9. Re-sign Julyan Stone

Stone has been a member of the Nuggets for two years now, yet he’s more known for his injuries than his play on the floor. Since joining the Nuggets back in 2011 Stone has played in 27 games, only four of which came this season. Still, he’s renowned for his hustle, defensive intensity and court vision, all of which leave Nuggets fans salivating for more. Stone hasn’t had a fair shot at playing in a Nuggets uniform so there’s no way of telling just how good he can be. The Nuggets need defenders, especially at the point guard position, so it would seem quite futile to let him walk for nothing after already investing two years of money into him. At the very least the Nuggets should try and re-sign him to a one-year contract and free up some playing time to see what he’s made of.

8. Let Corey Brewer walk

This one is tough. And I hate saying this. HATE. Hatehatehatehate. Brewer should be a Nugget for a while. He fits the system perfectly, plays phenomenal defense, gives 110 percent almost every night and improved more in two years in Denver than he did his entire career elsewhere. If the Nuggets are able to make a trade and free up a few rosters spots then re-signing Brewer should be a top priority. But if not, it’s likely in the Nuggets best interest to let him walk. Unfortunately the Nuggets are just too stacked at the wing position right now. Guys like Jordan Hamilton and Quincy Miller — who could be studs for all we know — need the opportunity to grow and they’re not gonna find it with Brewer on the roster. Ideally, the Nuggets find a way to move several pieces, re-sign Brewer at a cheap rate and let all the wings duke it out at training camp in hopes that the best man wins.

7. Let Timofey Mozgov walk

Ujiri has gone on record as saying he wants to try and retain Mozgov or at least match whatever he fetches on the open market, but that seems more of a polite gesture than a beneficial basketball move. Mozgov isn’t a high commodity in the NBA and Ujiri has already placed him on the trading block once, making it all the more illogical for him to go out of his way to try and match an incredibly modest offer he’ll likely receive elsewhere. Even if Ujiri does intend to match it’s hard to imagine him getting anything of substance from his potential suitor other than a few bucks cash or a late pick in a very, very distant draft.

6. Find a defensive specialist taller than 6-10

The Nuggets have quite a few players who specialize in defense: Iguodala, Brewer, Chandler, Stone — even Gallinari is underrated in this sense. But once you get past Gallinari, the Nuggets have nobody who can lock people down at the power forward and center positions. Koufos did a fine job all year doing what he was told to do and playing fundamental defense; but if you think Koufos is the answer to the Nuggets’ defensive woes up front, then you either didn’t watch the playoffs or you’re the biggest Kosta Koufos fan ever. If we learned anything in the playoffs it’s that the Nuggets frontcourt — either due to a lack of athleticism, brainpower or a combination of the two — simply cannot defend against intricate offensive onslaughts from their opponent. Finding a big man who can be relied upon in big games to set rock-hard picks, hedge like a mad man and not fall for every pump fake sent his way is one of the more underrated moves being talked about in Nuggets Nation right now. Of course, a really good defensive-minded coach could always fix this issue as well…

5. Trade depth for star power

Ever since the Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks for every last significant asset on their roster, Denver has been overwrought with fringe All-Stars and really talented role players. At some point the Nuggets have to find a way to parlay that talent into a single star player — sort of repeating the circle set forth by Carmelo Anthony. Players like Pau Gasol and Kevin Love pique Nuggets fans’ interest most, but even a minor upgrade at a certain position would do. Because the Nuggets absolutely have to open up some roster space this summer so guys like Fournier, Hamilton and Miller can get a shot at competing for playing time. That’s three incredibly talented youngsters who have yet to get a real crack at playing significant minutes and that’s not even including the Nuggets rookie this year who could be better than all three! If the Nuggets can’t make a move for a star they’re likely going to see a trend where several of the team’s younger and more promising assets walk for nothing without having had a chance to compete in city where they were drafted.

4. Sign a shooter

It’s been clear for quite some time that the Nuggets need a legitimate outside threat, someone who specializes in 3-pointers and does nothing else at a more high rate. Last year the Nuggets had two of the better outside shooters in the league in Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington, but when Ujiri sent them to Orlando last summer for Iguodala the Nuggets took a hit to their outside shooting that they have yet to recover from. Jordan Hamilton is likely the Nuggets best shooter from downtown yet there’s no telling just how deep he is in Karl’s doghouse. With guys like Chase Budinger, Mike Dunleavy Jr., James Jones, J.J. Redick, Gary Neal, Jodie Meeks, Marco Belinelli, O.J. Mayo, Kyle Korver, Ben Gordon and Mo Williams on the open market, it’s hard to imagine the Nuggets not finding a deadly outside shooter this summer. If Ujiri is really savvy (which, by all indications, he clearly is) he’ll find a way to free up enough cap space and roster room to not only sign one of the better 3-point shooters in this class, but essentially assure him a spot in the rotation next year as well.

3. Get rid of Andre Miller

You see how I say “get rid of” instead of “trade”? That’s because finding a way to jettison Andre Miller is so critical, simply trading him won’t cut it. The Nuggets need to do whatever they can to sever ties with him — end of story. What’s really sad is that this is the second year in a row Miller has made this list (top five both years!) for the exact same reason. It’s also sad to consider that if not for two of the Nuggets most valuable assets being free agents this summer (Ujiri and Iguodala), finding a way to dump Andre Miller would be the No. 1 priority on this list. That’s how bad it’s gotten. And you can say what you want about Karl’s ability to grind out wins in the regular season but his eye for talent and blind loyalty to players he considers his friends is just flat-out ghastly. If Miller isn’t let go, Karl will likely over rely on him yet again next year when he’s one year older, one year slower and one more year closer to being completely incapable of playing anything that even remotely resembles defense in the NBA. The only thing Andre Miller is good for at this point in time is offense, and that’s the last thing the Nuggets need. In addition to Stone, there are also several point guards in the upcoming draft worth considering, as well as free agents who actually fit the Nuggets run-and-gun system rather than walk the ball up the court while the rest of the team runs their asses off.

2. Re-sign Andre Iguodala

Iguodala has a player option on his current contract for one year at a little over $16 million. In an ideal, Nuggets-centric world, Iguodala would re-sign longterm for about half that per season. The problem? Iguodala can probably get more on the open market. He could also probably take his $16 million player option for next year and still find a contract at more than what the Nuggets would feel comfortable paying him. Like it or not, Iguodala is a unique player in today’s NBA. He’s unselfish to a fault, is perhaps the most intelligent and willing defender in the league and has no real glaring weakness in his game (though his jump shot could use some improvement). Guys like him don’t just fall of trees. The Nuggets know this and so does everyone else in the league. If Iguodala likes Denver and wants to be there then the Nuggets are in good shape, but Ujiri still needs to find a way for Iguodala to take a massive pay cut either way. However, if Iguodala is truly set on testing the waters like he says he is, the Nuggets could very well find themselves in a tough spot as the team already has over $50 million locked up for next season. Ujiri has done an outstanding job retaining free agents in the past, but this is without question his biggest challenge to date. If Iguodala walks, the Nuggets essentially traded a first-round draft pick and Arron Afflalo for nothing.

1. Re-sign Masai Ujiri

All the above moves would be great and all, but without Ujiri their chances of being complete diminishes greatly. There is no other way to put it: Masai Ujiri is the single most important asset the Denver Nuggets have at the moment. In fact, he’s one of the single most important assets the Nuggets have ever possessed in team history! Two other times has a Nuggets general manager won Executive of the Year yet neither possessed the type of innate, visionary talent that Ujiri has. He’s been on the job for only three years yet he’s already overcome the biggest hurdle a franchise can face (Melo) and been deemed the best general manager in the league shortly thereafter. I’ve always thought the true sign of a good general manager was how well they draft and in this case Ujiri is better than anybody in the league — bar none. Even other great general managers like Sam Presti in Oklahoma City or R.C. Buford in San Antonio have made pretty unforgivable mistakes in the draft recently, whereas Ujiri’s hit on every pick he’s been presented (Turkyilmaz: TBD). For once the Nuggets appear to be in position to be really good for a really long time, but unless they sign Ujiri, their hopes of winning a championship just aren’t very realistic.

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I’ve been watching George Karl coach basketball for close to a decade now. During this time it’s never occurred to me that Karl is a great basketball coach. I’ve been frustrated with his decisions more often than I’ve been pleased. There have been times that I’ve appreciated his work — this past season certainly stands out — but not once during Karl’s tenure have I come to the realization that he’s a great basketball coach.

The problem: Many people disagree with me. Lots of people, much more knowledgeable about the game of basketball than I, think of Karl as one of the best coaches to have ever walked the Earth.

This, I cannot understand. I’ve come to appreciate Karl over the years — or perhaps, tolerate some of his methods. I recognize his accomplishments and by no means consider him a bad coach. I know he’s a good coach. But that’s the difference between the divide of fans that currently occupies Nuggets Nation: one side sees him as good, but replaceable; the other side as great, and irreplaceable.

