Season Preview Nuggets

KG-MVP21 · 09-16-2006, 05:37 PM

Finally, the Nuggets got their shooting guard. J.R. Smith's third team of the summer is going to be his last, at least for now, as he more or less gets the starting spot he's coveted by default.

For years this Denver team has been building a very strong core of players including Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby and Andre Miller, but they have never had a consistent option at the two-guard spot, and it's routinely killed them throughout the regular and post season. The Nuggets have been a notoriously bad three-point shooting team and their backcourt scoring more or less comprised of Andre Miller's shaky jumper.

While Smith may not be the answer to all of their problems at that spot, he does give them a player who can put the ball on the floor and hit shots (albeit inconsistently) from pretty much anywhere on the court. If he can beef up his defense from none to some, he could be the final piece personnel-wise that the Nuggets have been searching for to help them break out of the first round after being eliminated from there ever since Anthony joined the team from Syracuse in 2003.

Smith, however, is just one piece of the puzzle for this team while it's trying to break out of its playoff funk. Forwards Kenyon Martin and Nene along with Camby are all coming off of a season ravaged by injuries, missing a combined 133 games. These three make up the core rotation of post players for Denver, and they are going to have to find a way to stay healthy if this team is to develop the kind of cohesion they need to knock out a higher seed in the playoffs.

That is especially important because even though this team has lacked in certain areas the last few years, their biggest issue has always been that elusive cohesion that the best teams seem to have in spades. There is no one player that this should be pinned on, nor is the coaching carousel to blame. Over the years this team has had several issues to deal with in terms of injuries and egos that have kept this unit from developing on court chemistry, and that is never more evident than in the playoffs.

Year after year the Nuggets beat themselves with mental mistakes that make them look as though they've never shared the court together before. During the regular season this can be made up for by stellar individual play by the likes of Anthony or Camby, who can both find ways to dominate games in their own unique fashion, but in the playoffs that approach just doesn't cut it. When teams have days and weeks to plan for an opponent, they are going to know how to pick apart just about anything that's thrown at them. How well they do that often depends on the resiliency of the other team, and on their ability to dig down and play as a unit to knock out their opponent.

Quite often when the Nuggets face this kind of opposition, they crumble. Another factor as to why has been the lack of on court leadership. Lately, Carmelo Anthony has been doing everything in his power to prove that he is the kind of guy that a team can rally around and be led by. He was often the best option on the court for Team USA this summer, while at the same time being the loudest cheerleader for his teammates. While the team ultimately walked away with a bronze medal instead of the gold they expected, that can hardly be pinned on Anthony. He turned a lot of heads this summer, and George Karl and the Nuggets are going to be looking for him to continue to display this kind of leadership in Denver this fall.

If Anthony can take up those reigns then, along with J.R. Smith, the team's most pressing issues seem to be resolved, on paper at least. What now remains to be seen is how this unit works together on the court. If they can stay healthy going into the playoffs, they could one of the least-desirable first round match-ups in the West. They've never looked as primed as they do going into this season, and this season will give everyone a pretty good indication as to whether or not this Nuggets team works as built. My bet is it does, but we really won't know until April, and I'll look forward to finding out.

PROBABLE STARTING FIVE

PG - Andre Miller

One of the steadiest and least heralded guards in the league. He is a true playmaker who keeps Denver's high-octane offense clicking even with players coming in and out of the lineup almost daily. Miller is the kind of player that has been mentioned in just about every single trade rumor that has come out of Denver since he was acquired. Well, giving up on a playmaker in this league, especially with the ever-increasing emphasis being put on team play, might be the most irresponsible move a GM can make nowadays. You want to see how mismatched this team might be? Trade Andre Miller.

SG - J.R. Smith

He got the starting spot he wanted, and now he has to prove he deserves it. Smith is a freakish athlete who can control his body in the air like few others. His shot is pretty shaky, but when he's hot he's a guy you can ride to a victory or two during the regular season. The challenge for Smith this year is going to be adjusting his game to make the best use of Anthony. He cannot be clashing with Carmelo when it comes to playing styles. He has got to focus on playing a style of game that allows for Carmelo to be at his most efficient. That means making open shots to keep his defenses honest, driving to suck in defenses, and most importantly passing. Smith has never been known as a willing passer and he is going to have to pick up that trait fast if he doesn't want to become just another blip in Denver's ever-changing rotation of starting shooting guards.

