Denver Nuggets Blog – Roundball Mining Company » 2012

Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 104 Portland Trail Blazers 95

February 29, 2012
by Charlie

Portland Trail Blazers

104

Denver Nuggets

	Corey Brewer, SF 26 MIN \| 5-14 FG \| 0-1 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 11 PTS \| +4 14 shots in 26 minutes is a lot, but Brewer has never been shy about letting it fly and he’s continued to develop into a more consistent offensive player. I thought it was a very tough matchup going against Gerald Wallace and Nic Batum, but Brewer held his own. Karl did a fantastic job managing his minutes and not forcing him out there in a super-small lineup where he’s likely to be overpowered by bigger players.
	Kenneth Faried, F 17 MIN \| 6-6 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 10 REB \| 0 AST \| 13 PTS \| +8 It sounds ridiculous for a player who only saw 17 minutes, but if I had to give an MVP award for this win it would undoubtedly go to Faried. He was instrumental in setting the tone for the Nuggets, defending with vigor and dominating the paint on both ends. Seven offensive rebounds is the most any Nuggets player has gathered this season, and Faried did it in less than 20 minutes. The “Manimal” is growing up quick and when you imagine what he might do with more minutes and a more polished offensive game — it’s downright scary.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 23 MIN \| 6-10 FG \| 2-3 FT \| 9 REB \| 1 AST \| 14 PTS \| +3 Mozgov had a very solid performance. Although he struggled defensively at times, much to Scott Hastings’ chagrin, Mozgov was physical with Aldridge and much more assertive on the offensive end. He’s been struggling with turnovers and rebounding, two areas in which he improved greatly tonight. Mozgov just needs to be more consistent in terms of production with his 20 minutes a night as he continues to prove himself as a valuable role player.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 36 MIN \| 4-13 FG \| 3-6 FT \| 1 REB \| 6 AST \| 12 PTS \| +9 Afflalo’s shot was flat and he missed several big free throws, but outside of that his game was superb. Afflalo’s been much more confident in his offensive game and continues to improve by taking more shots in the flow of the offense. The only things missing right now are the three-point consistency and his reliability at the foul-line. If those areas improve and he continues the kind of production we’ve seen in the last two weeks, Afflalo could be safely considered one of better shooting guards in the Western Conference.
	Ty Lawson, PG 38 MIN \| 8-15 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 9 AST \| 18 PTS \| +17 Lawson started slow after returning from injury and seemed to be going through an up-and-down night as he struggled to find his rhythm. On the other hand, the Nuggets offense looked so markedly different with him back in the mix it became clear how important he is despite not being able to make his shots. Lawson then exploded late and assumed total control of the game behind 6-9 shooting in the fourth quarter. His offense was brilliant most of the night and he delivered the win when the Nuggets needed someone to step up down the stretch.
	Al Harrington, PF 31 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 10 REB \| 2 AST \| 13 PTS \| +8 Al played a good game, replacing Faried early and often but maintaining good enough defense and rebounding to avoid much of a drop-off in either area. Al was clearly worn out before the break and struggling to work off his teammates for shots. Harrington played 30 minutes and looked tired at the end of his stint, but there’s no denying he took much better shots and gave way better effort in other areas outside of scoring.
	Andre Miller, PG 29 MIN \| 1-4 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 5 AST \| 4 PTS \| +1 Miller was not as bad as his stats indicate, but just take a look at how dreadful his line was. Although Miller looked spry and was more “active” on the defensive end, he still struggled to rotate and close out on shooters. It should be stressed Miller was better on defense than he has been, but his game is still plagued by inconsistency and frequent stretches of flat-out horrible play. Miller took only four shots, two of which were three-pointers and he committed two bad turnovers late, when all Denver had to do was hold onto the ball in order to win.
	Kosta Koufos, C 25 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 11 REB \| 0 AST \| 8 PTS \| +3 Koufos was his usual productive self, providing a steady rebounding presence and decent enough offense in his limited time on the floor. Where Koufos really shined was in the closing stretch of the game, where Karl trusted him to close out the win in Nene’s usual role. Koufos defense was spectacular in some crucial late-game sequences and he never stopped playing hard. This is some of the most focused defense I’ve seen out of Koufos, who had two of his four blocks in a pivotal fourth quarter where the game was closer than it seemed.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 14 MIN \| 5-10 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 3 AST \| 11 PTS \| +2 Hamilton was a mixed bag – but mostly good as he’s still finding his way through the first handful of meaningful games in his pro career. Hamilton was extremely aggressive on offense, dishing his way to three nice assists but also taking some bad shots, a couple of which he made in spectacular fashion. You have to love the energy Hamilton is playing with, but he failed to block out Batum on a fourth quarter putback which ended up getting him benched. A double-digit scoring game is progress and Hamilton just needs to work on his fundamentals and accept the short leash that comes with every rookie mistake.