No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot not understand the other side of the argument. Every postseason I’ve watched for the last nine years the Nuggets have collapsed at some level. They never give it all they can. From the early years when Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony got in feuds with Karl on the sidelines, to the fourth quarter of Game 5 in the 2009 Western Conference Finals when the Nuggets flat-lined and never recovered. Even last year when the Nuggets pushed the Lakers to Game 7 in the first round, there was a decisive point around the early part of the fourth quarter where you just knew the Nuggets were going to lose. This feeling — knowing the Nuggets are going to lose — is something I’ve felt throughout Karl’s tenure and often when it matters most. In the world I’ve come to know, great coaches don’t give you this type of feeling. Great coaches win when it matters most. Great coaches spit in the face of adversity and thrive when the chips are down. Karl has never been that type of coach. Yet these are things only I know, because I’ve experienced them. There is no way to quantify the disgust in the pit at the bottom of your stomach; and there is no way to truly quantify how good of a coach George Karl really is.

As long as the Nuggets and the national media endorse George Karl, I feel I’m waging a losing battle. Though I will never concede my position on Karl — after all, it’s taken me nearly a decade to form it — I’m still interested in the other side of the argument and what they see that I don’t. I know that while with the Nuggets Karl has not been a great coach, yet many point to his overall career accomplishments as the reason for his high standing in their eyes. So, in order to put myself in their shoes and see their side of the argument I had to look at Karl’s career prior to arriving in Denver, as that’s supposedly the genesis for much of his “greatness.” Unfortunately for the other side of the argument, I didn’t find too much greatness.

Prior to his stint with the Nuggets, George Karl had a successful career in the NBA but by no means was he on the brink of achieving the incredibly esteemed status he sees today. He had made a trip to the NBA Finals and won 708 games but he’d also been fired four times, lost in the first round of the playoffs as a 1 seed and had numerous feuds with his star players. Today, Karl apologists rave over the number of games he’s won. In fact, that’s their go-to argument when defending him against virutally any criticism thrown his way. However, prior to joining the Nuggets his 708 wins placed him 16th all time between Gene Shue and John MacLeod. Yes, the Gene Shue and MacLeod you’ve likely never heard of if you were born after 1990. In no way was Karl seen as the type of coach he is today, which suggests something monumental must have occurred over his near decade-long tenure with the Nuggets.

The problem?

It hasn’t.

Nearly 40 percent of all the games Karl has won in his career have come while with the Nuggets. Yet in that time he’s advanced past the first round of the playoffs only once. One could argue the only reason Karl’s stuck around Denver as long as he has is because Denver is not Boston, nor Philly, nor New York, god forbid. In Denver, the only expectations Karl’s had have been not guiding his team to complete and utter collapse in the regular season. Yet somehow, someway, over this time the perception of Karl has changed from “Good NBA Coach with 708 Wins, Sandwiched Between Gene Shue and John MacLeod,” to “Great NBA Coach with Over 1,000 Wins and 22 Playoff Appearances.” However, do a little work, read between the lines a bit, and it becomes quite clear that “1,000 wins” is an awful argument for Karl’s greatness — if you hadn’t noticed already.

Here are the reasons:

• At the rate Karl is going he could coach the Nuggets until the year 2022 and have advanced past the playoffs only twice.
• Of the top 10 coaches in NBA history, Karl has the lowest playoff winning percentage of them all.
• Karl has never won Coach of the Year or an NBA championship.
• Karl has lost in the first round of the playoffs 14 of the 22 years (or roughly 64 percent of the time) he’s qualified.
• Karl is one of five NBA coaches to have lost in the first round of the playoffs as a 1 seed.
• Karl was fired twice in his first four seasons as an NBA head coach.
• Karl is repeatedly left off the NBA GM survey of the best coaches in the league (however his offense remains ever so popular!).
• The Nuggets have won only one of their last 14 playoff games on the road.
• 62 teams over the last 40 years have won at least 30 of their final 40 regular season games. Nine of them lost in the first round. Karl coached three of those teams.
• Karl has failed to get out of the first round with home-court advantage four of the 10 times he’s had it.
• Karl has reached  the Conference Finals only four of the nine times he’s had a top three seed in his conference.
• Karl has reached the NBA Finals only one of the six times he’s been a top two seed in his conference.
• No coach in NBA history has lost in the first round more than Karl. The second most first-round loses behind Karl belong to Jerry Sloan and Lenny Wilkens who each have nine.

The above bullet points are not opinion. They are facts. George Karl owns no NBA championship; instead he owns some of the most undesirable postseason records in NBA history. Karl has many regular season wins, yes, but what does he have to show for it? Regular season wins mean nothing if you collapse every year and turn into a different team in the postseason. If regular season wins were the measure of a great coach, then Don Nelson would be the greatest of them all. Don Nelson, however, has no NBA championship. What he does have, is three more Coach of the Year awards and 11 less first-round losses than George Karl — which must be good for something.

All these years Nuggets fans have been in love with someone who does not exist. George Karl is not the knight in shining armor who has saved the Nuggets from the depths of franchise misery. He’s done a fantastic job pulling the Nuggets from obscurity to relevancy (along with other figures, namely Carmelo Anthony), but he has been unable to take them any further. George Karl is a regular season win master and postseason wreck. At some point the Denver Nuggets organization will have to take the next step forward if they desire to be successful in other aspects of basketball besides just winning in the regular season. Of course, because Karl has presided over the most successful era in franchise history many fans erroneously attribute the Nuggets success solely with him. These uniformed types often argue perhaps the most ignorant of all the baseless claims for retaining Karl: that he is THE best option on the market. Oddly enough they’ve been arguing this same recycled point for the last five years or so, during which time the following coaches have become available:

• Larry Brown: Has lost only seven times in the first round. Has lost only twice in the first round as a higher seed in his near 30-year NBA career. Has made it to the NBA Finals three times and won once — without a “superstar.”
• Rick Carlisle: Has made the playoffs nine of the 11 years he’s coached. Has lost in the first round only three times and on his current pace would lose in the first round six times in 22 years, as apposed to Karl’s 14. Has made one less trip to the Conference Finals than Karl in half the time and has already won an NBA championship. Has lost as a higher seed in the playoffs only once.
• Stan Van Gundy: Has made the playoffs every year he’s coached a full season. Has lost in the first round only twice. Has already made three Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals appearance in seven full years as an NBA head coach.
• Rick Adelman: Had made the playoffs 16 of his 20 season coaching prior to taking the Minnesota Timberwolves head coaching position. Has lost in the first round eight times. Has lost as a higher seed in the first round only once. Has made the Conference Finals four times and NBA Finals twice.
• Tom Thibodeau: Won Coach of the Year and made the Conference Finals in his first season as an NBA head coach. Tied the record for most wins by a rookie head coach. Became the fastest coach in NBA history to 100 wins.

The above list doesn’t even include bright, young coaches like Monty Williams, Frank Vogel or Erik Spoelstra. It also omits more seasoned but successful coaches like Lionel Hollins, Jeff Van Gundy and Nate McMillan. To think any one of these coaches would have anything but success with the types of rosters Karl has had over the years is ill informed to the highest degree. Other up-and-coming coaches who seem destined for stardom include Golden State assistant Mike Malone — whom Mark Jackson insisted upon having by his side before accepting his current position — and my favorite, Memphis Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger, whom many feel is responsible for the Grizzlies’ dominance on the defensive side of the basketball in recent years.

After setting out to do my research I was excited — and interested. I thought I was finally, truly going to discover something great hidden in Karl’s past, the reason why people praise him the way they do. I thought I was going to find the logic behind why Karl put a 6-foot journeyman point guard on Kobe Bryant in the Western Conference Finals (which resulted in Bryant shooting 55 percent from the field throughout the series as opposed to 47 percent with A.C. off the floor) and why he would later put perhaps the worst defender in all of basketball on the Warriors’ best player in the first round of the playoffs this year when he already had one of the best wing defenders in the game. But, I found no such evidence. Instead, all I found was more information to corroborate my already less-than-stellar idea of who Karl is as a coach. I had my gut instincts, which I had obtained from nine years of first-hand viewing, and now I had history on my side as well. Gut instincts you can argue with; history you cannot.

The Nuggets loyalty to George Karl is something I will never understand. When most coaches get three strikes, Karl gets nine lives. Had he not had a prior record coming into Denver, had he not had a name to run on and had you simply judged his performance based on his on-court decisions and record, there’s no way on God’s green Earth that the coach who has resided over this franchise for the last 10 years makes it this far. More than anything, Karl is an addiction the Nuggets cannot quit. He’s a security blanket for a franchise too afraid to take the next step in their development as a real-deal franchise and force to be reckoned with. Again, Karl is a good coach. There’s no doubt about that. But he has limitations and succeeding in the postseason is one of them. If the Nuggets want to take that next step, it starts with finding someone who has a proven track record of winning when it matters most. Karl is simply not that man.

But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Nuggets over the last decade it’s that Karl’s going nowhere until Karl decides he wants to go. So, I’ll see you next year at almost this exact same time: same article, different words.

