Raptors vs. Nuggets recap: 14-5 ...
by Andrew Feinstein on Jan 28, 2012 9:40 AM MST
in Denver Nuggets: Game Recaps
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PrintThe Nuggets tried to give last night's game away, but the Raptors were unable to take it. The result was the Nuggets' sixth-straight victory despite the ugliness of the game.
Entering last night's contest - and knowing the Raptors would be without Andrea Bargnani, the lone player that makes them competitive - I was looking forward to watching Nuggets' rookies Kenneth Faried, Jordan Hamilton and Julyan Stone get some ample playing time. But it never happened.
Even though at various times in the game the Nuggets boosted their lead into the low 20s, for whatever reason the Nuggets were unable to put the Raptors away for good, forcing Nuggets head coach George Karl to stick with his "trust guys" of Andre Miller, Danilo Gallinari, Nene, Al Harrington and Rudy Fernandez for longer than anyone probably wanted to see them on the floor.
I attribute the Nuggets' inability to emphatically shut the door on the Raptors to the absence of Ty Lawson, who missed the game due to a bad ankle. With Lawson in the lineup, the Nuggets are able to take decent sized leads and expand upon them quickly. But without the little dynamo on the floor, the Nuggets seem all too content to go through the motions - which reduces possessions and allows teams to sneak back into games if a few possessions don't go the right way.
Fortunately, Fernandez remained hot enough throughout the game (missing just two shots) to keep the Nuggets at a safe distance at all times. But seeing Fernandez in person, he's clearly laboring on his strained Achilles heel and one wonders how much rest the Spaniard actually needs.
Curiously, center Timofey Mozgov didn't get a lot of minutes even though he looked frisky in the first half and grabbed eight rebounds, had two blocks and scored four points in just 16 minutes of playing time. Karl must have felt that he had to go small, as neither Chris Andersen (8:25) and Kosta Koufos (5:20) saw a lot of time on the floor.
But while we can nitpick Karl's lineup choices all we want - and bemoan not getting to see the rookies play (again) - the bottom line is that the Nuggets are 14-5 and, with a victory over the Clippers at Pepsi Center on Sunday night, may be distancing themselves from their Western Conference competitors ... other than Oklahoma City, of course.
Non-Stiff of the Game
Rudy Fernandez: Fernandez returned to shoot a scorching 9-11 from the field, including 5-7 from three-point range. And even though solid performances were had by Nene, Gallo and Miller, Fernandez seemed to be the pace setter for the entire game and the main catalyst for the Nuggets victory.
Stiff of the Game
Linas Kleiza: The former Nugget shot a dreadful 1-7 from the field and let his frustrations boil over by going at it with Harrington near the very end of the game, causing multiple unnecessary technical fouls. DeMar Derozan was equally awful, missing 12 of his 15 shot attempts and finishing the game with a +/- of -19.
Parting Shot
If this were a normal, 82-game NBA season the Nuggets would be on pace for 60 wins. A true test comes on Sunday night when the Clippers, who are just 2.5 games behind the Nuggets, come to town for what's sure to be a hard fought game. To beat the Clips, the Nuggets will have to play much better than they did against Toronto.
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Can George Coach Bigs?
This game wasn’t exactly a sizzler. Nene played a strong inside game, and is showing a nice improvement in free throws. The centers? A combined 31 minutes, 10 rebounds (none on the offensive boards), and 4 points. The game featured quite a bit of lazy outside shooting. Now, I don’t expect a vibrant effort every night, but Toronto is not a very good team despite two nice recent road victories. This game should have been one featuring a great deal of inside activity. We didn’t get that though from the big guys. This year the Nuggets will face Oklahoma City and Portland three times each. The Nuggets will only have one home game with each of these opponets. Marcus Camby single-handedly owned the paint in Portland earlier in the season. Last night he got 20 rebounds. The Nuggets will need to do a better job of developing their ‘bigs’.
Why Harrington over Moz down the stretch?
Harrington was having an awful game and Moz was playing pretty good. There is no way Harrington was more of an asset than Moz last night……sooner or later Karl, your going to have to let Moz get some experience in “crunch time”…although it was barely that.
Other thoughts: Rudy, Nene, and Gallo had good games. Miller, I thought, did not. Seemed like he had 4-5 TOs.
"Pain don't hurt" - Swayze (Road House) -- We miss you man!
Chris Kamen is available?
Note in the post p. 8C says New Orleans Hornets say he’s available for trade . Wattayathink. Nugs don’t need him for the season, but for the playoffs? A veteran banger who understands playoff officiating, etc.. But I would be sorry to see any of the present roster go, and, do the nugs have cap room?
No thanks to Kamen!
Would rather take a ride with Moz. Not worried about the playoffs.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Agree with FLY
I wouldn’t want to give up any of young team for him as a rental (or even long term).
"Pain don't hurt" - Swayze (Road House) -- We miss you man!
Unless we can trade Bird for Kaman straight up
Thats the only way it could work. We get a better player who is expiring and we get rid of Bird’s contract.
People around the league somehow think the bird is good, scam them Ujiri!!!
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
He was with the Hornets....
…I think twice. Come on Hornets, bring the Birdman home thrice. I’d take that deal. Pretty sure the NBA owned Hornets would squash that deal faster than Paul to the Lakers.
"Pain don't hurt" - Swayze (Road House) -- We miss you man!
I wouldn't mind.
I think a lot of the users on DS have become scared to even consider touching this roster but I always think there’s room for improvement.
But like the others said, I wouldn’t want to give up any of our young talent, if we could trade Bird and maybe Chandler’s rights for Kaman and a 2nd rounder I’d do it. His deal is expiring which would free up more cap space for us and he’s still a player that would make us better.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
by Agaliarept on Jan 28, 2012 11:35 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
If Denver could get Kamen this cheap
I might be interested.
A lot of Stiffs are more keen on Chandler than I am. But Denver needs another big more than it needs another wing player.
Isn’t there a decent big out there Denver could get for a Bird / Chandler rights package who isn’t Kamen? I’m not too familiar with the market.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
i think Kaman is the best out there at the moment
other than dwight. if we could get him on the cheap (ie chandler, bird, 2nd rounders) i would be very satisfied. gives us more flexibility next year with dre and kaman’s contracts expiring. need batman to go to his cave and get on this
I don't think there's much of a market AT ALL yet.
