Your thoughts on the Nuggets new team?

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

I love hearing the thoughts/opinions of posters around here. What do you guys think of the Nuggets trade?

I am glad to see some ball movement back :lol

The team has no true star but they are deep with role players who could still make the playoffs if they gel quickly.

Noone has the killer instinct like Melo (unless your talking JR, but that was bit below the belt)

Anyway, your thoughts?

[Yorae]

Opinions are withheld until i see them play. Who's starting on the pg. I understand felton won't take the backseat but is lawson ok with that?

[hsxvvd]

It depends on other moves they might make, but Felton, Affallo, Chandler, Martin, Nene with Ty, Gallo, Birdman, JR... A good enough coach could get this team to the playoffs. But Karl's style tends to need a high volume shooter, they should be ok if this means more Nene, but I doubt it will, and it'll probably just be more JR... That isn't a good thing.

[cutewizard]

Chauncey is gone

he was their spiritual leader

nah, i dont think they are powerful without a leader

[8FOR!3]

Gallo will be a stud. Chandler already is, but he can even still get better. They both have star like potential, I'm a big fan of both.

[Bruno]

Nuggets problem is that they haven't been committed to play defense in a long time. If new players can convince the team to play some D, they will be better than with Melo.

[iminol]

Glad to hear Nuggets traded one of the biggest EGO in the NBA. Sick of rumouring about drama since half year in every, fuckin every game with Nuggets. Wish you players with less tattoos and more brain. Word up.

[Texas_Ranger]

Afflalo, Chandler, Felton, Gallinari, Harrington, Lawson, Nene and JR are all scoring in double digits this season. That's 8 players. The scoring of some players will most likely go down, but some players could also step up and show that one of those guys can be the star of this team.
I still don't know what will the starting lineup look like but I like how their roster looks. They've got 2 good players for all positions.

Felton/Lawson
Afflalo/Smith
Chandler/Gallinari/Forbes
Martin/Harrington
Nene/Andersen/Mozgov

Now that's a really good lineup. No stars but a damn good team. I also think it's time that that punk ass JR shows his real potential.
I say they make the Playoffs.

[G-Dawgg]

This looks like the deepest team in the NBA.. only thing now is who is going to up their game a level and be the star?

[Brazil]

I'm not sure Gali, Chandler and Aafalo will gel

[biskvito]

I expect more defense, assists and fast breaks. Definitely a better team to watch when you just wanna appreciate the sport.

[Stringer_Bell]

I don't believe the talk about them falling out of the playoffs. Those guys that just arrived look like they want to show they're worth something and will be part of the team. Tonight's win against Memphis was huge for tie-breaker reasons too.

[coyotes_geek]

Solid surrounding talent without a true star = a very mediocre team. The new Nuggets are basically the current Houston Rockets.

[GSH]

Losing Billups may be a bigger blow than losing Carmello, IMO. Any discipline the team had was locked up with him. And even he couldn't keep them from losing composure in a lot of tough fourth quarters. I don't think any of the new personalities will be strong enough to influence that. They've got a lot of talent, and they'll lose a lot of games.

They will probably still make the playoffs, just because Utah, Phoenix, and Houston are weak too.

[ShoogarBear]

I think the Nuggets did themselves a favor long term. You're not going to win an NBA championship if Carmelo Anthony is your best player. And there was no way for them to get better with him there.

Now it depends on how good a GM Ujiri is.

[SenorSpur]

We all know that true star players don't come around very often. Despite getting a boatload of assets in exchange for Carmelo, which was a good thing, the Nuggets no longer have a star player to build around. They will need that in order to ascend back to the top of the conference. Until then, I predict long years on that "treadmill of mediocrity."

[Obstructed_View]

If a leader steps up, and/or if they show some maturity and fall in line behind their coaching staff, they can be better than they were before. Their backwards-fighting pussy skills, however, have been greatly diminished.

[CGD]

All things considered, Nuggets got good value in return. Now if they can just get rid of the rest of the trash, namely Martin and Smith, that has contributed to their culture of mediocrity and create new team culture then they'll be in good shape. A front court of Nene-Danilo-Chandler isn't a bad core to build around...

