning. great game, birdman seems to be picking it up and k mart deserves his pay check, its good to see a win when are star has an off night. pretty ugly game, buy you cant argue with 6 in a row. glad to represent the nuggets in thailand, that is all.
5280 or fight!!!!!
by stardate armageddon on Jan 24, 2010 1:22 AM MST reply actions
it is about time
somebody from your neck of the woods joined up
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
Yes!
Awesome to hear from you!!!! Keep the faith and good energy coming! It’s incredibly valuable!
by SternfluffsKobe on Jan 24, 2010 2:25 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
Well, if we can find some fans from south america
I’d say we have pretty much all parts of the globe covered with this blog. Welcome!
Its like in playoffs AC played more against LA/Dallas than the Hornets
cuz karl like match ups…..
also, JR seems to have good games against kobe so i would not tradehim
where online?
Where do you watch the games online? I live in Denver now, but pretty soon I’m gonna be moving out of the country, and would love to know where I can watch the games.
thank for the wam welcome
im doin my part, everyone here is a lakers or rockets fan. sleepy dog, it is zhibo8.com
it is a chinesse web site and its all in chinesse, it was tough to get used to, but i gt free games with the altiude broadcast, i honestly dont know if it works outside of asia, where are you moving, im sure i can find a site that works where you are going.
5280 or fight!!!!!
by stardate armageddon on Jan 25, 2010 1:52 AM MST up reply actions
like it or not
JR is Denver’s only valuable trade asset. Why would any team take any combination of Balkman, Petro, Allen or our TPE when other teams have young, cap-friendly talent to offer? Wark won’t give up Lawson or AA, K-Mart’s contract is too big, they’re looking to add a big so Nene and Bird stay. I can’t see a team taking our TPE when there are players with larger expiring contracts available. Who’s left? I’m not saying we need to trade JR, but if we want to trade for a big who can contribute right away, JR’s gonna be the price.
by adub on Jan 24, 2010 3:29 AM MST via mobile reply actions
I would pull the trigger and trade him...
Tired of waiting for him
"Do not rest in defense. You can spend 24 seconds in offense on resting. If you do good enough on defense, you will be able to rest on offense."
by Lucas Navarrete on Jan 24, 2010 4:04 AM MST up reply actions
What Big?
We keep talking about this (myself included), but what big out there is our mystical savior? Even if we do somehow get somebody decent, it probably wouldn’t be an instant turnaround.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, right? I’d rather stick with JR.
My question is why doesn’t the coaching staff actually COACH him out of his slump, or DEVELOP him into the player they would like to see? I think he’s getting his mind messed up. We know he has the ability; what he needs is DIRECTION.
by MattressKing on Jan 24, 2010 1:51 PM MST up reply actions
JR's lack of PT in this game
Could be easily attributed to the CP3 matchup. The Nuggets don’t like to have Billups or JR on Paul, so Ty or Afflalo pretty much had to be in the game at all times for defensive purposes. I doubt you will see JR’s minutes this low until the Nuggets play the Hornets again.
JR actually has the speed to guard CP3 and is a lot bigger
However, he lacks defensive instincts. I don’t think the Nuggets should trade J.R. until he shows legit signs of getting out of his slump.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
"If the NBA were on channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love were on channel 4, I'd watch the frogs, even if they were coming in fuzzy." - Bobby Knight
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
I agree.
I think this was just part of the coaching staffs defensive strategy as suggested by snafu.
Honestly, I don’t think Karl is going limit JR’s minutes as he did LK’s last season. LK’s game was one-dimensional, while JR has more to offer. The shooting slump is probably helping JR develop the rest of his game, particularly his passing game. He still makes poor passing decisions, but the rewards for the risk he takes appear to be improving. Unfortunately, none of this mitigates his mediocre defense.
