I cannot make any sense of how he distributes minutes on a night to night basis, I can't count how many times you see a player get massive minutes on a 2-12 shooting night, meanwhile the other option plays two effective 6 minute stints and rots on the bench down the stretch. Andre Miller gets way too many minutes, Karl loves his vets and gives them way too many minutes compared to letting the young guys with hot hands ride it out.
From a Wiz fan, I'll tell you guys to expect more ups and downs with Javale. Talent is there and the times when he is on and puts it all together, he is special to watch. Moments of immature play or poor decisions both on defense and offense just are hard to watch sometimes. I'm not coming on here bustin on you guys, just letting you know what I saw for a few years. I hope the move to Denver helps him get his act together. As for the reduced minutes lately, well, his act was put up with in DC for a while. I would imagine Karl will not put up with poor play and send the bench message. Well good luck, playoffs and all, some place we certainly will not be.
What's up Nugget fans? A Knick fan here to wish you guys good luck in the post-season, especially vs the Lakers (Boo this Kobe!!!!). Hate em. Hope you guys can make a run. Would love to see you in the finals... Long tough road for both of us before that though. Good luck!
As a Nuggets/ Rocket(ABA) fan I have to agree with Cubs and Johny. It's a painful team to watch. When they are on.. unmatched - off? Karl has no clue. A great guy but a very one dimensional coach. He has the deepest lineup but only plays small ball. Has zero ability to coach bigs or superstars. Too bad, this team could make some noise.
George has never gotten out of the first round as a coach in Denver (yes there was one year they lost in the conference championship game, but the coach that year was C. Billups). He really thinks the line up down the stretch is Al, Gallo, Afflalo, Miller and Ty... way to small. George claims to watch alot of tape, but if he did he would realize that many players watch the ball on a shot rather than get the rebound or at least put a body on someone. And has he really seen how Miller plays defense, yes his passing has been good, but his man-on-man defense is the absolute worst in the league bar none.... what a joke he is (I would rather have Stone in the game than him).
We are going to have to play big to match up better with the Lakers.As much as I like Faried,we need Koustofus and Birdman to play big big to give us a solid chance to pull off this upset.Ron Artest being gone for the next six games helps a whole lot and now we just got to contain Kobe somewhat.We cant let Kobe have a great shooting night,If we can keep him shooting 7-22 or 8-24 we will be fine.
Nuggets down by 6 with close to a minute remaining, the lakers run the ball down the court without trying to kill the time, miss there shot. the with close to 25 seconds remaining denver drive to basket for two rather than trying to put up a three? The after some laker free throws they drive again without trying to shoot a three? Am i the only one missing something here? Either the game is rigged from the outset or these players a just plain retarded! I would expect something like that in college ball but in the pro's something isnt right here. Then they bother to foul with less then 10 seconds left. and again with 4 seconds remaing down six and there going for two? I didn't not have any money on this game for the record, but for those of you who did, this isn't the first time i have seen very weird play in the nba and i'm sure it won't be the last. STOP betting the nba so they finally change the structure! Why do you think there's bigger wager limits on nba than in any other sports at most books....... Because it's a con and there robbing you. The refs can dictate to much of what goes on. And to boot most of these players come from the hoods and ghetto's and probably have drug dealers threatening there families to throw the game. just food for thought.
With the season, sadly, over, it’s time to consider the Nuggets offseason. Overall, I think they’re in great shape, but there are issues, and they still need to get better to advance in the playoffs (though some of that will come with experience).
Issue #1—Who do we resign?
Andre Miller—He’s unrestricted, so he can do what he wants. Supposedly, he wants to start, though he may find there aren’t a lot of opportunities to do so. If they can resign him to a contract around $5 million/2-years, I say do it, but I wouldn’t go much above that. Maybe you could give him a bit more for one year. But, I think there are other, younger options out there to be considered.
JaVale McGee---He’s restricted, so Denver can match any offer. I like him particularly if the Nuggets can get him to focus on defense and rebounding. But, he’s seriously inconsistent, so he doesn’t warrant huge money. It will be interesting to see what offers he gets. Ujiri needs to set a price in his mind, and stick to it even if some team comes along with a crazy offer. Dumping a long-term McGee contract would be harder to do then the Nene contract because of consistency issues. Hopefully, he can be re-signed at a reasonably rate for 4 or 5 years.
Rudy Fernandez—He’s also restricted. If he were a consistent 3-point threat, I would say bring him back, if healthy, but he’s not. He’s a better player than J.R. Smith was, but Denver really needs a reliable 3-point guy off the bench and Fernandez hasn’t shown that. Plus, with back surgery, he’s a question mark anyway. He’s gone.
