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As Camby goes, so goes the Nuggets.
From news section on www.hoopsworld.com today.
The Nugget Weakness
By Ronnie Collins
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Apr 19, 2005, 15:29 Email this article
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The Denver Nuggets have been nothing less than exceptional since the general joined their team in midseason. Upon arriving, George Karl was expected to be a master motivator, while pulling his cast of star candidates together. Certainly no one could have predicted what the Nuggets have been able to do since the all star break, currently coming off of their third six plus game winning streak. They are the hottest team in the league as is stands today, but their major weakness, and their playoff draw could ruin a remarkable second half charge.
As fate would have it, the Nuggets are set up for a date with Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs later this week. Before the resurgence, and remodeling of the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs were most everyone’s pick to face the East’s representative in this years NBA Finals. Now that the Suns have proven that they are real contenders, the Spurs aren’t as easy to pick as they were before the season started; surely they still hold plenty of weight in Vegas.
What Denver has done in their amazing stretch has been nothing less than remarkable, winning 31 of their last 39 games. The success has revived Carmelo Anthony who quickly began looking like of s of himself shortly after the season started. He is now averaging 20 points per game while playing more inspired defense. More importantly, under Karl, Anthony is shying away from the comfort of the jump shot, punishing defenders inside with his advanced post game.
The Nuggets faced a Suns team last night that has beaten them each time the two have squared off this season, giving up over 100 points in all four contest. While not being the best defensive team, the Suns have exposed the Nuggets lack of deep shooting by playing zone for short periods of the most recent contests. The Rockets utilized the same tactics in their debacle of the Nuggets which secured their fifth place seed in the last regular season weekend before the playoffs.
Karl understands that the Nuggets don’t shoot well from 3-point range, so he has sold his team on playing to their strengths; ultimately getting them back into the playoff hunt. With that said, the Nuggets have shot very few 3-point attempts during their second half push, divulging a weakness that most teams have not been able to identify. In last nights meeting with the Suns, the Nuggets took just 10 3-point shots. In contrast, the Suns took 27, hitting over .500 percent of their attempts in a blowout victory.
The team’s best three point shooter is Wesley Person, who can still fill it up from range when called upon. The problem is, while 3-point shooting runs in his family, defense does not. For the points that Wesley contributes, he is liable to give up the similar in return for his lack of lateral movement.
The same holds true for the return of Voshon Leonard. He can still hit the shot from range as evident from last night’s performance, yet he is a little top heavy from being out with this Achilles injury. The lack of three point shooting will surely hurt the Nuggets against the Spurs who have a host of guys that can add by three; sounds like an off season acquisition to me.
As Camby goes, so goes the Nuggets.
Again, get off my nuts, Solid.
They're playing the Spurs.
that's the spurs weakness too. quick teams that use zone defense give duncan, parker, and ginobili fits. people better hit their shots or it'll be a short post-season.
The main reason their armor will not hold...........TIM DUNCAN
BELIEVE
Carmelo's still too mentally fragile to survive a series like this.
He just needs a few playoff ass-kickings to toughen him up. In 3-5 years, he's going to be a monster.
As for now, they're roadkill.
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