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Denver Nuggets players, dancers, ambassadors and supermascot Rocky will be on hand. Here’s a guide of what to bring and where to go on Saturday morning. As Nuggets fans, this is a great opportunity to get involved with the organization and do something good in honor of a special person.

Details

Saturday September 8th
7:00 AM – Noon
Pepsi Center –  Parking Lot B
(Enter via 7th street from Chopper Circle)

What to bring

New or lightly used sports equipment requested includes:   Baseball and Softball – Balls, Gloves, Catcher’s Gear, Bats;  Basketball – Balls, Nets, Shoes; Bicycles and Helmets;  Boxing – Gloves, Head Gear; Football – Balls, Pads, Helmets, Cleats;  Golf – Clubs, Balls, Shoes;  Hockey – Pucks, Skates, Pads, Goalie Gear, Helmet, Sticks;   Lacrosse – Balls, Sticks, Pads, Helmets;  Roller Hockey – Skates, Helmets, Pads, Sticks, Balls;  Roller Skating/Blading – Skates, Helmets, Pads;  Soccer – Balls, Cleats, Shin Guards;  Tennis – Balls, Rackets, Shoes ; and Volleyball – Balls, Nets, Pads.     In addition, monetary donations will benefit the Jessica Redfield Ghawi giveSPORTS Scholarship Fund which provides financial assistance for sports-related registration fees.

1. The Nuggets like Andre Iguodala’s defense

Let’s face it: Masai Ujiri didn’t call up Rod Thorn and the rest of the 76ers front office in search of an elite scorer. Although once a blossoming offensive threat, “Iggy” has now carved out a career as a versatile player with a wide-ranging skill set who specializes in defense. At this point in his career Iggy is known as one of the better perimeter defenders in the entire world; in fact, many see him as the very best. He recently placed seventh in 2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year voting and is highly regarded by journalists and bloggers alike who cover the NBA on a daily basis. As one of the worst defensive teams in the entire league last year, the Nuggets will greatly benefit from Iggy’s presence on that side of the floor.

2.The Nuggets didn’t get a discount this time around

For the first time during Masai Ujiri’s tenure in Denver, I can actually look at a trade and say he paid a hefty price for what he received in return. This is by no means to say the trade was bad or ill-advised — just that what he gave up was costly. Al Harrington has erroneously become a scapegoat for the Nuggets downfalls by many fans, yet they so easily forget how well he played through the first half of the season in which many pundits had him pegged as an early favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year ahead of James Harden. Harrington laid his health and pride on the line, never once complaining about coming off the bench, playing out of position or having to battle through numerous injuries. In the end, he was a veteran presence who was reliable and could score at will most of the time. Additionally, the last two years of his contract were only partially guaranteed, making him that much less of a risk.

Meanwhile Afflalo — what can’t you say about Afflalo, other than: This one hurts. He had just signed a long-term deal to remain with the Nuggets — the team that first gave him an opportunity to be the player he eventually evolved into — and he’s already out the door. Masai Ujiri is doing his job damn well, but seeing players like Afflalo go is a harsh reminder of the ugly side of the business that is professional basketball. Not only did Afflalo improve every year in Denver, but he poured his heart and soul into the game to become the best teammate he could possibly be. All the “experts” continue to laugh at the haul Orlando received for Dwight Howard (which really wasn’t that bad, all things considered), but the simple fact they wanted Afflalo above all the potential players discussed, says everything you need to know about just how coveted he is around the league.

Throwing a future first-round pick into the deal is icing on the cake for Orlando, and a tough pill to swallow for Denver. Right now it’s just a trade piece, but a few years down the line it could end up being the next Kenneth Faried, Ty Lawson, Jordan Hamilton or… Arron Afflalo — all late, first-round selections over the last handful of years who Denver fans have come to know as pillars of their favorite franchise. The pick is reportedly protected, however the exact stipulations are unknown at this time.

3. This was not a cost-cutting maneuver

Twitter was blowing up following the trade with prominent writers praising how Denver “shed” nearly $45 million in future salary. I cannot stress just how incorrect this notion really is. Denver didn’t shed anything besides two quality players and a first-round draft pick. Harrington is still a very productive NBA players who’s contract is only partially guaranteed over the the final two years of his deal. Afflalo is a young, ever-improving, hard-working, team-first, defensive-minded sharp shooter coming off the best year of his career in which he averaged 18 points per game post All-Star break. He’s getting paid roughly $7.5 million per year throughout the prime of his career. Meanwhile, Iguodala is owed close to $30 million over the next two years (he has a player option in 2013-14) and is in line for a hefty extension after that. Does anyone think Iggy is going to magically decide he wants to be underpaid after cashing in on such a lucrative deal with the 76ers? At this same time guys like Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton will be itching for a big payday, which should come just a year or two after Ty Lawson gets his. The point is: In order to possess a team in the NBA, you have to pay a fee. I know this might shatter the reality of many NBA purists, but sometimes long-term contracts are actually good deals. Afflalo was one of them; Iguodala currently is not.

4. The Nuggets wanted Quincy Miller all along

This is really no surprise. Letting perhaps the biggest steal of the 2012 NBA Draft walk for nothing would have been beyond idiotic, however the haste in which Masai Ujiri opened up a roster spot for him is interesting. NBA teams only have a finite amount of time to offer contracts to draft picks before they become free agents, yet the Nuggets seemed to have no interest in testing this deadline. Roundball Mining Company even had an article set to air this week that proposed which player our writers would drop in order to absorb Miller onto the 15-man roster because we were so confident in Ujiri’s insistence that the Nuggets wanted to move forth with their roster intact. So much for that idea. This move now opens up the final roster spot for Quincy Miller.

5. Denver is still starless

Another trade, another slight upgrade. At some point you have to wonder just how much the Nuggets are spinning their wheels. It is somewhat ironic that Denver helped facilitate the trade of a superstar to a big-market powerhouse knowing all along that’s the exact type of move they need to be making in order to compete for a title in today’s NBA. I love the addition of Iguodala. He’s a great fit for the Nuggets. I still think Ujiri gave up a lot and I absolutely hate seeing Afflalo go, but at the end of the day I’m more than comfortable with the trade. Here’s the problem: Iggy is a great step in the right direction but he’s not the solution. It’s time to start looking for the solution. The Nuggets have done an outstanding job (I cannot say enough, actually) collecting assets and placing themselves in a position to capitalize on a trade for someone like Howard, but each move like this leaves the team with one less inciting asset to include in a blockbuster deal should it present itself. I would have loved to see the Nuggets go after Pau Gasol even if it meant surrendering a large chuck of their assets. He’s someone the Lakers were willing to part with in order to obtain the larger goal of securing Dwight Howard. If parting with Danilo Gallinari and a few extra pieces would have been required to get it done, then so be it, because that’s the type of move the Nuggets absolutely must make at some point if they plan on contending for a title. What’s clear is that the Nuggets just engaged in one of the biggest trades of all time involving three of the best big men the game has seen in years as well as numerous other possibilities and they essentially just paid for an upgrade at shooting guard. Let’s hope these wheels kick into high gear soon.

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The solemn look on his face revealed just how much of burden Chu Chu is carrying on his newly chiseled shoulders. After being selected by Denver with the 58th pick in the 2011 draft, Maduabum spent the better part of the year off the radar, sculpting his upper body while Visa issues prevented him from joining the D-League’s Bakersfield Jam for the 2011-2012 season.

It’s easy to tell how badly Chu wants to seize this opportunity to compete and prove himself. Masai Ujiri’s decision to draft him out of the D-League after he played only three games and a total of 20 minutes was questioned by many. NBA Draft analyst Fran Frischilla was especially critical of drafting someone who had accomplished so little over  a wide pool of proven college athletes.

Not all experts were down on Denver’s decision to draft an enigmatic talent like Chu though, especially those who had seen him play. Just ask David Thorpe, ESPN NBA Analyst and Executive Director of the Pro Training Center in Clearwater, Florida.

“He might be the smartest player I’ve ever coached in my life. I’m 47 years old and been coaching for 25 years” said Thorpe, who spent 10 weeks helping Maduabum develop his game in preparation for the 2011 NBA Draft. “I said ‘if you don’t play basketball, you should be a physicist.’ To our experience, he just had that kind of brain. It’s a new game for him and he had only been playing a couple years but he picked things up very, very quickly.”

I asked Thorpe to describe what led him to the process of giving Chu a crash course of instruction in preparation to play in the NBA.

“We were told if he could learn enough in 10 weeks, the Nuggets and a couple of other teams had already seen enough potential as a shotblocker. The idea was floated to us that he could be an Ibaka-type.”

In addition to raving about his basketball IQ, Thorpe quickly realized that Chu Chu did indeed have the athleticism and the shotblocking instincts to be a real defensive force.

“By the end of the summer, he was scrimmaging against University of South Florida players and doing very well against them. Meanwhile, they’re a team that finished at a high level in the Big East, made it to the NCAA tournament and actually won a game there. Chu would have been their best player.”

I could tell there was a real sense of pride in hearing Thorpe talk about his experience with Chu Chu, a player who surprised him and showed the kind of potential that really excited him as a coach.

