2009-10 Game 2: Denver Nuggets 97 - Portland Trail Blazers 94

October 30, 2009
by Jeremy

Box Score | Highlights

I have to keep reminding myself that the Nuggets have played only two games.

Still, those two games could not have gone much better. After opening up a double digit fourth quarter lead and cruising to a win against the Utah Jazz in game one, the Nuggets went to Portland, weathered an impressive third quarter performance from Brandon Roy and rode Carmelo Anthony to a absolutely huge 97-94 victory.

Heading into the season I had many optimistic Nuggets fans, or maybe just Melo fans, ask me if I thought Anthony had a shot at MVP. I always answered with the same, Melo is a great scorer and is making progress towards becoming a complete player, but he will not be in the MVP conversation yet.

Again it was only two games, but Melo has put together two very good performances. After scoring 30 points on only 22 shots in game one, Carmelo produced an explosion of efficiency by earning his 41 points on only 21 shots thanks to an 18-19 performance from the line.

Melo is now averaging 35.5 points, seven boards and four assists a game on 51.2% shooting.

The Nuggets also were able to stir themselves from an early malaise to play some very good team defense. They held the Blazers to only 34.6% shooting - - including 37.7% effective field goal and 47.5% true shooting - - very impressive numbers. Denver struggled on the defensive boards in the first half, but put forth a much better effort on the boards in the second half. The Blazers took a startling 20 more shots than Denver did largely due to their offensive rebounding advantage, yet Portland only made 28 shots, the same total as the Nuggets.

The teams combined to shoot 90 free throws giving the game a preseason replacement ref feel and the game moved in fits and starts, yet the Nuggets’ defense and Melo’s offense carried the day.

In a one point game with just over five seconds to play Greg Oden received a desperate pass from Brandon Roy and was accidentally fouled by Kenyon Martin and that turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for Denver. A clearly uncomfortable Oden who may have never been in this situation in his basketball life missed both free throws and Carmelo pulled down the rebound to protect the lead. After Melo cashed in his sixteenth and seventeenth free throws of the night the game ended on a desperation heave by Roy which sailed wide right to end the game.

The Nuggets are now 2-0 for only the second time since 1987 and they sit atop the Western Conference as the firs team to two victories. The tough opening stretch does not look so difficult now with wins over the Jazz and Blazers under the Nuggets belts. Denver now plays the Grizzlies in Denver on Sunday before embarking on a season high six game east coast road trip.

For more detailed coverage of last night’s tilt with Portland, check out the Daily Dime at ESPN.com. You can read the chat transcript to see what the conversation was like during the game as I discussed the action with the surreal Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm and the TrueHoop Network Blazers’ blogger Beyond Bowie. There is also a little tidbit on Ty Lawson in there from yours truly.

Posted on October 30, 2009 at 1:58 am | filed in Game Recap | Tags: , , — No Comments

NBA Chat on the Daily Dime

October 29, 2009
by Jeremy

I will be taking part in the mass NBA chat on the newly redesigned ESPN.com Daily Dime tonight featuring a handful of TrueHoop Network bloggers and a few members of the ESPN.com NBA writing staff as well.  Check out the chat and send in your questions and comments.

Posted on October 29, 2009 at 5:16 pm | filed in Random Stuff | Tags: , — No Comments

2009-10 Game 1: Denver Nuggets 114 - Utah Jazz 105

October 29, 2009
by Jeremy

Box Score | Highlights | ESPN360 Replay

The worst thing a coach can do to a team is play the wrong players. Heading into the regular season many Nuggets fans were worried that old George Karl favorite Anthony Carter and apparent new George Karl favorite Joey Graham would take minutes away from more deserving players.

I have to insert the typical opening night disclaimer of how I know we cannot jump to conclusions after one game, but if Karl trusts Ty Lawson enough to put him out there in the fourth quarter of a tight game against a division rival – in his first career NBA game – I think we can look forward to much more Lawson this season. As far as Graham, who I believe does deserve minutes as a solid player who avoids mistakes, even without J.R. Smith available he was only on the floor for seven minutes.

