I didn't write any kind of NBA preview before the season started. Now that the season is .06% out of the way, it feels like cheating to say anything now. Nevertheless, here are some thoughts I have on the Nuggets.
Last year the Nuggets were just 45-37, which was a disappointment any way you slice it. Yes, Carmelo Anthony missed 15 games to a suspension following the "fight" in Madison Square Garden. But the team went 7-8 without him, which really isn't bad, and acquired a future Hall of Famer in Allen Iverson. So they should have surged when Carmelo came back. For whatever reason, they didn't.
So what makes this year any different? Well, Iverson and Carmelo will benefit from their experience last year. But more importantly, I think they'll benefit from spending an off-season knowing they'd be on this team together. It's not so much that they didn't play well together last year-despite everyone predicting they were too selfish to mix, both players handled last year very well-it's just that they never really felt like a team. Adding Iverson during Melo's suspension made the Nuggets feel more like an All-Star team. They had a lot of talent, but they didn't have clear roles or play together the way real teams do. That's more the fault of circumstance than of the players.
This year will be different, or at least that's how I felt watching the first quarter of the Nuggets' first game, a 17-point home victory over Seattle. I'm not sure how to describe it. The Nuggets have talked about being an up-tempo team for probably all of their history. In the '90s and early '00s, pushing the pace was supposed to be the key to get us back to the playoffs. Even as the Nuggets have improved the last few years, they would outrun teams for long stretches, but it's never looked as natural as it did Wednesday. It was a perfect combination of speed and tempo control, but without a forced effort that couldn't be sustained. Credit Coach Karl for that. I don't want to read too much into it, but it seems clear that the Nuggets will have their best team of the Carmelo era this year.
However, questions still abound. Do the Nuggets have the frontcourt to hang with the big boys out West? If the big boys are the Spurs, then probably not. Marcus Camby can hold it down against most centers in the NBA, but Nene still plays young at times. Kenyon Martin is back, but will he have the attitude and patience to be a valuable contributor? History suggests he won't, but then he has to know he won't be the star of a team with friggin' Allen Iverson on it. I'll give K-Mart a chance. I'm not really excited about our guards who aren't the Answer, either. Chucky Atkins is a solid veteran, though he starts the season hurt. That's not good for a 33-year-old. Yakhouba Diawara is mostly memorable to me for missing a ton of threes during Iverson's Nuggets debut last year. I don't expect much from him.
The Nuggets should win their division this year and go to the second round of the playoffs behind the strength of Camby and their two superstars. Barring a Rockies-like miracle run, I think the team is still too thin for fans to expect much more.
Last year the Nuggets were just 45-37, which was a disappointment any way you slice it. Yes, Carmelo Anthony missed 15 games to a suspension following the "fight" in Madison Square Garden. But the team went 7-8 without him, which really isn't bad, and acquired a future Hall of Famer in Allen Iverson. So they should have surged when Carmelo came back. For whatever reason, they didn't.
So what makes this year any different? Well, Iverson and Carmelo will benefit from their experience last year. But more importantly, I think they'll benefit from spending an off-season knowing they'd be on this team together. It's not so much that they didn't play well together last year-despite everyone predicting they were too selfish to mix, both players handled last year very well-it's just that they never really felt like a team. Adding Iverson during Melo's suspension made the Nuggets feel more like an All-Star team. They had a lot of talent, but they didn't have clear roles or play together the way real teams do. That's more the fault of circumstance than of the players.
This year will be different, or at least that's how I felt watching the first quarter of the Nuggets' first game, a 17-point home victory over Seattle. I'm not sure how to describe it. The Nuggets have talked about being an up-tempo team for probably all of their history. In the '90s and early '00s, pushing the pace was supposed to be the key to get us back to the playoffs. Even as the Nuggets have improved the last few years, they would outrun teams for long stretches, but it's never looked as natural as it did Wednesday. It was a perfect combination of speed and tempo control, but without a forced effort that couldn't be sustained. Credit Coach Karl for that. I don't want to read too much into it, but it seems clear that the Nuggets will have their best team of the Carmelo era this year.
However, questions still abound. Do the Nuggets have the frontcourt to hang with the big boys out West? If the big boys are the Spurs, then probably not. Marcus Camby can hold it down against most centers in the NBA, but Nene still plays young at times. Kenyon Martin is back, but will he have the attitude and patience to be a valuable contributor? History suggests he won't, but then he has to know he won't be the star of a team with friggin' Allen Iverson on it. I'll give K-Mart a chance. I'm not really excited about our guards who aren't the Answer, either. Chucky Atkins is a solid veteran, though he starts the season hurt. That's not good for a 33-year-old. Yakhouba Diawara is mostly memorable to me for missing a ton of threes during Iverson's Nuggets debut last year. I don't expect much from him.
The Nuggets should win their division this year and go to the second round of the playoffs behind the strength of Camby and their two superstars. Barring a Rockies-like miracle run, I think the team is still too thin for fans to expect much more.
Comments
Then I would be able to split time between the NHL and NBA to carry me through the gap. Not this year however. So move over mike I am right there with you following the nugs. looking forward to all the basketball posts
Against Minnesota they showed a new ability to play good defense and get some stops when needed.
What worries me most, is they are still turning the ball over way more than they should. The problem with playing up-tempo, is the team has a tendency to get a little out of control. I saw this happen several times throughout the first three games.
However, it does look like the Nuggets' defense has improved. Granted it is still really early in the season, but it looks like Melo is finally playing harder on D. I felt like he wasn't really giving 100% most of the time when playing defense over the last few years. Also, it looks like Melo has found his range behind the line. Hopefully he can continue to make a lot of those 3-pointers he like to take.
Atkins will add another 3 point threat and he plays good D. I think he was a great addition for the Nuggets.
I agree with you on K-Mart. He better stop taking jump shot (like he has been doing during the first three games) and take it to the hoop hard. I really think Nene is a much better player.
Anyway, it's tough to comment on the Gold Glove since I didn't watch the whole National League all year...but Tulo was ridiculous statistically this season, and I think he should have gotten the award. Unfortunately the Gold Gloves are like the All Star Game, except somehow star power plays an even bigger factor in who wins. I pretty much stopped respecting Gold Glove voters forever once Derek Jeter won one. That said, it still ticks me off that the Rockies couldn't even get one.
this is definitely worthy of an hps segment.
patrick saunders from the post paired the two up side by side, and it is despicable that braun won.