Watching Chu struggle through his first NBA game ever, I could see some of the tools and raw talent Thorpe had described. There were also a lot of nerves and inexperience, which weren’t all that surprising considering how long it’s been since Chu played in an organized, professional game setting. I asked Thorpe to describe what he saw out of Chu’s first game and where his development stands going forward.

“Well, you wanna see him play athletically which he’s doing a little bit. I’d like to see a lot better recognition of things that are happening. He’s just reacting to everything; he’s not dictating anything, but again it’s his first ever game. I wouldn’t be surprised if he watches film of this and gets better in the next couple of games.”

While it’s obvious Chu has a ways to go at this early stage in his development with the Nuggets, I got the sense Thorpe has a clear vision of the long-term process Denver is facing with regards to him helping the team.

“He’s a guy that with his age, athleticism and intelligence – if he grew up in Chicago or somewhere, he’d be a first round pick. I think that’s what Masai saw in him — that this is a guy who is so off the radar, we just need to put him through the grinder a few years. Next year he’ll live in the D-League, I would think. It’s possible he could go to Europe too but he just needs to play a lot.”

Talking with Thorpe made me realize just how much goes into the process of preparing players for the NBA, both mentally and physically. It’s something that can’t be rushed and requires a long term plan with incremental step-by-step goals. I’m not sure Chu ever cracks the rotation as the defensive four and energy guy Thorpe envisions him becoming, but I do know Thorpe sees no reason why he’s not going to get there eventually.

“He’s a guy who is going to be like an Ibaka. He scores with either hand, he’s got a nice looking shot, he lives in the gym, he’ll figure anything out because of his intelligence and he’s got big time instincts to block shots. Another year, he’ll compete to be on the team and after that he’s got a chance to be a rotation player. He’s gonna have to be an off the bench energy guy. He can be that guy, I just don’t think he’s learned how to do it yet. I think he’s got the athleticism for it, now he just needs to learn how to play that way. I think it’s inside of him and it’s just going to take a while to come out.”

I would like to send my most sincere thanks to David Thorpe for providing me with the chance to interview him. Follow David on Twitter @coachthorpe

Prior to the 2012 Draft Masai Ujiri’s track record was essentially flawless. That wasn’t an opinion, but more a consensus. Every move he had executed, every signing he had coaxed — it was all masterful. If you wanted, you could probably make an argument that his most recent test (the 2012 NBA Draft) was on par with everything he’s done up to this point. Truth is, nobody who covers the Nuggets knows the draft on a scale evenly remotely close to what he does, so until his most recent additions take the court for everyone to see, Ujiri is still untouchable.

But here’s the difference between the threshold that was his track record prior to the Draft and following it: Ujiri admitted himself that there was more at work with the Nuggets first-round selection than just going for the best player available. For those who follow the draft closely, you know, this is a cardinal sin.

The theory sort of goes that the first round contains the most amount of talent (shocking, I know). No matter what type of dire financial situation you’re encompassed by, no matter how many duplicates you have at one position, no matter what type of team needs you possess — selecting the best player available should never ever appear anywhere but No.1 on your priority list.

When the Nuggets selected Fournier with the 20th pick in the first round, questions regarding whether the team followed this time-honored principle were immediately raised. At the time, Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger were still on the board. Both were considered top 10 picks as recently as three months ago by many of the best draft analysts in the world. Both ended up going to first-class organizations (with highly regarded general managers) who have appeared in the NBA Finals at least once over the last three years: Sullinger to the Celtics and Jones to the Thunder.

Not long after, Ujiri and team president Josh Kroenke corroborated their fans’ unsettling sentiments by holding a dubious press conference with a palpable narrative: that they were happy with the team as is. The duo repeatedly touched on this theme throughout the night even though it should have had nothing to do with the way they approached the Draft.

In his opening statement Kroenke introduced the thesis, saying “our team was in a pretty good position across the board… our existing roster we felt deserved to move forward and compete together.”

Ujiri then followed closely behind revealing that “as George [Karl] has said, Jordan Hamilton is our rookie for next year… You have to give [your players] more of a chance, maybe… our players need to develop as much as we can… we’re happy with our team and we’ll keep plugging away… We wanted that option [of Fournier playing overseas]… our roster is pretty full and pretty full with young guys.”

It’s as if they felt the need to justify the Fournier selection. Instead of saying “we got the guy we wanted,” they continuously fell back on the alibi “we’re happy with our team; we needed no improvements.” If they had landed Royce White or Andrew Nicholson, both of whom they publicly expressed interest in (who RMC also had ranked as Top 3 selections throughout our Big Board series leading up to the Draft), would they have said the same thing? It’s like assembling a team of superheroes to fight a villain-driven apocalypse, knocking on the last guys’ door and saying “Look, we kind of already have a full squad here. If you want to come you can, but we’d really prefer if you just stayed home and sat this one out, you know, so you don’t get in the way. Hope you understand!”

But the worst part of this supposed overseas “flexibility,” that factored so highly into the decision to draft Fourier given how many times Ujiri mentioned it in the press conference, is that one side (the side that actually has to go overseas and play the basketball) doesn’t even want it in the first place. That’s right, Fournier doesn’t want to play in Europe any longer. He’s done. He wants to come over to the NBA. The very next day after he was drafted, when meeting with the Denver media Fournier proclaimed, “I want to play (for the Nuggets) next season. I don’t want to come back to Europe. I need to be the best player I can, score and play defense.”

That’s about as clear, cut and dry as it gets.

This, of course, raises all sorts of questions, starting with, did Ujiri even cover this potential roadblock prior to drafting Fournier? You’d think, logically, that if Fournier was so high on the Nuggets wish list that prior to the Draft during any number of their interviews with him, at some point in time, they would have gone over this situation. If not, then Ujiri essentially structured his draft around a “flexibility” that never existed in the first place. That valuable last roster spot they so desperately (and erroneously) desired, which they did not want to give to a rookie, might very well end up going to a rookie when it’s all said and done anyways, especially when you throw Quincy Miller in the mix.

(Side Note: How awkward is the conversation between the general manager and the guy drafted to be stashed that doesn’t actually want to be stashed?

Ujiri: So Evan. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that we like you, a lot. You’re our guy! At the same, time we kind of had the intention of stashing you away.

Evan: But I don’t want to be stashed.

Ujiri: I understand, you’re eager to play in the NBA. I like that. That’s good. But–

Evan: –I don’t want to be stashed.

Ujiri: You have no choice but to be stashed.

Evan: No. I came here to play. I’m not going back to Europe.

Ujiri: Look man, you gotta understand where I’m coming from. I have a coach who hates rookies — hates em. When I ordered him to play Faried last year, I thought he was going to drop dead on the spot. You should have seen the expression on his face. It was like I backed up one of those giant boulder-hauling dump trucks filled with baby kittens and just unloaded it off a cliff into shark-infested waters. We have an extremely young roster, and as you can imagine, limiting these confrontations is No. 1 on my priority list at this point in time. So, you either get stashed or you end up fetching cough drops for the guy during every waking minute of your life over the next year.

Evan: Wow. That’s extremely graphic, Masai. I’m sorry. But I just can’t budge. I’m coming Denver.

Ujiri: We’re stashing you.

Evan: Cough drops it is then!)

Coaches and NBA general managers have very different agendas. This is well documented. When given the choice, general managers will always prefer to build for the future and avoid ephemeral fixes; coaches, on the other hand, have only one goal in mind and that’s to win as many games as possible regardless of how crippled the team may be in the long run because of it.

No matter how much Ujiri likes and appreciates Karl as coach, it’s absolutely imperative he maintains a fine line between front office dealings and coaching. Even going so far as to re-sign Karl’s favorite player — the 36-year-old Andre Miller — to a reasonable contract is a questionable decision given Miller’s age, shoddy defense and Karl’s affinity towards playing a two-point guard lineup. Karl recently praised Jordan Hamilton as a likely top 10 selection in this year’s draft but with Harrington and Chandler ahead of him on the depth chart and Miller taking all the backup shooting guard minutes how is he ever supposed to see playing time?

Nobody will ever know what Nuggets strategy was heading into the 2012 Draft. If Ujiri really did have Fournier as the best player available when the Nuggets selected at 20, then this point (and entire article, for the most part) is moot, thankfully; however, the actions displayed after the fact would suggest otherwise. From the surface (and according to Ujiri himself) it appears as though drafting a player who could be stashed overseas for several years played a key role in selecting the lone foreign pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. If true, this will go down as the first real blemish on Masai Ujiri’s otherwise spotless record, as letting a coach who once vetoed a David Lee for Linas Kleiza trade dictate your draft strategy therefore preventing you from selecting the best player available, is some straight up Elgin Baylor-Donald Sterling type of stuff the Nuggets just don’t need to be on… ever.

For now, Ujiri is still untouchable.