As good as Lawson was, I was most impressed with Carmelo Anthony. Melo did everything you could ask for, he displayed all his offensive talents and played solid defense and hit the glass. With the ball Melo certainly was aggressive attacking the rim, but still took advantage of the times he had space to fire off a jumper. On top of his scoring, he also dished out five assists, three of which resulted in dunks.

Defensively Carmelo did a fine job. He stayed with Andrei Kirilenko and did a decent job of fighting through picks and as mentioned above he did a good job on the defensive glass.

I think Melo is poised for a career year and that is a big reason why I like the Nuggets’ chances to improve this season.

One of my concerns heading into the regular season was the relatively poor play by Chauncey Billups in the preseason. I had not seen how Billups typically performed in the preseason before so I knew it was possible that he might turn it on when the games started to count, but I was certainly concerned about his play. After a bit of a slow start he showed that there was no reason to be concerned. Chauncey was his typical self providing direction on the floor on offense, playing smart defense and hitting shots when the Nuggets needed him to.

The backcourt of Billups and Lawson was fun to watch. Chauncey is a deadly three point shooter and he received a few open looks thanks to Lawson’s ability to penetrate. Playing with Lawson also allows Billups to rest a bit on offense without carrying so much of a burden for making things run.

Surprisingly the backcourt pairing that triggered the Nuggets game clinching run in the fourth quarter was Lawson and Arron Afflalo. Anthony Carter struggled to guard Deron Williams because of Williams’ combination of size and speed and obviously Lawson did have issues trying to cover him. Afflalo was able to handle Deron’s size both in the paint and on the perimeter where Deron can use his strength to bump his defender off balance in order to drive to the rim. With Afflalo frustrating Williams and Boozer having a horrible shooting night the Jazz did not have enough offense to keep up with the scoring of Lawson, Billups and Anthony.

As a team, I thought Denver’s offense was a little too isolation heavy. Their movement away from the ball was inconsistent and easily defended. However, with players like Carmelo, Billups and Lawson able to drive and create offense for both themselves as well as their teammates the Nuggets offense was able to put up 91 points over the final three quarters.

Defensively the Nuggets had some tough assignments. Boozer is usually a handful in the paint and Okur is the kind of sweet shooting big the Nuggets can struggle with. Plus the Jazz run a grinding style of offense that will eat up disorganized defenses. Early on Denver struggled with covering the player who would set the cross screen for the big man on the weakside block. The Jazz were able to hit players with a quick pass while the defender stood with his back to the ball resulting in some easy baskets. Denver adjusted and the Jazz did not score on that play in the second half that I can recall. The Nuggets showed solid pick and roll defense, rotated relatively well (although they did give up a couple of wide open threes to Okur) and when the situation called for it, they scrambled very well after getting out of position.

Overall, you have to be pleased with the win. Afflalo definitely filled the role of Dahntay Jones, Lawson showed that the Nuggets have a tremendous new weapon. And I do not recall ever thinking to myself, the Nuggets could really use Linas Kleiza here. In the second quarter Denver had Lawson, Graham, Afflalo, Kenyon and Birdman on the floor at the same time and I was wondering where the offense would come from. They actually outscored the Jazz and erased a seven point first quarter deficit. The bench played very well and they look to be one of those groups whose production is greater than the sum of its parts.

