Van Exel has his great moments and some that aren't so great.

The Nuggets certainly have some good players, but are they the right players? Denver has a number of point guards, and the center is probably better suited for power forward. But this team did win a bunch of games and threaten to make the playoffs for a while. Here are some of the better responses we got on the Nuggets and our Summer Spotlight question: Would you keep Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz or replace them with better fits at point guard and center? Here are your answers.

Your Nuggets Feedback
The only guy I see worthy of protection on this team is Antonio McDyess. The current nucleus Dan Issel has tried with Nick Van Exel, Raef LaFrentz and McDyess has not worked. I would entertain trade offers for at least one of them. Van Exel makes more sense because they got Omar Cook and Avery Johnson to make up for the loss of him. Bottom line: this team needs to make more aggressive moves to keep up with the big boys. That is what Dallas, Toronto, and Philly have done and why they were in the playoffs while Denver was still playing golf last May.

Jayson
Dallas, Texas

I think if the Nuggets were in the East they would have a shot for the playoffs. I agree that Van Exel is shooting too much but he is still an elite point guard. His assist/turnover ratio is great and I don't know anybody else better than him when it comes to crunch time. For them to be successful James Posey must play much better and LaFrentz needs to be more consistent. The biggest problem is Issel. I can't understand him most of the time. First Corey Alexander, then Tariq Abdul-Wahad and now Avery Johnson. When you have Van Exel and you draft Omar Cook why would you need another point guard, and why would you pay that much money? Issel's moves are cap killers. This team needs a real center and a good scorer.

Kim
Clifton, Colo.

Van Exel and LaFrentz are talented players with great playing potential in the league, however I would shop both of them, because they aren't helping Denver improve. They post good numbers but Van Exel is too inconsistent and his shooting percentage is clinging to 40 percent. Van Exel is a good point guard but not a good fit for this team. They need a point who'll just run the offense through McDyess. LaFrentz has to go, he is a power forward trying to play center. He is talented (when healthy) but can't compete with the big centers in the West. I would package Van Exel and LaFrentz in a deal and try to bring in some players who are willing to accept a role as a supporting cast around McDyess.

Justin Whitehead
Bellevue, Wash.

I think you are being a little too harsh on the Nuggets. Granted, I am a fan. However, I believe our problem was depth. Avery Johnson gives us solid depth and it allows Van Exel to take a breather when needed. Van Exel should definitely remain the starter. McDyess and Van Exel are our main men. When either of the two play good, the Nugs win; when they play bad, the Nugs usually lose. Thus, if you pick up depth (Johnson) to allow Van Exel to relax, he doesn't have to play so many minutes and can be fresher more often. As far as center, LaFrentz isn't made to be one. But not many teams have true centers anymore. Shaq, Dikembe, Olajuwon and a few others are true big frame centers. Our weak point is obviously center, but at least Raef can shoot the ball well. I like our chances, but I have to admit that we only look like we can go as far as 7th or 8th seed. But I do believe we can improve by another 5-7 games, and 47 wins is a playoff spot.

Dan Fody
Washington, DC

Perhaps more important than a new center or point guard, the Nuggets are in desperate need of a new GM and coach. This is a team, after all, that posted a very impressive home record, beating the likes of the Lakers, Spurs, Kings, etc. With that type of success, it is difficult to say that the Nuggets lack talent. That is not to say, however, that things couldn't be better. Many recent personnel moves have hurt the team in my opinion, the most notable of which was the signing of Tariq Abdul-Wahad, who I submit is one of the highest paid players in the NBA per-minute played. Furthermore, I have yet to appreciate the logic in signing Avery Johnson. With rookie Omar Cook poised to take on the backup point guard role, the only plausible explanation for the Johnson signing would be a plan to trade Nick Van Exel. I would suggest that Van Exel, who ranked near the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, is not the problem. Rather, the disparity between the Nuggets home record and road record reflects a different problem, one which I predict will become worse with the loss of assistant coach John Lucas. In response to the posed question, therefore, I would find better fits for the vacant GM position as well as the head coach position before tampering further with the Nuggets' personnel.