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It is no secret: This Draft is deep. Through the first 40 picks talent will be abundant. Players who get drafted after the Nuggets first-round selection at 20 stand a good chance of being better than those who go 10 spots higher. Because the talent pool is so expansive, it’s much more difficult to project which players will land where. If a team falls in love with a player that another team had pegged going 5-10 spots lower, it could throw a major kink in the master plan of every team following that pick. Suddenly some players begin to slip while others rise. Some teams panic and some play it cool.

It’s the nature of any professional sports draft… but this year seems different.

This year there are roughly 10-15 players who many believe won’t escape the Lottery. After that it’s anyone’s guess as to which players fall where. Everyone likes to believe the Minnesota Timberwolves are after a shooting guard, but when David Kahn is at the helm, a point guard most executives had ranked as a second-round prospect is never really out of the question.

The point is, it’s impossible to predict how the Draft will play out. This year is especially perplexing.

Just as in our first Big Board article, the players covered below are strongly based on the Web’s most trusted Draft aficionados’ mock drafts, updated player rankings and projections. When certain prospects move up and down their boards, all I can do is respect their judgment and adjust my expectations accordingly.

These are the outliers of what many consider to be the elite group of prospects in the 2012 NBA Draft…

1. Perry Jones // Sophomore — Baylor // 6-11 // Power Forward

Coming out of high school Perry Jones was touted as the next great physical specimen destined to play in the NBA.

He was the perfect player: great size, superior athleticism, versatile skill set, etc. Like LeBron James, he was the type of video-game athlete you’d construct to dominate in every aspect of the game. At one point he was even considered a possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft should he have declared.

Fast-forward to the conclusion of his sophomore season at Baylor and the perception of Jones has flipped nearly 180 degrees.

Instead of a praise and promise, he’s eliciting doubt and concern. Instead of being a potential No. 1 pick, people are wondering whether he’ll even get drafted in the Lottery.

No matter how you slice it, basketball fans across the globe are down on Jones for simply not living up to the lofty expectations the media created for him. Not expectations he placed upon himself; expectations he was given — without a choice.

Crazy, I know. But it happens all the time. Sadly.

No matter what side of the fence you’re on, the question still remains: Who is the real Perry Jones?

First and foremost, Jones is a good kid. People continue to rave about his easy-going, amiable personality and kind heart. He loves the game of basketball and has repeatedly stated how he’s trying to improve his questionable body language and on-court determination which scouts have questioned throughout his collegiate career.

Jones is an elite athlete. He’s muscular and explosive, yet graceful. He has a lengthy wingspan and near 40-inch maximum vertical. His has a great handle for a 6-11 power forward and can stretch the floor with his shooting. He also has an impressive post game and the ability to finish with authority around the rim.

Where Jones struggles, and where he’s gained his most ardent detractors, is with his consistency and motor. It’s not that he doesn’t care, he just appears unsure about how and where to assert himself. One game Jones is the best player on the court, the next he’s nowhere to be seen. In a tight game against BYU he put up 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals, only to turn around and post a four-point effort in 41 minutes of action in an overtime game against West Virginia.

Truth be told, Jones’ DNA probably resembles that of former Nugget, Nene. There’s a good chance he’ll never be the player everyone wants him to be, but if you accept him for who he is and refrain from setting unattainable expectations, you then won’t have to worry about disappointment. He’ll have explosive nights, and… let’s just say… less explosive nights. But when it’s all said and done, Jones will probably be known an effective, sometimes potent and always positive influence on his team(s) throughout his career.

However… unlike Nene, Jones is still brimming with potential. His book isn’t written yet. He’s still incredibly young and teeming with upside. If something just so happens to click, the Nuggets could have that franchise player they’re in desperate need of.

For a team drafting in the Top 10, Jones’ drawbacks are a legitimate concern; if he falls to 20, those concerns should fly out the window. At that point his upside should eclipse any possible trepidation the Nuggets have regarding his motor. Because the Nuggets have no glaring needs and are two deep at every position, Jones wouldn’t be pressured to step in and immediately save a franchise as would be expected if he went much higher.

Denver is the perfect fit for Perry Jones.

2. Jared Sullinger // Sophomore — Ohio State // 6-9 // Power Forward

Here’s how unpredictable this Draft is: Last night I had Moe Harkless in this spot. I even had a few paragraphs written for him. I had to erase everything. Today I have Jared Sullinger — a player I never even considered as a possibility for the Nuggets — in his spot.

This is weird.

On Monday doctors “red flagged” Sullinger for back issues stemming from excessively tight hamstrings. His agent and father have both openly acknowledged how Sullinger is aware of these issues and is taking the necessary steps to mitigate their long-term effects. Nevertheless, some teams have been advised to pass on Sullinger in the first round to due apprehension regarding the length of his career.

What may be terrible news for Hornets, Warriors or Portland fans is excellent news for Nuggets fans.

Sullinger is one of the best basketball players in the Draft. He may not be very athletic or imposing on defense, but he knows how to play the game and he knows how to play it well. He’s an outstanding post threat who scores in a multitude of different ways using his powerful lower frame to gain an advantageous position down low. An excellent shooter for a power forward, Sullinger has hit .519 percent of his shots from the field, .400 percent from beyond the arc and .768 percent from the free throw line this past season. He has great hands and a feathery-soft touch around the rim to pair with an intelligent, old-school utilization of the glass. In his two years at Ohio State, Sullinger has made steady strides on defense, averaging over a block and a steal per game during his sophomore campaign. He’s also an excellent rebounder and rarely turns the ball over for how often he handles it.

Sullinger didn’t fare well at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. This was expected; however, when juxtaposed alongside some of the best athletes in his class, he looked even worse than before. He excelled in virtually nothing and was consistently ranked as one of the worst prospects in terms of athletic ability alone.

Good thing the Combine isn’t too highly regarded these days.

When projecting how Sullinger will fare in the NBA detractors seem to perpetually point a finger at his below-average athleticism. While the argument may be valid, it’s worth noting these were likely the same critics who doubted Kevin Love, Zach Randolph, Luis Scola, David Lee and possibly even Dirk Nowitzki — just to name a few.

Elite athleticism is not a prerequisite to play in the NBA. Great basketball players are great basketball players no matter what their physical attributes suggest. Jared Sullinger isn’t DeAndre Jordan, but DeAndre Jordan isn’t Jared Sullinger either (thank goodness!).

Again, because of their depth the Nuggets can afford to take any possible “risks” associated with a guy as talented as Sullinger.

The last elite college player to get red flagged was DeJuan Blair. He dropped all the way to the 37th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. His medical condition was far worse than Sullinger’s. Three years later he’s still in the league doing just fine.

Sullinger is a great fit for the Nuggets. He’s a potential post threat the Nuggets are in desperate need of and haven’t had in quite some time. In the unlikely event he drops to 20, fans should have the utmost amount of confidence that the Nuggets front office would make the right decision and strongly consider drafting him.

It would be the Ujiri thing to do.

3. Terrence Jones // Sophomore — Kentucky // 6-9 // Power Forward

When scouts look for athletic bodies that will have no problem adjusting to the NBA, they look for guys like Terrence Jones.

At 6-9, with a chiseled 250-pound frame and dynamite leaping abilities, Jones is just about everything you’d physically want from an NBA small/power forward. Something like LeBron James minus the catlike agility.

In addition to his muscular chassis Jones is built on versatility, defense and mobility.

He’s capable of locking down three to four positions on the floor and has excellent anticipation — evident by his 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks per game this past season. His one-on-one defense is generally superb, not only inside the paint but near the perimeter as well. In his sophomore campaign Jones held his opponents to less than 38 percent shooting in the post and 27 percent on jump shots.

Unlike most prospects, Jones has no specialty when it comes to scoring the basketball. His offensive possessions were evenly distributed between post-ups, jumpers, transition baskets, put-back dunks and isolation plays. He’s solid in every aspect of the game and has no glaring weaknesses that project to hinder his success in the future.

There have been questions raised about his consistency and body language ever since arriving at Kentucky. While Jones continuously impressed with his intensity, it wasn’t always something you could count on. Jones would often sulk when things didn’t go his way. Occasionally, like the other Jones mentioned above, he’d vanish entirely from the game leaving his teammates scrambling to make up for his lack of production.

Even considering his attitude concerns I’m unsure sure as to why Jones isn’t more highly regarded. His risks are minimal and his potential is fairly promising. I could easily see Jones dropping to the late teens or early twenties only to end up with a far more accomplished career than many of the players selected before him.

Some classify Jones as a “tweener”; I classify him as “underrated.”

The Nuggets have fared pretty well with those types of guys lately.

I’ll could go for another.

Other outliers to consider:

Kendall Marshall – If Marshall slips to 20 I’ll be stunned. He seems like a sure-fire Lottery selection or a perfect fit for Dallas, at the very worst. If he is available when the Nuggets are slated to pick in the first round, I’ll lobby to select him as hard as any of the players mentioned above. He has spectacular court vision and understands what it truly means to run a team, a la Rajon Rondo. His athleticism is being entirely over analyzed.