Might possibly be like last year where teams were waiting to see what would happen with Melo, now they’re waiting to see what’ll happen with Dwight.
Personally, I think we could do better than Kaman if we waited because I think Chandler is seen as pretty valuable around the league, but if Kaman was our only choice, we could do worse.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
by Agaliarept on Jan 28, 2012 11:52 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
I just don't think it is urgent for Denver at this point
And who know how much of a hurry the league — who owns the Hornets — is to shop Kamen.
I do expect Denver to unload some of its depth before the trade deadline to improve a tighter, playoff roster. But I admit to being pretty nervous about this, as I like the roster practically as is. The only issue is the depth causes a logjam for minutes.
Moz looks better and better, but it will be a year or two before he is a solid starting center. Getting a Kamen will effectively relegate him to the bench and stunt his development.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Kaman is not the "tough scoring banger" the Nuggets need
I’d be nervous about messing with the roster if I were the GM, but thankfully I’m just another guy with an opinion, though hopefully it’s a somewhat informed one. The Nuggets need only one more guy, one who you can count on to get a basket or two when the going gets tough. I’m talking about a player of Paul Millsap’s caliber and character.
(By the way, after watching Faried work the offensive boards the other night, I’m hoping he might become that guy, but it won’t be in this year’s playoffs.)
Can they get someone fitting that description without screwing up the roster? Here’s betting Masai Ujiri can work most any scenario. But it’s not Chris Kaman, though I sure hope that guy lands where he can make a decent contribution to a team, along with avoiding the injury bug that has plagued him for so long now.
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 1:16 PM MST up reply actions
George Karl on Millsap
From the Salt Lake Tribune at http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/53305483-87/millsap-jazz-game-legs.html.csp
“"He is really impressive," Karl said. "I think he is the key to the Jazz."”
I’m not advocating Millsap for the Nuggets, but someone of his ilk is what we’re missing.
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 1:21 PM MST up reply actions
I've actually read some speculation
that the Jazz will look to move Milsap to clear up minutes for Favors.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Jan 28, 2012 1:41 PM MST up reply actions
wow
that would be pretty crazy, you’d think they’d rather move Al Jeff. Millsap is a great player on a reasonable contract.
i keep dancing on my own.
Jefferson is the only C on their roster
As well as Milsap is playing, I won’t be surprised if they keep him, despite Favors.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Jan 28, 2012 1:48 PM MST up reply actions
Yeah, Enes Kanter
And he was the 4th overall pick, so you gotta put some faith into him.
Kanter – 2011 4th overall.
Burks – 2011 8th overall.
Favors – 2010 3rd overall.
Hayward – 2010 9th overall.
Not bad imo.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Wow is right
TID, I’d love to see any links to that speculation. If it’s true, that would be a move worth risking some roster tinkering, imo. Favors sure has a high ceiling, though, so it’s understandable that they’d want him on the floor to develop him.
But Utah is fairly competitive right this minute, and the West seeding is far from all set after OKC at the top. (Look out, Nuggets are comin’!) Why wouldn’t they keep working with what they have to develop the best rotation in order to get as high a seed as possible and then hit it hard come May?
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 8:16 PM MST up reply actions
Apprarenly, the Hornets are in a hurry to trade Kamen....
…..according to the Hornets, Kamen is not playing until he is traded. They make it clear it isn’t because of his attitude, but because they don’t want to risk injury….so it seems he will move soon.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/27/report-hornets-shopping-center-chris-kaman/
"Pain don't hurt" - Swayze (Road House) -- We miss you man!
I doubt the money part would work...
…but that may not be a bad idea even if you are joking. It doesn’t seem Melo and Stat are a good fit and Kamen would come off of the books for next year giving NY money to spend for somebody like DWill or Howard.
"Pain don't hurt" - Swayze (Road House) -- We miss you man!
has anyone bothered to mention
that kamen makes 14 million a year? this isn’t fantasy basketball.
by Patrick KB. Nugget on Jan 28, 2012 4:50 PM MST up reply actions
Yeah
Throw It Down mentioned it. He’s the only one who really has a sense of these things (contracts, trade exemptions, etc) and he made it clear that it was practically impossible.
Not that any of us are going to let the facts get in the way of our ridiculous speculating.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Yeah, let's not get too practical around here!
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 8:17 PM MST up reply actions
I agree
this was taken to the extreme when someone said that adding dwight howard would be a bad idea.
No matter how good we look, we should always be looking to upgrade the roster, especially when you have a chance at a title this year. The fact is that we will still be underdogs in a series against OKC or Miami, but an upgrade at center could change that. I would love Kaman at the right price.
by Rainbow skyline on Jan 28, 2012 1:06 PM MST up reply actions
2 2nd round picks?
and absorb him into our trade exception. Basically a one year rental, and no harm ditching a couple of 2nds
They can't get him with a trade exemption
The $7 million exemption for Felton is the biggest they have left. Kaman makes $14 million this year. The easiest way to make the salaries work would be Chandler/J.R./Kmart.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Jan 28, 2012 1:44 PM MST up reply actions
Rudy is a streaky shooter
But when his shot is falling, pretty awesome. He’s a solid crafty competitive player too. Let’s hope the achilles heals all the way. Like AAA with the hamstring, achilles is a tricky injury.
by Nuggburg on Jan 28, 2012 10:45 AM MST via mobile reply actions
Not really too concerned with the Nuggets letting Toronto back in last night, because when it mattered, they were able to lock down on defense. Should it ever have come to the point? Of course not.
But in a season where bad games happen and teams play uninspired ball against terrible teams some times. And in the case of the Nuggets, they at least came out playing good basketball. A 12-point first quarter on defense is pretty effing good.
Yeah, they were bored because they expected to win and it took shrinking the lead to 6 to get them to mentally commit to closing out the game. Would have been nice to be up 25 and see some more rookie play. But whatever.