Ty Lawson—It might make sense to extend him now to prevent any drama down the road and lock in what the hit will be to the salary cap.
Issue #2—Do we use the amnesty provision?
The two candidates are Chris Anderson and Al Harrington and the obvious answer would seem to be Anderson, who disappeared from the rotation late, has 3 years left at $4.2 million and has had this weird police thing of late. If Anderson is amnestied, Fernandez and Miller leave, that frees up nearly $12 million in cap room, which they’ll need for McGee and re-signing Ty Lawson long-term.
Though, I think Anderson will be the guy, I’m not opposed to Harrington being amnestied because his contract is longer AND worth more each year. (4 more years at $6.2 million). Harrington has been a solid 6th man this year, but after starting the year showing a greater variety of offensive moves, he reverted to jacking up lots of 3’s late. And, he’s a decent, but not great 3-point guy. He doesn’t rebound much or play great defense, so over $6 million a year is a LOT for him. He does offer some veteran leadership.
Issue #3 Do we look for anyone in free agency?
If Miller leaves, then Denver needs to look for a back PG or a solid combo guard in free agency because you don’t want to leave that role to a rookie if you have playoff asperations. Someone like Kirk Hinrich, who is 31, might be a decent option since he’s a decent 3-point guy, and can handle the ball if necessary. Among other options are Beno Udrih, Goran Dragic, Luke Ridnour or even bringing back Raymond Felton, though he’d be down my list. If they wanted to take a flyer on someone who could maintain the pace, Nate Robinson might be worth a look, though he and Lawson would comprise a tiny backcourt.
Optimally, though, you want a young veteran who understands he’s the backup and will take care of the ball and maintain the pace. And, hopefully, you can get him for a $3-$4 million a year. Guys like Hinrich and Ridnour fit that bill.
The other need is a veteran big-man up front who will do some of the dirty work and doesn’t need to score. Denver needs some bulk to take on teams like the Lakers who want to kill you inside. I haven’t had a chance to look around the league, but there are usually grinders available for reasonable rates. I’d be happy to use some of Harrington or Anderson’s money for a guy who will bang inside for 10 to 15 minutes. Like above, this isn’t an area that can be fixed in the draft.
Issue #4—Who do you draft?
Denver has a 1st round pick for a change, but their needs are really of a veteran nature, so it might make sense to trade the pick to fill the PG or PF need. If not, I think they’re in the perfect position to take the best player available regardless of position. Whoever it is will have to fight hard for minutes anyway, so they can take someone to develop for down the road.
The only type player I can see making a big splash early is a quality gunner like Kentucky’s Doron Lamb because the Nugget’s 3-point eye came and went regularly this season. A guy who can consistently knock those down would get minutes off the bench. But, they might want to look at a PG to back up Lawson down the road, or a PF like Royce White (who is a little undersized but strong) to help out inside.
Denver’s even deep enough to take a flyer in a huge “athlete” like Fab Melo or Meyers Leonard and see if they can craft him into a real player. Going the high ‘upside’ route isn’t my preferred option, but it wouldn’t hurt them as they’re currently configured, unlike a lot of lottery teams which can’t afford a bust.
Issue #5---Do we consider trading anyone?
Denver now has a slew of 4- and 5- year contracts, so those guys are the core for the future. But there are some guys like Koufos and Mozgov who might be moved to create future cap room, clear a roster space of a veteran big guy or to stock up on future draft picks. If Anderson is amnestied, they might not want to thin the ranks of the big men that much even if they re-sign McGee, but if Harrington goes, then trading Mozgov or Koufos might make sense. This isn’t a high priority, but should be kept in mind.
With the season, sadly, over, it’s time to consider the Nuggets offseason. Overall, I think they’re in great shape, but there are issues, and they still need to get better to advance in the playoffs (though some of that will come with experience).
Issue #1—Who do we resign?
Andre Miller—He’s unrestricted, so he can do what he wants. Supposedly, he wants to start, though he may find there aren’t a lot of opportunities to do so. If they can resign him to a contract around $5 million/2-years, I say do it, but I wouldn’t go much above that. Maybe you could give him a bit more for one year. But, I think there are other, younger options out there to be considered.
JaVale McGee---He’s restricted, so Denver can match any offer. I like him particularly if the Nuggets can get him to focus on defense and rebounding. But, he’s seriously inconsistent, so he doesn’t warrant huge money. It will be interesting to see what offers he gets. Ujiri needs to set a price in his mind, and stick to it even if some team comes along with a crazy offer. Dumping a long-term McGee contract would be harder to do then the Nene contract because of consistency issues. Hopefully, he can be re-signed at a reasonably rate for 4 or 5 years.