Terrence Ross – One of the best athletes in the Draft, Ross was also one of the first players to work out for the Nuggets. Take it as you may, but in my eyes, if a team wants you to be the first person to work out for them, that’s saying something. It’s hard to imagine Ross getting past Minnesota at 18, but if he falls to 20 Nuggets fans might finally get the J.R. Smith they wanted the real J.R. Smith to always be.

Moe Harkless/Arnett Moultrie – Both of these players find themselves between a piece of gold and a hard place in our Big Board series. They probably should have appeared in our first Big Board, but I simply didn’t have the time or space to include them. Both have consistently hovered around where the Nuggets will select but neither has captivated me the way the other main prospects featured in this series have.

I really like Harkless. I think his game will translate well to the NBA. He’s got an incredible body for an 18 year old and has an enormous amount of potential. He reminds me a lot of Rudy Gay. With an improved jump shot he could be special. I would have no issues with the Nuggets selecting him at 20. I just like other players a little bit more.

Moultrie is different. I must admit up front that I didn’t get a chance to see him play this season, however I followed him through articles, highlights and analysis over the course of the year. I always liked what I heard and read, but I was never enthralled.

For a 21 year old, Moultrie is really raw. He has no mid-range game and his 3-point shooting percentage is pretty skewed (he only made eight all year). He has a flat shot and release that most NBA power forwards would have no problem blocking. Nearly all of his offense came off alley-oop dunks, put backs and cuts. This elevates his shooting percentage however on film he’s pretty unrefined in this aspect of the game.

Defensively he’s a mixed bag. His isolation numbers are strong, however he can’t seem to grasp the concept of rotations and often gets lost in the heat of his opponent’s scheme. He’s also had character questions, which are way different than motor concerns, and has displayed flat-out awful body language as a direct result of not receiving the ball when he wanted it.

If the Nuggets draft Moultrie I’ll be on board because I trust Ujiri. Nevertheless, I’ll still be pretty surprised if they take him ahead of the players mentioned in our first two Big Boards.

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If you’re new to this site or still unsure as to why Chandler is perpetually the subject of trade rumors, read this, and if you’re still unsure, know these simple facts: Chandler is young. He’s in the first year of a very cap-friendly contract. He’s athletic. He’s versatile. He likes defense. Given the chance to start, at the very least he’s a 15 points per game scorer. Would the Nuggets be a better team with him on the roster? Yes. But he’s not better than Gallinari and with three other, very talented small forwards on the team fully capable of doing the same things he can, Chandler then becomes tradeable for one big reason: value.

In theory the Nuggets could trade Chandler for another proven veteran, but the chances they get equal value in return simply isn’t that great. Quality contracts are hard to come by in the NBA. Often times good players are either overpayed or on the verge of being overpayed. The best and most cost-effective contracts in the NBA are given to rookies, specifically those in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Add all this on top of the fact that 2012 NBA Draft is one of the best in recent memory, and you have the perfect recipe for a Wilson Chandler-Nuggets fan-trade scenario pie. Here are three pieces I’ve concocted. Feel free to slice up one of your own in the comments section below!

(Note: The Nuggets possess three picks in this year’s draft: 20, 38 and 50.)

1. Chandler for No. 8

Toronto gets: Wilson Chandler, 20th pick in the first round, 38th pick in the second round and a future second-round selection.

Denver gets: Eighth pick in the first round.

Why Toronto pulls the trigger: The Raptors have been desperate for a legitimate, starting small forward for years. They highly covet Chandler and had the intention of offering him a contract after his return from China. They’ve made it very clear they’re in need of an athletic wing and are open to the possibility of trading the eight pick in the 2012 Draft in order to obtain one. Adding Chandler, in addition to last year’s No. 5 overall selection, Jonas Valanciunas, completes their starting five rotation and gives the fanbase the hope of a bright, young future for years to come. Furthermore, the 20th pick gives the Raptors another opportunity to hit home run, while the 38th pick alongside the Raptors own pick at 37 gives them back-to-back opportunities in the early part of the second round to target additional players on their Draft list.

Why Denver pulls the trigger: The Nuggets need a potential All-Star. Yes, their starting five looks set for years, but at the same time, nobody is confusing Danilo Gallinari with Dirk Nowitzki or JaVale McGee with Tim Duncan. At some point the Nuggets must acquire a special player who can carry the team through rough stretches in the postseason. If Denver feels this player isn’t available at eight, they can package the pick along with another player to move up even further.

Who Denver targets with the pick(s): Damian Lillard, Dion Waiters, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones will all likely be options at this point. Each of these players has tremendous potential and a distinct skill set compared to the others. Nuggets management would be able to select which one they believe in most. There’s also an outside chance Andre Drummond and Harrison Barnes drop to No. 8, both of whom would be steals at that point.  

2. Chandler for two, mid-first-round picks

Houston gets: Wilson Chandler, 20th pick in the first round and 38th pick in the second round.

Denver gets: 14th and 16th picks in the first round.

Why Houston pulls the trigger: This trade would essentially breathe life into a middling franchise that has been attempting to rebuild on the fly for years. After collapsing during the final stretch of the season to miss the Playoffs for the third straight year, general manager Daryle Morey will be looking to make a move — as he always is — to push the Rockets over the cusp of mediocrity. Much like the Raptors, Chandler is the missing piece to the puzzle for the Rockets. With the 20th and 38th picks in the draft, the Rockets will still be able to add young talent to an already up-and-coming team.

Why Denver pulls the trigger: Two picks are always better than one, especially in the first round. In such a deep draft, good players are bound to slip. Having two, near back-to-back picks will allow the Nuggets to select several players that would likely be Top 10 picks in any other draft. This trade doubles the team’s chances of landing a star player in a single year, only minutes apart.

Who Denver targets with the pick(s): It’s difficult to predict who will fall on Draft night. As of now guys like Meyers Leonard, Kendall Marshall, Arnett Moultrie, Terrence Ross, Terrence Jones and even Jared Sullinger all stand the chance to land somewhere outside the Top 10. Even the aforementioned Perry Jones could slip. If the Nuggets could land a combination of these two players — say, Terrence Jones and Marshall for example — it would increase the team’s already incredible depth as well as its talent level, star potential and assets, all at the same time.  

3. Chandler for back-to-back picks

Boston gets: Wilson Chandler, Al Harrington, Timofey Mozgov and 38th pick in the first round.

Denver gets: 21st and 22nd picks in the first round, 51st pick in the second round.

Why Boston pulls the trigger: After making a magical run to the Conference Finals and falling one game short of a third NBA Finals appearance in five years, the Celtics feel they’re not through yet. But to continue this run they need to offer Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen an incentive to re-sign since both are free agents. This move convinces Garnett and Allen, in addition to numerous other free agents, that the Celtics are still contenders for at least two more years. If the Celtics don’t accomplish their goal after one year, Harrington’s contract is only partially guaranteed from that point on and Mozgov will be a free agent, leaving Chandler, Jeff Green, Pierce and Rondo as solid building blocks for the future.

Why Denver pulls the trigger: Possessing back-to-back-to-back picks in any draft is rare, but in this draft it’s the equivalent of hitting the lottery (figuratively, of course). At 20, 21 and 22, there will still be an array of talented players for the Nuggets to select from without running the risk of a team potentially thwarting its draft strategy. In addition, all three of these players will be on rookie contracts for the next four years, lending a monumental amount of cap space to sign veteran free agents that will help stabilize the team and assist in the development of these youngsters. The Nuggets will also have back-to-back selections at 50 and 51 which they could use, or combine, to move up further into the Draft.

Who Denver targets with the pick(s): As has already been mentioned in our first Big Board article, Andrew Nicholson, Royce White and Will Barton would all be excellent selections with the three picks. Players like Moe Harkless, Austin Rivers and Arnett Moultrie could slip, giving the Nuggets even more options to salivate over. This also gives Denver the luxury of selecting an incredibly talented yet risky prospect like Tony Wroten without suffering the consequences of wasting its one and only pick on that player, should he not pan out.

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Though many pundits and columnists may argue this is the most important offseason the Nuggets have faced in quite some time, that’s hardly the case. Compared to the summer of 2011, this offseason is a cakewalk.

As of now, including Wilson Chandler, the Nuggets have two-thirds of its young core locked up for at least four years. Securing the remaining two pieces is undoubtedly going to be huge, but given Masai Ujiri’s track record of cajoling free agents into re-signing with the team, fans really have nothing to worry about. Outside of these contract negotiations, the Nuggets have no pressing issues in which the team’s fate hinges upon. As is the case with each offseason, upgrades and roster tweaks will certainly need to be addressed but unlike in 2011, franchise stability has already been achieved in many ways thanks to management’s dealings over the last year and a half.

So without further ado, Roundball Mining Company gives you the Denver Nuggets offseason to-do list:

1. Re-sign JaVale McGee

No matter how you slice it, this is the single most important move to be made for the Nuggets this summer. McGee is slated to become a restricted free agent with the possibility of leaving after only several months of service with the team, however the chances of this happening are slim for several reasons.