After a 5-0 road trip, I think the Nuggets earned the right to keep me from panicking for a little bit.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Also:
If you all think I was mad about the Nuggets losing to the Hornets, you should read how angry Dwight Howard is after his Magic were thoroughly smashed by the bugs.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Well that stands to reason
Dwight is playing the game after all:)
Jason Hammel : Feared Slugger was /2011'd
BigGiantHead of the Ubaldo Lover's Club;OG Thugget Loyalist #4, QPU Emeritus, Proud member PR Gynocracy
If I got 28 and 16 and we lost big, I'd be mad, too
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 1:22 PM MST up reply actions
dwight needs to realize
that he CREATED the lack of enthusiasm his team mates (especially nelson with dwights coments on needing a better pg) are exhibiting.
by Patrick KB. Nugget on Jan 28, 2012 4:51 PM MST up reply actions
Must agree here
The Magic are dead in the water until things get squared away with the Howard situation. But you know what? Even if Howard suddenly re-upped there with gusto, I couldn’t see the Magic going very deep. Like Atlanta, there’s just something lacking that keeps me from taking them seriously. Like maybe overwhelming inconsistency in their execution. Might a different head coach make a difference?
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 8:22 PM MST up reply actions
Orlando just isn't that good
Even with a committed Dwight and a happy/motivated everyone else.
But then again, no one really is out east except the Bulls and the Heat. And I really think any team that comes out of the west without too many battle scars is going to trounce whoever the east proffers for the championship.
Every year they say the east is getting better, and every year the east looks like shit except for one or two teams.
Is it interesting to see who will be 3 and 4? Sure. Orlando could maybe get one of those spots if they fight it out with Philly and Atlanta. But Miami / Chicago will dispatch all comers in five or six games.
Who cares about Orlando? I just bring them up because they lost to the Hornets and it made Dwight Howard mad, and that is just one more of many things the two of us have in common.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Seemed to me like the Raptors got back in the game
whenever Andre left the floor. Without a true PG in the game the Nuggets struggled to find some of the easy buckets they were getting. Looking forward to getting Ty back asap.
The team looked way better on D with Nene in there too.
Yes to both of these observations
I really like K2, but the truth is, Denver didn’t play good at all when he was on the floor. His +/- was abysmal. A big part of the turnaround in the fourth quarter was just getting the starters back on the floor.
But not having Ty hurt the most. Even with Andre the pace of the game can sputter for the Nuggets and Ty provides an amazing spark. Hope he can come back in time for the Clippers game.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Part of it was
the frontcourt being Kosta/Harrington. Obviously it was a failed experiment. I think Kosta has only been in the frontcourt with Mozgov all season, maybe Nene once or twice.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
Clunker Quarter
The Nuggets had a bad quarter against the Rapters (3rd) after 6 dominating quarters. Just couldn’t keep the focus going. It happens. The guys out there are not machines.
I agree that Ty was missed. GK doesn’t have the luxury of 3 PGs this year. Rudy is not a good PG and Stone is not aggressive enough right now. So I hope he is back tomorrow to terrorize the Clippers.
I think the big men are developing just fine. Mozgov has gotten better and better. It takes a lot to earn GK trust, but I think better things are ahead for Moz.
Other positives:
Denver only gave up 81 points. It’s lowest points allowed so far this season. This means it was more a matter of the Nuggets getting cold and lazy and settling for jump shots in the third quarter than a serious lapse in defensive intensity, though it certainly diminished there for a bit.
Didn’t even notice last night that Nene had a 20/10 night. That’s awesome production for a power forward / center. He’s earning that money. He had at least two awesome dunks following drives to the basket. He does not seem to be playing as soft this season as we’ve seen.
More a case of Denver’s offense sputtering than anything. And without Ty breaking down interior defense, it is easy to pinpoint exactly where the problem was. Just shows how important a healthy Ty is for this team.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
The big negative
Is, as Andrew and others pointed out, by not putting away Toronto earlier, Nene, Gallo, Rudy, Al and Andre all played a bit more than they should have, especially the injured Rudy. Hard to take him out when he was shooting so well. So reading that Fernandez was gimpy on that heel definitely gives me cause for concern.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
The Raptor's shot selection was atrocious, especially early on
or maybe I’m just used to watching the Nuggets waltz to easy layups
I wish this was a whole season, so this team could set a new record
54-23 is the most wins in nuggets franchise history
the current 14-5 start is the best in franchise history
55-11 is too much to ask in a shortened season
I feel good about the team. maybe they can break 54 next yeat
AND WE’RE COMING FOR YOU BACON DURANT!
If the Nuggets somehow finish
with more than 50 wins in this shortened season, it will be cause to celebrate.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
one more thing 8-0 vs. the eastern conferance now
7 wins away from being the only team in nba history to sweep a conference in the regular season. Let’s get it!
I think there will be more games than 15 against E. Conference teams
I know some teams Denver will only play once, New York being the obvious example, but Denver has played Milwaukee twice so far.
Don’t quite know how this breaks down. But I like the idea of an unprecedented sweep.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
By the time we play Orlando, Dwight will be gone
Only games we could lose is at Indy (if we have injuries), and at Chicago. Otherwise we could win the rest of the games vs the East.
Btw, isn’t it great that Ujiri thinks all this success is fool’s gold? He is not satisfied and is still looking for better options. What a great guy to sign as the GM. Nugz got an upgrade over Wark and I thought it would be hard. Since Kiki left (he wasnt terrible, but wasn’t great either), the Nuggets have gotten better in the FO.
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
by JR15 on Jan 28, 2012 12:28 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
where did you see Ujiri is looking for more trades?
Well, I know they are looking to sign chandler… but where did you see any ujiri stuff?
Well the Kiz says whenever he talks to Ujirir
Ujiri says fools gold, just pointing out the guy doesn’t think the Nyggets are close to a finished product yet.
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
it's a running joke between them
ujiri doesn’t think it is fools gold any more than he thought “we got killed” in the melo trade. that’s just his quiet confidence.
by Patrick KB. Nugget on Jan 28, 2012 4:54 PM MST up reply actions
Did you look at the schedule?