I Was At The Game
It really looked like JR was mad about his minutes when he left for the lockerroom, but I won’t pretend to know what’s going on inside JR’s head. We all want JR to progress into the great player we know he could be, but he has taken a step back this year, seems very frustrated, and has a head coach he doesn’t communicate with. I take no joy in this because the Nuggs really need his scoring off the bench.
by ACEIII on Jan 24, 2010 8:23 AM MST via mobile reply actions
+1
We’re all Nuggets fans, not JR haters. We want to see him do great things, as he’s shown he can do in the past. The NBA (and every other pro sport) is all about what have you done for me lately. JR puts up 40 points and everyone (myself included) is loving him! But that happens so far and few that its a distant memory.
Yes, JR played well in the playoffs last year, but can you guarantee that will happen again? Does he have that ‘magic switch’ he can turn on and play the solid around ball that we all know he is capable of playing?
Triple A and Lawson are proving, night in and night out, that they can get the job done. When it comes to playoff time, who should GK trust?
by CSprings_Tommy on Jan 24, 2010 10:28 AM MST up reply actions
Melo's Ankle
Melo’s ankle injury looked pretty bad. They had to carry him to the bench. It was pretty cool as he lay on the floor, the crowd began chanting MELO MELO and he got up to his feet. Then, when he shot his free throws, the crowd chanted MVP MVP and Melo seemed to want to stay in the game. A real Willis Reed like moment. Hope this injury doesn’t affect his all star game start.
This could be a 2 weeker. Welcome back to the starting 5, Joey Graham…
by ACEIII on Jan 24, 2010 8:31 AM MST via mobile reply actions
Melo's one looked a bit worse than Ty's
I’d put the over/under on days missed at 13.5
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
"If the NBA were on channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love were on channel 4, I'd watch the frogs, even if they were coming in fuzzy." - Bobby Knight
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
Kmarts Put Back Dunk
Kmart’s put back dunk over okafor in the second half was truly spectacular. His head seemed level with the rim and he seemed to pause in mid air, posing with the ball, before he violently threw it down. Soein please post a video of this. …it is up there with Melo’s dunk in Game 1 as the dunk of the season. It also seemed to jolt the Nuggets back in control if the game. Simply Awesome.
by ACEIII on Jan 24, 2010 8:52 AM MST via mobile reply actions
Thanks for posting Kmarts Dunk
Glad to see it made the “Dunk of the Night”.
by ACEIII on Jan 24, 2010 3:31 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
JR Smith facing possible suspension
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14259167
I made a fanshot, but thought I would post this here as well.
Bad news, bad bad news
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
cmon JR
get it together. this team needs you w. a good attitude and your productive play
by 808inDenver on Jan 24, 2010 12:20 PM MST up reply actions
Nene
How is that he only had 3 FGA’s? And none in the second half? I mean, am I wrong, or is the Nuggets’ best inside scorer? Shouldn’t he be getting at least shots a game?
by Andrew_in_Seattle on Jan 24, 2010 12:41 PM MST reply actions
He was in foul trouble
Nene was in foul trouble early, but thankfully Birdman and K-Mart had good nights. I agree that Nene needs to be more of a factor on a consistent basis.
by MattressKing on Jan 24, 2010 1:44 PM MST up reply actions
Comments
In reaction to two of your comments; Ty Lawson’s failed attempt at a fast break dunk wasn’t just a bit boneheaded, it was totally stupid. Not only did it keep us from having a ten point, time out worthy lead, it lead to four straight points for New Orleans and the game going in to overtime. If this doesn’t happen, Melo doesn’t injure his ankle. It’s ok to try a dunk in garbage time, i.e. against the Lakers earlier this season, but not when we really need the points. I’m glad this happened though. Ty will never make this mistake again.
Secondly, J.R. went to the locker room after he was taken out, because he is getting less and less playing time and has decided to pout like a baby. Not only do I hope they suspend him, I hope he is traded as soon as possible. Getting someone like Shane Battier for him while he is still worth something would shore up our bench with some veteran presence and provide another player who would knock down their open shots. It amazes me how much “Young Rich” continues to value himself over the team’s success. He was probably extra disappointed, because his “Young Money” guru Lil’ Wayne was there last night and he didn’t get an opportunity to show off for him. Please Lord, let Warkentien trade Smith and get a quality player who believes in the team effort.
by Smooth Melo Swish on Jan 24, 2010 12:44 PM MST reply actions
I think JR being suspended may be the best thing for him and the team.
