NBA Countdown: No. 9 Denver Nuggets

[duncan228]

NBA Countdown: No. 9 Denver Nuggets (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-nbacountdownnodenver&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

Leading into the Oct. 27 season openers, Sporting News will preview each of the NBA teams, counting backward from its Sept. 25 Power Poll. For more great NBA content, order your copy of our Pro Basketball yearbook, or pick one up at a newsstand today.

By Tim Buckley
Sporting News Yearbooks

Making the playoffs for a seventh straight season shouldn’t prove problematic for the Nuggets.

But topping what they accomplished in 2008-09—reaching the conference final—may be a tall task in the season to come, especially in a loaded West ruled by Kobe Bryant and the NBA champion Lakers.

But at least, and at last, Denver finally accomplished what it hadn’t since 1994: advance past the first round of the playoffs—a seemingly simple obstacle the Nuggets could not overcome for nearly a decade and a half.

That’s not all.

Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and crew won 54 regular-season games, tying the team’s NBA record (the Nuggets twice hit 60 in the ABA) and reaching the 50-win plateau for a second straight time. The much improved Nuggets also recorded their sixth consecutive season with 43 or more victories.

Even though the party ended with the loss to the Lakers in the conference final, L.A. coach Phil Jackson suggested afterward that the Nuggets could be a thorn for the foreseeable future.

“Their physicality and athleticism and their scoring ability is remarkable,” he said. “One of the things we admire … about this team, the Nuggets, is their ability to get to the basket and their ability to attack.”

The Nuggets return their core, with the star being Anthony, who averaged a team-high 22.8 points per game last year. But his shine seems to come and go. One example is how he sandwiched a December game against Minnesota that featured an NBA record-tying 33 points in the third quarter between a two-game suspension to start the season prompted by a DUI arrest and a subsequent one-game suspension for ignoring coach George Karl’s order to exit a March game against Indiana.

Only time will tell if Anthony can maintain focus. If he does, it may be in part because of the steadying influence projected by the Nuggets’ new glue.

Billups—Denver’s hometown-product made good—arrived last November from Detroit in a brilliant trade for Allen Iverson. Billups brought 17.9 points and 6.4 assists to Denver’s backcourt. Beyond numbers, though, he is almost singlehandedly responsible for reining in an undisciplined run-and-gun offense and reinforcing the benefits of defense to those without a clue.

With defense-minded Dahntay Jones gone to Indiana via free agency, J.R. Smith is a possible starter at shooting guard, though Karl has indicated he likes Smith as an offensive spark off the bench. Smith also is suspended the first seven games of the season after his guilty plea last summer to reckless driving during a 2007 car crash that killed his best friend.

Martin and Nene will again be the dirty-work guys on the inside, with Chris Andersen acting like a human fly swatter. Andersen blocked 2.46 shots per game last season, second best in the NBA, despite averaging just 20.6 minutes. Accordingly, he was rewarded with a multi-year contract.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring Chris back,” said vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien, who, thanks to the Iverson-for-Billups swap, plus his trust in Andersen paying off, won 2009 NBA Executive of the Year honors. “He was a big part of our success last season, and we believe he will be a big part of our future success as well.”

Fast Facts
2008-09 record: 54-28
Last playoff: 2009 (lost in conference final)
Coach: George Karl

Burning question
Can Chauncey Billups do it again?

The arrival of Billups in early November proved a watershed moment for what had been a talented but erratic lineup. With Billups at the helm, the Nuggets became a more organized and disciplined group, which led to 54 wins, tied for the most in the franchise’s NBA history. The Nuggets capped the year with a tough six-game loss to the Lakers in the West finals. But Billups is 33, and Denver was very fortunate to avoid major injuries last season—another 54-win season is a long shot.
— Sean Deveney

View from the other bench
(an opponent breaks down the Nuggets)

“The Nuggets have a great leader in Chauncey Billups. With his addition last year, he made them more of a team instead of individual players. He controlled the tempo, he controlled who got shots and he controlled how they played.

“They’ve got low-post power in Nene, and then you’ve got Kenyon Martin, who is a runner, a jumper, a high-flyer, a shot-blocker, a rebounder—and a so-so shooter. They’re going to lose something (by) not re-signing Dahntay Jones. They’ll miss his toughness and defense. …

“The wild factor is J.R. (Smith), who can shoot (you) into a ballgame—and can shoot you out of a ballgame. … Carmelo (Anthony)? You don’t have to say much about him, do you?”

Rookie to watch: Ty Lawson
Lawson, the 2009 Bob Cousy Award winner and an all-tournament pick after helping North Carolina win the 2009 NCAA title, comes with a lot of potential as a point guard. But starting out, he will learn under Chauncey Billups more than he’ll play.

Inside the numbers

.673: Nuggets’ winning percentage against Western Conference opponents last season, their best finish within the conference since they went 28-12 (.700) in 1976-77, their first season in the NBA.
44.0: Field goal percentage of Denver opponents last season, fourth lowest in the league and the Nuggets’ best mark since setting the franchise record at 43.8 in 1993-94.
20-4: Nuggets’ record last season when sixth man J.R. Smith shot better than 50 percent from the field.