Additional Game 1 Nuggets

  • Two of the Nuggets biggest issues heading into the season were rebounding and turnovers. The Nuggets outrebounded the bigger Jazz 42-39 and they only turned the ball over 13 times. Chauncey, AC, Lawson and Afflalo combined for only four turnovers in 99 minutes. That is incredible considering how turnover prone Carter is and the way Chauncey coughed the ball up in the preseason.
  • As the intensity picked up in the second half there were a handful of jump balls. I got a kick out of referee Bob Delaney struggling to clear space to throw the ball up. I do not remember seeing a ref get so physical in demanding his space like that before. On one occasion Kenyon backed out of the circle and just glared at Delaney.
  • My biggest concern for Lawson was his ability to get his shot off in the lane. I think he only had one shot blocked and he made a plethora of forays into the paint to score or get to the line. I could not be more impressed with his play, in once again, his first NBA game.
  • Sticking with Lawson, he had a very impressive drive in the second half where he started at the rim with his right hand from the left baseline. He picked up his dribble and made a crossover step without dribbling. The result was Lawson was able to get behind the defender, who was expecting him to continue to move into the middle of the floor, and he scored on an open layup at the rim. It was just a beautiful instinctive play. I do not remember ever seeing a player do that before.
  • The play of the night though was a steal and dunk by Carmelo. After nabbing a rebound Paul Milsap floated a pass, and I mean floated, to Deron Williams on the left side of the floor. Melo saw the sailing pass, jump in front of Williams and drove at Milsap. When he got to the lane Melo elevated and absolutely threw down on top of Milsap for the basket and the foul. Melo then let out a scream as he pounded his chest just to make sure the Jazz knew whose house they were in.
  • Any concern that the Nuggets would enter the season fat and happy after their conference finals appearance can be laid to rest. Melo, Kenyon, Nene and J.R. all look to be in very good shape. Kenyon rammed home a couple of impressive dunks of his own on the night.

Game Stats

Pace Factor: 96.6
Offensive Efficiency: 118.0
Defensive Efficiency: 108.7

Take this with you: The Nuggets have only started 2-0 once since 1987-88. Portland is very good, but they looked beatable at home against the Rockets Tuesday night. A win in Portland tomorrow would be a great start for Denver.

Posted on October 29, 2009 at 12:56 am | filed in Game Recap | Tags: , , , , , , , , , — 2 Comments

Getting Cranked Up for the 2009-10 Season

October 28, 2009
by Jeremy

As you all know in addition to running RMC I have a “real” job.  Currently my job is encroaching on my free time and I have not been able to post nearly as much as I had wanted too lately and I am sorry for that.  However, I will do my best to keep everything here relevant and informative.

I still have a few thoughts to share prior to the start of the season, but they will have to wait.  Right now what you get is updated player scouting reports.  My in depth reviews of Arron Afflalo, Malik Allen, Chris Andersen and Carmelo Anthony have all been updated with current insights.  I will be updating or creating reports on the remaining players over the next few days.

In addition to the TrueHoop Network preview I also took part in the Basketball Prospectus season preview.  It may cost a few bucks, but the content is well worth it.  Kevin Pelton and his crew do great work and I was honored to be a small part of what they put together.

I also answered some questions over at OregonLive.com as part of their Northwest Division Season Preview.

You also should read the preview over at Denver Stiffs where Andrew and Nate continue to do a very good job.  Andrew also put together a very good post on the weight that has been placed on Carmelo Anthony’s shoulders.  Plus Chris Tomasson has a must read preview over at AOL Fanhouse.

I also encourage you to check out all the other Nuggets blogs that are linked on the sidebar.

Posted on October 28, 2009 at 1:03 am | filed in Analysis | Tags: , — 3 Comments

TrueHoop Network 2009-10 Team Previews

October 27, 2009
by Jeremy
TEAM BLOGGERS SAY WINS*

Bret Lagree | Hoopinion

“The Hawks have not built, nor do they appear to be building, a championship contender. … Joe Johnson is poised to be a free agent in the summer of 2010. Johnson is not a franchise player, yet he’s the Hawks’ best player.”

45

Zach Lowe | CelticsHub

“It seems reasonable to say anything short of an 18th championship would be a disappointment.”

58

Brett Hainline | Queen City Hoops

“Great defense + equally bad offense = average. With an improving division around them, that equation does not get them their first playoff berth. But at least they won’t suck.”