SF - Carmelo Anthony

He is like the Bernard King of the modern era. Melo is simply put a pure scorer. It doesn't matter how he gets the points, just that if he wants them he'll get them. There may not be a player (outside of Kobe) who can match Anthony in terms of having such a polished offensive game. He is simply unstoppable on the offensive end. What Carmelo has to devote himself to now is rounding out the rest of his game. Anthony needs to start attacking the glass and playing some defense to get him to that next level. Right now he's riding high in public opinion because he has worked very hard to rebuild his image after the summer of 2004, and he's succeeded in many ways. What he needs to do now is keep pushing himself as a player if he really wants to be a leader for this team. He has got to become their hardest worker to make knuckleheads like Kenyon Martin wake up and pay attention. He's well on his way, he just has to make sure he doesn't stop now.

PF - Kenyon Martin

If there is a player on this team in need of an image makeover (and it seems like there is always someone) it's Martin. After his flameout in last year's playoffs, Martin spent the summer as the player most likely to be traded in the NBA. His contract, however, combined with his nagging knee injury kept teams away and now Martin is part of Denver's obscenely expensive frontcourt for at least the next few months. This team's style of offense is probably about as good as it's going to get for someone like Martin, who is still a fairly raw player masquerading as an impact guy. His rebounding and defense, while impressive, haven't really improved since his days in Jersey, and the rest of his game has been equally idle, as well. If Martin wants to atone for last spring's gaffe, coming out this season with a game that shows signs of work and effort from the off-season would do wonders to help his image.

C - Marcus Camby

Camby is the best centre in the league for a third of almost every season. He is an overwhelming shot blocker, and a smart one at that, while also being a tireless rebounder and backing it up with a fairly decent offensive game. Of course, as redundant as it is to mention it, his injuries just kill whatever team he is on. He is such an important piece to his team that to have him go out with an injury is devastating because he is nearly impossible to replace. If 'Mr. Glass' can stay healthy for the bulk of the year, that alone might be the single biggest contribution the team can hope for.

tight · 09-16-2006, 11:52 PM

Wow... Did you write this?

Camby · 09-17-2006, 07:02 AM

Don't worry about it. I know that my favorite team, the Denver Nuggets, will do great this year compared to all of the other years since Carmelo's rookie year during the 2003-2004 campaign. Andre Miller's still one of the most underrated PGs in the NBA since he's not very flashy, but he's always the most consistent & effective. He'll always give you at least 13 points & 7-8 assists without ever going down with injuries a lot. His three-ball sucks & his outside shot can be shaky, but it doesn't matter because Andre knows how to keep the team up-tempo & he sets his fellow teammates up with amazing passes for alley-oops & many more. They've finally got a full-fledged starter at the two-guard spot in J.R. Smith. He needs work on his defense, but his shot's decent & now we've finally got another outside shooter since three-pointers & outside shots altogether's still Denver's weakness. If we can pull some strings & sign Bonzi Wells before this season starts, it'll be a rap because his big banger-like body who can do some damage on the glass as a SG & his low post play would really suit Denver's style of play. Also, his shot from the outside's not too bad either & he'd be able to start over J.R. Smith at SG or play backup for Carmelo Anthony at the SF slot. My boy Carmelo Anthony has really shown us last year that he can have a scoring breakout averaging 26.5 ppg & he was definitely the USA's best player throughout the summer, but now we'll have to see if he can still provide those leadership qualities back at Denver without losing his mind like he did in one game against the L.A. Clippers when he punched the ball right out to the stands. He also needs to step up his rebounding average & his defensive game to prove that he's not just an offensive minded guy. He's still unstoppable on the offensive end & if he can improve his three-point percentage, he'll be one of the most lethal guys in the NBA today. His excessively quick first step gives him an extraordinary advantage when it comes to getting to the rim with his aggressive spin moves & his dribble penetrations. The frontcourt may be expensive, but the guys there are still effective. I'll always love Marcus Camby & his interior defensive powerhouse way since he'll always get at least three blocks per game. Also, his 20 foot jumper from the top of the key's such a silky smooth shot & many centers can't even shoot as far as Camby can. Nene looks like he'll have a promising future as a solid NBA player. His offensive game's still somewhat raw, but he's a good defender & rebounder. Now it's all up to K-Mart to put his act together & stay healthy. If he can produce numbers like he did for New Jersey, Denver without a doubt will do well in the playoffs, but if he goes on acting like a knucklehead, expect Denver to trade him for a solid low-post scoring PF. He'll always give Denver a lot of energy & intensity on the defensive end by pulling down at least 7-8 rebounds per game & swat a shot or two per game, but his tender knee problems need to be milder if he wants to be productive. His offensive game's not as bad as many people write him off to be. Even though I'll agree that he's mostly a dunker from either himself or Andre throwing him alley-oops, but his midrange shot's solid & I've seen him shoot a couple three-pointers last season too. If his shot can be more consistent, it'll really open up his offensive game & Denver's inside & outside game.