Highway to the Danger Zone?

February 28, 2012
by Jeremy

Danilo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, Timofey Mozgov, Arron Afflalo. They all have missed game this season with an ankle sprain. Some have been serious (Gallo) some have been much less so (Afflalo). However, I think I speak for Nuggets fans everywhere when I ask, “What is with all the ankle sprains?”

Let me propose two potential causes that are the two pillars of Denver’s offense, pace and paint points, two categories in which they lead the entire NBA. Maybe the Pepsi Center should be known as the Danger Zone. (more…)

5-on-5: Second-half predictions

February 27, 2012
by Kalen

While the 3-on-3 articles have become a popular series here at Roundball Mining Company, every now and then we like to get you, the reader, more involved in the process. Thus, 5-on-5 is born. Though we encourage everyone to give their own opinions on the following questions in the comments section below, a select few who follow us on Twitter have been invited to become an integral part of the article itself. This time around, Nuggets fans Joe Beebe and Mitchell Carroll will join Jeremy, Charlie and I to weigh in on the second half of the 2011-12 Nuggets season. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to ensure the next time we go looking for fan participants, you’ll be there to answer the call.

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Nuggets News: Gallo’s return and a Chandler update

February 27, 2012
by Charlie

For those not following us on twitter, there’s been a couple more rumors swirling around the ongoing Wilson Chandler saga. The first coming out of hoopshype stating that the Toronto Raptors are actively trying to free up space for an offer sheet by trading Leandro Barbosa. The second and most compelling rumor causing much consternation amongst Nuggets fans is out of Sportando, an Italian basketball website which is reporting that Chandler’s agent Chris Luchey is “in serious talks with an Italian team to seal a deal for rest of season.”

Both rumors are sourced only to twitter and it’s fair to say they’re rooted in speculation more than anything else right now. As we’ve gone through several times with the Chandler situation, he is in a unique position and only able to negotiate in earnest with one team — the Denver Nuggets.

I would not put a lot of stock into the Leandro Barbosa rumors. He’s been on the trade block for a while and the Raptors know that desperately giving him away in a hurry is a questionable move considering there is no guarantee Denver does not just match their offer sheet. As has been reported by ESPN and Hoopsworld, the Raptors seem resigned to the fact that putting together an offer sheet at this late stage is not likely to work out well.

The rumors of Chandler’s agent negotiating with Italy only reinforces our view that Denver holds all the cards in terms of Wilson returning to the NBA. It’s clear that he wants to be in the NBA, even going so far as to negotiate an early release from his Chinese team and seek an early letter of clearance from FIBA. As we have assumed for a long time, Denver has no interest in signing Chandler short term and granting him the holy grail of unrestricted free agency in exchange for a few months of service.

Wilson must feel he is being forced over to Europe due to Denver not willing to accept a one year deal. Chandler can certainly apply pressure by threatening to head over to Europe for the remainder of the season, but Denver would still own his rights whenever he returns. Not to mention Chandler runs the risk of serious injury while he remains a free agent and there is no guarantee he will be rewarded with the richer contract he’s seeking by waiting till the summer.

The Nuggets are playing hardball with Chandler, as expected. All it means as the process will be longer and more drawn out as Chandler exercises his leverage and continues to test Denver’s resolve to give him the long-term deal he seeks. The Nuggets clearly seem more interested in protecting themselves rather than just getting him on the floor and it looks like a 50/50 proposition in terms of whether or not he’ll be back.

I highly recommend following us on twitter, as I often discuss Chandler stuff there and the situation is such that we won’t post about every future development as it occurs. You can follow me here and go ahead and give Kalen and Jeremy a follow as well.

On to the current links and Nuggets news, bullet-style this time for convenience.

