Rapid Reaction: Portland Trailblazers 117, Denver Nuggets 97

February 5, 2012
by Kalen
Denver Nuggets 97 FinalRecap | Box Score 117 Portland Trail Blazers
Nene, C 27 MIN | 1-5 FG | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 4 PTS | -18
It’s no secret Nene tends to struggle against taller, more talented big men. We saw it against the Lakers and again Saturday night against LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers. Early on Nene attempted to go after Aldridge down low in the post but got turned back on nearly every occasion. From that point on he disappeared and never really attempted to get back in the game.
Danilo Gallinari, SF 36 MIN | 7-14 FG | 5-5 FT | 5 REB | 3 AST | 20 PTS | -20
Gallinari drove aggressively to the hole and for that I commend him. This was a solid bounce-back performance after a few disappointing outings in which he took far too many outside jump shots. Gallo gave it his all for most of the game and looked completely pale on the sidelines at the end of the fourth quarter.
Kosta Koufos, C 34 MIN | 7-11 FG | 2-2 FT | 12 REB | 1 AST | 16 PTS | -5
This was by far Koufos’ best game as a Nuggets and quite possibly the best game of his career. He logged at least 30 minutes for the first time in a Nuggets uniform and put up season highs in both points and rebounds as a result. More than anything, against the Blazers Koufos proved that if he receives enough playing time, he’ll produce. His 12 boards were a career high and the most of any Nuggets since Nene had 13 against the New York Knicks. His 34 minutes were also a career high.
Arron Afflalo, SG 20 MIN | 0-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS | -1
Something has to be up with Afflalo. Nuggets’ radio announcer Jason Kosmicki tweeted after the game that he might have a groin injury, which leads one to question why he’d be playing in the first place. Even if he was truly injured it still doesn’t change the fact that Afflalo has struggled mightily up to this point in the season and is without question the biggest disappointment of the year so far. This was his second game in the last six where he received at least 20 minutes of playing time and has gone scoreless in the process. Maybe Afflalo should just take a few games off, get refocused and come back when he’s ready.
Ty Lawson, PG 32 MIN | 7-14 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 5 AST | 16 PTS | -19
Lawson was a standout in terms of effort. He was flying around the court all night, looking as if he was the only one who hadn’t succumbed to chronic fatigue like most of his teammates. He penetrated with precision and either ignited or got out on the break every time he was presented with the opportunity. This was clearly one of Lawson’s most effective games in the last week.
Al Harrington, PF 22 MIN | 3-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 6 REB | 0 AST | 9 PTS | -15
Harrington didn’t take a lot of shots but found a way to contribute in other areas, especially on defense where he played solidly against the much taller LaMarcus Aldridge. Once again Harrington’s passion for the game overflowed on to the court as he could be seen giving 110 percent even in the waning minutes of the game when the Nuggets didn’t have a shot at winning.
Andre Miller, PG 14 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 2 PTS | -8
Miller looked absolutely lost. Granted, his 14 minutes didn’t allow him to make the type of impact he’s capable of, but there was probably good reasoning behind his lack of playing time in the first place. Batum’s career night began when Miller “attempted” to guard him, and in his first handful of buckets that went in from beyond the arc Miller didn’t even put a hand up to contest the shot. We’ve known Miller struggles on defense at times, but not even attempting to contest a shot is absolutely inexcusable. Because of this, Miller gets the first “F” I’ve handed out all season.
Corey Brewer, SF 20 MIN | 4-10 FG | 6-7 FT | 5 REB | 2 AST | 14 PTS | -7
Although a good chunk of his minutes came in garbage time, it’s hard to ignore just how energetic Brewer was in his time on the floor. Fourteen points in 20 minutes to go along with five boards, two assists, two steals and a block is nothing more than pure hustle numbers. His defense continue to impress, although he needs to work on not turning the ball over quite as often as he does.

