Denver Nuggets Blog – Roundball Mining Company

Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 110, New Orleans Hornets 97

March 10, 2012
by Kalen

New Orleans Hornets

Final

Recap | Box Score

110

Denver Nuggets

	Corey Brewer, SF 23 MIN \| 2-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 4 AST \| 6 PTS \| +14 Nothing too out of the ordinary for Brewer on the night. It was good to see his number of shot attempts creep down this game as they’ve been a bit high lately. Brewer also had a few big hustle plays that kept the Nuggets momentum in full swing.
	Kenneth Faried, F 20 MIN \| 4-5 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 0 AST \| 9 PTS \| -6 Foul trouble haunted Faried for most of the game, yet even when his playing time fluctuated Faried managed to exude a steady diet of energy that resulted in a few monster dunks and rebounds. His heartfelt effort was once again on full display as even when he received a few atrocious foul calls, he still give it his all on almost every possession.
	Nene, C 20 MIN \| 5-8 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 4 AST \| 12 PTS \| +12 Nene looked surprisingly sprightly considering how rusty he probably still is. He had several offensive possessions in the paint that led to crafty baskets and passed the ball extremely well when faced with stingy defense. As time passes Nene will undoubtedly improve, but against the Hornets he was solid.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 36 MIN \| 9-13 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 2 REB \| 4 AST \| 28 PTS \| +8 Afflalo has now scored at least 28 points in two of the last three games and set a new career high in the process. On Friday he scored in a multitude of different ways which Nuggets fans haven’t seen combined into one packaged game. From mid-range step backs, to his patented 3-pointer, to cutting through the lane — Afflalo did it all. He is now averaging over 19 points per game in the month of March and over 13 points per game on the season, which would be a new career high if he remains on the pace he’s currently at.
	Ty Lawson, PG 42 MIN \| 3-7 FG \| 5-6 FT \| 4 REB \| 10 AST \| 11 PTS \| +14 Friday was a fairly quite night for Lawson considering this past week was by far the best of his young career. He managed to log a double-double, which is always great to see, and turned the ball over far less than the previous game, which is also always good to see. On a night where the Nuggets had no problem scoring points you would like to have seen Lawson assert himself a bit more on offense, but that’s being fairly captious in the grand scheme of things.
	Al Harrington, PF 26 MIN \| 8-16 FG \| 3-6 FT \| 10 REB \| 1 AST \| 20 PTS \| +12 This was Harrington’s seventh double-double and third 20-and-10 game of the season. That’s pretty impressive for a guy coming off the bench. Had he not shot so poorly from beyond the arc Harrington likely would be looking at a 25-plus point performance on an extremely efficient night of shooting to pair with it. Overall, this was an excellent performance from one of the top sixth men in the entire league.
	Andre Miller, PG 22 MIN \| 3-4 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 8 AST \| 7 PTS \| +6 Andre Miller continues to be as wayward as the Colorado weather. One minute he’s lazily sauntering about with his hands at his sides not even attempting to challenge his opponents shot, and the next he’s dishing out pinpoint assists to his fellow teammates in the most important stretch of the game. Because he’s in a mode of such constant change it’s really difficult to grade his performance as a whole. If he’d just play with half the emotion Faried does, especially on defense, Miller would be getting As and Bs almost every night.
	Chris Andersen, C 22 MIN \| 3-3 FG \| 0-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| +12 As Charlie has mentioned before, sometimes grades aren’t entirely reflective of stat lines. Though Birdman finished with a pedestrian six points and two rebounds, his three blocked shots were monumental in terms of energy and momentum. His effort on the defensive side of the floor was terrific and you truly have to tip your hat to “The Bird” for being able to play with so much heart in light of decreased playing time and trade rumors.
	Danilo Gallinari, SF 24 MIN \| 3-10 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 9 PTS \| -3 Gallinari looked sweaty and pale on more than one occasion, and by pale I mean more pale than he already is, which is pretty pale. He was clearly out of shape and struggled with almost every aspect of his game, but showed a lot of determination by never asking out of the game and continuing to try and make a positive impact on the floor.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 4 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 PTS \| -4 Hamilton saw a few garbage minutes and brought down the house with his ally oop that secured tacos for Nuggets fans across the state of Colorado. We sincerely thank him for that.

Denver Nuggets midterm report card: rookies

March 9, 2012
by Kalen

In the last installment of Roundball Mining Company’s Denver Nuggets midterm report card series, we’ll be examining the rookies. Since this group of players hasn’t received the type of playing time most of their teammates have, we decided to evaluate them separately. Since the All-Star break, Kenneth Faried has managed to claw his way into the rotation, while Julyan Stone and Jordan Hamilton still remain isolated on the furthest regions of Karl’s bench. This extra boost in minutes has allowed us to get a better understanding of who Faried is, yet Hamilton and Stone are still relatively unknown commodities, therefore their grades should be taken with a grain of salt.