36

Matt McHale | By the Horns

“During the offseason, the Bulls lost free agent Ben Gordon, whom many people considered the team’s best or second-best player (after Derrick Rose). Memo to Chicago fans: Don’t sweat it. Seriously. Gordon will be replaced by John Salmons, who not only gave the Bulls almost as many points per game (18.3 versus 20.7) but was slightly more efficient in how he scored them.”

43

John Krolik | Cavs the Blog

“After last season’s playoff heartbreak, Danny Ferry has changed up the equation … However, Shaq could disrupt the delicate offensive and defensive chemistry the Cavaliers rode to 66 wins and the conference finals, despite the fact he will be the best player LeBron has ever played with if he continues to play like he did last season. The big question for the Cavs this seasons whether they overreacted to two clutch 3s by Rashard Lewis, or made the risk they needed to take to finally get LeBron a ring.”

61

Rob Mahoney | The Two Man Game

“’Rebuilding’ teams seek financial flexibility and the acquisition of young, productive assets. Quality squads amass veteran talent, no matter the cost, in pursuit of a title. Defying all logic, the Mavs have simultaneously moved in both directions.”

50

Jeremy Wagner | Roundball Mining Company

“The only players still on the roster who exceeded expectations in 2008-09 were Nene and Birdman. It is reasonable to expect every member of the Nuggets, other than thirty-something Chauncey Billups, to improve.”

53

Dan Feldman | PistonPowered

“However the minutes shake out between Chris Wilcox, Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace, they won’t be as good as Rasheed Wallace. But Sheed wasn’t that great last year. He looked old and disinterested, so the drop here won’t be too steep.”

36

Rasheed Malek |Warriors World

“Under the ownership of Chris Cohan, the Warriors have made the playoffs exactly one time and have gone through numerous coaches, players and executives. Going into this season, Larry Riley is the man in charge taking over for Chris Mullin.”

28

Anup Shah and Brody Rollins | Rockets Buzz

“The speed revolution has overtaken some of basketball’s peers, most notably football … Is basketball headed in the same direction? [Aaron] Brooks provides an excellent case study. Beginning the year as the Rockets number one threat on offense with Ron Artest’s departure and injuries to Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, Brooks will have every opportunity to prove that size really doesn’t matter.”

39

Jared Wade | Eight Points, Nine Seconds

“It’s hard to believe that anything short of the postseason will remove the dark cloud over Conseco. … Ultimately, it will come down to one thing: [Mike Jr.] Dunleavy’s knee.”

32

Kevin Arnovitz | ClipperBlog

“[Blake] Griffin and [Eric] Gordon may not be saviors, but they’re something. Griffin’s skills and his tenacious work ethic (the guy runs up sand dunes in his free time) will be a boon to a team desperate for cultural overhaul. Gordon offers an enticing combination of spot-up shooting and forays into the paint. He finished third in true shooting percentage among starting off guards in his rookie campaign, something that can only help a team that ranked dead last in offensive efficiency last season.”

32

Kurt Helin | Forum Blue and Gold

“God, is it good to be hated again.”

64

Chip Crain | 3 Shades of Blue

“The 2009-10 version of the Grizzlies have put together a starting five where every player scored 30 points or more in a game last year. The oldest starter is only 28 years old (Zach Randolph) and the youngest won’t turn 22 until after the start of the season (O.J. Mayo). They are young, talented and hungry for success. So why do most people focus on the two players not on a rookie contract this season?”

20

Matthew Bunch | Hot Hot Hoops

“38.6 minutes. 30.2 points. 49.1 percent shooting. Five rebounds. 7.5 assists. 2.2 steals. 1.3 blocks. That’s what [Dwyane] Wade averaged last season. You’re going to keep that guy out of the playoffs? Good luck.”