There are 10 more games against Leastern conference foes:
Denver Nuggets upcoming schedule against Eastern Conference teams:
Feb. 11 @ Indy
Mar. 7 CLEV
Mar. 13 ATL
Mar. 17 BOS
Mar. 21 DET
Mar. 26 @ Chi
Mar. 28 @ Tor
Mar. 30 @ Cha
Apr. 1 @ Orl
Apr. 22 Orl
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Notice:
Just one game against the East in February. That is going to be an amazingly difficult month.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
That stat is what has me worried
8-0 vs. the Leastern
6-4 vs. the Western Conference. Need to really improve in this area.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Jan 28, 2012 12:21 PM MST up reply actions
*6-5
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Jan 28, 2012 12:22 PM MST up reply actions
not too bad
road losses to portland, lakers, and spurs i’ll take. Can’t do those 2 unspeakable home losses
It's gotta be tough to keep executing during a blowout this season
when you’ve played with the intensity the Nuggets had in the first half. They were firing on all cylinders on both ends of the floor. Early on, it looked like it might get bad enough that Toronto would be unable to even take the floor after their next time out. They were stuck on two points for what must have seemed to them like an eternity. And it didn’t get a ton better until the third quarter, when the Nuggets couldn’t keep it up.
My point is simply that it must be really hard to stay in that kind of flow against an undermanned opponent for a whole game, especially during this intense schedule. But even Toronto without Bargnani is a roster of pro ballers with some pride, and they will make a run. The Nuggets were able to handle them, but sure, it would have been great for the deepsters to get more run.
No. More. Stickyball.
ROLL CALL!
Knicks fans will be watching the Clippers game against us, mainly because they’d like to point at us if we lose and say “See, the Clippers build a team of superstars and beat you, thus your way of building a team is invalid and that we had the right idea”.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
yeah, some Knick fans are out of their gourds
but, honestly many Knick posters on PostingToasting really know the score. I posted some there and believed that I was as negative on Knicks as anyone else. Not by a longshot!
At least I show a sympathetic bone. Some posters are downright irate and have Nugget Envy.
Remember, many Denver fans have fondness for Carmelo while, to many Knick fans, he’s just another dude so with things as they are, disillusioned K fans could be pretty ugly. Its NY after all.
Roll call Nothing!
I thought I was doing well. Heck, I could catch crreid and moondoggie. Then I look up and there is Cat at 248. How the hell does Cat go for 248?
Only way I could do that is if I decided not to breathe.
Cat what are you posting like once a minute over hours. Sheez!
she probably missed half the game tho...
Which wouldn’t be bad as ugly as much of it was.
by Alaskan4Fat on Jan 28, 2012 2:07 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
exactly.
imo it’s better to be a nuggets fan than a nuggets fan-fan.
by Patrick KB. Nugget on Jan 28, 2012 4:57 PM MST up reply actions
What does this even mean?
Jason Hammel : Feared Slugger was /2011'd
BigGiantHead of the Ubaldo Lover's Club;OG Thugget Loyalist #4, QPU Emeritus, Proud member PR Gynocracy
I don't miss the game whilst posting.
I’m a helluva multitasker. In fact, I even make dinner during games too
Jason Hammel : Feared Slugger was /2011'd
BigGiantHead of the Ubaldo Lover's Club;OG Thugget Loyalist #4, QPU Emeritus, Proud member PR Gynocracy
Dont know how you do it Cat
I’m watching game, trying to squeeze out a post, spilling my hot herbal tea on my lap (true story), rushing to bathroom cause I held it in to watch some play or other.
I look like Mike D’Antoni trying to teach the Knicks teams ball. I’m a total mess
Spams and “Errors” hehe
Crouching moron, hidden smarta**
Optimism, pessimism, F*CK THAT; we're gonna make it happen. As God as my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work.
"This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."
Masai Ujiri, Brian Cashman: Magnificent Bastards
Supreme: Everyone gets a free pony.
My biggest worry while looking at records is
4-4 vs .500+ teams
The L.A. game was a mis-hap, the Portland game was winnable, we were flat against Utah at home, and let the Spurs control that game.
Hoping these were growing pains as those games were early in the season and every single one could have turned into a win (minus Utah)
A convincing win against the Clippers at home would make me feel a little better.
well,
we were 1 – 4 against above 500 teams in the playoffs, no?
Its what we are. Good, maybe very good but not great.
Good news, 3 of those losses were on >500 home courts, so lets get home court. And, as agent suggests, at least 2 of those road losses were winnable.
Karl has to start trusting our Center to turn us into a real contender. Ndene at Center will not work. Lets develop a Center and see what happens when we battle big teams like Portland, Lakers and OKC.
YES!
Let’s develop a center! And a half-court offense that exploits his game! Pretty please?
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 8:27 PM MST up reply actions
Why?
We have a good thing going with our old center now playing power forward who happens to be one of the best passing big men in the game. I know the halfcourt offense still has some hiccups, but I see no point in taking touches away from Nene to develop Moz or whatever.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Hope we can develop Moz w/o hurting Nene
Seems like the answer to “why?” is pretty obvious.
No. More. Stickyball.
by LongWindedHank on Jan 28, 2012 8:33 PM MST up reply actions
No, Fly,
I’m not suggesting we de-emphasize Nene. I like Nene. He could man hamdle lots of PFs.
But I dont think he can man handle Centers, mostly because Nene is not that tall.
In the playoffs we will have to go against real Centers → Ibaka, Perkins, Bynum, DeJordan, Camby, Gasol etc
Do you want Nene on those Centers? We’ll get killed. Moz development has to come at the expense of small line ups. We may even lose a couple more games if we trust Moz in 4th quarters but we have to have a center in the playoffs.
And no, KK is not the answer, ever. He’ll get mauled if he played with any regularity.
Ooooh
This is good and solid.
You are mostly talking about defense. Just know that I mostly agree with you about this.
My main objection to KarlFanHenry — who I think is fantastic, btw — is that he seemed to be talking about offense. But re-reading, I admit I could have got that wrong. He could have been talking half-court offense in conjunction with what you are saying.
That said, a lot of these centers you are talking about aren’t offensive threats. Yeah, they get points on put-back dunks. But they are there to play defense and patrol the paint. And if you can get them matched up with someone like Nene or even Mozgov — who I am getting more and more sold on every day — you can pull them out of the paint with their excellent outside shooting ability.
My buddy Patrick KB Nuggets and I used to argue about this all the time with Marcus Camby when he played for Denver. He’d bitch about his terrible outside shot, hit “crank” and I’d say it was a good weapon to deploy here and there because an outside shooting big man keeps dominate, paint-patrolling, shot-blocking centers honest on defense and opens up the inside to penetrating guards and small forwards, of which Denver has plenty.
Just know that I agree with bringing Moz along. Think you’ll agree he’s been looking pretty damn good on both ends of the court, no?