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09-16-2006, 05:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
KG-MVP21 All Star Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Catalonia Posts: 2,503	Finally, the Nuggets got their shooting guard. J.R. Smith's third team of the summer is going to be his last, at least for now, as he more or less gets the starting spot he's coveted by default. For years this Denver team has been building a very strong core of players including Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby and Andre Miller, but they have never had a consistent option at the two-guard spot, and it's routinely killed them throughout the regular and post season. The Nuggets have been a notoriously bad three-point shooting team and their backcourt scoring more or less comprised of Andre Miller's shaky jumper. While Smith may not be the answer to all of their problems at that spot, he does give them a player who can put the ball on the floor and hit shots (albeit inconsistently) from pretty much anywhere on the court. If he can beef up his defense from none to some, he could be the final piece personnel-wise that the Nuggets have been searching for to help them break out of the first round after being eliminated from there ever since Anthony joined the team from Syracuse in 2003. Smith, however, is just one piece of the puzzle for this team while it's trying to break out of its playoff funk. Forwards Kenyon Martin and Nene along with Camby are all coming off of a season ravaged by injuries, missing a combined 133 games. These three make up the core rotation of post players for Denver, and they are going to have to find a way to stay healthy if this team is to develop the kind of cohesion they need to knock out a higher seed in the playoffs. That is especially important because even though this team has lacked in certain areas the last few years, their biggest issue has always been that elusive cohesion that the best teams seem to have in spades. There is no one player that this should be pinned on, nor is the coaching carousel to blame. Over the years this team has had several issues to deal with in terms of injuries and egos that have kept this unit from developing on court chemistry, and that is never more evident than in the playoffs. Year after year the Nuggets beat themselves with mental mistakes that make them look as though they've never shared the court together before. During the regular season this can be made up for by stellar individual play by the likes of Anthony or Camby, who can both find ways to dominate games in their own unique fashion, but in the playoffs that approach just doesn't cut it. When teams have days and weeks to plan for an opponent, they are going to know how to pick apart just about anything that's thrown at them. How well they do that often depends on the resiliency of the other team, and on their ability to dig down and play as a unit to knock out their opponent. Quite often when the Nuggets face this kind of opposition, they crumble. Another factor as to why has been the lack of on court leadership. Lately, Carmelo Anthony has been doing everything in his power to prove that he is the kind of guy that a team can rally around and be led by. He was often the best option on the court for Team USA this summer, while at the same time being the loudest cheerleader for his teammates. While the team ultimately walked away with a bronze medal instead of the gold they expected, that can hardly be pinned on Anthony. He turned a lot of heads this summer, and George Karl and the Nuggets are going to be looking for him to continue to display this kind of leadership in Denver this fall. If Anthony can take up those reigns then, along with J.R. Smith, the team's most pressing issues seem to be resolved, on paper at least. What now remains to be seen is how this unit works together on the court. If they can stay healthy going into the playoffs, they could one of the least-desirable first round match-ups in the West. They've never looked as primed as they do going into this season, and this season will give everyone a pretty good indication as to whether or not this Nuggets team works as built. My bet is it does, but we really won't know until April, and I'll look forward to finding out. PROBABLE STARTING FIVE PG - Andre Miller One of the steadiest and least heralded guards in the league. He is a true playmaker who keeps Denver's high-octane offense clicking even with players coming in and out of the lineup almost daily. Miller is the kind of player that has been mentioned in just about every single trade rumor that has come out of Denver since he was acquired. Well, giving up on a playmaker in this league, especially with the ever-increasing emphasis being put on team play, might be the most irresponsible move a GM can make nowadays. You want to see how mismatched this team might be? Trade Andre Miller. SG - J.R. Smith He got the starting spot he wanted, and now he has to prove he deserves it. Smith is a freakish athlete who can control his body in the air like few others. His shot is pretty shaky, but when he's hot he's a guy you can ride to a victory or two during the regular season. The challenge for Smith this year is going to be adjusting his game to make the best use of Anthony. He cannot be clashing with Carmelo when it comes to playing styles. He has got to focus on playing a style of game that allows for Carmelo to be at his most efficient. That means making open shots to keep his defenses honest, driving to suck in defenses, and most importantly passing. Smith has never been known as a willing passer and he is going to have to pick up that trait fast if he doesn't want to become just another blip in Denver's ever-changing rotation of starting shooting guards. SF - Carmelo Anthony He is like the Bernard King of the modern era. Melo is simply put a pure scorer. It doesn't matter how he gets the points, just that if he wants them he'll get them. There may not be a player (outside of Kobe) who can match Anthony in terms of having such a polished offensive game. He is simply unstoppable on the offensive end. What Carmelo has to devote himself to now is rounding out the rest of his game. Anthony needs to start attacking the glass and playing some defense to get him to that next level. Right now he's riding high in public opinion because he has worked very hard to rebuild his image after the summer of 2004, and he's succeeded in many ways. What he needs to do now is keep pushing himself as a player if he really wants to be a leader for this team. He has got to become their hardest worker to make knuckleheads like Kenyon Martin wake up and pay attention. He's well on his way, he just has to make sure he doesn't stop now. PF - Kenyon Martin If there is a player on this team in need of an image makeover (and it seems like there is always someone) it's Martin. After his flameout in last year's playoffs, Martin spent the summer as the player most likely to be traded in the NBA. His contract, however, combined with his nagging knee injury kept teams away and now Martin is part of Denver's obscenely expensive frontcourt for at least the next few months. This team's style of offense is probably about as good as it's going to get for someone like Martin, who is still a fairly raw player masquerading as an impact guy. His rebounding and defense, while impressive, haven't really improved since his days in Jersey, and the rest of his game has been equally idle, as well. If Martin wants to atone for last spring's gaffe, coming out this season with a game that shows signs of work and effort from the off-season would do wonders to help his image. C - Marcus Camby Camby is the best centre in the league for a third of almost every season. He is an overwhelming shot blocker, and a smart one at that, while also being a tireless rebounder and backing it up with a fairly decent offensive game. Of course, as redundant as it is to mention it, his injuries just kill whatever team he is on. He is such an important piece to his team that to have him go out with an injury is devastating because he is nearly impossible to replace. If 'Mr. Glass' can stay healthy for the bulk of the year, that alone might be the single biggest contribution the team can hope for.