44

Jeremy Schmidt | Bucksketball

“If the Bucks get anything out of their three small forwards, if they can keep [Andrew] Bogut and [Michael] Redd healthy and if they get a season worthy of the number ten selection out of Brandon Jennings at the point, the playoffs will be within reach. But that’s a lot of ifs.”

29

Patrick Hodgdon | Howlin’ T-Wolf

“”Ever since his arrival, David Kahn has had seemingly one mission, other than to look like the smartest guy in the room at every turn, and that is to get as much cap space for next summer as he possibly can. … The obvious question lies in whether or not the Wolves will actually be able to lure one of the better free agent players to come to Minnesota.”

23

Mark Ginocchio and Sebastian Priuti | Nets are Scorching

“Lingering doubts about Brooklyn could spoil any change the Nets have of landing a top free agent next summer.”

29

Niall Doherty and Ryan Schwan | Hornets247

“Enter Emeka Okafor. He’s a near match to a healthy Chandler, is more durable, and doesn’t look like he’s having muscle spasms when making a post move.”

47

Mike Kurylo | Knickerblogger

“2010 could be New York’s return to winning.”

31

Royce Young | Daily Thunder

“The Thunder may not win more than half their games, but with over half the roster unable to get an alcoholic beverage still, steady improvement and progression is the name of the game.”

34

Zach McCann | Orlando Magic Daily

“Take away either Hedo Turkoglu or Courtney Lee and the Magic aren’t getting to face the Lakers in the Finals. No way. But does that mean the Magic were wrong to let them go? Were the Magic foolish to allow a borderline All-Star and a possible future All-Star leave the team when both clearly wanted to stay in Orlando? Absolutely not. I believe the Magic are an entirely better team than they were four months ago.”

59

Carey R. Smith | Philadunkia

“The travesty of a deal that Billy King gave to Samuel Dalembert remains easily one of the worst contracts in NBA history. Hopefully this season Dalembert, his inflated self-worth and his contract will be dealt for a couple of expiring contracts and some much-needed cap space.”

39

Michael Schwartz | Valley of the Suns

“Two years ago the Suns were chic championship picks. Last year, the Suns were (accurately) thought to be a fringe playoff team. This year there are almost no expectations outside of their locker room. … There will be no mistaking what the Suns are this season: a lightning-speed team that will score points in bunches and likely give them up almost as quickly while struggling badly on the boards. But they will once again be the most exciting team in basketball.”

46

Max Handelman | Beyond Bowie

“The Blazers effectively bumbled their way to a 54-win season despite a mediocre performance from Greg Oden, the loss of Martell Webster for the season, and at times starting three rookies. This team is only getting better, kids.”

53

Zach Harper | Cowbell Kingdom

“Enter Tyreke Evans — a bulldozer-sized menace who will test the strength of every team’s defense at its entry point. He immediately creates matchup problems against teams with traditional point guards and will look to have a similar impact as fellow Memphis alum, Derrick Rose.”

22

Timothy Varner | 48 Minutes of Hell

During the Celtics heyday, Red Auerbach boasted a winning percentage of .719. In the modern era, Pat Riley’s Showtime Lakers played to the tune of .733. Phil Jackson’s Jordan Bulls dominated the 90s with an otherworldly percentage of .771. Jackson’s three-peat Lakers? .735. In his 12 seasons with San Antonio, Gregg Popovich, whose cynical disdain for the regular season runs more than skin deep, has, nevertheless, posted a winning percentage of .707. That’s the company the Spurs keep. What should we expect this season? 58 wins and a run at the title. Same as every other year.”

55

RaptorsRepublic

“How is a rookie(ish) head coach going to integrate nine new players into a new system with two new assistant coaches?”

41

Spencer Ryan Hall | Salt City Hoops

“With young Wesley Matthews providing the good luck charm, Boozer in a contract year, Deron Williams with a chip on his shoulder, and a new longer-haired version of Andrei Kirilenko the Jazz have no reason to be anything other than beastly this season. And I mean that in a good way. Every prediction from the Jazz camp, however, comes with the ominous caveat ‘If we can stay healthy.’”