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Hickory-High breaks down Nuggets offense

February 27, 2012
by Kalen

Ian Levy, of Hickory-High.com, who runs a fantastic blog centered around statistics, analysis and occasional ramblings — similar to what we do here — recently reached out to Roundball Mining Company to inform us of a video break down one of his newest contributors had posted. Being that we love video analysis, we were more than happy to give Hickory-High a “link up” so that Nuggets fans would have the opportunity to see the excellent coverage of their favorite basketball team first hand. If you get a chance, please check out the article and follow both Ian and the author, Jordan Kahn, on Twitter.

The 12 Game Road to Recovery

February 24, 2012
by Charlie

The new year started out kind to the Nuggets, especially after beginning January with a franchise best 12-3 record. Although they went on to lose their final two games in January, coach George Karl still called it “maybe the best month I’ve ever had” as the Nuggets were talked about as legitimate contenders for a top four seed in the Western Conference.

That was three weeks ago. Even the worst case scenarios back then might not have predicted the precipitous slide the Nuggets would go on after losing those final two games in the month of January. Unfortunately the nightmares have come true as the Denver Nuggets limp into the All-Star break reeling and out of the playoff picture altogether. To say they have fallen on hard times would be a massive understatement.

The injuries have gotten so bad moral victories have the Nuggets feeling pretty good about themselves despite going 1-5 in their last six games. It seems ridiculous, but the optimism is not misguided. To say the Nuggets have a favorable schedule coming up would be putting it lightly. 10 of the next 12 are at home and the Nuggets will be playing on at least one day of rest for ALL of them. Let’s take a look.

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Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 99 San Antonio Spurs 114

February 23, 2012
by Charlie

San Antonio Spurs

114

Final

Recap | Box Score

Denver Nuggets

	Corey Brewer, SF 29 MIN \| 9-17 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 23 PTS \| -18 It’s really tough to rely on Brewer’s offense, but his constant energy and enthusiasm sure is fun to watch. Brewer was having a pretty poor start to his night before exploding in the fourth quarter where he scored 12 of his 23 points. In an interesting development Brewer guarded Tony Parker with Andre Miller off the floor and was able to pressure him. Brewer’s being asked to fill too big of a role with all of the injury problems and his all effort deserves praise.
	Kenneth Faried, F 22 MIN \| 2-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 3 AST \| 4 PTS \| -18 He was benched for Al Harrington yet again, but Faried proved he is indeed still a rookie and struggled to keep the fundamentally sound Spurs off the boards. The “Manimal” has been expanding his game and showing flashes of offensive talent but needs to be more consistent on the rebounding front to solidify his place in the rotation. Games like these will happen for the inexperienced Faried and while he struggled to be effective you never once had to question his effort and his ongoing drive to improve.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 20 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 AST \| 8 PTS \| -1 Mozgov was playing solid ball before getting injured against the Lakers and he’s really struggled to get back into form since returning. He once again started poorly, showing his penchant for fouling and turning the ball over too much. Mozgov did play better as the game wore on, but was generally dominated by the Spurs front line and it’s hard to overlook the fact he’s largely ineffective in his minutes right now.