09-16-2006, 11:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
tight Draft Prospect Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 55	Wow... Did you write this?

09-17-2006, 07:02 AM	#3 (permalink)
Camby Rookie Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 161	Don't worry about it. I know that my favorite team, the Denver Nuggets, will do great this year compared to all of the other years since Carmelo's rookie year during the 2003-2004 campaign. Andre Miller's still one of the most underrated PGs in the NBA since he's not very flashy, but he's always the most consistent & effective. He'll always give you at least 13 points & 7-8 assists without ever going down with injuries a lot. His three-ball sucks & his outside shot can be shaky, but it doesn't matter because Andre knows how to keep the team up-tempo & he sets his fellow teammates up with amazing passes for alley-oops & many more. They've finally got a full-fledged starter at the two-guard spot in J.R. Smith. He needs work on his defense, but his shot's decent & now we've finally got another outside shooter since three-pointers & outside shots altogether's still Denver's weakness. If we can pull some strings & sign Bonzi Wells before this season starts, it'll be a rap because his big banger-like body who can do some damage on the glass as a SG & his low post play would really suit Denver's style of play. Also, his shot from the outside's not too bad either & he'd be able to start over J.R. Smith at SG or play backup for Carmelo Anthony at the SF slot. My boy Carmelo Anthony has really shown us last year that he can have a scoring breakout averaging 26.5 ppg & he was definitely the USA's best player throughout the summer, but now we'll have to see if he can still provide those leadership qualities back at Denver without losing his mind like he did in one game against the L.A. Clippers when he punched the ball right out to the stands. He also needs to step up his rebounding average & his defensive game to prove that he's not just an offensive minded guy. He's still unstoppable on the offensive end & if he can improve his three-point percentage, he'll be one of the most lethal guys in the NBA today. His excessively quick first step gives him an extraordinary advantage when it comes to getting to the rim with his aggressive spin moves & his dribble penetrations. The frontcourt may be expensive, but the guys there are still effective. I'll always love Marcus Camby & his interior defensive powerhouse way since he'll always get at least three blocks per game. Also, his 20 foot jumper from the top of the key's such a silky smooth shot & many centers can't even shoot as far as Camby can. Nene looks like he'll have a promising future as a solid NBA player. His offensive game's still somewhat raw, but he's a good defender & rebounder. Now it's all up to K-Mart to put his act together & stay healthy. If he can produce numbers like he did for New Jersey, Denver without a doubt will do well in the playoffs, but if he goes on acting like a knucklehead, expect Denver to trade him for a solid low-post scoring PF. He'll always give Denver a lot of energy & intensity on the defensive end by pulling down at least 7-8 rebounds per game & swat a shot or two per game, but his tender knee problems need to be milder if he wants to be productive. His offensive game's not as bad as many people write him off to be. Even though I'll agree that he's mostly a dunker from either himself or Andre throwing him alley-oops, but his midrange shot's solid & I've seen him shoot a couple three-pointers last season too. If his shot can be more consistent, it'll really open up his offensive game & Denver's inside & outside game.