Rudy Fernandez, SG 23 MIN | 3-8 FG | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 9 PTS | -19
Fernandez seemed somewhat hidden. Even in 23 minutes of action it was hard to tell what exactly he was doing on the floor. I did notice him playing stingy defense on a few occasions yet I also couldn’t help but look at the box score and “smh” at his five three-point attempts. Rudy simply isn’t hitting 3-pointers at a high clip, so why he continues to take so many is baffling. It would be nice to see him drive to the basket more than just once in a blue moon.
Julyan Stone, G 3 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 0 PTS | +5
Stone, like all the rookies, didn’t play very much even though he should have. Still, his defense was great and his willingness to find nearly all of his teammates on offense continues to be a good sign from a young point guard. It’s hard to see Stone play with so much enthusiasm on the defensive side of the ball and not want to see more of him.
Kenneth Faried, F 5 MIN | 1-2 FG | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 4 PTS | +2
Faried definitely still has a ways to go before he’s a sound NBA player and more than likely this is going to take a while. He’ll go through some growing pains in the process, although I cannot stress enough how his energy, defense and rebounding will cover up most of these flaws. Right now he should be focusing on making the right basketball play rather than the most electric ally oop; nevertheless, just like Stone it’s almost frustrating watching Faried play because you’re always going to want more.
Jordan Hamilton, G 3 MIN | 1-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS | +5
You can tell, Hamilton has some offensive fire power up his sleeve. He hit yet another 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game to show off his range and displayed a fairly decent handle to go along with it. After seeing him get a little more comfortable each time out, you’re left to wonder just how effective he might be alongside the second, or first, unit in the heat of a real game.

Five Things We Saw

  1. A Whiter Shade of Pale: As had been previously mentioned, there was a moment late in the game where the camera shifted focus to Gallinari and I wasn’t quite sure if I was looking at a ghost, vampire or a combination of the two. His eyes had bags under them and his expression was blank. Now, if you hadn’t seen the game, that lasting image of Gallo was all you needed to let you know what exactly transpired. Four games in five nights and the last of a back-to-back-to-back on the road against the best home team in the league is nothing short of the recipe for disaster, and on Saturday the Nuggets saw this recipe being cooked up first hand. It’s hard to fret too much over this loss when you consider just how fatigued the Nuggets had to be.
  2. Defensive Wins Back-to-Back-to-Backs: It’s worth noting that in three of the last four games the Nuggets have faced three teams who rank top 10 in the NBA in defense. It’s also worth noting that the Nuggets rank 25th in defense and have lost all three of these games despite having the best offense in the league. Scoring will never be a problem for the Nuggets, which makes it extremely frustrating knowing that if they just tune up their team defense, it would make all the difference in the world when it comes to playing in tight games. Right now only five teams rank lower than Denver in defense; all five have losing records and are on the fast track to the Lottery. If Denver’s defense doesn’t start improving, Karl needs to be held accountable as it’s his job to organize this aspect of the team and demand more from his players.
  3. Batum Mindstate: Take Batum out of this game and, believe it or not, the Nuggets actually have a chance of winning. His nine 3-pointers were a career high, four more than the entire Nuggets team made on the night and set a Blazers franchise record in the process. The Nuggets’ inability to shut him down, or at least contain him, was perhaps the culmination of their defense woes on the perimeter this season. Here at Roundball Mining Co. we’ve been warning the team for months that if something isn’t done to correct the perimeter defense, it would eventually result in a loss and this is exactly what happened on Saturday. For whatever reason the Nuggets seem to be dead set on double-teaming players that absolutely do not need to be doubled, which in turn is leading to wide open shots on the perimeter. Add this to the fact that the Nuggets have all sorts of trouble getting organized after switching on pick-and-rolls in addition to players not being able to stay in front of their opponent and it’s not hard to see why the Nuggets are so terrible on this side of the ball. Perhaps the only bright spot in the entire game came in the form of comfort knowing how high Nuggets management was on Batum last year, which only further corroborates the idea that Masai Ujiri has one hell of an eye for talent.
  4. If You Got it Flaunt it: I’ve never been a fan of Karl’s lineups nor his implausible fascination with small ball, but I’ve stomached it for most of the season due to how successful the Nuggets have been up to this point; however, after losing four of their last five games it’s time to start questioning if his funky rotations have anything to do with the recent losses. Birdman, although streaky, is without a doubt one of the Nuggets’ best energy players and can provide the type of shot blocking off the bench that’ hard to find. His three straight “DNP Coaches Decisions” are a little confusing considering just how large of a roll he’s played for the Nuggets over the past several season. Cutting down on his minutes is one thing but erasing them all together is a whole different story. In games like this, where energy is nowhere to be found, Birdman certainly isn’t a bad option. But more than anything, it was Karl’s refusal to tap into his incredibly deep bench and instead run his starters into the ground that made the least amount of sense. Rather than play guys like Andersen, Faried or Stone, Karl gave extra minutes to his starters who were clearly running on empty and not helping the team put points on the board in any way. Karl even stuck with his standard rotation all the way to the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter despite the Nuggets being down by more than 20 points for most of it. Why he chose to do this I will never know.
  5. The Camby Man Can: I couldn’t help but see Camby’s numbers in the box score and wonder where the Nuggets might be had he remained in Denver and not been traded to the Clippers several years back. At age 37 Camby is still managing, by himself, to haul in more rebounds on any given night than three to four Nuggets can. This was his third 20-rebound game in the last seven to go with 12 blocked shots in his last three. For some reason people myopically complained about Camby’s shot selection, without realizing just how dominate of a defensive presence he was down low and continued to fuss even after he won the Defensive Player of the Year award while in Denver. I’ll forever wonder just how different the Lakers series would have been in the Western Conference Final had he still donned a Nuggets uniforms, and same goes for virtually every other playoff series after that. One things for certain however: The Nuggets sure could use somebody like him right about now.