	Andre Miller, PG 27 MIN \| 7-10 FG \| 5-6 FT \| 1 REB \| 7 AST \| 20 PTS \| -17 Miller is more reliable as a starter than a reserve, so his impressive stat line doesn’t come as huge surprise. What the numbers don’t tell you is that Miller held the ball a lot and struggled to create decent opportunities as Denver fell behind by as much as 28 points with him directing the offense. Staying in front of Tony Parker also proved to be a nightmare for the slow-footed Miller, who tallied four fouls in 27 ineffective minutes.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 39 MIN \| 6-16 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 19 PTS \| -8 Afflalo is banged up, clearly feeling the effects of nagging injuries and being asked to assume a big-minute, high-responsibility role as the Nuggets battle through numerous injuries. Despite Arron tweaking another muscle and struggling with fatigue he battled through a 39-minute night the best he could and came within one point of another 20 point performance — which would have been his seventh in the past nine games.
	Al Harrington, PF 26 MIN \| 4-10 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 9 REB \| 3 AST \| 8 PTS \| +3 Eight points on 10 shots and another tough performance to grade. While Big Al has continued putting up numbers in this injury-riddled stretch, the team is getting killed on defense as the ball movement on offense grinds to a halt. Harrington hasn’t missed a game yet and is clearly exhausted, but as a veteran leader he needs to focus on defending and getting the Nuggets offense back to their high-efficiency ways.
	Chris Andersen, C 9 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| -12 It wasn’t totally clear why Birdman entered the game, but he didn’t do anything of note outside of blocking two shots and badly missing a baseline jumper. Birdman could have come out with better energy, but he didn’t get much of a chance and was not in the game long enough to have an impact either way. It’s another example of why the Nuggets are struggling to keep Birdman involved considering they have no idea what to expect when he’s inserted into a game.
	Kosta Koufos, C 19 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 6 REB \| 1 AST \| 8 PTS \| -2 Koufos played very few minutes until the game was well out of hand, but he was part of a unit that sparked a second half run and showed life for the first time all night. He grabbed three offensive boards and was clearly more effective than most of the other Nuggets bigs, most notably Harrington and Mozgov. On nights like tonight you’d like to see him get rewarded and show what he can do in a big minute role.
	Julyan Stone, G 21 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 7 AST \| 9 PTS \| +2 When Stone becomes more of a threat to score the ball his game will really start opening up. Right now it’s clear he doesn’t have a lot of confidence in his scoring ability and he gets out of control trying to attack and do too much. Defensively, Stone’s play was top-notch and sparked a run where the Nuggets actually put up some resistance to Tony Parker and threatened to get back in the game. Stone is a rookie who needs work, but he brings great energy and in terms of overall point guard play I believe he thoroughly outplayed Andre Miller despite not being able to score.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 27 MIN \| 0-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 9 REB \| 2 AST \| 0 PTS \| -4 Rough night for Hamilton, who took some bad shots early and showed where he still has a lot of room to grow in terms of figuring out how to best use his array of offensive moves. Jordan was hesitant tonight and often caught in between trying to drive or shoot. Although Hamilton was a dud in the scoring department, he grabbed nine boards and showed off his versatility as a big guard who can compete on the glass. Ultimately Hamilton’s role is to score and while he needs to be more aggressive and decisive with his offense, Jordan showed there’s more to his game than just shooting.