Additions: Arron Afflalo, G (trade, Detroit), Malik Allen(notes), F (trade, Milwaukee), Joey Graham, G/F (Toronto), James White, G/F (trade, Houston)

Subtractions: Dahntay Jones, G/F (Indiana), Sonny Weems, G/F (trade, Milwaukee), Walter Sharpe, F (trade, Milwaukee), Steven Hunter, F/C (trade, Memphis)

[duncan228]

The Baseline Sees All: Denver Nuggets (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-thebaselineseesallde&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

Elsewhere in our web of basketball knowledge, you'll find comprehensive team previews by experts intimately acquainted with what makes these NBA teams tick, where they've been, and what might be next for them. So why another set of previews? Because sometimes, it's worth listening to your crazy uncle about that broken leg before you take a second trip to the doctor's office.

The Nuggets have worked their way up, not to mention totally become productive members of society. It's too easy and unfair to chalk that up to Allen Iverson's departure. The man spends enough time being a scapegoat; the last place he needs it from is a team that was once seemingly made in his image.

But even if Iverson's time in Denver was just that club's encounter with its darkest side (no, that wasn't racist), there's no mistaking that since he left, the team's been a totally different animal. Sure, there's still swagger, energy and exhilarating craziness to their play. Unlike in past years, though, 2008-09 proved that the Nuggets were 1000% legit. They're serious with a side of nuts, not the other way around.

And yes, it's simplistic to say that everyone buckled down for business when Chauncey Billups came to town. Carmelo Anthony has been fighting a battle with himself over the years and only needed the slightest nudge to step up, play the game on all levels and carry himself like a vet (most of the time, at least). Kenyon Martin's too old to be a thug; now he's a high-flying answer to Oakley. It's on us to recognize and respect that. Nene had some surreal ups and downs over his six seasons in the league, except now all is past, and he's a springy, powerful force around the basket. Nene may not block so many shots, but that's where the Birdman comes in. You know his name and story of redemption.

In the 2008-09, the Nuggets made it to the conference finals, where the Lakers bounced them on their way to the top. No shame in that. This was a major leap for a team that formerly couldn't get out of the first round. And with a team that's got equal parts scoring punch and physical furor, Denver may be a dark horse contender if they can continue to refine their formula. If you even want to call it that.

Most Likely Breakout: Let's go with one perfectly predictable choice, and a long shot. Yes, J.R. Smith belongs in this slot, as he does every year. Smith's on an upward trend, getting more consistent, causing less trouble and even working on his defense and ball-handling. Dahntay Jones, the team's defensive specialist from last year, is gone; so is front office favorite Lina Kleiza, a gunner who refused to use his thick body inside, took minutes from the far more promising Smith, and got a free pass for everything because he was Lithuanian.

Now, J.R. looks to have the starting SG position on lock. Hopefully he'll put on some weight, and it might help everyone involved if his "meet me halfway" deal with George Karl drifted a little more toward the entire team's needs. Listen to me, I sound like a banker. Smith's time will come, and at least now, the opportunity is really there.

Another Nugget to closely observe: UNC rookie Ty Lawson. They had targeted him a year ago, before he pulled out of the draft following some sort of minor car/drinking incident (like, he'd had a beer, was underaged and was in a car. That is a Drew Barrymore movie, if I'm not mistaken). I thought Lawson was good enough to join the likes of Flynn and Jennings as immediate starters, but maybe that would've just been setting him up for some serious Felton-ism.

Instead, he gets to back up Billups, learn from the master, and hopefully spell the aging team leader as he saves his energy for the playoffs. Lawson can push the ball, sink threes and should fit in just fine. At worst, he's a younger, faster, more inventive, less awkward version of Chucky Atkins or Anthony Carter, one of whom is on the Nuggets every year.

Most Likely Letdown: During long stretches of 2008-09, the Nuggets had the league's best record, or at least the best out West. Then came the playoffs, where we saw that this wasn't a transcendent squad, tromping or toying with others, occasionally waiting around for their own fire to catch. The Nuggets, despite their new lease on basketball, are streaky, explosive, emotional and at times stupid. This now fuels a far more respectable machine, but in the playoffs all truths are exposed, and we need to be wary of expecting this team to roll through the spring like anything resembling clockwork.

Then again, the Lakers have Ron Artest to deal with, so maybe the Nuggets end up being trendsetters. All I'm saying is, at any point, all this could implode, leaving Billups shaking his head in disappointment. They just need to figure out how to bounce back quickly and ride again like nothing happened, rather than wallowing and getting defensive. And hope that those watching are equally forgiving.

Blog superstar: James White needs to stick around this roster. He's the most famous American player not in the NBA and could be pure marketing gold on the viral/social media front. Plus, it doesn't seem gimmicky, or require any explanation, to have the former Bearcat hanging around all season. What team, if any, would incubate this guy's pro career just to prove a point? White vs. J.R. in practice would be a great way to raise money for cancer via YouTube.

Signature game: The Lakers eliminated them last season in a clear "separate the men from the boys" series. They play four times this year, and if the Nuggets can come off as worthy opponents, by no means one step behind or consistently outsmarted, it bodes well for Denver as more than just a team that keeps growing. At some point, you grow up, and then it's time to get stuff done.

Why else you should care: Because I don't think I've ever seen a dull Nuggets game in my life.