Game 24 Advanced Stats (and notes by Charlie)

Pace Factor: 94.9 – Hardly matters, it was a blowout
Offensive Efficiency: 102.2 – The Nuggets never led and the bench was non-productive
Defensive Efficiency: 123.3 – Blame fatigue, but the defense remains in total freefall and reached a new low

  • Kalen did a great job breaking down the game, but I don’t have much to add except the fact that Nuggets just couldn’t climb this ridiculous mountain. As the game started they did a decent job keeping up and with Koufos in the lineup they actually rebounded quite well. The Nuggets just could not get up and down the court after a while and lacked energy all night. Players gave what they could and with the regular rotation it was never going to be enough. That being said…
  • George Karl has to loosen up on the starters. No professional athlete likes to get embarrassed and blown out. Nene in particular was just simply over-exhausted tonight. It was evident in the first quarter that just getting up and down the court was was a problem. After a physical game against the giant L.A. Lakers, Nene just didn’t have enough in the tank to run full speed with Lawson or battle down low with Camby and Aldridge. He needed a break badly, and Karl left him out there for 27 minutes to suffer the worst game of his career. There’s no reason for this George – it’s borderline cruel letting Gallo and Nene suffer through an embarrassing blowout deep into the fourth quarter. Not only is it unsafe but the players deserve better than that.
  • There’s something physically wrong with Afflalo. We know mentally he’s in a bad place and fatigue was a huge factor. Watching the game I felt he just looked wrong moving around the court and Jason Kosmicki may have confirmed it by tweeting that Arron’s groin was bothering him. AAA isn’t playing well, but I’m beginning to fear he’s pushing it too hard and exposing himself to further injury.
  • The Nuggets defense hit a new low point. Karl had them frantically running around trapping and looking to force turnovers despite the fact no one had energy to get up the court and finish. Andre Miller coming into the game is where plane crashed into the mountain. He just didn’t put forth any effort in terms of contesting shots or picking up his man.
  • This was a game to forget. It’s easy to blame the circumstances, but the Nuggets knew that approaching this game as if it were any other normal game would result in them losing 100% of the time. I did not expect a win, but I thought Karl needed to do something differently to give his team a fighting chance. I would like to see him protect certain players when they clearly can’t give any more on the court.
Posted on February 5, 2012 at 3:12 am | filed in Analysis, Game Recap, Rapid Reaction | 38 Comments

38 Responses to “Rapid Reaction: Portland Trailblazers 117, Denver Nuggets 97”

  1. Jeff says:
    February 5, 2012 at 4:22 am

    Oh yeah, we could definitely use a Camby. Our best rebounder lately has been Al Harrington. In fact our best player lately has been Al Harrington. Man, what would the Nuggets record be had we amnestied him? Him and Brewer were the only guys playing hard D tonight.