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Rapid Reaction: Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Denver Nuggets 99

March 7, 2012
by Kalen

Cleveland Cavaliers

100

Final

Recap | Box Score

Denver Nuggets

	Corey Brewer, SF 20 MIN \| 2-10 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 5 AST \| 4 PTS \| -1 Brewer contributed to other areas of the game besides scoring, although it’s nearly impossible to overlook such a poor shooting performance. Since becoming a starter Brewer hasn’t quite played with the type of energy we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him when coming off the bench. Hopefully Gallinari soon takes his rightful spot as the team’s starting small forward soon so that Brewer can play the spark-plug role he’s much more comfortable with.
	Kenneth Faried, F 20 MIN \| 2-2 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 9 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| -7 Nine rebounds in 20 minutes is solid by any standard, however, at this juncture Nuggets fans expect much more from the “Manimal” than just rebounding alone. His defense against Antawn Jamison to start the game was atrocious and opened the flood gates for Cleveland to gain confidence, which they ultimately utilized to win the game. Although his interior defense is decent, Faried’s one-on-one perimeter defense must improve dramatically.
	Nene, C 22 MIN \| 5-10 FG \| 3-5 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 13 PTS \| -9 The story of the game was Nene’s inability to play any sort of help defense whatsoever in the dying moments of the fourth quarter. On key possessions late in the final several minutes of the game Nene didn’t even contest Kyrie Irving’s shots as he dribbled right down the center of the lane for multiple layups. The worst part: Nene was clearly not only within striking defense of blocking Irving’s shots, but likely could have at least altered them if he had just tried. Yes, Nene also had a few important buckets on offense to keep the game close, but this production was virtually erased by his inability to prevent Cleveland from scoring on the other end.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 40 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 4-6 FT \| 2 REB \| 3 AST \| 13 PTS \| -5 In 40 minutes, Afflalo simply must produce more. He’s been a revelation the last month but against the Cavaliers he was invisible for most of the night. In fact, I was shocked to see he even played 40 minutes as I only remember him making a true impact for about 15. His defense on Irving at the end of the game also played a big role letting him get the rack for the game-winning basket.
	Ty Lawson, PG 41 MIN \| 6-14 FG \| 5-5 FT \| 5 REB \| 6 AST \| 18 PTS \| -6 Grading Lawson is extremely difficult. He finished with 18 points and had another solid night statistically; however, he also committed a ghastly seven turnovers and could not stop Irving if his life depended on it. In the Cavaliers last offensive possession of the game Ty easily could have stepped in for a charge, but instead moved entirely out of the way for Irving to made yet another easy layup. Then, with four seconds left, Ty took it upon himself to drive to the hole yet failed to convert a fairly routine layup of his own. Bottom line: Lawson has been spectacular of late and his willingness to step up in the clutch should be applauded, but key defensive mistakes and a carelessness with the ball really cost his team some big possessions on Wednesday.
	Al Harrington, PF 33 MIN \| 10-20 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 22 PTS \| +6 Harrington was one of the lone bright spots on the evening. While he took quite a few shots he also made 50 percent of them which is always appreciated. Like everyone on the team, Harrington struggled defensively but his effort and ability to knock down clutch baskets made up for many of his mistakes.
	Andre Miller, PG 24 MIN \| 5-7 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 2 REB \| 4 AST \| 16 PTS \| 0 It’s not often that Miller receives an A but on Wednesday he played superb, all things considered. His defense, as always, was questionable at best, yet his offense was not forced and came within the flow of a fairly rugged basketball game. Seeing him play team ball, after a few selfish outings, was extremely refreshing.
	Chris Andersen, C 18 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 3 PTS \| +7 Birdman deserves nothing but a solid A tonight as he was the only Nugget who brought focus, defense and enthusiasm to the floor for almost every minute he was on it. His three blocked shots were monumental in terms of swinging the momentum back in the Nuggets’ favor, while his seven rebounds in only 18 minutes were hard earned.
	Danilo Gallinari, SF 22 MIN \| 1-7 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 5 PTS \| +10 Still rusty, Gallinari somehow managed to contribute in other areas of the game besides scoring. His defense was the best of anybody on the team and in a night were getting stops virtually meant winning the game, this was very admirable especially considering how fresh off injury he still was.

Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 119 Sacramento Kings 116 (OT)