I disagree with the notion that trading him solves anything. We’ve all seen how good JR can be. Hopefully, this suspension will refocus JR and he can get his act together. Also, I can’t imagine any team giving up much for him, if they think he’s a problem child. He’s got to fix himself and then the club figures out what to do next. Let’s hope this doesn’t play out in the media.
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
If he continues to act like a baby
than there is no choice but to discipline him like one. Put him on time out.
by runningdonut on Jan 24, 2010 1:34 PM MST up reply actions
Except
Karl doesn’t like calling time outs.
by MattressKing on Jan 24, 2010 1:44 PM MST up reply actions
yeah, suspend him and go from there.
IMO, hes been benched for being in a slump and nothing else, but now his attitude has become a problem after last night’s game. if he cant handle and understand he is shooting worse than AC Carter, suspend him.
a big gamble
I think the suspension shows that the FO is committed to JR. SDcat is right in noting that JR will have little or no trade value if percieved as a head case. He has the opportunity to get himself together and focus on how he can help this team win if he chooses to. He can also choose to come out of this suspension with more pouting and selfish play. If he does the former, we’re a championship caliber team. If he does the latter, we’re boned. JR has the ability to become an all-around talent like Grant Hill (pre-injury) or a talented headcase like Ricky Davis. Its his choice but we all have to live with it.
by adub on Jan 24, 2010 2:44 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Battier?
Why would Houston give up Battier for Smith?
by Andrew_in_Seattle on Jan 24, 2010 1:11 PM MST up reply actions
Was thining the same things
Why would Houston trade their top intangibles player to us for JR. Would have to include TY or Nene.
My name is the One...
A note to JR Smith from my heart
it must be soooo damn tough to be a multi-millionaire without even needing to go to college or having to work a real job. Must be a bitch to do what you love for a career and still get more money then the millions of Americans who don’t love their jobs and work ungodly amount of hours, I’m sure all of the people who are currently unemployed feel a great amount of pain for your problem. It’s sad immature people with such a poor education can be this rich and yet plenty of intelligent hard working people can barely feed their family. JR you can grow the fuck up about right now and realize how incredibly good you have it, I thought he’d have changed his ways but I guess I was wrong.
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
What A Game!
I think that was the most exciting game this season. Stats don’t tell the story of the energy that was in the air last night. Did anyone go to this game? What a great Saturday night game! Too bad it wasn’t on national TV. I wish I had been there.
The first quarter was fast paced and fun. We had a dramatic ending. What more could you ask for? Defense, you say? Well, ok. Maybe next time.
Melo should skip the All-Star game to rest his ankle. He won’t, but he should.
IMO, last night was great. More games like this, please.
Melo out on Monday
but says he will be fine and he has had worse ankle injuries. DP
March 14, 2010: The great one returns!
JR The Unfinished Product
I think we’ve all forgotten the past and how we all used to rail against George Karl for the way he treated JR. He was too hard on JR. He was holding JR back. If GK would just _ (fillintheblank) JR, JR would be the best 6th man in the NBA.
And then – things changed. JR started controlling his shot. He started working on defense. He spent time with Chauncy honing his skills.
Suddenly Karl wasn’t such a prick. And our player/darling was locked and loaded… until… until a few games ago.
Now? Now it’s trade the over-paid pouting son-of-a-bitch.
This is so fucked up I don’t even know where to start. So I won’t start.
JR is a good kid. He has always been a good kid. And I for one am behind him 100%. The Nuggets wouldn’t be the Nuggets without JR. He, like all of us who participate in being human, are works in progress. We are unfinished products.
So try and trade that.
History says otherwise.