  2. Tyler says:
    February 5, 2012 at 4:28 am

    Nuggets need an actual center. Three team trade between the Nuggets, Magic and Knicks. Knicks give Stoudemire to the Magic, Chandler to the Nuggets. The Magic give Jameer Nelson and Dwight to the Knicks. The Nuggets give Birdman, Koufos or Mosgov, Andre, and a draft pick to the Magic? Solves knicks problem at point, Magic get something for Dwight before he leaves as a free agent and the Nuggets get a much needed center.

    • steve says:
      February 5, 2012 at 6:41 am

      Arent you listening to D12 himself? basically the only team he’s willing to sign an extension to is NJnets. Nobody else has a chance. It’s very similar to the Melodrama last year.

    • Nigel says:
      February 5, 2012 at 7:07 am

      Let me give you a simple question: Why would Denver cough up a lot of players just to get ONE? And Koufos is still young but is already delivering like a young Camby. The only reason why he’s bust in Utah and Minnesota is because of LITTLE PLAYING TIME. In this game, though Denver lost, Koufos showed some signs of his old self in his days in Ohio State. Believe it, I think we have our new twin-tower in the future, a Mozgov-Koufos tandem.

  3. steve says:
    February 5, 2012 at 6:46 am

    I didnt get to watch the last 3 games as they were on very late and i am re-doing my kitchen. but ive watched the highlites and saw the box score.

    I too do not understand why Karl played the same rotation when it’s obvious they are dog tired. He should have allowed a few of the NON rotational guys play for 4 or 5 minutes in the 1st half to give everyone else a rest. also, When you are down by 20 at any point in the 4th on these back to back to backs, there’s no way our key rotational players should be on the court. Our guys have 1 day off and then have 2 very tough games at home vs Houston and Dallas.

  4. Nigel says:
    February 5, 2012 at 6:55 am

    That’s it! I had enough with Nene. Every time he disappears like a ghost, we 99.99% lose. And every time he performs well, other fans just say right away “he is still great for Denver”. It has been clear versus the Lakers and now the Blazers that he can’t play against the Gasols and the Aldridges. And Birdman?? I don’t know, man. He does bring energy but he can’t time blocks which is the reason he gets DNP-CDs. Now that Toronto badly wants an SF, nothing less than a trade is the answer.

    Trade:
    Nene
    Chris Andersen
    Rudy Fernandez/Jordan Hamilton
    in exchange for:
    Leandro Barbosa
    Linas Kleiza
    Gary Forbes

    -Kleiza has finally developed into the player we fans used to see from him, and he could prove it since ‘Melo is long gone. Forbes was underrated and didn’t thrive in his stop with the Raptors but he blended well in Karl’s system and it was clear that he has the potential to be an all-around player. And guess what Leandro can bring to Denver? He could make the offense go fast again, thus, stealing minutes from Miller which could go to a trade like this:

    Trade:
    Wilson Chandler
    Andre Miller
    in exchange for:
    Anthony Carter- a veteran who is a proven energy player

    -For now, i think trading Rudy or J-Ham is a good thing to address some problems, though they can be barely solved. The good thing is familiar faces could return the sparks Denver once had.

    If this trade/s can’t come to life, we could still have a good ambition of getting another quality player, and that’s Chris Kaman. It doesn’t matter if he’s not a true power forward or not, the Nuggets have to solve the problem that has been haunting them since Marcus Camby left, and that’s a quality big man. Please Ujiri and Kroenke, think fast!

    • chronicnugs says:
      February 5, 2012 at 11:50 pm

      no one is saying a word about this? ok… me either.

    • SmokinNugs says:
      February 6, 2012 at 2:47 pm

      Of all the former Nuggets, Anthony Carter is HANDS DOWN the one I miss the least. Give me Jr’s ridiculous shots, give me Kenyon’s massive contract, give me Melo’s drama, anything but Anthony Carter. If I never see AC in a Nuggets jersey again it will still be too soon.