Wilson Chandler update

February 23, 2012
by Kalen

As has been pointed out by several readers, Wilson Chandler is currently visiting numerous different teams who have expressed interest in the free agent small forward. On Wednesday, Chandler was in Toronto, a team that covets him and has for quite some time. According to his agent Chris Luchey, Chandler is talking to six other teams besides the Nuggets and does in fact have interest in signing with Raptors. As Marc Stein pointed out on Twitter, “Only three teams currently have the needed cap space to test Denver’s Chandler resolve: Pacers ($14 million), Kings ($9million) and Cavs ($7.1 million).” Meanwile, according to SI.com’s Sam Amick, just as we’d thought all along here at Roundball Mining Co., Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri, “has made it clear he has no interest in signing him for only the rest of the season and that he wants a long-term deal.”

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Rapid Reaction: Los Angeles Clippers 103, Denver Nuggets 95

February 23, 2012
by Kalen

Denver Nuggets

Final

Recap | Box Score

103

Los Angeles Clippers

	Corey Brewer, SF 35 MIN \| 3-10 FG \| 6-7 FT \| 1 REB \| 2 AST \| 12 PTS \| +1 Brewer is usually an energetic spark of mayhem, but spent most of the evening hoisting up ill-advised 3-pointers and taking bad shots in general. Even his defense was mediocre, which is never a good sign.
	Kenneth Faried, F 22 MIN \| 5-8 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 9 REB \| 0 AST \| 12 PTS \| 0 Look at the numbers. In 22 minutes Faried put up way better stats than Mozgov or Koufos yet he was relegated to the bench throughout the heart of the game. His defense on Blake Griffin virtually eliminated one of the Clippers’ best offensive weapons while his tenacity for 50-50 balls was top notch. Had Faried received more time, which he deserved, the outcome of this game may have been different.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 23 MIN \| 2-9 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 7 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| -4 Just when I was lightening up on Mozgov he goes off and has a game like this. It’s funny how Karl always preaches about rookies and their mistakes, yet Mozgov is by far the worst offender in this category, and for whatever reason seems to have some of the best job security on the team. What gives?
	Andre Miller, PG 35 MIN \| 3-15 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 8 AST \| 8 PTS \| -9 Miller was actually seen playing defense on a few occasions but was a ball stopper on far too many offensive possessions. Worst of all, he wasn’t making any of his shots. It’s nice to see eight assists, but really, none of them were all that spectacular. In 35 minutes, he needs to produce better.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 38 MIN \| 7-10 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 6 REB \| 3 AST \| 20 PTS \| -14 Afflalo has very quietly had a fantastic little stretch over the last several weeks. This is now the sixth time in the last eight games that he has scored at least 20 points. The best part about this one, however, was the fact that it was done efficiently. Afflalo’s offense is, without question, improving right before our eyes.
	Al Harrington, PF 29 MIN \| 3-13 FG \| 5-10 FT \| 6 REB \| 5 AST \| 11 PTS \| -11 Up until the fourth quarter Al Harrington was either going to receive an “A” because the Nuggets won due to him kicking it into overdrive, or a “D” because he took way too many shots he shouldn’t have and totally killed the flow of the offense. Obviously the latter ensued and as a result Harrington turned in one of the more perplexing performances he’s had all season. Big Al was far too selfish and shouldn’t even have been in the game the last half of the closing quarter because of it.
	Kosta Koufos, C 22 MIN \| 4-5 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 9 PTS \| +1 You’d like to see Koufos hit the boards a bit harder but his effort, as always, was there and so were a few nice baskets too. Unlike Mozgov, Koufos hardly committed a glaring error and did the job he was assigned to.
	Julyan Stone, G 13 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 2 AST \| 0 PTS \| +1 Stone was either nervous, off or possibly both. He had a few nice assists and was a floor general on offense but simply could not make the type of defensive impact we’ve come to see from him in the last few games. He also had some bad fouls that could have been avoided. Still, Stone’s effort on defense shouldn’t be overlooked as it was the best of any Nugget on the floor.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 24 MIN \| 6-11 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 18 PTS \| -5 Wow. What a performance by Hamilton. As I tweeted, if not for him, I’d have been left without any hair; instead, I still have a few strands. We’ll touch on Hamilton more in the “Things We Saw” section but for starters, keep in mind just how smart he played. He took no bad shots, passed when he was heavily guarded, played solid defense and even skied for a few boards. His shooting was clearly (and I mean CLEARLY) worlds better than Rudy Fernandez, but keep in mind, this is a small sample size. It should also be noted that Hamilton was the only Nugget to stay after the final whistle and congratulate the Clippers on the win, while the rest of the team hurried off to the locker room with heads hung low.

Film Room – Offense: Movement vs No Movement

February 22, 2012
by Jeremy

The Roundball Mining Company Film Room is back! Today we are going to compare the Nuggets offensive execution against Oklahoma City in the second quarter to their offensive execution at the end of the fourth quarter. Maybe there is a reason why they struggle at the end of close games.

The film does not lie. Free flowing offense getting shots in the lane versus standing around and awaiting the inevitable horrible shot. I have no idea why they get away from what works in an attempt to do things the way everyone else does. The devotion to iso heavy stagnant sets with one player who is not suited for the role tries to play hero is baffling. Surely over his long and illustrious coaching career George Karl has picked up a few nice plays to run in that situation.

What is interesting is the group that was moving so well was comprised of players who most fans would expect to struggle to score. It looks to me like they could teach the starters a thing or two.

Record	38 - 28
Pythagorean Record	39.4 - 26.6
Projected Pyth Rec (82 Gms)	48.9 - 33.1
Projected Pyth Rec (66 Gms)	39.4 - 26.6
Defensive Efficiency	104.1
Offensive Efficiency	106.9
Pace Factor	96.31/td>
Field Goal %	47.6
Opp Field Goal %	45.6%
3P Field Goal %	33.2%
Opp 3P Field Goal %	38.3%
Free Throw %	73.5%
Opp Free Throw %	76.5%
Effective FG%	51.6%
Opp Effective FG%	50.7%
True Shooting %	55.6%
Opp True Shooting %	54.2%
Def Rebound Rate	74.2%
Off Rebound Rate	27.7%
Total Rebound Rate	51.7%