Josh Franklin
Denver

Both players are fine. LaFrentz needs to move to power forward, McDyess to small forward (he's quick enough and so much stronger than most of the small forwards he would be playing) and start Kevin Willis at center. Given his age, they need to come up with two more stiffs with fouls to give to back up Willis at center. Posey at shooting guard gives enough shots to Van Exel to keep him happy. Doing this will up LaFrentz' point total to 17-18 a game and McDyess to 24 or 25. The team could average over 100 points a game.

Scott Oppenheimer
Golden, Colo.

I would keep both Van Exel and LaFrentz. Van Exel does need to improve his shooting percentage but a lot of it has to do with the fact that he is the one always taking shots when the offense breaks down and there is a second left on the shot clock. He is also one of the leaders in assist/turnover ratio, which is probably the most important statistic for a point guard. Issel needs to get him more rest time and maybe that's where Avery Johnson will help, although I think the Nuggets could have done better in the free agent market this year.

LaFrentz is undersized and cannot play defense against Shaq, but who can? Portland has Arvydas Sabonis and he plays 15-20 minutes a night. San Antonio has David Robinson, who doesn't factor into their offense that much anymore and Sacramento has Vlade Divac, who is not that much bigger than LaFrentz. How many other centers worth mentioning are there in the West? None! So, why do the Nuggets need somebody bigger? LaFrentz was also in the top ten in blocked shots last year and the Nuggets were second in the league. LaFrentz always has good games against Shaq offensively and that's really the best defense you can have against him.

What the Nuggets do need is somebody else on the team who is willing to play defense besides Posey. I also think they need a good defensive assistant coach to teach these guys how to play defense. I am not a big Issel fan but you would normally give a coach three seasons in a row to rebuild a team and this is his third year since he came back. So, we'll see what happens this year.

Igor Kroner
Littleton, Colo.

I'm cool with Van Exel. The other players need to step it up when Nick is not on his game. But Nick also needs to play consistent defense. He doesn't need to score 30 a night. As for LaFrentz, bye bye. He is no NBA center. He shoots the three too much and gets used in the middle. The only thing going for him is he blocks shots, but that's after he gets burned on D. I can't believe he's still around. We need to spend cash on a big man. As a 12-year season ticket holder, it has been a long road. Hopefully owner Stan Kroenke will get things going and spend some money. They need to get a "true" GM and let Issel coach. It's time to get people back in the seats. They owe a lot to the people who support the team. Maybe it's time to get a round table together.

John Castellano
Englewood, Colo.

I know you probably don't get many responses that start with, "As a long time Nuggets fan..." but it is true. So I do have some objections to your Summer Spotlight on the Nuggies. Anyone who watched the Nugs extensively last year knows that Van Exel can be prone to some "very poor" shooting nights but of those 40 wins they were so lucky to get, Nick had very much to do with the outcome. He might go 3-15 through 3 quarters but how many times have we seen him bury that clutch 3 or drop that beautiful running floater in the lane with time running down in the 4th. Just ask Houston, which was KILLED by him last year or even Kobe Bryant, who Nick actually posted on and schooled! We all know it's mental with Nick the Quick but I say he's blossoming more and more as a leader every year and his relationship with McDyess is very key, not just because he throws alley-oops to him. As for Raef, leave him alone, too! He's the perfect foil to the big centers in the West because he draws them out of the post. As he gains more confidence and consistency, he'll be right there and the Nugs will be back in the playoffs once again shocking the world!!!

Michael Fox
San Francisco

Trade Van Exel, but keep LaFrentz. Van Exel is a gutsy player with good penetration skills, but his biggest problem is his bad attitude -- something that really hurts a team's locker room. Instead of supporting and encouraging his teammates, he seems to be impatient and disgusted with them, an attitude unbefitting a floor leader. This is why Avery Johnson's signing was key. With a young team on the rise, the Nuggets need leadership and maturity. Avery fits the bill, Van Exel does not.

LaFrentz may be undersized, but when playing the championship Lakers, who isn't? With so few centers available, the Nuggets would be wise to keep LaFrentz and take advantage of his strengths -- shooting and shot-blocking. With zone defenses coming this season, centers with these skills are ideal.

Keep LaFrentz, ship out Van Exel.

David
Denver