March 5, 2012
by Charlie

Sacramento Kings

116

Final
Recap | Box Score

119

Denver Nuggets

	Corey Brewer, SF 22 MIN \| 3-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 8 PTS \| +2 With Gallo and Nene back in the mix, I was worried about Brewer being able to ease up on his shooting. The Nuggets have needed him to produce points with all of the injuries, but double figure scoring from Brew typically means 10 plus attempts and around 40% shooting. The good news is Corey shot a lot less but still took most of his attempts outside the paint and just didn’t produce a lot in the hustle categories, where his true value lies. Despite the struggles, Brew gets a birthday bump for his grade on the night he celebrated his 26th with an utterly fantastic team win.
	Kenneth Faried, F 34 MIN \| 7-9 FG \| 6-7 FT \| 12 REB \| 1 AST \| 20 PTS \| -4 When you get a career high 20 points and a double-double for the third time in four games, you get an ‘A’. What’s remarkable about Faried’s last few games is the fact he’s been struggling like all rookies do. Faried was noticeably outhustled and outworked on the boards on several occasions. Just take a look at his gaudy statline and realize this was far from a complete performance. What the ‘Manimal’ is showing us in his short time as a rotation player is quite special — it’s just rare to see a rookie become such an important part of his team’s success is such a short time on the floor.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 7 MIN \| 3-4 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 AST \| 8 PTS \| -3 This is the third game in a row Mozgov has tweaked his ankle and he has yet to sit out for some rest. The young Russian played only 7 minutes and kept the offensively-challenged Nuggets afloat in the first quarter. Shortly thereafter he again came up gingerly on his left ankle and Karl wisely kept him out of the game as a precaution. While Mozgov was solid in his extremely limited stint, there’s not a whole lot here to draw from in terms of a grade.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 45 MIN \| 9-20 FG \| 10-11 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 32 PTS \| +3 Incredible. Afflalo set a new career high with 32 points and his clutch heroics need to be experienced to be believed. It was one of the more spectacular finishes I’ve seen in professional basketball, because these players and coaches have seen it all and they definitely weren’t prepared for Afflalo’s performance tonight. Those six points at the end of regulation came off some of the most cold blooded shooting I’ve ever seen at the close of a Nuggets game, even in the era of you-know-who. If you didn’t see it, stop what you’re doing now and go watch.
	Ty Lawson, PG 43 MIN \| 7-16 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 7 REB \| 13 AST \| 16 PTS \| -4 Another near triple-double, another game-winner, another up and down night where Lawson shined brightest with the game on the line and his team in utter despair. And this was the second night of a back to back. No big deal.
	Al Harrington, PF 35 MIN \| 5-14 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 9 REB \| 3 AST \| 14 PTS \| +12 Harrington’s production remains some of the steadiest on the team. He turned in another solid game, nearing another double-double but struggling with efficiency and missing most of his fourth quarter attempts. Harrington played the final 16 minutes of the first half and was fatigued in the fourth quarter. Harrington gives you a solid effort night in and night out, but the increased workload is taking it’s toll. Harrington played “waist-up” basketball down the stretch and had trouble getting his legs under his shot and moving his feet on defense.
	Andre Miller, PG 31 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 11 AST \| 2 PTS \| +8 Miller bounced back in a huge way, considering his second half in San Antonio was probably one of the worst shooting performances in a half by any player this season. Miller played much better tonight, notching 11 quality assists and making a fantastic play on what should have put the game away with 30 seconds remaining in overtime. Bad calls aside, Miller made solid decisions all night, perhaps the only downer being his 4 turnovers.
	Chris Andersen, C 14 MIN \| 3-6 FG \| 3-5 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 9 PTS \| -4 He was great in the pick and roll, great in the open floor and superb in the energy categories, where Birdman tallied 2 blocks and 5 free throw opportunities limited minutes. Birdman is doing all he can to debunk the “Anthony Carter” theory stating that he needs a multiple days rest to be effective on the court.
	Nene, C 16 MIN \| 2-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 6 PTS \| -1 The good thing is Nene looked healthy and showed no problems making lateral cuts or elevating. The bad news is it appears Nene has gone the better part of a month without practicing much basketball. The game was moving a little too fast for him and Nene had trouble catching passes and getting his shot off. Nene should work himself up to speed with some more practices and conditioning sessions under his belt.
	Danilo Gallinari, SF 18 MIN \| 1-3 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 4 PTS \| +6 It’s tough for me to tell if Gallo is all the way healthy yet, because he certainly wasn’t moving about the court at his normal speed. On the other hand, Gallo made some nice shots and never forced anything. Gallo still seems to be testing his ankle and feeling out his ability to go full speed, which is fine. Like Nene, the team just didn’t know how to adjust to him being back on the floor yet, especially having played a tough game last night in San Antonio.

Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 99 San Antonio Spurs 94

March 5, 2012
by Charlie

Denver Nuggets

FinalRecap | Box Score

San Antonio Spurs

	Corey Brewer, SF 33 MIN \| 4-11 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 12 PTS \| +2 Take away the three 3-pointers he missed and Brewer shot a much more respectable, and efficient, 4-8 from the field. While there’s nothing wrong with him taking a few open threes, keep in mind Brewer has never been a strong outside shooter and is much more effective when cutting to the basket.
	Kenneth Faried, F 29 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 3-6 FT \| 5 REB \| 0 AST \| 11 PTS \| -2 Faried had a relatively quiet night from a statistical standpoint. In 29 minutes you’d expect him to be well above a double-double; however, what can’t be ignored is Faried’s effervescent attitude and unrivaled enthusiasm that overflow into the rest of his teammates. His willingness to do the type of dirty work many NBA primma donnas won’t even consider is the epitome of the phrase, “a breath of fresh air.” Is it a coincidence that at the same time George Karl is showing confidence in Faried by prescribing him a heavy dose of minutes, the team is suddenly playing with a renewed sense of passion, heart and energy? I think not.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 15 MIN \| 1-3 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 5 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| +4 Prior to Mozgov exiting the game for the second time in as many nights, he was having yet another solid performance. While it’s frustrating watching him fumble more often than Brett Favre, it’s also encourage to watch him grow in other aspects of the game. His defensive effort is still there while his confidence continues to expand. Hopefully his injury was nothing serious as Mozgov needs as much playing time as he can get in order to keep evolving as a player.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 37 MIN \| 6-12 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 2 AST \| 14 PTS \| 0 Yes, his stat line isn’t gaudy but Afflalo gave the Nuggets nothing but positive output, and when you’re facing the Spurs, that’s EXACTLY what you need to do in order to win. Limiting mistakes must be No. 1 on your gameplan list when going up against San Antonion and no other player embodied this philosophy as much as Afflalo.
	Ty Lawson, PG 39 MIN \| 7-16 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 9 REB \| 11 AST \| 22 PTS \| +6 Ty Lawson. Just let it simmer. Again, words aren’t going to do justice for just how big of a role he played in a huge road win for the Nuggets. He was one rebound shy of his first triple-double yet hit the first game winner of his career. This is the second night in a row where Ty Lawson has virtually won an important road game for the Nuggets by being unconsciously aggressive and taking control of his team’s offense as a whole, all while flirting with a triple-double. If this Ty Lawson keeps showing up the rest of the season, the Nuggets will be a totally different team than is currently constructed.
	Al Harrington, PF 33 MIN \| 6-14 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 1 AST \| 16 PTS \| +3 Harrington hit some huge shots when the Nuggets were on life support and for that alone, he gets high marks. Not only were these shots important, but many of them were difficult as well. Making difficult shots in tight games is not an easy task. You really can’t say enough bout “Big Al” in this regard. He also played pretty decent defense on Tim Duncan most of the evening.
	Andre Miller, PG 25 MIN \| 5-18 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 4 AST \| 11 PTS \| +4 Fans have struggled with Andre Miller all season long and while his “defense” has always been the topic of discussion, it’s now his selfishness that’s really driving people bananas. Against the Spurs, this culminated with a stretch — late in the game, mind you — where Miller missed 10 straight shot attempts, three of which didn’t even come close to going in. It was as if Miller totally disregarded the fact that (A) he even had teammates and (B) was in a close game that his team was in position to win. Almost every instance where he received the ball Miller immediately tuned out everyone else but himself and decided then and there that it was he who would attempt to score the basketball. Had Miller not been so self-centered the Nuggets probably would have won in a more comfortable fashion.
	Chris Andersen, C 19 MIN \| 2-2 FG \| 1-3 FT \| 8 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| +3 It’s tough grading “Birdman” in this scenario. He was more efficient and productive than Faried on a minute-per-minute basis, but also committed several frustrating mistakes that the Nuggets couldn’t really afford. For example, his two unnecessary fouls on Tim Duncan within 10 seconds of each other in the fourth quarter could have easily come back to bite the Nuggets in the ass. Thankfully however, Denver didn’t commit many more ill-advised fouls after that and kept the Spurs off the free-throw line to close out the game. Additionally, Birdman just looked tired out there. Perhaps all the trade rumors are wearing him down. Either way, he gave it his all and that’s enough for one night.
	Julyan Stone, G 0 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| 0 Stone was again inserted to play defense on one possession and did his job. Now if he could just share a few of Andre Miller’s minutes and actually make an impact on the defensive side of the ball like he’s capable of doing, we’d actually be able to give him a real grade.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 11 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 3 PTS \| +5 Hamilton hit one huge 3-pointer but was otherwise somewhat invisible. It’s hard to do much in 11 minutes and at this point, it’s unclear as to where Hamilton stands in George Karl’s pecking order. You’d like to see him log more time but as has been mentioned above, mistakes must be limited against the Spurs. In this sense, Karl deserves some credit for recognizing this was probably not the best game for Hamilton to experiment in.

Denver Nuggets midterm report card: bench

March 4, 2012
by Kalen

In the second article of our three-part series evaluating how the Denver Nuggets have performed through roughly half the season, we take a look at the bench. The same format from the previous installment applies here. Keep in mind however that rookies are not evaluated in this episode of the series as they did not play a role on the bench until recently. Rookies will be analyzed separately in the final section of our midterm report card series. So without further ado, here is the Denver Nuggets midterm report card for the bench.

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5-on-5: Second-half predictions

February 27, 2012
by Kalen

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

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Rapid Reaction: Denver Nuggets 99 San Antonio Spurs 114

February 23, 2012
by Charlie

San Antonio Spurs

114

Final

Recap | Box Score

Denver Nuggets

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

Film Room – Offense: Movement vs No Movement

February 22, 2012
by Jeremy

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

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

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

Rapid Reaction: Oklahoma City Thunder 124, Denver Nuggets 118 (OT)

