Comments on: Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 115, Portland Trailblazers 111

By: nugswin

nugswin — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:13:52 +0000

“The league is going small” is just sports center quality garble passing as informed analysis. The league is about match-ups, how can one team use it’s assets against the other in the most effective way. If there is one trend it’s towards a faster game, speed. But that has always, always, always been the case — the game is constantly getting more athletic. But that has nothing to do with size since the league has also been getting bigger over the years.

Just because Miami has LeBron doesn’t mean the league as a whole has to go small. Indiana has Hibbert, Brooklyn has Lopez, Portland has Aldridge, Memphis has Gasol and Randolph, all playoff quality teams that are not “going small” and have to run the floor with every possession. OKC is better with Perk on the bench because Perk is plodding and slow-footed, and doesn’t have an offensive game to make up for it. Not because he is big.

GK wants to go small because he wants to be a speed, speed, speed team. That’s okay but the problem is his focus on that has blinded him to personnel issues, game situation issues, and match-up issues. Denver is a team that can and should go big. Often. And we could do that without sacrificing athleticism. But Karl has convinced himself otherwise.

By: googergieger

googergieger — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 03:13:49 +0000

Gallo is exhausted and being fouled and not allowed to defend Durant tonight. Same with Ty. Difference is Ty just gave up and Gallo kept going despite nothing coming easy. We played a team with no bench last night and it went to over time solely because of Karl making a game much harder than it had to be. There have been a handful of other games that were lost because of him. There are a handful of games that have been won because the other team missed great looks and we made tough ones. Heck the guy could at least try to get a tech every now and again to show he gives a damn. Tonight is a great example. Granted we shouldn’t win tonight but at least compete, and considering The Thunder are up double digits since the first quarter and still getting babied by the refs, he could do something to show his team he’ll fight for them! But no. It is an acceptable loss. Just like all the losses we had early on in our bad schedule were acceptable. Even though we were hardly ever beat by the better team. Heck if he pulled a Pop tonight and just sat out his best players, I’d respect that. But his tired team came out and gave up in the first quarter and he just let that happen. His tired team he made needlessly tired by the way.

By: Cephus

Cephus — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 02:54:16 +0000

I sincerely don’t get the fire GK talk. The Nuggets are on a streak & are up in the power rankings . Between sadistic early road schedule, Gallinari’s extended cold snap, injuries hobbling Lawson and disabling Chandler along with the Javale project, we’re lucky to be where we are.

I remember all too well the despair Paul Westhead, Stan Albeck, Bickerstaff, Issel year long slides. Bickerstaff was main offender in terms of not being able to realize his team’s talent. The GK teams This team is performing to the level of it’s potential with a few hiccups ( Arghh small lineup ) .

Kroenke will never break salary cap to get a superstar & to get one, you’d have to overpay. The big fellas only consider lowering their price for cities in the warm weather and on coast . This is team with a lot of intriguing talent & GK is starting to suss out the best combos.

The only name coach out there I’d be tempted to reach for is Avery Johnson. I’m probably prejudiced on that one because of his dynamic player persona. Red Aurbach is dead and unless Kroenke has a hot daughter for Phil Jackson to date, GK will do just fine.

By: googergieger

googergieger — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:37:59 +0000

We really need a new fucking coach. Portland has no bench and you make it go to over time and you let this team come out in the first quarter, tired, scared, and just decide to let them play through it. Beyond embarrassing first quarter and only one person is to blame for it.

By: dynamo.joe

dynamo.joe — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:19:06 +0000

Give me LeBron James and I would be happy with Karl’s small ball lineups.

If the NBA goes small it is only because most coaches are retarded. Small works for Miami because of LeBron, but no one else is LeBron.

Perkins is only listed as 6’10, but I agree getting him out of the lineup helps the thunder. He is so bad they might be better off playing 4 on 5.

By: nugswin

nugswin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:14:57 +0000

You say, “. . . take out Miller. . ” and all GK hears is Chinese. So he will ignore the idea. Sadly.

Last night’s fourth quarter with what felt like exclusively the infamous 2 pg lineup as we gave up the lead, was hard to watch.

By: bosc0

bosc0 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:12:27 +0000

OT we were 3/4 from deep = win.
0/4 in the 4th. Just sayin.

By: dynamo.joe

dynamo.joe — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:12:02 +0000

Jacking up contested shots is not a talent or if it is only in the sense of having an extra chromosome is a talent.

By: al68

al68 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:31:02 +0000

tambien ha conseguido hacer mas entradas a canasta gracias a que tiramos mejor de tres y obligamos a portland a jugar mas abierto, ademas no tenian a un center grande en el medio de la zona

By: Dubz

Dubz — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:40:57 +0000

I’ll agree with everything you said but there’s one large exception when it comes to Karl’s lineups with the Nuggets. He’s not only undersized at the 5, he’s usually undersized at every single position on the floor. Using a guy who’s often times undersized at the 4 (faried) at the 5 is ok as long as we have someone at the 4/3 who can defend/rebound. Gallinari is not a PF and never will be and Andre Miller couldn’t guard a SG if his career depended on it. That’s my problem with the way Karl’s lineups play out. If you want to go small, that’s fine. But use a lineup of Faried, Chandler, Gallo, Iggy, and Lawson. Now that’s a lineup I’ll watch.