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
yepp, lets bring Moz along and see what happens because
Though, I believe, statistically, the Nugs have between a 6 – 12% chance of winning title, practically, the lineup of Nene, Gallo, Al, Ty and AAA have virtually 0 chance of winning a title.
It would be swamped by tall playoff teams.
Take OKC, for example. Our small line up would have the impossible task of dealing with Perkins, who takes up horizontal space, Ibaka who takes up vertical space and then you throw in Durant and that damn Hardin.
OKC is Denver's only match up problem of the elite teams
And Denver matches up way better than they did last year. I’d still give the Thunder an edge in a head-to-head playoff match up, but only slight.
That lineup you dislike won’t be on the floor the whole time, but I think it is best closing line-up.
There is a way to beat OKC as this team is currently constructed.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Yeah
I believe we could beat OKC but for me to have any real confidence I’d have to see some positive signs in our games against OKC this regular season.
OH, and BTW, my percentages on Denvers chances of titling are wrong because I forgot to include an extra round. Three rounds in the West and Final would reduce our chances to roughly 6% – a fair assessment of where we stand right about now.
I think wilson chandler will be a huge chip for the team.
Question is whether the Nuggs r better off working him into the rotation and messing w/chemistry, sitting him on the bench for insurance and messing w/chemistry, or trading him for a draft pick. Any way, he’s an asset.
by Alaskan4Fat on Jan 28, 2012 2:13 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Not really
The news right now is NO moving Kaman. And Chandler is a big chip as far as that goes.
If Denver signs him, they could keep him and trade Rudy, or trade him and not mess with chemistry — that’s my preference. I’m not keen on Chandler. He’s good. But I have issues with his attitude and his playoff performance last year. He seemed disinterested at best. Mind, he wasn’t as bad as Felton.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Nah
I like Brewer. He’s been prone to some mental errors, but I like his energy. He’ll settle down.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
I hope he gets traded too
I don’t know for what though… draft picks??? pretty strong draft… our 2nd unit next year will be very young
Draft picks
Or even a serviceable, playoff ready center.
But I’m not really that interested in stymieing Moz’s development. He’s young, athletic and he’s really starting to take off. I think he could be a solid playoff contributor once he gets this condensed season under him.
Also: who knows how the Nuggets look in March when Chandler can come back in regards to injuries. And who knows what weaknesses in the roster that difficult February schedule will expose.
I’m real happy with the Nuggets right now, but as we’ve talked about this morning, Denver hasn’t demonstrated any legit dominance over Western conference foes. Tomorrow’s game is going to signal a lot as far as this goes.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
whatwith all the injuries and compressed schedule
We’ve already seen the value of keeping Rudy and Brewer. Plus, they each offer something different. I really liked Chandler when I saw him but the best move might be to try to trade him for a first round pick. Not sure that’s possible but se’ve got the man to do it!
by Alaskan4Fat on Jan 28, 2012 2:36 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Really
I don’t want to move anyone except Andersen and Chandler.
Wouldn’t be averse to losing Koufos or Brewer or Rudy or even Miller, since he prob. won’t be back. But doubt Denver will trade him because he is such a good back up PG.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
how bout demarre carroll? :-)
by Alaskan4Fat on Jan 28, 2012 2:40 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Oh
Not averse to trading him. Or Stone or Hamilton. Faried is really the only rookie I want Denver to keep. Having a legit rebounder would be huge. I could see him closing out games with Nene and Gallo in the future.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
I'd like to see them develop Stone.
Hamilton seems like a cookie-cutter swing guy w/no big upside but haven’t seen him play much.
by Alaskan4Fat on Jan 28, 2012 2:59 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
^^^^WTF are you guys saying
Remember Rudy is a FA this year who was rumored to want to return to Spain. Chandler’s D was amazing last year and he has this propensity to randomly offensively take over games. I say sign him long term to be the 6th man. Don’t forget Dre is also leaving as a FA for sure
Chandler doesnt want to be here...
He also won’t get the money he wants here… you also have to lock up ty lawson…
You'd have to make sure Chandler wants to back up Gallo first
His disappearing act in the playoffs last year was a bit troubling as well.
Nuggets' commin'...best recognize (Fernandez/Manimal...oop of the year)
DenverStiffs.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jmorton78
by Jeffrey Morton on Jan 28, 2012 4:14 PM MST up reply actions
I agree. I like Chandler a lot...
But if he’s not on the bus, need ti sebd him the way of JR Smith.
by Alaskan4Fat on Jan 28, 2012 4:24 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Or trade his rights.
Crouching moron, hidden smarta**
Optimism, pessimism, F*CK THAT; we're gonna make it happen. As God as my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work.
"This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."
Masai Ujiri, Brian Cashman: Magnificent Bastards
Supreme: Everyone gets a free pony.
Rudy wanted to return to Spain
Because he wasn’t happy in Portland. Maybe he’ll still want to go back? Maybe Denver has different plans for the SG spot (Hamilton?)? Maybe he ends up really liking Denver and the organization and the coaching staff and feels really good about his roll and wants to stick around?
Who knows! I do know that Chandler did not impress me last postseason. He’s a great player. But being a good player doesn’t mean he’d be a good fit for this team. If I have to choose between Rudy and Chandler, I’ll take Rudy any day.
Chandler is definitely the better player and I’d draft him ahead of Rudy on a fantasy basketball team, but, as I keep pointing out, statistics in basketball can’t quantify things like chemistry, and in my eyes, I like Rudy on this squad.
I am, however, open to being wrong about Chandler. As I said above, a lot can change between now and March.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
I don't understand why all of you are insisting on all these trade ideas
This team, as Andrew noted above would be on pace for a 60 win season in a 82 game season, and you guys are throwing out the trade word as if we were the New Orleans Hornets. We have a good thing going and there is little need to trade any of our assets at the moment. There are minor tweaks that can be adjusted but why are we talking about getting Kaman when if we got him, he would only be used as much as Mozgov. The biggest difference between Mozgov and Chris Kaman however is that Chris Kaman is a scrub on the downside of his career while Mozgov still has a good amount of upswing. I’m not sure I understand why everyone is so quick to toss Corey Brewer when he has worked his hustle and heart as the new viable fan-favorite of the Denver Nuggets nor am I feeling any need to get rid of Rudy because he has shown great play-making ability this season.