[Shifty]

I think the Nuggets did themselves a favor long term. You're not going to win an NBA championship if Carmelo Anthony is your best player. And there was no way for them to get better with him there.
+1

This one of the things many teams don't get when signing their franchise players. They should always ask themselves: Can we win a championship if this guy is my best player? With Melo the answer is clear: No. Unless you have several other stars playing along side him and one of them being the leader (like Billups a few years ago).

Now the Knicks have the same problem, but doubled. If you ask the same question with either Melo or Amar'e, the answer is still no. Having them together improves the chances of course, but you would still need a very solid team, a third star being the actual leader. They have ran out of assets to trade with and I think they also out of cap room (not sure though) to sign that 3rd star in FA.

[Shifty]

Oh and about the Nuggets, they won't win a championship this year but they do look good considering the situation they were. If they commit to defense and one the quasi stars becomes a leader they could be a poor's man Pistons from the mid decade.

[lefty]

The Nuggets are really deep; lot of talent and size.

And Nene can go back to the PF position :tu

[Leetonidas]

I think they have enough talent on the wing. They have a great center in Nene and a decent backup in Birdman but let's be real, their PF rotation sucks ass. Martin is old and was never too good to begin with, Harrington is a black hole chucker. They need a top talent at the PF slot to be their leader. Not really sure who is out there or available, maybe they could trade for Randolph? He would be a good 20/10 player to plug into the starting lineup. But then again, this team needs to be playing defense, and I don't really see Randolph as a leader, more like a glorified 2nd option. As far as defense goes, they have the capabilities and athleticism, they just need a better coaching system/staff. Karl is basically Don Nelson.

[Sense]

They don't have a star... so they're just meh...

They need someone who can step up in clutch situations and deliver every single day..

They have a lot of pieces.. so they can afford to lose a few in exchange for a star.. but there's definitely progress, they weren't going anywhere with Anthony.

[Obstructed_View]

They had two stars not long ago, and they were worse. They've got plenty of guys who are capable of making a play without having to put up 28 shots a game.

[tmtcsc]

Noone has the killer instinct like Melo (unless your talking JR, but that was bit below the belt)
Anyway, your thoughts?

Sorry. I never thought Melo had a killer instinct. He's a fantastic offensive player and a decent rebounder but he gets easily frustrated when things don't go his way. He'll put up monster numbers in NY but I'm not sure he can take the Knicks any farther than an Amare Stoudemire can.

The Nuggets may have gotten better as a team but it could take some time to tell. They lost a bit of their identity when Melo left.

[Xylus]

The Nuggets are basically the anti-Heat, a deep team with no otherworldly talent. This type of team can do well during the regular season, especially if they are getting contributions from all over the place. They'll compete in just about every game. But when the playoffs roll around, they'll need someone who can score in tight situations, a star player who can get it done in the clutch. The Nuggets just don't have that anymore.

[Obstructed_View]

The Nuggets are basically the anti-Heat, a deep team with no otherworldly talent. This type of team can do well during the regular season, especially if they are getting contributions from all over the place. They'll compete in just about every game. But when the playoffs roll around, they'll need someone who can score in tight situations, a star player who can get it done in the clutch. The Nuggets just don't have that anymore.

Yeah, they really screwed themselves for the postseason getting rid of the player with the second worst playoff winning percentage in the entire league.

[Xylus]

Yeah, they really screwed themselves for the postseason getting rid of the player with the second worst playoff winning percentage in the entire league.

So you think the Nuggets are better off without Melo (and Billups)?

[Sense]

Yeah, they really screwed themselves for the postseason getting rid of the player with the second worst playoff winning percentage in the entire league.

They didn't deliver in the playoffs that's true... but who did they face most of the time?

Whether you guys like it or not.. Melo was clutch.. and he helped his team quite a lot by putting them in a position to win almost every night, with his scoring.. he's practically unguardable. Some stars just hate playing in the West against the Spurs, Mavericks, and Lakers.. because at the end of the day that's who's going to beat them.. (Amare, Melo, Williams, Shaq, Garnett) at this point in time no one's going to take out all of the top 3 in the West, and the stars realize that.. so they got to the East for a better chance at winning sooner.

Melo was one of them, and he's had quite a few decent teams to contend for a title.. it's just that the Spurs, Lakers, and Mavs have always been better so we saw them differently... and well their attitude was also bad.


This team is not better for losing Melo at all, they might be a better team now, but they're not better.. they need a leader with the right mindset who can deliver every night.. and right now I just don't see anyone in their roster who can do that... unless JR Smith changes gets rid of his ego overnight..