Does JR’s “good kid” status, as you claim, include being suspended for 7 games for directly contributing to the death of his friend in a traffic accident?
Does it include constantly butting heads with the head coach?
Does it include jacking up off balance shots, missing them, then sulking on the bench and in the locker room?
Does it include always hacking and reaching in for a foul when beaten by a drive on the defensive end?
Does it include whining to the refs, arms extended, after every single call?
Does it include taking the ball out of bounds for a turnover after an airballed shot?
Yeah, I dunno. I’ve been watching JR since he got here and he hasn’t changed one bit. I still don’t see this “controlled shot” or “improved” defense you are wont to mention. I still see the same immature, primadonna, bad-shot taking player that JR has always been.
Look at the difference between Lawson and JR. Lawson is already playing better than JR has and he’s been in the NBA for a little over 7 months.
If Chauncey can’t mentor JR, nobody can.
Swats.
Also, consider this.
Had we left JR in the game last night, we probably would have lost. Instead, Afflalo is in, nails two huge threes in OT, and we go on to win the game.
Swats.
Great question...
What would you do to help a family member who needed help? A tremendously talented family member. A family member who may frustrate the shit out of you, but whom is still a family member.
I stand behind the way GK has handled JR. He hasn’t traded him away (the moral equivalent of sending him to boarding school), or let him walk all over him. If he suspends JR when we really need him before the Bobcats game, I think it will make an impression on JR. JR is NOT unreachable.
What you DON’T do is banish this family member. He’s having a rough time and once again needs the team and the fans.
Thats one way of looking at it
You can argue a basketball team is a family. I would argue its a sport. I would argue its a business. I would argue that like him or not JR is our most tradeable asset. I would argue that his scoring is more easily replaced then our current hole in the frontcourt. I’d also say he’s doing his damndest to not get traded by lowring his value literally by the day. (channeling up Chapelle voice) “Today, JR Smith plummeted on the NASDAQ…gold is up two points.” I don’t want to really go into the whole argument, if you’ve been reading this blog at any moment for the past two months (for some of us, the trade JR discussion is old news indeed) you know where I stand. The only thing that has started to make me change my stance is that JR has been performing so bad, and now has got himself suspended, that his trade value is almost to such a lowpoint that its not worth trading him. Nodoy’s going to be falling over themselves to get JR, honestly I think a Jeff Foster-JR Smith straight up trade is right about what you could expect to get for him
I think JR is a bit of a messed but good at heart kid.
In all sincerity, I have wondered if he is s severe ADHD or is bipolar or something. No joke.
I cannot even begin to imagine what kind of psychological trauma he must have suffered knowing that he was responsible for the death of his best friend. While he served his time as required by law, I doubt for one minute that he has forgotten what happened. I sincerely hope he received some counseling in addition to completing his required punishments set by law. He also has a new baby girl which obviously changes his life entirely.
That is an awful lot of pressure on really just a young man. I’m not excusing his behavior, but what I am trying to get at, is that how can anyone who has not been in his position deal with something that traumatic. Couple that with knowing that you have to perform at extremely high level in the NBA.
I’m not giving up on JR. I just hope he can get his life together and soon.
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
I'm Not Sure Karl and JR Work
My feeling is that JR needs a special kind of coach that can reach him, and I don’t think it is Karl, who admits they don’t even talk. It might be time to move JR and get a guy that fits Karl’s system. JR has had an awful season for the most part.
by ACEIII on Jan 24, 2010 3:27 PM MST via mobile reply actions
If We Trade JR
He will develop and flourish under a different coach and system. Then he will return to Denver and destroy us. I wanna be at that game.
by MattressKing on Jan 24, 2010 4:55 PM MST up reply actions
Interesting takes on JR
I see both sides.