Did you guys see what Andrew said.. this is a 60 win team, you only get 2-3 of those every year in an 82 game season. I don’t understand why you guys want to trade for knuckleheads, wash-ups and unproven players whatsoever. This team also has a nice gel to it. I like this team and I’d like it to remain AS IT IS for as long as possible.
Be happy with the team you have.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
I agree completely.....
…some people just can’t quit tinkering. It’s the fantasy sports effect.
"Pain don't hurt" - Swayze (Road House) -- We miss you man!
I agree with all of this
I’m pretty firm with all my speculating that I prefer no moves be done.
Still, I can’t shake that the Nuggets front office is going to trade away some of this depth for a tighter rotation for the playoffs. Hope I’m wrong about that.
And Cloudy: A big part of the conversation here involves what to do with Chandler when he is available in March. That gives us speculative people an extra piece to play with that does not disrupt any chemistry.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
I wouldn't mind trading some of the depth for quality talent
but Chris Kaman is not the answer.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
A couple of Kaman notes
He is only 29. Younger than Nene, only 4 years older than Moz.
He is not a scrub. In fact, at Moz’s age (25), he averaged 16 pts, 13 boards a nearly 3 blocks…and I believe that was the year I sat in the stands in the playoffs and watched him absolutely destroy the Nuggets in yet another first round disappointment! Two years later (2 years ago), he averaged 19pts and 9 bds. He has had some injury issues (last year) but still has plenty of game. Don’t kid yourself, he is a serious upgrade over Moz.
Also, he seems like a good dude. He has been hosed this year and has taken it like a pro.
I’m not saying give up the farm…but it should be considered for a reasonable price.
Whether Karl will play him in the 4th is a different issue.
Just sayin’…the reason people tinker is…OKC is looking awesome, year after year 1st round exits. AND, GK’s philosophy says top 10 guys at each position = wins. C is the only position lacking right now.
Nene is 6 months younger than Kaman
Your pt that he not washed up is perhaps relevant but even when he was 22, a 30 year old Nene had a ton more athletism than Kaman.
Sorry, I have heard over and over that Nene is 30
I didn’t check. Whether or not he is a better athlete is immaterial. Many players in the league are excellent athletes, but not great basketball players.
FYI – I would never say trade Nene for Kaman
Kaman would be OK
but as a back up to Moz and as a starter should Moz get hurt like last year. Look, Kaman is not half the player he was a few years ago but he’s better than KK, God love him.
Kaman is not worth that money coming off the bench
Period. If Denver gets him, heaven forbid, he starts and Moz loses minutes at the cost of his future development.
Do. Not. Like.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
oh yeah, your right
If money is the problem, then its a no go. And Kaman should never get preference over Moz cause Moz’s arrow is tilting up, Kaman’s tilting down.
Why fix something that’s not broken…..
Crouching moron, hidden smarta**
Optimism, pessimism, F*CK THAT; we're gonna make it happen. As God as my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work.
"This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."
Masai Ujiri, Brian Cashman: Magnificent Bastards
Supreme: Everyone gets a free pony.
First round exits
To me, they are one piece away
Also, the goal is not to win 50-60 games
Nor is it to have a team full of good guys.
Although these are nice.
The goal is to win the championship.
+1
In fact, the goal should be to win multiple championships. A dynasty.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
And we can’t do that with a team full of good guys?
Crouching moron, hidden smarta**
Optimism, pessimism, F*CK THAT; we're gonna make it happen. As God as my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work.
"This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."
Masai Ujiri, Brian Cashman: Magnificent Bastards
Supreme: Everyone gets a free pony.
Yea but this team doesn't have Wilson Chandler and Raymond Felton
This is a brand new basketball team from the one that was traded for from last year. Not to mention they had a lot more time to gel, in last season they were thrown to the wolves and still have moderate success while Oklahoma had most of its core in tact and a loads amount of chemistry.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
Tight Rotations in playoffs (and big games) is a George Karl thing
And I like George and I think in alot of ways he is a great coach. But this is my peeve. George should use all the talent on the bench. Currently I wish he would ease Faried in every game, for evaluation, improvement and experience. So that when the big games come, he’s ready. Pipe dream.
My take on trades is we have talent and depth, It ain’t broke… So dont fix it. If Chandler wants in, that’s a possibility.
by Nuggburg on Jan 28, 2012 5:21 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
They’ve been blinded by Miami and co.
Crouching moron, hidden smarta**
Optimism, pessimism, F*CK THAT; we're gonna make it happen. As God as my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work.
"This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."
Masai Ujiri, Brian Cashman: Magnificent Bastards
Supreme: Everyone gets a free pony.
The issue is that you need to have a balance
between trading everyone and not trading anyone at all.
The main argument I have is that this team isn’t perfect, no matter what Andrew says. The perfect team is the one that you don’t touch, and I’ve yet to see a perfect NBA team. There’s always going to be room for improvement and while I’m not advocating for shopping any of our players around, I am advocating for considering all possible opportunities to trade for someone that would make the team better.
I’d also argue that this team has a lot of work to do in setting up for the future. The plan that I see Masai and Josh having is to fill the team with young and talented players who also have a lot of potential to get better. However, this isn’t a plan that just stops after one year. I know I’m going to get a lot of hate for this but I feel like Moz, Kouf, and Brewer have no ACTUAL potential. I think they’re just live bodies (especially Moz and Kouf) and while they play with a ton of energy, they’re not particularly talented nor do they show much potential for the future.
A lot of the “knuckleheads” we advocate for may not be the most perfect people, but they have more talent than 3/4 of our roster. (Btw, I think you’re exaggerating a little bit, we’re rarely discussing trades for wash-ups, unless you have really low opinions of some guys).
We need to get over the whole “Oh, unless this player is super unselfish and a perfect teammate and has endearing qualities I don’t want him on this team” attitude. Our success is only going to last so long. We need to look to the future as well. We’re all obsessed with our “decent” players like Rudy, Brewer, Moz, etc. but why should we settle for them? Why aren’t we out looking for the next Lawson/Gallo/Nene, the REAL talent and potential on our rosters?
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Moz . .