First, because McGee is restricted, the Nuggets have the option to match any offer he receives on the open market — which they will. Let’s get one thing straight here: Masai Ujiri is a savvy son of a gun and the last thing he’s going to do is watch a 7-foot freak of nature — who showed tremendous improvement since coming to the Nuggets — walk freely, essentially completing what would then be nothing more than a salary dump.

If the Nuggets wanted to dump Nene for nothing (which is bogus in the first place), they wouldn’t have traded for a young center on the last year of his rookie contract. Period.

Second, as has already been mentioned above, McGee has grown more than anybody ever would have imagined in a very limited amount of time. He’s shown maturity, professionalism and above all else, he completes the puzzle for the Nuggets starting five. He’s the missing piece the team has been in search of for years.

Financially is where it gets a bit more complicated…

The Nuggets would obviously appreciate if McGee solely dealt with them and signed for a reasonable price. If this scenario comes to fruition then Governor Hickenlooper should just go ahead and resign in light of the fact that everyone knows it’s Masai Ujiri who runs Denver. Unfortunately, this likely won’t be the case.

In the NBA there are only a few different times when you can cash in as a player — coming off your rookie deal is one of them. McGee knows this, as does his agent. While he may genuinely want to re-sign in Denver, McGee isn’t going to settle for a discounted rate, because let’s be honest: There’s no way he likes Denver that much. That’s just the nature of the NBA. But if Ujiri can meet McGee and his team half way (OK, maybe more like 95 percent of the way), there’s a good chance he’ll agree to a deal that will keep him in a Nuggets uniform for years to come.

It’s not going to be cheap. Nuggets fans should expect to pay no less than $9 million per year. But in the end, being able to call one of the league’s best young centers yours, is something few teams can boast about. Barring some desperate franchise signing McGee to the max, it’s extremely difficult to see the Nuggets failing to retain his services.

2. Trade or amnesty Chis Andersen

In order to sign McGee, or any other free agent this summer, the Nuggets are going to need to be as frugal with their money as possible. Potentially bad contracts must be avoided at all costs and any existing ones must be jettisoned. At the moment the Nuggets have only one bad contract, and that belongs to Chris “Birdman” Andersen.

In reality Birdman has been on the decline for a while. Between age, injuries and a disregard for the fundamentals of the game, Birdman’s role has been in jeopardy since at least last year, but because the Nuggets were always thin on big bodies, he managed to retain his duties. Now that the Nuggets have four younger, more athletic bigs on the roster, Birdman has become expendable.

Nobody really knows what created the chasm between Karl and Birdman at season’s midpoint; all we know is that he didn’t see a minute of action past March 23. Even in blowouts when everyone who suited up saw some playing time, Birdman remained glued to the end of the bench. Add this to his recent involvement in an Internet Crimes Against Children investigation and it’s plain to see: The Birdman’s flight-time in Denver is officially coming to an end.

With two more years left on his contract at roughly $4.5 million a piece and the fact that his track record continues to compile glaring blemishes, Andersen is going to be a tough sell.

At 33, he still has something left in the tank. The real question is whether anybody is going to be willing to take a chance on him. If the Nuggets could manage to pry a second-round draft pick from a team in exchange for “The Bird,” that’s much better than exercising its amnesty clause as they’ll at least get something in return and at the same time avoid having to pay him the remaining $9 million left on his deal. However, unless the Nuggets package a few picks  of their own or another player in the deal, there’s a good chance you’ll see the team use its one and only amnesty provision on the Birdman sometime this summer.

3. Move up in the 2012 NBA Draft

At No. 3 on our list, this may surprise some and rightfully so. But remember, with no pressing needs outside of re-signing McGee and expelling Andersen the Nuggets have the luxury of playing a round or two this summer with house money, which in this case happens to be a historic NBA Draft class.

Here’s the thing about this draft: There are no LeBrons or Wades in the top three picks like in 2003. That draft class was historic for the amount of “superstars” and franchise changers at the top of the lottery. Instead, this draft has an abundance of depth. Guys who will be going anywhere from nine to 25 this year could have gone in the top five, or even three, last year. While picking at 20 is nice — and the Nuggets will likely get a steal no matter what — there’s also no reason why the team should be dead set on staying there. Again, thanks to Ujiri’s brilliance the Nuggets are in a position where going out and spending a little extra for an upgrade won’t break the bank. Even if it’s just moving up three to five spots by packaging No. 20, Mozgov and the 50th pick, that’s perfectly within the Nuggets limits of maneuvering without giving up any valuable assets.

Which sort of brings me to my next point…

4. Consider moving Wilson Chandler

This move has been tossed around for a while and is one I’ve been particularly ardent about since last summer when I first proposed trading Chandler for a first-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Even after a year has passed, not only does my position remain the same, but it’s been corroborated by transactions the Nuggets have made over that period of time.

In addition to Harrington and Gallinari — who already take up all of the small forward minutes on the roster anyways — the Nuggets also have Brewer, who’s proven to be a valuable contributor, and Jordan Hamilton, who will almost certainly play his way into a scoring role off the bench next season.

That’s four quality small forwards fully deserving of playing time!

So of all these players, why trade Chandler? Simple; because he’s by far the most valuable and at the same time, most tradeable asset of them all. The Nuggets can get the most from him while simultaneously remaining just as competitive as they have been with him on the roster this entire time! While Chandler would be a nice option off the bench, there’s already no room for his would-be minutes and Jordan Hamilton will likely be able to fill his shoes at only a fraction of the cost anyways.

Again, if the Nuggets wish to re-sign McGee, or anybody else, something has to give. Roster duplicates cannot be allowed. Paying Chandler north of $7 million to come off the bench and do what Corey Brewer or Jordan Hamilton could for only a few million, just doesn’t make sense financially.

As for what the Nuggets could get in exchange for Chandler, there’s always the Draft, which we’ll explore more in-depth in the coming weeks.

5. Don’t re-sign Andre Miller

I feel somewhat bad placing not re-signing someone on a the team’s list of priorities, as it seems to imply that player is somewhat of a cancer, which is hardly the case with Miller; however, lets not forget that for a decent part of the season Miller wasn’t the same player he was in the Playoffs. On countless occasions we were forced to downgrade him drastically for his nonexistent effort on defense and selfish mentality on offense. While we all praised him for his playoff performance, seven games out of a 66-game season shouldn’t earn you a new contract.

More than anything, re-signing Miller is — once again — a financial burden the Nuggets must avoid. As he showed against the Lakers, he still has a lot of basketball left to be played. He’s a non-injury risk and someone who could greatly assist (pun intended) a title contender in its quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. For these reasons, it would just simply be better for Miller and the Nuggets to part ways. He deserves more than the $3-4 million the Nuggets will likely try to re-sign him at; and after all he’s been through in his NBA career, he deserves a chance to prove he has what it takes to win a title.

Furthermore, Ty Lawson is young and fully capable of playing 35 minutes per game. Right now, backup point guard simply isn’t a position the Nuggets are in desperate need of. With a player option to keep Julyan Stone around for one more year, why not see what the kid’s made of? He’s looked very promising in limited minutes and was clearly head-and-shoulders above the competition he faced in the D-League. Add this to his incredible size, length, court vision, defense and contrast to the diminutive Ty Lawson and he seems like a perfect fit for the backup point guard role, especially given Karl’s penchant for small ball.

6. Re-sign Ty Lawson

This could really be anywhere from No. 2, to not even on this list at all. The reason it’s at No. 6? While important, re-signing Lawson this summer isn’t mandatory.

With an entire year to negotiate, the Nuggets have time, which they’ll use to clear up more cap space to in turn re-sign Lawson. By next year the Nuggets could potentially have cleared more than $20 million between Anderson, Chandler and Harrington’s contacts on top of what deals are already set to expire. Because luxury tax penalties are increasingly more costly, the Nuggets will need as much cap room as possible before seriously considering dishing out yet another hefty contract to a franchise cornerstone. Additionally, because Lawson is a restricted free agent, the Nuggets have the added security and assurance that no matter what offer is thrown his way, they’ll be able to retain him.

7. Find a defensive-minded assistant

What happened to the Nuggets defense this past year is anyone’s guess. Though the team has never been a defensive juggernaut, they way they surrendered points in 2011-12 was flat-out embarrassing.

This falls solely on the shoulders of George Karl. It’s his job to organize an effective defensive scheme and get his players to buy in. If for some reason he’s unable to cure the team’s defensive woes from last season, it would be incredibly wise of someone in the organization to step up and organize a search for a defensive-minded assistant who’s sole responsibility is defense, and nothing but defense. This person doesn’t even have to be a premier assistant — one that’s considered on the verge of finding a head coaching position — he (or she for all I care!) just needs to be someone who loves and consistently pounds the concept of defense into the heads of their players on a daily basis since clearly this is a concept Karl seems to have forgotten.

8. Sign-and-trade Rudy Fernandez

Why sign-and-trade?

Value.