February 19, 2012
by Kalen

Denver Nuggets

118

Final
Recap | Box Score

124

Oklahoma City Thunder

	Corey Brewer, SF 30 MIN \| 5-14 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 3 AST \| 10 PTS \| -10 Being so reliant on Brewer’s offense is not a good look for the Nuggets, I commend Brewer for doing his best, but he remains a limited player with negligible dribbling and passing skills. Brew didn’t have his shot going and while he played commendable defense, he was an offensive liability and couldn’t stay on the floor down the stretch. This is the wrong role for Brewer and he’ll be much more valuable when asked to do less. I do wish he’d pass up the occasional shot and focus more on working off the ball.
	Kenneth Faried, F 11 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| -11 It’s baffling. After a career game, Faried can’t get the slightest bit of leeway with Karl. Nevertheless he again failed to make an impression out of the gate. His issues with defensive positioning and executing on offense are fixable. I honestly believe Faried would be better off were he not battling the incumbent Al Harrington for minutes. The only way he can get into games is to come out relentless on an absolute tear. It’s important not to overlook the fact Faried did have a very poor game and was overshadowed by Koufos and Birdman.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 21 MIN \| 2-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| -18 I don’t like how Karl managed his minutes, leaving him in almost the whole first quarter after it was clear he was too gassed to keep Ibaka under control. Mozgov makes a huge difference in the Nuggets being able to run an effective pick and roll offense. Unfortunately, he needs to be more consistent and at least prove himself capable of playing a more substantial amount of minutes. This is such an unenviable position for Karl to be in because there will be nights like tonight where Koufos is the much better option. How do you decide who to play?
	Arron Afflalo, SG 43 MIN \| 10-21 FG \| 5-6 FT \| 7 REB \| 5 AST \| 27 PTS \| -16 At times, like everyone else on the team, Afflalo struggled with defense quite a bit. OKC is such a poor matchup because Durant is too tall for Denver to use their best defender on him consistently. What was most apparent about Arron’s effort was his tenacity and commitment to staying aggressive. The shorthanded Nuggets actually played like the more aggressive team despite losing and I believe the bulk of the credit can go to Afflalo’s leadership, a quality he hasn’t displayed nearly enough this season
	Ty Lawson, PG 46 MIN \| 8-17 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 7 AST \| 17 PTS \| -4 These are great numbers for any starting point guard, but without a win it just feels very forgettable. Lawson has no feel for where his teammates need the ball and he’s often reduced to getting everything off dribble penetration. Ty had the ball two crucial possessions down the stretch and failed to get off a quality look on either of them. We know Ty can create a quality shot whenever he wants and what’s so disappointing is that a signature game winning moment is still missing from his Nuggets career.
	Al Harrington, PF 32 MIN \| 3-9 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 11 REB \| 1 AST \| 11 PTS \| +3 Harrington had a double double, and managed to make two three pointers after he’s been unable to deliver offense for the better part of the month. That’s where the praise ends for me. I just don’t like where the Nuggets are going with Harrington in this huge role where he plays nearly the whole second half and defends the oppositions best player night in and night out. Harrington needs a much smaller role for the Nuggets to have any success going forward.
	Andre Miller, PG 36 MIN \| 9-19 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 10 AST \| 21 PTS \| +3 It was refreshing to see Andre come alive off the bench and play with purpose. This was one of the fineest performances I’ve seen all season as long as we don’t include the overtime. Miller had 3 turnovers in the extra period and his frustration boiled over in the loss. I can’t praise Miller enough for giving the Nuggets an edge that should have won them the game in the second half. Andre seemed to know how poorly he played in the overtime period and was seen leaving the court in total disgust. We haven’t seen that kind of emotion out of Miller all season and hopefully it becomes a turning point for him. While he was abysmal in OT, Denver never gets there without him.
	Chris Andersen, C 29 MIN \| 5-6 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 0 AST \| 11 PTS \| +17 Another energetic performance from Birdman. He made countless hustle plays and defended the rim with the type of tenacity that made him the best backup Center in the league 2 seasons ago. Consistency is underlying issue surrounding everything Birdman does.
	Kosta Koufos, C 13 MIN \| 6-7 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 9 REB \| 0 AST \| 13 PTS \| -3 Koufos was nothing short of a monster in his first half stint. He managed nearly a double double in less than a quarter. He was everywhere, from knocking balls loose and defending Durant at half court to throwing down jams in transition. It was a sight to behold considering Koufus might not have seen the floor had Al Harrington not racked up three quick fouls. Jeremy made a great point about how trusting the inexperienced Faried over Harrington may have cost Karl in Memphis and he seemed resolved not to reward Koufos tonight.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 4 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-1 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 PTS \| +9 Hamilton saw his first real minutes of the season and made a few nice plays as the Nuggets enjoyed a successful run. Then he was abruptly pulled from the game. There’s just not enough to judge here and I don’t know what to say other than Hamilton has decent size and solid offensive skills.