Has looked a ton better in the last two weeks than he did in previous month. I dunno if Moz is a legit starting caliber center in the NBA yet, but I don’t know that he isn’t either. He made two spectatular blocks last night that I had no idea he had in him . . and last night was not his best work.
I'd argue that
a lot of 7’1" NBA centers could do close to what Moz is doing. Maybe he’s got a little better touch but I’ll have to wait and see if he shows anything special.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Do you realize that Moz has played in 62 NBA games?
And a total of ~800 minutes.
If you looked at his 62 games compared to Kaman first season, Moz’s numbers are better on pre minutes contribution – shoots better, turns over less, rebounds comparable, higher PER, etc.
I thought he looked bad early on, and this may not be sustainable, but he still might be a good NBA center.
I'm not denying he could be.
But there’s also a reason that you have to compare “per minute” numbers. Something’s gotta be holding him back from getting 25-30+ minutes a game and I doubt it’s completely GKs fault.
We’ll see though.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
You made the point
You don’t know if Moz is a starting caliber C.
Are we a contending team or not. A true contender doesn’t go into the playoffs not knowing whether it starting C is “starter caliber” or not…unless they are surrounded by Lebron, Wade and Bosh
We are in agreement . . .
I don’t know if Moz is good yet, but I am pretty sure that Kaman is not the answer for Moz.
We are also in agreement than C is the biggest question mark for Denver . . but Nene is a top five PF or a top five center IMO. He is a better PF but realistically it’s not like there are any centers I’d rather have over him ouside a top few (Noah, Dwight, Bynum . . ). If they can make a move for a significant upgrade, I am all for it (thus my interest in Pau) but otherwise, I am willing to give Moz a few more weeks to see what happens.
The Celts won the finals with Perkins at Center who honestly hadn’t done anything in his career before that season ‘cept foul people. Granted he was/is good at fouling people, but Moz’s potential isn’t in a different league than Perk’s 2005/06 season of 4.5pts and 5reb in 21 minutes a game. Sound comparable?
Ujiri will take care of it
I think Brewer is what he is, and that isn’t a bad thing.
I do think Moz is the only one with potential to be like a Marc Gasol. Marc isnt an all-star, but heis a pretty good player to have on your team. Took while for Marcto develop too.
Names are made in the playoffs and I do think we should aim for a lot of regular season wins so we cam have a high seed.
The Nuggets do well when they have a high seed in the playoffs.
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
Mozgov is becomming a presence... and is playing with a high confidence level now
Not to mention is new haircut makes him look less goofy
marc has always been a much better passer
Moz has the potential to be somewhat more defensively impactful due to his size, but he needs to start gobbling rebounds and blocking a few more shots.
i keep dancing on my own.
Gasol has become a player
He moves slower than my grandma but he is very smart, loves to play (unlike Pau) and just stands there and takes up space causing problems for opponents.
I'd never trust someone who would want
Terrence Williams over Corey Brewer. Brewer is a good defensive player and can sink the corner 3 pointer, he also is a good person to have around. Williams is a very bad defensive player, bad shot selection and is a chucker. You are a casual Nuggets fan with star-studded glasses anyway so, I understand where you are coming from.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
I joined Denver Stiffs a few months before you.
Corey Brewer is a good player but he’s shown nothing overly special in the 5 years he’s been in the league.. Plays with plenty of energy and has the body to make it work but that’s it. Williams has only been in the league for 2 years and he’s only been in bad situations since he came into the league. Nothing says he can’t turn around and realize that potential if he’s given a chance.
Btw, you’re an asshole. Never going to trust someone who makes things personal.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
You admitted to being a casual Nuggets fan
Awhile ago. I didn’t state that. So it wasn’t anything personal but a fact that you stated.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
That's bullshit.
If you can find the quote, go ahead. If anything, I said I’ve only been following the NBA for the last 7 or 8 years because I’m only 18. If I’m a casual Nuggets fan just because I wasn’t born long enough to experience the “English years” then that’s your problem, not mine. I firmly believe I’ve followed both the NBA and the Nuggets over the last 7 or 8 years at least as much as you have.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
I'm pretty sure you said it.
I don’t have time to search the quote but I do know you said something along the lines that you were less interested in having role players on the team and would rather of had more “Exciting” type of players like Allen Iverson, J.R Smith, “insert chucker” here and I’m pretty sure you said that, it might not of been you, but someone like the Skibert dude with the Prince photo. Either way I know you agreed to that statement or were on his side.
Anyway, I don’t think I should have came off as an asshole because I think I did, so I’d just like to say that I’m sorry, and I didn’t mean to make it as personal as I did, I just get heated in debate sometimes. So take the apology for what its worth, I’m not hating on you.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
If I said that I don't think it was with that meaning.
And even if I did, it doesn’t really have anything to do with this. I think Brewer’s a pretty exciting player and I don’t advocate for giving T-Will a chance because he’s exciting, but rather his talent/potential.
And alright, I’d like to apologize as well. It just that you basically told me I wasn’t a “real fan” and I’d say that’s probably one of the worst insults you could tell anyone on a site like this. Can’t really fault me for reacting like that.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Good, I don't like making enemies
You post a lot and I respect your contribution to the site and I know a bad seed from a good seed when I see one. Even though I don’t agree with most of your ideas and views on what the team should do, I do respect your opinion and that that your fandom is just as high as anyone on this site. So, again thanks for not making this a mindless youtube commenting argument.
"I do not threaten, I merely state facts"
Denverstiffs- home of the most bipolar fan base on the internet
OKC guard Reggie Jackson's goal in life is to make it on Wikipedia's disambiguation list.
LOL
I like you, cloudburst.
DenverStiffs > MileHighReport
#FreeFaried on twitter. Join the Revolution!
by KevinAwesome on Jan 28, 2012 9:53 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
For the record, my problem with Kaman is fit . . .
He doesn’t run the floor particularly well and his defensive rotation are aweful. His skills set is good post footwork (on offense), a good mid-range jump shots, and size. Shoot, he is a ton more polished than Moz, but it’s not like he brings much more to the floor.
If we were talking about Gortat instead of Kaman – I would be all over it. I would also love to be a player in sending Howard to LA and ending up Pau, who would be a fantastic fit on the Nuggets. But just bcs NO wants to unload Kaman doesn’t make me want him.
No more Gortat for Moz please!!