46

Kyle Weidie | Truth About It

“Flip Saunders has never gotten a team ‘there.’ That worn out cliché always runs rampant, plaguing almost every coach who hasn’t won … until they win. Red Auerbach (647), Larry Brown (1,900), and Dick Motta (738) all took their lumps before winning a championship (games coached before title season). Don’t be surprised when what you think is impossible becomes a reality. … 2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Factor in Gilbert Arenas’ stomach tattoo and the fact that the Wizards play their home games in D.C.’s Chinatown, and all the cards are in place.”

42

* As predicted by a consensus of all TrueHoop Network bloggers.
Posted on October 27, 2009 at 6:40 pm | filed in Analysis | Tags: — No Comments

2009-10 Denver Nuggets Preview - TrueHoop Network Style

October 25, 2009
by Jeremy

Every TrueHoop Network member site will be posting their season preview today so make sure you check out as many as humanly possible either via the the drop down menu up above or the blogroll along the right sidebar.

Last Year’s Record: 54-28

Crystal Ball
The consensus prediction of the TrueHoop Network bloggers … and the best hopes of Roundball Mining Company.

Crowd Says: 53-29
RMC Says: 58-24

Yes We Can!
The sun is out. The seas have parted. The basketball gods are shining upon us!

It is easy to be down on the Denver Nuggets’ chances heading into the 2009-10 season. Their response to this summer’s Western Conference arms race was to continue to slash their payroll.

Some of you may think the Nuggets were disappointed that Linas Kleiza will play in Greece next season, but I suspect the front office was sending Linas bro­chures from the Greek department of tourism. Then again maybe it was the fact they never offered him more than the $2.7 million qualifying offer. Whatever they did, the ploy worked, as Kleiza signed with Olympiacos and will not be on the Nuggets’ payroll this season.

The Nuggets also were thrilled for Dahntay Jones when he signed his four year, $11 million contract with the Pacers. I think Mark Warkentien showed up the next day and personally carried Dahntay’s piano into the moving truck.

It might be difficult to be impressed with a team whose primary goal is to save money, but the Denver Nuggets are becoming quite adept at bolstering the roster while cutting costs. Last season they rummaged through the bargain bin and came up with Chris “Birdzilla” Andersen and Dahntay Jones. This year they brought in more cheap talent in Aaron Afflalo and Joey Graham. They are both cheaper options and better fits than Jones and Kleiza were. Plus the addition of Ty Lawson to backup Chaunc­ey Billups will pay dividends as soon as George Karl chooses to give him the job over Anthony Carter.  Above and beyond the players currently on the roster and even though it appears the Nuggets have passed him over, until he signs with another team I continue to think that Wally Szczerbiak might find his way to Denver.

If the upgrade to the bench is not enough to sway you, here is an interesting little fact to keep in mind. The only players still on the roster who exceeded expecta­tions in 2008-09 were Nene and Birdman. It is reasonable to expect every mem­ber of the Nuggets, other than thirtysomething Chauncey Billups, to improve on their performance next season. Carmelo struggled with injuries, Nene was still feeling the effects of his chemo treatments in the fall of 2008, Birdman had not played regular minutes in over two years before last season and J.R. Smith is still learning how to exploit opposing defenses with his array of diverse talents.

For those who still doubt me, hear this. The number one reason why Denver will be better next season is they have learned how to win. The team made a commitment to play better defense heading into last season, but they were still a work in progress. They now have a year of playing a more balanced style of basketball under their belts and they experienced how far it can take them.

This Nugget team is hungry and ready to prove their Western Conference Finals appearance was not a fluke like Utah’s was in 2008. Common NBA knowledge dismissed the Nuggets prior to last season. Do so at your own peril this season.

No You Can’t
A rousing dissent from a rival blogger.

Fun fact: No team has ever won a championship while featuring a power forward with a woman’s lips tattooed on his neck. Yes, I’m looking at you, Kenyon Martin.