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

	Corey Brewer, SF 23 MIN \| 2-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 4 AST \| 6 PTS \| +14 Nothing too out of the ordinary for Brewer on the night. It was good to see his number of shot attempts creep down this game as they’ve been a bit high lately. Brewer also had a few big hustle plays that kept the Nuggets momentum in full swing.
	Kenneth Faried, F 20 MIN \| 4-5 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 0 AST \| 9 PTS \| -6 Foul trouble haunted Faried for most of the game, yet even when his playing time fluctuated Faried managed to exude a steady diet of energy that resulted in a few monster dunks and rebounds. His heartfelt effort was once again on full display as even when he received a few atrocious foul calls, he still give it his all on almost every possession.
	Nene, C 20 MIN \| 5-8 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 4 AST \| 12 PTS \| +12 Nene looked surprisingly sprightly considering how rusty he probably still is. He had several offensive possessions in the paint that led to crafty baskets and passed the ball extremely well when faced with stingy defense. As time passes Nene will undoubtedly improve, but against the Hornets he was solid.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 36 MIN \| 9-13 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 2 REB \| 4 AST \| 28 PTS \| +8 Afflalo has now scored at least 28 points in two of the last three games and set a new career high in the process. On Friday he scored in a multitude of different ways which Nuggets fans haven’t seen combined into one packaged game. From mid-range step backs, to his patented 3-pointer, to cutting through the lane — Afflalo did it all. He is now averaging over 19 points per game in the month of March and over 13 points per game on the season, which would be a new career high if he remains on the pace he’s currently at.
	Ty Lawson, PG 42 MIN \| 3-7 FG \| 5-6 FT \| 4 REB \| 10 AST \| 11 PTS \| +14 Friday was a fairly quite night for Lawson considering this past week was by far the best of his young career. He managed to log a double-double, which is always great to see, and turned the ball over far less than the previous game, which is also always good to see. On a night where the Nuggets had no problem scoring points you would like to have seen Lawson assert himself a bit more on offense, but that’s being fairly captious in the grand scheme of things.
	Al Harrington, PF 26 MIN \| 8-16 FG \| 3-6 FT \| 10 REB \| 1 AST \| 20 PTS \| +12 This was Harrington’s seventh double-double and third 20-and-10 game of the season. That’s pretty impressive for a guy coming off the bench. Had he not shot so poorly from beyond the arc Harrington likely would be looking at a 25-plus point performance on an extremely efficient night of shooting to pair with it. Overall, this was an excellent performance from one of the top sixth men in the entire league.
	Andre Miller, PG 22 MIN \| 3-4 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 8 AST \| 7 PTS \| +6 Andre Miller continues to be as wayward as the Colorado weather. One minute he’s lazily sauntering about with his hands at his sides not even attempting to challenge his opponents shot, and the next he’s dishing out pinpoint assists to his fellow teammates in the most important stretch of the game. Because he’s in a mode of such constant change it’s really difficult to grade his performance as a whole. If he’d just play with half the emotion Faried does, especially on defense, Miller would be getting As and Bs almost every night.
	Chris Andersen, C 22 MIN \| 3-3 FG \| 0-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| +12 As Charlie has mentioned before, sometimes grades aren’t entirely reflective of stat lines. Though Birdman finished with a pedestrian six points and two rebounds, his three blocked shots were monumental in terms of energy and momentum. His effort on the defensive side of the floor was terrific and you truly have to tip your hat to “The Bird” for being able to play with so much heart in light of decreased playing time and trade rumors.
	Danilo Gallinari, SF 24 MIN \| 3-10 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 9 PTS \| -3 Gallinari looked sweaty and pale on more than one occasion, and by pale I mean more pale than he already is, which is pretty pale. He was clearly out of shape and struggled with almost every aspect of his game, but showed a lot of determination by never asking out of the game and continuing to try and make a positive impact on the floor.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 4 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 PTS \| -4 Hamilton saw a few garbage minutes and brought down the house with his ally oop that secured tacos for Nuggets fans across the state of Colorado. We sincerely thank him for that.

	Corey Brewer, SF 20 MIN \| 2-10 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 5 AST \| 4 PTS \| -1 Brewer contributed to other areas of the game besides scoring, although it’s nearly impossible to overlook such a poor shooting performance. Since becoming a starter Brewer hasn’t quite played with the type of energy we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him when coming off the bench. Hopefully Gallinari soon takes his rightful spot as the team’s starting small forward soon so that Brewer can play the spark-plug role he’s much more comfortable with.
	Kenneth Faried, F 20 MIN \| 2-2 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 9 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| -7 Nine rebounds in 20 minutes is solid by any standard, however, at this juncture Nuggets fans expect much more from the “Manimal” than just rebounding alone. His defense against Antawn Jamison to start the game was atrocious and opened the flood gates for Cleveland to gain confidence, which they ultimately utilized to win the game. Although his interior defense is decent, Faried’s one-on-one perimeter defense must improve dramatically.
	Nene, C 22 MIN \| 5-10 FG \| 3-5 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 13 PTS \| -9 The story of the game was Nene’s inability to play any sort of help defense whatsoever in the dying moments of the fourth quarter. On key possessions late in the final several minutes of the game Nene didn’t even contest Kyrie Irving’s shots as he dribbled right down the center of the lane for multiple layups. The worst part: Nene was clearly not only within striking defense of blocking Irving’s shots, but likely could have at least altered them if he had just tried. Yes, Nene also had a few important buckets on offense to keep the game close, but this production was virtually erased by his inability to prevent Cleveland from scoring on the other end.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 40 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 4-6 FT \| 2 REB \| 3 AST \| 13 PTS \| -5 In 40 minutes, Afflalo simply must produce more. He’s been a revelation the last month but against the Cavaliers he was invisible for most of the night. In fact, I was shocked to see he even played 40 minutes as I only remember him making a true impact for about 15. His defense on Irving at the end of the game also played a big role letting him get the rack for the game-winning basket.
	Ty Lawson, PG 41 MIN \| 6-14 FG \| 5-5 FT \| 5 REB \| 6 AST \| 18 PTS \| -6 Grading Lawson is extremely difficult. He finished with 18 points and had another solid night statistically; however, he also committed a ghastly seven turnovers and could not stop Irving if his life depended on it. In the Cavaliers last offensive possession of the game Ty easily could have stepped in for a charge, but instead moved entirely out of the way for Irving to made yet another easy layup. Then, with four seconds left, Ty took it upon himself to drive to the hole yet failed to convert a fairly routine layup of his own. Bottom line: Lawson has been spectacular of late and his willingness to step up in the clutch should be applauded, but key defensive mistakes and a carelessness with the ball really cost his team some big possessions on Wednesday.
	Al Harrington, PF 33 MIN \| 10-20 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 22 PTS \| +6 Harrington was one of the lone bright spots on the evening. While he took quite a few shots he also made 50 percent of them which is always appreciated. Like everyone on the team, Harrington struggled defensively but his effort and ability to knock down clutch baskets made up for many of his mistakes.
	Andre Miller, PG 24 MIN \| 5-7 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 2 REB \| 4 AST \| 16 PTS \| 0 It’s not often that Miller receives an A but on Wednesday he played superb, all things considered. His defense, as always, was questionable at best, yet his offense was not forced and came within the flow of a fairly rugged basketball game. Seeing him play team ball, after a few selfish outings, was extremely refreshing.
	Chris Andersen, C 18 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 3 PTS \| +7 Birdman deserves nothing but a solid A tonight as he was the only Nugget who brought focus, defense and enthusiasm to the floor for almost every minute he was on it. His three blocked shots were monumental in terms of swinging the momentum back in the Nuggets’ favor, while his seven rebounds in only 18 minutes were hard earned.
	Danilo Gallinari, SF 22 MIN \| 1-7 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 5 PTS \| +10 Still rusty, Gallinari somehow managed to contribute in other areas of the game besides scoring. His defense was the best of anybody on the team and in a night were getting stops virtually meant winning the game, this was very admirable especially considering how fresh off injury he still was.