Gortat is a stiff. Moz is a better player both defensively and offensively than Gortat. Pau is an upgrade over Moz, and we can do that then do that.
Otherwise dont give up on that dude
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
+1
Gortat > Moz. Gortat is the kind of “banger” a lot of us think we need. They’re different though. Moz has the length and Gortat is stronger.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Mozgov is still learning the NBA style
he will be better than gortat though
Personally I disagree.
But it’s possible. Gortat’s probably around that peak by now so you never know.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Gortat is much better than Moz
Moz’s ceiling is about where Gortat is right now.
Gortat had pretty poor numbers before this year
and in crappy Phoenix I think Moz could put up similar numbers right now. Gortat may be better at this time but it’s not “much better” IMO.
"Weltmeister!!" Zwei mal: 2010-2011...und weiter gehts
Wasn't he playing behind Dwight?
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Yeah but it's not as if Moz is getting a ton more minutes
"Weltmeister!!" Zwei mal: 2010-2011...und weiter gehts
gortat had great per minute numbers
in Orlando behind Dwight. He was like the worst kept secret there. Mozgov’s per minute production isn’t anywhere near Gortat’s atm.
i keep dancing on my own.
I wouldn't mind Gortat
but no way for Moz, just for the reason alone that I want to see the Polish Hammer and Mozgod on the floor together
"Weltmeister!!" Zwei mal: 2010-2011...und weiter gehts
Would not be against that at all LOL
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
Might as well have special red jerseys also.
Crouching moron, hidden smarta**
Optimism, pessimism, F*CK THAT; we're gonna make it happen. As God as my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work.
"This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."
Masai Ujiri, Brian Cashman: Magnificent Bastards
Supreme: Everyone gets a free pony.
His ceiling has been reached….
Crouching moron, hidden smarta**
Optimism, pessimism, F*CK THAT; we're gonna make it happen. As God as my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work.
"This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."
Masai Ujiri, Brian Cashman: Magnificent Bastards
Supreme: Everyone gets a free pony.
Anyone know of any more Freerolls for Draftstreet...
I think I’m hooked.
by United Nugget Nations on Jan 28, 2012 7:58 PM MST reply actions
i want a Chicago v nuggets ffinals
that’d be awesome
by roxintober on Jan 28, 2012 8:05 PM MST via Android app reply actions
Dre Vs Rose
Two totally different players! Would be quite the duel.
by United Nugget Nations on Jan 28, 2012 8:26 PM MST up reply actions
True. But
I feel if we do see the bulls in the finals. Or even when we play them in the reg season.
Afflalo will be on Rose
by United Nugget Nations on Jan 28, 2012 8:31 PM MST up reply actions
Dre has never passed to a second playoff round. Probably for a reason.
Dallas, for example, proved last year the importance of spacing the floor with 3 point shooters. Kidd´s defender could not provide help defense because Kidd was going to make him pay. I like Dre, but he´s a weakness in playoffs.
What do you guys think of this weeks schedule?
If we go 3-2 with a loss to the clippers and portland i think it would be a good week…. If we can beat the clips tomorrow and memphis on tuesday, i think we can go 4-1… when we play the clippers thursday itll be on their 2nd game of a b2b so we need to take advantage
We should win all of those games
Except, of course, the Portland one. That’s no fault of the Nuggets.
Have I mentioned yet that February is going to be brutal? Like out in the woodshed type beating.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
If do win all 5 of those games... thats a 11 game winstreak
This week IMO is the toughest part of the month
Rather just stay in LA and play the Lakers at Staples
Then play in Denver with the Nuggets traveling east after playing late the night before.
For fuck’s sake.
Of course, they play late that night as well and travel west for yet one more late game against a Portland team that will no doubt be hungry for a win. I think I’ll skip that game and go out dancing instead.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
It's not TOO bad.
It’s only about a 2-2.5 hour flight, I know I’m not the one who has to play intense basketball games but I know there are a lot worse flights.
"J.R. SMITH! WITH NO REGARD FOR COMMON SENSE!" - Future Kevin Harlan Quote
"They're two-deep at the crazy position!" - Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
It isn't just the flying
But the checking into a hotel late and the psychological toll of being on the road.
I’m pretty convinced that for a pro athlete, playing basketball on two (or even three) consecutive days isn’t that demanding. With a pro training staff, etc. it’s not that big a deal. Not for a pro athlete. Not like hockey. Back-to-backs are brutal for hockey players.
Really no comparing. Hockey players are the toughest and craziest athletes of all sports. Sorry for the digression.
It’s just every single game of the B3B will involve traveling. I’ve never played basketball at anything beyond recreational leagues, but as a journalist I’ve traveled with college teams and seen first-hand how a sleepless night and a rowdy away stadium can take an otherwise good team out of its game.
Really hope this road winning streak where the Nuggets played four games in five nights with a depleted roster gives them the edge in confidence to come away 2-1. And I’m not entirely convinced any game in there is easy.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
I won't make predicitons on the other games
I will say the Portland game will be near impossible to win, and if the Nuggets do win that game, championship contender should be going through even the minds at RMC (but I think the world will end before that happens).
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
I need to join that place
They’d be more accommodating of my sour moods when I feel the Nuggets underperform, I think.
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Hi Stiffs
Jason Hammel : Feared Slugger was /2011'd
BigGiantHead of the Ubaldo Lover's Club;OG Thugget Loyalist #4, QPU Emeritus, Proud member PR Gynocracy
I was just thinking
How I’ve posted a lot in this thread today and how I’ve been mostly on-topic, talking about trade scenarios and tough scheduling and the Nuggets’ strengths and weaknesses and how very unlike a Denver Stiffs thread that is for me.
Then I realized, SDCat’09 has been largely AWOL.
Not that I am complaining or trying to make a pointed point (?), as I largely appreciate your breezy, conversational demeanor and peace-keeping tone.
So. What did you have for dinner?
Is your love worth the nausea it could bring?
Any of you know about any more freerolls for Draftstreet
Re-post from me…
Hooked…
by United Nugget Nations on Jan 28, 2012 9:58 PM MST reply actions
Today is a good NBA day
LAL lost, Memphis lost, Utah almost lost to a really bad team at home and looked extremely vulnerable. This is the same bad team we broke NBA records on lol.
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
by JR15 on Jan 28, 2012 10:58 PM MST via mobile reply actions
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