To me, JR is the classic NBA dilemma: his talent is outrageous but his lack of discipline is nearly intolerable. He could be one of the best players in the league if he wanted to, but evidently he doesn’t. But how do you trade/bench a guy like him and force yourself to rely heavily on a pedestrian talent like Afflalo? Sure, he might be more consistent on a day -to-day basis, but teams with guys like Afflalo playing a major role don’t win titles. (And I don’t mean this to knock Afflalo, I like him and he’s been better than expected, but he’s a role player). Talent wins titles. Talent is going to keep us ahead of the surging young teams in the conference. But, of course, talent ain’t worth it if its lazy and undisciplined.
I’ve always felt Nene and JR are the X factors on this team, if both develop to their potential, we might hang a banner. So far, I’m not holding my breath. But I’m not ready to give up on JR yet.
JR needs a sport psychologist
He needs someone to work with him to teach him to trust his skills and just let it happen. He thinks too much. He lets a bad shot eat at him. The next time he tries a shot he’s thinking about the last bad one. This multiplies until he can’t hit anything. He beats himself up and talks negatively to himself. You can see this in his reaction to his bad play.
The Nuggets have a lot invested in him. They should hire someone to work with him to improve his mental game.
I've said here before he needs to call the Rockies and find out which psychologist
worked with Jorge De la Rosa. I’m absolutely serious.
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
earl smith
last season melo was suspended 1 game. a few seasons back kmart was suspended during the playoffs. the front office needs to draw a line. this is not something that cannot be fixed if all sides are willing. karl was able to resolve the issues he had with kmart anything is possible. this CAN be just a bump in the road and everything CAN be better in the long run.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
good points!
Dear Rockies- What a fun ride! Best comeback in MLB history to become NL Wild Card Champs.
Troy Tulowitzki-MLB's BEST shortstop..nuff said
Yorvit Torrealba-Our clutch has gone out,along with the best name in MLB.
Brad Hawpe- Yo,Carl Crawford, Brad would like his mojo back ASAP
Dexter Fowler- Blinding speed, blinding smile, leaps Utleys in a single bound.
earl, chris, nene, & lawson
See, I actually believe the Nuggets can take the Lakers and win the whole thing. Although I have these delusional thoughts I temper them with the belief that we need all the talent and chemistry we have – most notably:
Andersen needs to quit making commercials and become the defensive game changer that we saw last year – i think he is starting to believe his own press
Nene needs to become more of an offensive threat – he needs to be worked into the paint where he can be more dangerous as each game happens. to do that he needs the damn basketball
Lawson needs to cut the bullshit and run the team like he owns it when he is on the floor
AND
JR needs to do whatever it takes to center himself and become the X factor that will send the opposing teams into spasms
Like JR – don’t like JR – wanna jump up and scream at him… he is part of the team – and my belief?
He is part of the family and we need him, just like we need the rest of the guys…
we are family
andersen- nothing wrong with him making extra cash doing trashy mattress commercials. the problem is he plays too many minutes at one time. against nawlins he played over 11 minutes the first time he was on the court. this is because of the 3 player rotation at center and power forward. this effects not only chris but nene and kmart too. all three try to ration their fouls and are too fatigued at the end of the game. hilario- his biggest problem on offense is melo. he would rather take a crappy shot then pass to nene. starting smith would help both players. smith can dish off to nene for easy dunks. the way the rotations are done it is an exception when both players are on the floor together. lawson’s big problem is he is on the court with smith for major minutes. afflalo and lawson make a great guard tandem. they came off the bench together when smith was out at the beginning of the year. when billuips was hurt they started. the last 2 games in the starting lineup they combined for 35 and 40 points in each game. last seasom smith and kleiza combined to average 25 ppg. smith is in a bad place right now. place him in the starting lineup for limited minutes in the dahntey jones role. he will play 9 minutes to start the 1st and 3rd quarters for a total of 18 minutes. afflalo will play 30 minutes with ty and chauncey off the bench.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
why all the bird bashing
the guy has solid numbers for 20 min of play, and he seem to be getting his bounce back.
one more thing
our problem… assists, bad shot selction… one would solve the other
5280 or fight!!!!!
by stardate armageddon on Jan 25, 2010 2:01 AM MST reply actions
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