	Corey Brewer, SF 22 MIN \| 3-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 8 PTS \| +2 With Gallo and Nene back in the mix, I was worried about Brewer being able to ease up on his shooting. The Nuggets have needed him to produce points with all of the injuries, but double figure scoring from Brew typically means 10 plus attempts and around 40% shooting. The good news is Corey shot a lot less but still took most of his attempts outside the paint and just didn’t produce a lot in the hustle categories, where his true value lies. Despite the struggles, Brew gets a birthday bump for his grade on the night he celebrated his 26th with an utterly fantastic team win.
	Kenneth Faried, F 34 MIN \| 7-9 FG \| 6-7 FT \| 12 REB \| 1 AST \| 20 PTS \| -4 When you get a career high 20 points and a double-double for the third time in four games, you get an ‘A’. What’s remarkable about Faried’s last few games is the fact he’s been struggling like all rookies do. Faried was noticeably outhustled and outworked on the boards on several occasions. Just take a look at his gaudy statline and realize this was far from a complete performance. What the ‘Manimal’ is showing us in his short time as a rotation player is quite special — it’s just rare to see a rookie become such an important part of his team’s success is such a short time on the floor.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 7 MIN \| 3-4 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 AST \| 8 PTS \| -3 This is the third game in a row Mozgov has tweaked his ankle and he has yet to sit out for some rest. The young Russian played only 7 minutes and kept the offensively-challenged Nuggets afloat in the first quarter. Shortly thereafter he again came up gingerly on his left ankle and Karl wisely kept him out of the game as a precaution. While Mozgov was solid in his extremely limited stint, there’s not a whole lot here to draw from in terms of a grade.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 45 MIN \| 9-20 FG \| 10-11 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 32 PTS \| +3 Incredible. Afflalo set a new career high with 32 points and his clutch heroics need to be experienced to be believed. It was one of the more spectacular finishes I’ve seen in professional basketball, because these players and coaches have seen it all and they definitely weren’t prepared for Afflalo’s performance tonight. Those six points at the end of regulation came off some of the most cold blooded shooting I’ve ever seen at the close of a Nuggets game, even in the era of you-know-who. If you didn’t see it, stop what you’re doing now and go watch.
	Ty Lawson, PG 43 MIN \| 7-16 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 7 REB \| 13 AST \| 16 PTS \| -4 Another near triple-double, another game-winner, another up and down night where Lawson shined brightest with the game on the line and his team in utter despair. And this was the second night of a back to back. No big deal.
	Al Harrington, PF 35 MIN \| 5-14 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 9 REB \| 3 AST \| 14 PTS \| +12 Harrington’s production remains some of the steadiest on the team. He turned in another solid game, nearing another double-double but struggling with efficiency and missing most of his fourth quarter attempts. Harrington played the final 16 minutes of the first half and was fatigued in the fourth quarter. Harrington gives you a solid effort night in and night out, but the increased workload is taking it’s toll. Harrington played “waist-up” basketball down the stretch and had trouble getting his legs under his shot and moving his feet on defense.
	Andre Miller, PG 31 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 11 AST \| 2 PTS \| +8 Miller bounced back in a huge way, considering his second half in San Antonio was probably one of the worst shooting performances in a half by any player this season. Miller played much better tonight, notching 11 quality assists and making a fantastic play on what should have put the game away with 30 seconds remaining in overtime. Bad calls aside, Miller made solid decisions all night, perhaps the only downer being his 4 turnovers.
	Chris Andersen, C 14 MIN \| 3-6 FG \| 3-5 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 9 PTS \| -4 He was great in the pick and roll, great in the open floor and superb in the energy categories, where Birdman tallied 2 blocks and 5 free throw opportunities limited minutes. Birdman is doing all he can to debunk the “Anthony Carter” theory stating that he needs a multiple days rest to be effective on the court.
	Nene, C 16 MIN \| 2-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 6 PTS \| -1 The good thing is Nene looked healthy and showed no problems making lateral cuts or elevating. The bad news is it appears Nene has gone the better part of a month without practicing much basketball. The game was moving a little too fast for him and Nene had trouble catching passes and getting his shot off. Nene should work himself up to speed with some more practices and conditioning sessions under his belt.
	Danilo Gallinari, SF 18 MIN \| 1-3 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 4 PTS \| +6 It’s tough for me to tell if Gallo is all the way healthy yet, because he certainly wasn’t moving about the court at his normal speed. On the other hand, Gallo made some nice shots and never forced anything. Gallo still seems to be testing his ankle and feeling out his ability to go full speed, which is fine. Like Nene, the team just didn’t know how to adjust to him being back on the floor yet, especially having played a tough game last night in San Antonio.