	Corey Brewer, SF 26 MIN \| 5-14 FG \| 0-1 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 11 PTS \| +4 14 shots in 26 minutes is a lot, but Brewer has never been shy about letting it fly and he’s continued to develop into a more consistent offensive player. I thought it was a very tough matchup going against Gerald Wallace and Nic Batum, but Brewer held his own. Karl did a fantastic job managing his minutes and not forcing him out there in a super-small lineup where he’s likely to be overpowered by bigger players.
	Kenneth Faried, F 17 MIN \| 6-6 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 10 REB \| 0 AST \| 13 PTS \| +8 It sounds ridiculous for a player who only saw 17 minutes, but if I had to give an MVP award for this win it would undoubtedly go to Faried. He was instrumental in setting the tone for the Nuggets, defending with vigor and dominating the paint on both ends. Seven offensive rebounds is the most any Nuggets player has gathered this season, and Faried did it in less than 20 minutes. The “Manimal” is growing up quick and when you imagine what he might do with more minutes and a more polished offensive game — it’s downright scary.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 23 MIN \| 6-10 FG \| 2-3 FT \| 9 REB \| 1 AST \| 14 PTS \| +3 Mozgov had a very solid performance. Although he struggled defensively at times, much to Scott Hastings’ chagrin, Mozgov was physical with Aldridge and much more assertive on the offensive end. He’s been struggling with turnovers and rebounding, two areas in which he improved greatly tonight. Mozgov just needs to be more consistent in terms of production with his 20 minutes a night as he continues to prove himself as a valuable role player.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 36 MIN \| 4-13 FG \| 3-6 FT \| 1 REB \| 6 AST \| 12 PTS \| +9 Afflalo’s shot was flat and he missed several big free throws, but outside of that his game was superb. Afflalo’s been much more confident in his offensive game and continues to improve by taking more shots in the flow of the offense. The only things missing right now are the three-point consistency and his reliability at the foul-line. If those areas improve and he continues the kind of production we’ve seen in the last two weeks, Afflalo could be safely considered one of better shooting guards in the Western Conference.
	Ty Lawson, PG 38 MIN \| 8-15 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 9 AST \| 18 PTS \| +17 Lawson started slow after returning from injury and seemed to be going through an up-and-down night as he struggled to find his rhythm. On the other hand, the Nuggets offense looked so markedly different with him back in the mix it became clear how important he is despite not being able to make his shots. Lawson then exploded late and assumed total control of the game behind 6-9 shooting in the fourth quarter. His offense was brilliant most of the night and he delivered the win when the Nuggets needed someone to step up down the stretch.
	Al Harrington, PF 31 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 10 REB \| 2 AST \| 13 PTS \| +8 Al played a good game, replacing Faried early and often but maintaining good enough defense and rebounding to avoid much of a drop-off in either area. Al was clearly worn out before the break and struggling to work off his teammates for shots. Harrington played 30 minutes and looked tired at the end of his stint, but there’s no denying he took much better shots and gave way better effort in other areas outside of scoring.
	Andre Miller, PG 29 MIN \| 1-4 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 5 AST \| 4 PTS \| +1 Miller was not as bad as his stats indicate, but just take a look at how dreadful his line was. Although Miller looked spry and was more “active” on the defensive end, he still struggled to rotate and close out on shooters. It should be stressed Miller was better on defense than he has been, but his game is still plagued by inconsistency and frequent stretches of flat-out horrible play. Miller took only four shots, two of which were three-pointers and he committed two bad turnovers late, when all Denver had to do was hold onto the ball in order to win.
	Kosta Koufos, C 25 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 11 REB \| 0 AST \| 8 PTS \| +3 Koufos was his usual productive self, providing a steady rebounding presence and decent enough offense in his limited time on the floor. Where Koufos really shined was in the closing stretch of the game, where Karl trusted him to close out the win in Nene’s usual role. Koufos defense was spectacular in some crucial late-game sequences and he never stopped playing hard. This is some of the most focused defense I’ve seen out of Koufos, who had two of his four blocks in a pivotal fourth quarter where the game was closer than it seemed.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 14 MIN \| 5-10 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 3 AST \| 11 PTS \| +2 Hamilton was a mixed bag – but mostly good as he’s still finding his way through the first handful of meaningful games in his pro career. Hamilton was extremely aggressive on offense, dishing his way to three nice assists but also taking some bad shots, a couple of which he made in spectacular fashion. You have to love the energy Hamilton is playing with, but he failed to block out Batum on a fourth quarter putback which ended up getting him benched. A double-digit scoring game is progress and Hamilton just needs to work on his fundamentals and accept the short leash that comes with every rookie mistake.