– Matt McHale, By the Horns

All-A-Twitter
A 140-character insight into the soul of the team.

Here are two tweets from @BirdmanAndersen:

Spent some of my signing bonus. Got a boat. If I was on drugs? A flamethrower. A purple one…with an Ipod dock.

Porn gets a bad rap. It’s essentially Discovery Channel for humans. I know I’VE learned stuff from it.

On the Record
Single best quote concerning the team during the last 12 months.

For me averaging 28 points or something like that against the Lakers in this series, that’s tough to do. I do not know if you wanted me to average 30 or 35, I really don’t know. I am thinking there is nothing else that I can do.

– Carmelo Anthony following the Nuggets’ Game 6 defeat to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals

The 2008-09 Almanac
Some key stats from last season.

Offense: 7th
Defense: 8th
Pace: 6th

Team Factor Strength(s): Free Throws (1st), Shooting Allowed (5th)
Team Factor Weakness(es): Turnovers (25th), Free Throws Allowed (25th), De­fensive Rebounding (23rd)

The Play
Down a single point with 9.2 seconds to play in a must-win game. What’s the play?

Even with players like Mr. Big Shot Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith, who can make any shot at any time, you give the ball to Carmelo Anthony and clear out. I might even run seven more seconds off the clock and call a timeout just to increase the level of difficulty. Carmelo has developed a well-earned reputation in the NBA as a Defiler of Dreams. He broke hearts in Oklahoma City twice last season and I am sure you all remember the 3-pointer in the playoffs to beat Dal­las in Game 3 of the conference semifinals. Having Melo means you never have to run a play, just get the ball inbounds.

The People’s Choice
The fan favorite the crowd will be chanting for to see some action.

Karl has said he does not trust Renaldo Balkman because he cannot hit a jumper — although Karl does not seem to mind playing Kenyon Martin. The truth is Balkman brings energy and makes plays that do not show up in the box score. He helps Denver win games and fans cannot get enough of him.

If You’re Watching the Bottom Line, You’re Watching This
The single biggest spreadsheet issue hanging over the team.

The Denver Nuggets have done a great job of cutting payroll while still improv­ing the team the past two seasons. The real trouble is going to come in 2010-11 when the Nuggets’ current starting five will make about $65 million. As John Hollinger has pointed out, those five players may put Denver over the luxury tax line by themselves with at least eight more players to pay. There could be a fire sale in Denver next summer.

Posted on October 25, 2009 at 11:50 pm | filed in Analysis | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — 2 Comments

Denver Nuggets Waive Three, Including James White

October 21, 2009
by Jeremy

The Denver Nuggets have waived Dantay Draper, Kurt Looby and James White and the roster is down to 13 players.

Joey Graham appeared to be anointed the winner of the battle for the final roster spot with White very early on.  After getting to the free throw line 14 times in the first preseason game White rarely saw the floor.  While White certainly has more potential than Graham, the Nuggets are wanting to win now and keeping Graham fits the mold of what they want to do.

Que up the clip from Hoosiers with Normal Dale telling the crowd this is your team, because these 13 players are your 2009-10 Denver Nuggets.

Arron Afflalo
Malik Allen
Chris Andersen
Carmelo Anthony
Renaldo Balkman
Chauncey Billups
Anthony Carter
Joey Graham
Ty Lawson
Kenyon Martin
Nene
Johan Petro
J.R. Smith
Posted on October 21, 2009 at 1:10 pm | filed in News | Tags: , — 6 Comments

Denver Nuggets Lose in Portland, Stomp the Timberwolves

October 21, 2009
by Jeremy

Let there be television coverage.

Good news Nuggets fans. Now that Denver has dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves there will not be another Nuggets game that is not televised until next October. Denver wraps up the preseason with back to back games against the Lakers. Thursday’s tilt will be broadcast on TNT with Friday’s engagement on ESPN.