      • Theking says:
        February 6, 2012 at 6:18 pm

        I couldn’t agree more. Anthony Carter was hands down my least favorite player wearing a Nuggets uniform last year, and i was relieved when i saw him go to NY

  5. Nigel says:
    February 5, 2012 at 7:03 am

    I think I’m trade happy after these unacceptable losses. Yes, they were tired, but depth was supposed to be there and save them. But no! I think the solution is to fire Karl and hire a quality defensive coach. Also a trade with NOH could help.

    DEN gets:
    Chris Kaman
    NOH receive:
    Nene
    Chris Andersen

    -Im just shock that why can’t a nimble 6’11 PF who can also play Center cannot outplay a slow Gasol or Aldridge. I won’t be surprised If Nene will be outplayed by Howard but Gasol or Aldridge!? This really bothers me.

    • steve says:
      February 5, 2012 at 8:39 am

      kaman cant run the floor. We need a big that can run the floor. We love the uptempo pace but if the big man cant get down the court than it would kill what we try to do. plus, kaman has terrible hands just like mozgov. this is why you always see kaman get the ball in the post when it’s easy to get it to him.

      We just need a capable big man that is tough enough to get some rebounds. I think Chandler to Toronto who wants him for Ed Davis would help a ton. hes young, cheap and we have him for a few years. Just another great asset to add to the stockpile.

    • SmokinNugs says:
      February 6, 2012 at 2:58 pm

      Kaman is garbage

  6. r21 says:
    February 5, 2012 at 7:43 am

    The reason that Kouf didnt go well in Jazz was because of Sloan. Kouf in high school was a great shooter (he even hits 3′s) but Sloan didnt like his playing style and try to make him more stronger and play in the paint. It is known that coach Sloan prefers center with Ostertag’s style. So Kosta put a lot of weight in a short period and has lost his jumpshot which was his best offensive “weapon”. Hopefully working with a coach like GK would benefit him.

    p.s: Sorry for my bad english.

  7. steve says:
    February 5, 2012 at 8:53 am

    another trade i’d like outside of Toronto for Ed Davis or their 1st would be trading Chandler to the Sacremento Kings. It would look like this…

    Chandler and Birdman for Jason Thompson and Fransisco Garcia. We land a bigman that is underrated and fits our system. He’s 6’11 and can run the floor. He has a solid midrange game as well. He is a RFA next year so we have options with him.The length of cisco’s contract is the same as birdman. Yes, we gain 1.5 mill in cap with landing cisco but his last year left in the deal is a team option compared to guarenteed with birdman.

    I know many of you think this may not be enough for chandler but if he doesnt want to play here, there is a good chance we will NOT get equal value. This is why packaging him with birdman would benefit us financially even though we may not get equal value in return. It would be great to add a big man that can step in right away and give us an easy 25 min. We are loaded at wings. We need that big man.

    • Kalen says:
      February 5, 2012 at 2:08 pm

      As long as the Nuggets have the right to match whatever offer is thrown his way, they can get equal value if not more. If Chandler doesn’t want to play in Denver that alone won’t keep the Nuggets from matching if they don’t find a deal they deem worthy of his services. He’d rather play in Denver and get paid than not play at all, so I doubt he’d become a problem. Then, as time goes on keep exploring trade options till you find the one you want.

      • NuggLove says:
        February 6, 2012 at 11:45 pm

        I don’t know. As I said, I don’t think playing with Gallo and Wil could make the offense better consistently. Remember when Wil suddenly chose China over Italy during the lockout because it said that he doesn’t like to play with Gallo. Every time one of them has a great game, the other does not. This is a hint that wherever Gallo goes, Chandler won’t be there. This is why a sign-and-trade is perfect to save the franchise from losing money

  8. HummmmmBaby says:
    February 5, 2012 at 9:52 am

    Great breakdown of the game guys. I was watching the Buffs beat Oregon and switching back and forth to this game, but knew it was going to be a tough one. I couldn’t stomach the 4th quarter…

    It’s hard to see players with drive playing with those with none. AAA is really frustrating, I know he didn’t play this summer to keep himself from getting injured, but he could have at least kept himself in shape. He’s a proven player, but man is he playing (or not playing, mirite) horribly. Nene is no surprise, I just wish we’d get a real big man coach that can show him how to use his skills.