	Corey Brewer, SF 29 MIN \| 9-17 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 23 PTS \| -18 It’s really tough to rely on Brewer’s offense, but his constant energy and enthusiasm sure is fun to watch. Brewer was having a pretty poor start to his night before exploding in the fourth quarter where he scored 12 of his 23 points. In an interesting development Brewer guarded Tony Parker with Andre Miller off the floor and was able to pressure him. Brewer’s being asked to fill too big of a role with all of the injury problems and his all effort deserves praise.
	Kenneth Faried, F 22 MIN \| 2-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 3 AST \| 4 PTS \| -18 He was benched for Al Harrington yet again, but Faried proved he is indeed still a rookie and struggled to keep the fundamentally sound Spurs off the boards. The “Manimal” has been expanding his game and showing flashes of offensive talent but needs to be more consistent on the rebounding front to solidify his place in the rotation. Games like these will happen for the inexperienced Faried and while he struggled to be effective you never once had to question his effort and his ongoing drive to improve.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 20 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 AST \| 8 PTS \| -1 Mozgov was playing solid ball before getting injured against the Lakers and he’s really struggled to get back into form since returning. He once again started poorly, showing his penchant for fouling and turning the ball over too much. Mozgov did play better as the game wore on, but was generally dominated by the Spurs front line and it’s hard to overlook the fact he’s largely ineffective in his minutes right now.
	Andre Miller, PG 27 MIN \| 7-10 FG \| 5-6 FT \| 1 REB \| 7 AST \| 20 PTS \| -17 Miller is more reliable as a starter than a reserve, so his impressive stat line doesn’t come as huge surprise. What the numbers don’t tell you is that Miller held the ball a lot and struggled to create decent opportunities as Denver fell behind by as much as 28 points with him directing the offense. Staying in front of Tony Parker also proved to be a nightmare for the slow-footed Miller, who tallied four fouls in 27 ineffective minutes.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 39 MIN \| 6-16 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 19 PTS \| -8 Afflalo is banged up, clearly feeling the effects of nagging injuries and being asked to assume a big-minute, high-responsibility role as the Nuggets battle through numerous injuries. Despite Arron tweaking another muscle and struggling with fatigue he battled through a 39-minute night the best he could and came within one point of another 20 point performance — which would have been his seventh in the past nine games.
	Al Harrington, PF 26 MIN \| 4-10 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 9 REB \| 3 AST \| 8 PTS \| +3 Eight points on 10 shots and another tough performance to grade. While Big Al has continued putting up numbers in this injury-riddled stretch, the team is getting killed on defense as the ball movement on offense grinds to a halt. Harrington hasn’t missed a game yet and is clearly exhausted, but as a veteran leader he needs to focus on defending and getting the Nuggets offense back to their high-efficiency ways.
	Chris Andersen, C 9 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| -12 It wasn’t totally clear why Birdman entered the game, but he didn’t do anything of note outside of blocking two shots and badly missing a baseline jumper. Birdman could have come out with better energy, but he didn’t get much of a chance and was not in the game long enough to have an impact either way. It’s another example of why the Nuggets are struggling to keep Birdman involved considering they have no idea what to expect when he’s inserted into a game.
	Kosta Koufos, C 19 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 6 REB \| 1 AST \| 8 PTS \| -2 Koufos played very few minutes until the game was well out of hand, but he was part of a unit that sparked a second half run and showed life for the first time all night. He grabbed three offensive boards and was clearly more effective than most of the other Nuggets bigs, most notably Harrington and Mozgov. On nights like tonight you’d like to see him get rewarded and show what he can do in a big minute role.
	Julyan Stone, G 21 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 7 AST \| 9 PTS \| +2 When Stone becomes more of a threat to score the ball his game will really start opening up. Right now it’s clear he doesn’t have a lot of confidence in his scoring ability and he gets out of control trying to attack and do too much. Defensively, Stone’s play was top-notch and sparked a run where the Nuggets actually put up some resistance to Tony Parker and threatened to get back in the game. Stone is a rookie who needs work, but he brings great energy and in terms of overall point guard play I believe he thoroughly outplayed Andre Miller despite not being able to score.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 27 MIN \| 0-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 9 REB \| 2 AST \| 0 PTS \| -4 Rough night for Hamilton, who took some bad shots early and showed where he still has a lot of room to grow in terms of figuring out how to best use his array of offensive moves. Jordan was hesitant tonight and often caught in between trying to drive or shoot. Although Hamilton was a dud in the scoring department, he grabbed nine boards and showed off his versatility as a big guard who can compete on the glass. Ultimately Hamilton’s role is to score and while he needs to be more aggressive and decisive with his offense, Jordan showed there’s more to his game than just shooting.