	Corey Brewer, SF 33 MIN \| 4-11 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 12 PTS \| +2 Take away the three 3-pointers he missed and Brewer shot a much more respectable, and efficient, 4-8 from the field. While there’s nothing wrong with him taking a few open threes, keep in mind Brewer has never been a strong outside shooter and is much more effective when cutting to the basket.
	Kenneth Faried, F 29 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 3-6 FT \| 5 REB \| 0 AST \| 11 PTS \| -2 Faried had a relatively quiet night from a statistical standpoint. In 29 minutes you’d expect him to be well above a double-double; however, what can’t be ignored is Faried’s effervescent attitude and unrivaled enthusiasm that overflow into the rest of his teammates. His willingness to do the type of dirty work many NBA primma donnas won’t even consider is the epitome of the phrase, “a breath of fresh air.” Is it a coincidence that at the same time George Karl is showing confidence in Faried by prescribing him a heavy dose of minutes, the team is suddenly playing with a renewed sense of passion, heart and energy? I think not.
	Timofey Mozgov, C 15 MIN \| 1-3 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 5 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| +4 Prior to Mozgov exiting the game for the second time in as many nights, he was having yet another solid performance. While it’s frustrating watching him fumble more often than Brett Favre, it’s also encourage to watch him grow in other aspects of the game. His defensive effort is still there while his confidence continues to expand. Hopefully his injury was nothing serious as Mozgov needs as much playing time as he can get in order to keep evolving as a player.
	Arron Afflalo, SG 37 MIN \| 6-12 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 2 AST \| 14 PTS \| 0 Yes, his stat line isn’t gaudy but Afflalo gave the Nuggets nothing but positive output, and when you’re facing the Spurs, that’s EXACTLY what you need to do in order to win. Limiting mistakes must be No. 1 on your gameplan list when going up against San Antonion and no other player embodied this philosophy as much as Afflalo.
	Ty Lawson, PG 39 MIN \| 7-16 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 9 REB \| 11 AST \| 22 PTS \| +6 Ty Lawson. Just let it simmer. Again, words aren’t going to do justice for just how big of a role he played in a huge road win for the Nuggets. He was one rebound shy of his first triple-double yet hit the first game winner of his career. This is the second night in a row where Ty Lawson has virtually won an important road game for the Nuggets by being unconsciously aggressive and taking control of his team’s offense as a whole, all while flirting with a triple-double. If this Ty Lawson keeps showing up the rest of the season, the Nuggets will be a totally different team than is currently constructed.
	Al Harrington, PF 33 MIN \| 6-14 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 1 AST \| 16 PTS \| +3 Harrington hit some huge shots when the Nuggets were on life support and for that alone, he gets high marks. Not only were these shots important, but many of them were difficult as well. Making difficult shots in tight games is not an easy task. You really can’t say enough bout “Big Al” in this regard. He also played pretty decent defense on Tim Duncan most of the evening.
	Andre Miller, PG 25 MIN \| 5-18 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 4 AST \| 11 PTS \| +4 Fans have struggled with Andre Miller all season long and while his “defense” has always been the topic of discussion, it’s now his selfishness that’s really driving people bananas. Against the Spurs, this culminated with a stretch — late in the game, mind you — where Miller missed 10 straight shot attempts, three of which didn’t even come close to going in. It was as if Miller totally disregarded the fact that (A) he even had teammates and (B) was in a close game that his team was in position to win. Almost every instance where he received the ball Miller immediately tuned out everyone else but himself and decided then and there that it was he who would attempt to score the basketball. Had Miller not been so self-centered the Nuggets probably would have won in a more comfortable fashion.
	Chris Andersen, C 19 MIN \| 2-2 FG \| 1-3 FT \| 8 REB \| 0 AST \| 5 PTS \| +3 It’s tough grading “Birdman” in this scenario. He was more efficient and productive than Faried on a minute-per-minute basis, but also committed several frustrating mistakes that the Nuggets couldn’t really afford. For example, his two unnecessary fouls on Tim Duncan within 10 seconds of each other in the fourth quarter could have easily come back to bite the Nuggets in the ass. Thankfully however, Denver didn’t commit many more ill-advised fouls after that and kept the Spurs off the free-throw line to close out the game. Additionally, Birdman just looked tired out there. Perhaps all the trade rumors are wearing him down. Either way, he gave it his all and that’s enough for one night.
	Julyan Stone, G 0 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| 0 Stone was again inserted to play defense on one possession and did his job. Now if he could just share a few of Andre Miller’s minutes and actually make an impact on the defensive side of the ball like he’s capable of doing, we’d actually be able to give him a real grade.
	Jordan Hamilton, G 11 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 3 PTS \| +5 Hamilton hit one huge 3-pointer but was otherwise somewhat invisible. It’s hard to do much in 11 minutes and at this point, it’s unclear as to where Hamilton stands in George Karl’s pecking order. You’d like to see him log more time but as has been mentioned above, mistakes must be limited against the Spurs. In this sense, Karl deserves some credit for recognizing this was probably not the best game for Hamilton to experiment in.

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