  9. jj says:
    February 5, 2012 at 10:09 am

    I agree this is a great breakdown.

    I am not worried about last night. I am worried about dropping four of five, about poor defense, about AAA, about the lack of an enforcer and the lack of a finisher.

    I have had great hopes for this lineup, and in any case I don’t think anyone gets past OKC in the West. I just want to watch good basketball. And the last week has been really frustrating.

  10. Alex says:
    February 5, 2012 at 11:31 am

    I don’t know if we need to trade for any players, I just think that we need to get rid of a few players to give consistent playing time to those already on the team. I think this would be a good roster moving forward

    PG – Ty Lawson
    SG – AAA
    SF – Galo
    PF – Nene
    C – Moz

    BE – Stone
    BE – Brewer
    BE – Chandler
    BE – Harrington
    BE – Kosta
    BE – Ham
    BE – Faried

    I think that second unit will be dangerous on defense and will have a lot of energy.

    • steve says:
      February 5, 2012 at 11:52 am

      You really only want to play 8 or 9 guys regularily. When we show lack of energy is when you want to bring i the others.

      lawson, AA, Gallo, Nene, KOUFOS starting

      with

      Miller, Brewer, AL, Mozgov off the bench.

      Mozgov can shoot and i think he’ll perform much better vs 2nd units. KK is a better rebounder and that’s what we need next to Nene.

      Rudy, Birdman, Faried, Hamilton and stone come in when game is out of hand or lack of energy. Also if someone is struggling hardcore you take them out and put one of these guys in.

      • Andrew says:
        February 5, 2012 at 10:08 pm

        Right on, man. Totally agree with the switch of k2 and moz and your reasoning. I honestly believe nuggs would have best team in the league if Karl managed the players’ time better. I also think brewer should start over aaa until he wakes up or gets better. Ty law/brewer/gallo/nene/k2 as a starting lineup would be much better defensively, plus Ty would help keep brewer from too many touches where he mishandles. Then, nuggs would bring miller/ Rudy/Harrington/moz/aaa/faired/ Hamilton/ stone off the bench. That, to me, is a much more formidable lineup, night in/ night out.

        • chronicnugs says:
          February 5, 2012 at 11:55 pm

          brewer should never start for any team, ever. there is a difference between a starting caliber player and an energy player. AAA, despite how god awful he has been , is a starting caliber player. brewer is best used off the bench. he can take advantage of the energy we all love, and the advanced scouts wont expose him.

  11. TskitishVilllainy says:
    February 5, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    On the third game of a back to back to back, the Nuggets really hung in it through the first half. The Blazers were making difficult jumpers, and Batum went absolutely bonkers. Once, the second half came, the Nuggets had absolutely no answer, and I don’t know if I can blame them. Rip City is a tough place to play, and in those conditions I don’t know if even the 95-96 Bulls could have pulled it off.

    Still, I do see a ceiling in how Nene plays and it frustrates me that a big man with single coverage and shooters around him struggles so mightily around the basket. If the jumpers aren’t falling, they need to be able to throw the ball in the post and expect greater efficiency. Will a trade solve this problem, I doubt it. They will just have to continue to play unorthodox.

    Then again, what if Al Horford was on the market?

  12. al68 says:
    February 5, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    trade
    out
    afflalo+ 1st rd
    in
    gordon

    mas juego en estatico bueno para momentos de cansancio como este

    • chronicnugs says:
      February 5, 2012 at 11:59 pm

      terrible. we’re talking which gordon? youre going to trade a 6’5 willing defender who is struggling with his shot for a 6’2 unwilling defender who struggles with his shot (AND HAS A MISERABLE CONTRACT)? and we give up a first? ummmmmmmmmm… no one has a comment?