	Corey Brewer, SF 35 MIN \| 3-10 FG \| 6-7 FT \| 1 REB \| 2 AST \| 12 PTS \| +1 Brewer is usually an energetic spark of mayhem, but spent most of the evening hoisting up ill-advised 3-pointers and taking bad shots in general. Even his defense was mediocre, which is never a good sign.
	Kenneth Faried, F 22 MIN \| 5-8 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 9 REB \| 0 AST \| 12 PTS \| 0 Look at the numbers. In 22 minutes Faried put up way better stats than Mozgov or Koufos yet he was relegated to the bench throughout the heart of the game. His defense on Blake Griffin virtually eliminated one of the Clippers’ best offensive weapons while his tenacity for 50-50 balls was top notch. Had Faried received more time, which he deserved, the outcome of this game may have been different.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 23 MIN \| 2-9 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 7 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| -4 Just when I was lightening up on Mozgov he goes off and has a game like this. It’s funny how Karl always preaches about rookies and their mistakes, yet Mozgov is by far the worst offender in this category, and for whatever reason seems to have some of the best job security on the team. What gives?
	Andre Miller, PG 35 MIN \| 3-15 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 8 AST \| 8 PTS \| -9 Miller was actually seen playing defense on a few occasions but was a ball stopper on far too many offensive possessions. Worst of all, he wasn’t making any of his shots. It’s nice to see eight assists, but really, none of them were all that spectacular. In 35 minutes, he needs to produce better.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 38 MIN \| 7-10 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 6 REB \| 3 AST \| 20 PTS \| -14 Afflalo has very quietly had a fantastic little stretch over the last several weeks. This is now the sixth time in the last eight games that he has scored at least 20 points. The best part about this one, however, was the fact that it was done efficiently. Afflalo’s offense is, without question, improving right before our eyes.
	Al Harrington, PF 29 MIN \| 3-13 FG \| 5-10 FT \| 6 REB \| 5 AST \| 11 PTS \| -11 Up until the fourth quarter Al Harrington was either going to receive an “A” because the Nuggets won due to him kicking it into overdrive, or a “D” because he took way too many shots he shouldn’t have and totally killed the flow of the offense. Obviously the latter ensued and as a result Harrington turned in one of the more perplexing performances he’s had all season. Big Al was far too selfish and shouldn’t even have been in the game the last half of the closing quarter because of it.
	Kosta Koufos, C 22 MIN \| 4-5 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 9 PTS \| +1 You’d like to see Koufos hit the boards a bit harder but his effort, as always, was there and so were a few nice baskets too. Unlike Mozgov, Koufos hardly committed a glaring error and did the job he was assigned to.
	Julyan Stone, G 13 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 2 AST \| 0 PTS \| +1 Stone was either nervous, off or possibly both. He had a few nice assists and was a floor general on offense but simply could not make the type of defensive impact we’ve come to see from him in the last few games. He also had some bad fouls that could have been avoided. Still, Stone’s effort on defense shouldn’t be overlooked as it was the best of any Nugget on the floor.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 24 MIN \| 6-11 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 18 PTS \| -5 Wow. What a performance by Hamilton. As I tweeted, if not for him, I’d have been left without any hair; instead, I still have a few strands. We’ll touch on Hamilton more in the “Things We Saw” section but for starters, keep in mind just how smart he played. He took no bad shots, passed when he was heavily guarded, played solid defense and even skied for a few boards. His shooting was clearly (and I mean CLEARLY) worlds better than Rudy Fernandez, but keep in mind, this is a small sample size. It should also be noted that Hamilton was the only Nugget to stay after the final whistle and congratulate the Clippers on the win, while the rest of the team hurried off to the locker room with heads hung low.

Denver Nuggets Blog – Roundball Mining Company

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