Rudy Fernandez—He’s also restricted. If he were a consistent 3-point threat, I would say bring him back, if healthy, but he’s not. He’s a better player than J.R. Smith was, but Denver really needs a reliable 3-point guy off the bench and Fernandez hasn’t shown that. Plus, with back surgery, he’s a question mark anyway. He’s gone.
Ty Lawson—It might make sense to extend him now to prevent any drama down the road and lock in what the hit will be to the salary cap.
Issue #2—Do we use the amnesty provision?
The two candidates are Chris Anderson and Al Harrington and the obvious answer would seem to be Anderson, who disappeared from the rotation late, has 3 years left at $4.2 million and has had this weird police thing of late. If Anderson is amnestied, Fernandez and Miller leave, that frees up nearly $12 million in cap room, which they’ll need for McGee and re-signing Ty Lawson long-term.
Though, I think Anderson will be the guy, I’m not opposed to Harrington being amnestied because his contract is longer AND worth more each year. (4 more years at $6.2 million). Harrington has been a solid 6th man this year, but after starting the year showing a greater variety of offensive moves, he reverted to jacking up lots of 3’s late. And, he’s a decent, but not great 3-point guy. He doesn’t rebound much or play great defense, so over $6 million a year is a LOT for him. He does offer some veteran leadership.
Issue #3 Do we look for anyone in free agency?
If Miller leaves, then Denver needs to look for a back PG or a solid combo guard in free agency because you don’t want to leave that role to a rookie if you have playoff asperations. Someone like Kirk Hinrich, who is 31, might be a decent option since he’s a decent 3-point guy, and can handle the ball if necessary. Among other options are Beno Udrih, Goran Dragic, Luke Ridnour or even bringing back Raymond Felton, though he’d be down my list. If they wanted to take a flyer on someone who could maintain the pace, Nate Robinson might be worth a look, though he and Lawson would comprise a tiny backcourt.
Optimally, though, you want a young veteran who understands he’s the backup and will take care of the ball and maintain the pace. And, hopefully, you can get him for a $3-$4 million a year. Guys like Hinrich and Ridnour fit that bill.
The other need is a veteran big-man up front who will do some of the dirty work and doesn’t need to score. Denver needs some bulk to take on teams like the Lakers who want to kill you inside. I haven’t had a chance to look around the league, but there are usually grinders available for reasonable rates. I’d be happy to use some of Harrington or Anderson’s money for a guy who will bang inside for 10 to 15 minutes. Like above, this isn’t an area that can be fixed in the draft.
Issue #4—Who do you draft?
Denver has a 1st round pick for a change, but their needs are really of a veteran nature, so it might make sense to trade the pick to fill the PG or PF need. If not, I think they’re in the perfect position to take the best player available regardless of position. Whoever it is will have to fight hard for minutes anyway, so they can take someone to develop for down the road.
The only type player I can see making a big splash early is a quality gunner like Kentucky’s Doron Lamb because the Nugget’s 3-point eye came and went regularly this season. A guy who can consistently knock those down would get minutes off the bench. But, they might want to look at a PG to back up Lawson down the road, or a PF like Royce White (who is a little undersized but strong) to help out inside.
Denver’s even deep enough to take a flyer in a huge “athlete” like Fab Melo or Meyers Leonard and see if they can craft him into a real player. Going the high ‘upside’ route isn’t my preferred option, but it wouldn’t hurt them as they’re currently configured, unlike a lot of lottery teams which can’t afford a bust.
Issue #5---Do we consider trading anyone?
Denver now has a slew of 4- and 5- year contracts, so those guys are the core for the future. But there are some guys like Koufos and Mozgov who might be moved to create future cap room, clear a roster space of a veteran big guy or to stock up on future draft picks. If Anderson is amnestied, they might not want to thin the ranks of the big men that much even if they re-sign McGee, but if Harrington goes, then trading Mozgov or Koufos might make sense. This isn’t a high priority, but should be kept in mind.
Why would anyone who WATCHED the series against LA want Karl to go?? It was his first full year with the Nuggets without Melo. He kind of got a feel for the team last year but then Nuggs traded Nene and changed the style. You can tell he's one of the best coaches due to the changes he made after game 1 and game 2. Game one was a blow out and game 2 got close, then there was a point where the whole momentum changed and every game looked to be in Nugget favor. Hell they almost won game 4 which would have put the series tied 2-2. I think if you can Karl now have fun with another dismal outlook. Remember the Nuggets before Melo?? Yeah, me either
I think George Karl is an awesome coach. One and done? They where close to the Finals a couple years ago. And almost pulled it off in game 7. If they kept the momentum when they where up, they would have lost to OKC but they had a great season. They can build this young team and be a championship team in the next two years.