  13. Desean says:
    February 5, 2012 at 3:05 pm

    Mozgov V Koufos

    Rebounding- koufos
    Defense – mozgov
    Offensive positioning – koufos
    Offensive shot making ability ( jump shots and hook shots) – mozgov
    Ability to run the floor – mozgov

    I think they are pretty similar players however I think although koufos has posted some nice stats, mozgov really fits better into our fast style of play.

    Also another huge factor is this is koufos 4th year in the nba (limited minutes though) and mozgov’s 2nd . Koufos at this stage may be more developed in knowing where to be for offensive rebounds and dump offs however I think mozgov has more upside

  14. al68 says:
    February 5, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    trade idea

    nene
    miller
    x
    bosh

    Da mas juego interior y direccion a miami, denver consigue un verdadero referente en ataque y un buen tirador

  15. Peter says:
    February 5, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    When is Chandler coming back? I know he doesn’t want to play here, but I am confident that Masai will get a solid player in return if we trade him. AAA just doesn’t look right and has not all season. He needs to just take some time off and have that groin injury heal if it’s true that he’s hurt. The all-star break can’t come quick enough for him. If there’s one thing I know about him it’s that he’s a true professional and an extremely hard worker. You don’t start ahead of J.R. Smith(one of the most athletic guys in the league) by accident. This guy’s confidence might be down, but there is no possible way that at this age he’s declining. It’s a bad first half, but once he gets back to his old the self, the Nuggets should be a much improved team.

  16. Chris says:
    February 5, 2012 at 10:05 pm

    Chandler said he does want to be here and he hope the nuggets offer him a long term Contract. if u subscribe to insider u can see all the latest news.

    • steve says:
      February 6, 2012 at 7:00 am

      chris, im a longtime member of insider and have not seen anything where it says he wants to be here. Also, whatever is on insider is also on hoopshype which are the 2 main pages i read rumors from.

      I dont think we can sign chandler. He will demand probably 8 mill per year. He’s a RFA. ANY team like the Raps can overpay him and we just cant afford to match. This is why a sign and trade works best. Nuggets are making moves to show that they want to keep. We NEED to do that to make teams want to give up something for him because they think we will match the contract.

      Trade with Toronto for Ed Davis. Gives us another big man is something i think could happen.

  17. chronicnugs says:
    February 5, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    “Here at Roundball Mining Co. we’ve been warning the team for months that if something isn’t done to correct the perimeter defense, it would eventually result in a loss and this is exactly what happened on Saturday.”

    wow.. prophets. has anyone ‘Here at Roundball Mining Co.’ considered that this team is incapable of guarding the post? has anyone ‘Here at Roundball Mining Co.’ considered that george has chosen to give up the 3 vs. give up nearly uncontested layups. nice analysis. lol. we got burned guys. hakeem ain’t walking through that door fellas. pick your poison.

  18. steve says:
    February 6, 2012 at 7:17 am

    answer this…would you guys do this trade if you were the nuggets and it was available…

    denver sends
    Mozgov
    Faried
    Andre Miller
    1st pick
    future 2nds since we have so many

    to Cleveland for
    Varajao
    Sessions

    gives cleveland a nice young package of players and picks and also an expiring deal in dre. Sessions has a player option next year for about 4-5 mill as he would be the primary backup for ty for a season. Obviously Varajao gives us a huge rebounder with size and brings a ton of defensive energy. He’s costly though as he signed for another 3 years after this from 7-9 mill. But i think it’s worth it if we want to become legit.

  19. steve says:
    February 6, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    why no write up on tonights game? Faried and Stone will start due to no AA, Nene, Mozgov or brewer.

    we are gonna see how good these young guys are real quick.

  20. SmokinNugs says:
    February 6, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    Please no more talks about trading! Half of them are completely ridiculous and the other half are completely unnecessary. You guys are probably the ones in fantasy basketball that drop your good players after 1 or 2 bad performances for a flyer on some nobody who had a good game or two. Please, stop the nonsense!

    • BombNugg says:
      February 6, 2012 at 6:19 pm

      SmokinNugs is right.

      You sound like jumpy stock brokers. Our team is young and could go deep, the team we have right now. Not trying to sound ra ra, but show some love. Give me a D! I’m kidding, but seriously – if you’re sick of reading everyones trade proposals, give me a D.


Array