[Shifty]

So you think the Nuggets are better off without Melo (and Billups)?

Short term, maybe not. In the long run, absolutely.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

I think Gallo needs to be the one who becomes the #1 option, but i just don't think there will be a clear cut go to guy.

The Dallas game gave me a good idea of a close game without Melo and it was AA who came through, so who knows?


The thing that sucks is that the next superstar in Denver will have to be through the draft, and even then it isn't a guarantee to get a draft like the 2003 one.

I hope the owners reshape this league and fight for more parity. It is much easier to cheer for a team like the Spurs , rather than the big market teams.

[Obstructed_View]

So you think the Nuggets are better off without Melo (and Billups)?

If you just took Carmelo and Billups off the team and got them nothing back? No, but that's not the reality. Including addition by subtraction, I think they got equivalent value back.

They're absolutely better without Carmelo, because while he's been an amazing scorer, and pretty clutch at times, he's immature and selfish, and he's absolutely not a team leader. Shockingly, they have a guy on the roster that fills the bill on every one of those points.

Billups might have been great for the Nuggets with Carmelo gone because he could continue his leadership position without all the distractions in the locker room. This would have made for a nice transition to the younger players, but there's nothing that can be done about that now. Denver will benefit from the lack of his terrible shot selection in critical points of the game, and got back a much better point guard.

The Nuggets just freed up 36 shots a game. That place is going to be like Christmas morning for a while.

[ShoogarBear]

Now the Knicks have the same problem, but doubled. If you ask the same question with either Melo or Amar'e, the answer is still no. Having them together improves the chances of course, but you would still need a very solid team, a third star being the actual leader. They have ran out of assets to trade with and I think they also out of cap room (not sure though) to sign that 3rd star in FA.

I think that unless they end up with Chris Paul, Knick Fan is going to be pissed off at what they have in a couple of years.

[Obstructed_View]

I think that unless they end up with Chris Paul, Knick Fan is going to be pissed off at what they have in a couple of years.

If Billups can't make them winners, Paul, for all his talent, will be hard pressed to do the same. At some point those egos are going to clash. I thought Amare went to New York so he could get away from Steve Nash.

[024]

carmelo was really the only one keeping the nuggets afloat. without him, nuggets will probably wind up back in the lottery for a while.

[100%duncan]

good team and a playoff 1st round exit will be the best result imo

[Obstructed_View]

good team and a playoff 1st round exit will be the best result imo

So basically no difference than at any time during Carmelo's career.

[DPG21920]

Why the hell is Felton not starting? Is he hurt?

[Em-City]

i agree, the need for a leader superscedes the need for a star player in this case

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Why the hell is Felton not starting? Is he hurt?

Karl prefers Lawson I guess...

The strange thing about that trade for mine was the Felton-Billups aspect. Couldn't they have come up with a deal leaving the PGs where they were (esp. since both of them were playing so well)? Billups is Denver's heart and soul, so I have no idea why they moved him. And Felton had developed great chemistry with Amare, ditto. I guess it was all about salaries.

As for the new-look Nuggets, they are just like Houston - tons of talent, no clear leader or go-to guy. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

[Em-City]

If you just took Carmelo and Billups off the team and got them nothing back? No, but that's not the reality. Including addition by subtraction, I think they got equivalent value back.

They're absolutely better without Carmelo, because while he's been an amazing scorer, and pretty clutch at times, he's immature and selfish, and he's absolutely not a team leader. Shockingly, they have a guy on the roster that fills the bill on every one of those points.

Billups might have been great for the Nuggets with Carmelo gone because he could continue his leadership position without all the distractions in the locker room. This would have made for a nice transition to the younger players, but there's nothing that can be done about that now. Denver will benefit from the lack of his terrible shot selection in critical points of the game, and got back a much better point guard.

The Nuggets just freed up 36 shots a game. That place is going to be like Christmas morning for a while.



^^^^ best post in the thread..

[Obstructed_View]

Why the hell is Felton not starting? Is he hurt?

Felton might take it over, but with all the new faces, you probably want a guy who knows the offense running the show.

Speaking of, it's really cool seeing all these guys sharing the ball. They aren't shooting very well, but they're sure hustling on defense and crashing the boards.