Much like Wilson Chandler, Rudy Fernandez is a solid young player entering the prime of his career. Though he never quite made the impact many thought he would prior to joining the Nuggets before the start of the 2011-12 season (largely due to injury), Fernandez still carries a decent amount of value on the open market. Given his restricted status the Nuggets could, and should, parlay his first big payday into another asset in return. Even it it’s nothing more than a late draft pick or exchange for a risky, yet promising young player, it’s always wise to capitalize on the restricted clause of a player’s contract when presented with the opportunity.

If, however, the Nuggets could persuade Fernandez into signing at a discounted price — which they might be able to do considering his recent injury history and lack of production — then holding onto him for at least another year might be a good call as he is, after all, a fairly talented shooting guard.

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Through the first two months of the season several key storylines emerged. First and foremost, the Nuggets were winning and in pretty convincing fashion. It reminded many of the 2010-11 post-Carmelo Anthony team that finished the season going 18-7 behind a strong second unit and unselfish, team-first mentality. Even with Kenneth Faried sidelined due to Karl’s “old school” approach of treating rookies with contempt, the Nuggets still managed to come out of the gate strong. The team went 14-5 through its first 19 games of the season, including the franchise’s first ever five-game road winning streak that was capped off with an epic win against Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, in which Danilo Gallinari put up a career-high 37 points against his former squad.

Unfortunately for the Nuggets, after starting off scorching hot and extremely promising, things went south rather quickly. Throughout the heart of the season the Nuggets were a disappointing, enigmatic, inconsistent group of random substitution patterns based largely upon which players weren’t injured that day. The Nuggets went 5-10 in February and 9-7 in March. Then in April after regaining its health and thus, form from the beginning of the year, the team finished the season strong going 10-4 over the final month of the 2011-12 campaign.

Though injuries played a role in the Nuggets downfall through the middle stretch of the season, fans struggled with the idea that they were the sole reason for the team’s miscues. After all, every team in the NBA was fighting injuries in some form or another, yet many continued to play up to expectations regardless. The Nuggets, however, adopted a near listless style of play that centered around optional defense and sporadic offensive outbursts which led to numerous losses to inferior opponents. In the end these losses proved to be the difference between homecourt advantage and a “Gone Fishin” segment on TNT’s Inside the NBA after only one round of the playoffs.

Nevertheless, the one element of the season that likely lingers with fans is how the Nuggets finished with a bang. The team won its last four games to overtake the Dallas Mavericks as the sixth seed in the West which set them up for a “favorable” matchup with the three-seeded L.A. Lakers. After starting off slow, losing three of their first four games, the Nuggets stormed back to win two straight and extend the series to play a seventh and deciding game in L.A. Though the Nuggets would eventually lose, the team fought hard and showed tremendous heart and soul — all rarities for the Nuggets come playoff time in the past under George Karl.

As a whole, the 2011-12 season should be considered a (mild) success. And although the high points were encouraging, the doldrums should not be overlooked. For every exciting playoff game the Nuggets won, they had two miserable losses in the regular season that could have easily been avoided by playing with more zeal and of course, defense. Karl certainly deserves credit for finally showing up in the playoffs and giving the fans something to cheer for, but he shouldn’t be let off the hook for the way the team performed for about one-third of the season. In his final postseason team speech Karl mentioned the fact that every game during the regular season counts — now if only he can get his team to take this message to heart, then the Nuggets might be in business.

So big question remains: What did we learn this year?

The first answer that probably comes to mind centers around team structure. Between Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried and Arron Afflalo the Nuggets have a great, young core moving forward. While each of these players had their fair share of struggles, none were drastic disappointments considering expectations heading into the season.

Lawson finished as the team’s leading scorer averaging 16.4 points per game including 19 points per game in the postseason — more than Chris Paul, Tim Duncan, Danny Granger, Joe Johnson, James Harden, Andrew Bynum, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh or Zach Randolph managed to average, most of whom played at least one extra series than Lawson. In addition, Lawson also averaged the most minutes and steals per game on the team in the regular season.

Not far behind Lawson in minutes per game was Arron Afflalo, who often times logged north of 40 minutes on any given contest. After starting off the season incredibly slow, Afflalo surged during the last half averaging 18 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game on .504 percent shooting from the field and .431 percent from downtown post All-Star break. His progression over the entire season was once again a sight to behold.

Gallinari went in the opposite direction as Afflalo. He started off averaging close to 19 points per game over the first month of the season then tailed off dramatically after injuring his ankle in early January. Proceeding the All-Star break Gallinari averaged only 11 points per game on .358 shooting from the field, which was largely due to his decreased aggression and willingness to settle for long-distance jump shots. Even considering his lackluster final few months of the 2011-12 campaign, Gallinari had a fine season full of surprisingly good defense and promising development on offense.

Which brings us to Faried — the “Manimal” — who didn’t see consistent playing time until mid-January yet still led the team in PER and finished the season making the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team. Faried averaged a double-double in the playoffs, had a 27-17 game in only 24 minutes of action during the regular season and was a key spark plug for the Nuggets renewed sense of urgency down the stretch.

Other players floated in and out of the lineup throughout the season due to injury, production or trades. In fact, of the entire roster which was one of the deepest in the NBA, veterans Andre Miller and Al Harrington were the only bench players to maintain a consistent role and dose of minutes from start to finish. Rudy Fernandez appeared to have cemented his position as backup shooting guard before going down with an injury in January that forced him to miss the rest of the season. Fan favorite, Chris “Birdman” Andersen, saw his minutes revoked and handed over to the much larger Kosta Koufos and Timofey Mozgov who battled for the starting center position throughout the year. Then, after a long negotiating process which eventually culminated in the signing of a new five-year, $37 million contact, Wilson Chandler played in only seven games before undergoing hip surgery which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Which left only Corey Brewer as the one guy outside of Harrington and Miller who could be relied upon to produce solid minutes off the bench. His energy on defense and affinity for getting out on the fast break embodied everything Karl implored his team to do and in the end, earned him the coach’s trust and the fans’ support.

Aside from the core of Lawson, Afflalo, Gallinari, Faried and possibly Chandler, one other Nugget may very well end up signing a long-term deal with the team: JaVale McGee. On the night of the trade deadline Masai Ujiri and Josh Kroenke shocked Nuggets Nation by announcing they had traded longtime franchise cornerstone Nene for the wacky, physical specimen that was JaVale McGee. For much of his career with the Wizards, McGee was a prototypical “knucklehead” who become more famous for his boneheaded, “What was he thinking?” type of plays rather than his actual production on the court. However, once traded to the Nuggets, McGee transformed into an entirely different player in only several months and proved to be one of the Nuggets most valuable commodities in the playoffs. As a restricted free agent this summer the Nuggets will have the right to match any offer thrown at McGee and although they’ll likely negotiate a deal one way or another, the cost to retain him is undoubtedly going to put a dent in the team’s wallet.

As of now the Nuggets have roughly $50 million committed to players on the roster heading into next year. With McGee and Lawson still awaiting new, much more lucrative contracts, the team is in line to make some big decisions this summer. Something has to give. Salary must be cleared one way or another if the Nuggets wish to include Lawson and McGee as building blocks for the future. Though Karl and Nuggets management strongly desires to re-sign Andre Miller, it makes much more sense financially to draft a point guard with one of the Nuggets three picks in the 2012 NBA Draft, or let the tall, defensive-minded Julyan Stone take over the reigns as Ty Lawson’s primary backup. Furthermore, the Nuggets have just over $20 million locked up next year between Harrington, Chandler, Mozgov and Andersen, with only one of those players having contributed significant minutes in the past season. Somehow the Nuggets must figure out a way to shed salary, re-sign its key players and still remain competitive. A tough task, but one Masai Ujiri has proven he can handle.

Standing back and looking at the franchise from afar, one would have to remain optimistic about the future of the Denver Nuggets. Never tentative nor bashful, Masai Ujiri has proven to be one of the better general managers in the NBA. His standards — placed on production above all else — and basketball savvy have allowed the Nuggets to skip the rebuilding process all together after losing Carmelo Anthony in February of 2011. The team is already on the rise once again and looks to stay perched near the top of the Western Conference for years to come.

The upcoming draft should give fans an even closer glimpse into the exact level of genius Ujiri possess. If he’s as shrewd as many believe, he’ll figure out a way to steal several players (just as he did with Hamilton and Faried) that will be able to contribute to the Nuggets success for the next handful of years while remaining on their rookie contracts, thus giving the team the financial flexibility it’s in dire need of.

All that’s left now is to figure out how to take a roster teeming with young talent and translate it into postseason success.

Over the last decade this has proven to be the omnipotent road block for the Nuggets, almost all of which has occurred on George Karl watch. Having lost six playoff series to lower seeds during his career and advancing past the first round of the playoffs only once while with the Nuggets (largely thanks to Chauncey Billups) despite nine straight years of making it to the postseason, one could argue Karl has already overstayed his welcome by a large margin. Though actually competing (rather than rolling over) in the 2012 postseason was a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen whether Karl will truly elevate his standards to match Ujiri’s or instead keep them at the mediocre echelon they’ve rested at for years. If the latter proves to be the case, the impetus then falls on Ujiri to refrain from holding a double standard for his coaches by giving them a leeway his players certainly don’t receive.