For the last time we are left to study box scores to glean some insight.

Looking back at Sunday’s 98-96 loss at Portland there appears to have been some positive things to take from the game. For the first time since the opening game at Utah the Nuggets starters faced off against another high quality group. Unlike the game in Utah, this time they held their own. Ever since I wrote about how I was concerned about the Nuggets’ mental state after the game in Taipei the players have responded.

Ty Lawson has not been playing many minutes, but when he does get on the floor the stats pile up. Lawson checked in with 6:24 left in the second quarter and the Nuggets down seven. Portland stretched their lead to 11 over the next three minutes. The Nuggets then closed the half on a 15-7 run with Lawson totaling six points, an assist, a rebound and two steals over the final 3:38. Lawson ended up posting a +4 in only seven minutes. On the flipside Anthony Carter played 19 minutes and ended up with a -12.

Tonight in the 129-100 romp over the Timberwolves Lawson had another nice game tallying ten points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals. Lawson is going to have to earn minutes from Carter and if he keeps playing this well, he just might.

Chauncey Billups posted back to back four turnover games and has yet to put up an impressive stat line in any preseason game. Seeing as how he struggled against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last season it will be very interesting to see how he does over these final two preseason games.

In 49 minutes against Portland and Minnesota Nene has only ten shot attempts. He was also the only Nugget player to have a negative plus/minus against the Wolves with a -2.

Probably the most promising statistic from the past two games is 39.6%. The Nuggets held Portland to 39.7% from the field and Minnesota to 39.6%. The combined shooting of 67-169 by Portland and Minnesota comes out to 39.6%. Hopefully that is a sign the Nuggets are getting locked in on defense.

Thank God this is the last time I have to draw conclusions based on box scores.

Nuggets at Trail Blazers Highlights – Mostly Blazers clips here, but Melo scores a couple of dunks and Chauncey tosses in an insane layup.

Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Highlights – make sure to see Lawson’s half court shot at the end of the third, Afflalo’s left handed finish and Malik Allen actually throws down over someone!

Posted on October 21, 2009 at 12:37 am | filed in Game Recap | Tags: , , , — 2 Comments

Denver Nuggets ESPN.com Chat Recap

October 16, 2009
by Jeremy

Thanks to those of you who took part in the chat today with myself and John Hollinger.  I recognized some screen names from some loyal readers.  In case you missed it check out the replay below.

 

Posted on October 16, 2009 at 4:47 pm | filed in Analysis, Live Chat | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — No Comments

Nuggets.com Gets an Upgrade

October 16, 2009
by Jeremy

The Denver Nuggets website is now a must see destination for Nuggets fans. The Nuggets launched their new web presence this afternoon and it is a massive improvement over the previous site.

Aaron Lopez from the Rocky Mountain News is providing original content (heck, for all I know Mr. Lopez may have been writing on Nuggets.com for a while, but I would not have known because there was little reason to visit the site), there is a relevant video section and it is much more aesthetically pleasing.

What was previously a conglomeration of limited recaps, stats and public relations photos is now a significant provider of Nuggets news and video. Many teams are trying to drive fans to their website as a source for breaking news and the spring from which all relevant team information is disseminated.  With the current state of the newspaper industry, it only makes sense that teams try to grab hold of that market that the papers used to fill.  It looks like the Nuggets are moving in that direction.

On one hand, I am happy to have an additional source of information.  On the other, do not expect a lot of hard analysis coming from the team’s site.  Plus, I doubt they are going to be the ones breaking news on trades, because teams are usually not keen on letting that kind of information slip.  Then again, if they lock down the fort and create an enforcement branch of the front office to chase down and silence leaks, they might be able to break news of player movement as well.  Maybe that police force is part of the upgrade as well.

It will be interesting to see how the site grows from here, but for now kudos to the Nuggets for a job well done.

Posted on October 16, 2009 at 4:40 pm | filed in News | Tags: , — No Comments

Next Page »