[Gagnrath]

I like this new look nuggets under Karl, I think with Iverson and Melo gone, that JR smith pulls his head out his ass a bit and Kenyon Martin isn't the waste of space some people make him out to be. He's a bit to street and hotheaded but he is a fairly hard worker and supports his teammates. I wouldn't be surprised at all if something happens off season to get Billups back to Denver, from the way that press conference sounded.

[Solid D]

Looking pretty good against the Celts. Scrappy, tough, just need a consistent floor leader to pull them through the rough spots.

[Mel_13]

13-0 run to put the game away.

[ChuckD]

I think they just punched Boston right in the mouth.

[Spurminator]

Awesome finish.

[mexpurs21]

Great defensive display limiting Boston to its second worst scoring night in the 10-11 season.

I will watch more Denver games this season :toast

[G-Dawgg]

They look like the deepest team in the NBA right now...and wiith all their youth, and all their depth and playing at their altitude, they may just run and run and run every other team in the NBA into the ground.......

[angelbelow]

Solid.

[venitian navigator]

They look like the deepest team in the NBA right now...and wiith all their youth, and all their depth and playing at their altitude, they may just run and run and run every other team in the NBA into the ground.......

I was thinking the same stuff...they are at least ten deep, two for every role, and young for the most part...
Two playmakers thet can push the tempo at the same speed (Lawson, Felton), two guards that can both run, shot the three (Afflalo, that's good defender, and Smith) and play small forward in small line-ups, two small forwards that are high, can run, defend and shot the three (Chandler, Gallinari) and play power forward in small line ups, and a lot of bigs you can rotate for any kind of game...(Martin, Harrington, Nene, Anderson, Koufos, Mozgov).
I like this team a lot more than before...

[Manufan909]

The Nuggets are really deep; lot of talent and size.

And Nene can go back to the PF position :tu

How so? The only true center on that team besides him is Mozgov, and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think he's good enough to take over as C. Just like Tim is the only solid center on the Spurs, until Splitter proves otherwise. No, Blair does not count.:lol

[DrSteffo]

Good team got a little better and good win.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

BUMP :smokin

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

BUMP :smokin

Just play Ray Ray 35mpg and let him run that team like he did New York and y'all will be fine. :D

[biskvito]

The Kraken was unleashed against Bobcats! Mozgov with 10min 6pt/4reb/1blk including a nice jumpshot. I've read he already had a career night in NY with 40min 23pt/14reb. Only 23 years old; I hope George Karl finds minutes for him.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

Come on, where is the love for my beloved Nuggets? :smokin

This team kinda reminds me of the current Spurs team (obviously not as seasoned and as good), you never know who is going to lead the team in scoring and they have a number of guys who can hurt you. They clamp down on D when it counts and share the ball.

I LOVE this team :smokin

[timtonymanu]

Come on, where is the love for my beloved Nuggets? :smokin

This team kinda reminds me of the current Spurs team (obviously not as seasoned and as good), you never know who is going to lead the team in scoring and they have a number of guys who can hurt you. They clamp down on D when it counts and share the ball.

I LOVE this team :smokin

Your team is a likeable bunch now. I love the attitude that they show. Like I thought, Mela being gone wouldn't make them worse but better off.

[Obstructed_View]

They're finally playing to their talent level again.

PS: LMAO Kenyon Martin

[Fpoonsie]

Meh.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

They're finally playing to their talent level again.

PS: LMAO Kenyon Martin

:lol yeh, even he said he had a 'brainfart'

Crazy to think this team would be 6-0 after the trade if it wasn't for Gallo missing the ft and Broy hitting a fluke 3

I hope they keep it up coz i want them to get the Thunder in the playoffs. Gotta stay away fom spurs/mavs/lakers. Too much experience on those teams

[Obstructed_View]

They were almost 5-2 if AK can hit a layup.

Welcome to "below the radar".

[Budkin]

They were almost 5-2 if AK can hit a layup.

Welcome to "below the radar".

That would have only tied it.

[dochay]

I think that the players they got unlike Melo are the types that care about winning and contributing in all phases. Melo could score forty and give two shits if the guy he guarded scored 35. Changler, Felton and Gallo seem to just play hard, in all aspects and not care about scoring for scoring's sake. I think they improved. Gotta move Anderson for more talented/like-able player and not re-sign Martin for me to really root for 'em but I do like the team they have assembled.