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| | Thursday, July 27 If Nugs don't win, blame gets spread around | |||||
| ESPN.com Nuggets fans seem to understand where they stand. While the team probably should have won half its games last season, ESPN.com users think the Nuggets are heading in the right direction and could attain a 42-win season this time around. If not, there are plenty of people to blame.
In 1994, the Denver Nuggets were the team on the rise because of their upset of the Seattle SuperSonics. After that glorious run the Nuggets franchise went downhill. But now the Nuggets, with some promising young studs, are on the verge of having a turnaround in the immediate future. The player to watch in Denver is James Posey. He has a tremendous upside to him and may be a star in the league in the years to come. With other good players on the roster such as LaFrentz, McDyess and Lenard, the Nuggets will be very competitive in this upcoming season. However, with practically the same roster, the Nuggets will still have problems winning on the road and in the long run won't make it to the playoffs. But, hey there is always next year. Frank Giambalvo Melville, N.Y. First and foremost the Nuggets need to get a formidable center who can play defense. One who can body up to the big boys. McDyess continuously has the duty of guarding the opposing team's best big man (Shaq, Malone, Duncan) and during the course of the season it wears him down. Freeing McDyess up would help in letting him achieve his potential of being a superstar. He is paid superstar money and needs to deliver and carry this team. It would not hurt if McDyess would develop a little mean streak and increase his intensity. Secondly, a shooting guard who is not afraid to pass the ball and hustle on defense (unlike Mercer night in and night out) would be nice. The Nug Pups need to mature. I can recall several double-digit leads in road games, only to watch them blown in a matter of possessions. Rick Lane Denver Despite the fact that the Nuggets were among the best shotblocking teams in the league they are simply too small at center. LaFrentz and Clark have bright futures, but they are rail thin. Why the Nuggets are talking about trading Clark for a guard amazes me. Posey should be the starting two for the next 10 years. He can play both ways, which is their other big problem. Too many players are liabilities either defensively (LaFrentz, Van Exel, Lenard, and McCloud) or offensively (Bowen, Stith, N'diaye and Abdul-Wahad). When they set up to defend they can't score, and when they have the scorers in they can't defend. Good teams have players that can do both. Greg Lynn Boulder, Col. The Nuggets will be better next year than they were in 1999-2000 and have a good chance at making the playoffs if they keep a solid core together. Denver needs to hold onto Chris Herren, Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Keon Clark. These are three young up and comers, all of whom I believe to be more valuable than Derek Anderson. The equity of the rumored trade is not even questionable for the Nuggets. To deal away these three players for Anderson would set Denver back several steps. Brandon Bidwell Fort Collins, Col. The Nuggets will not be a playoff team, let alone a contender, while Nick Van Exel is the starting point guard. He's a ball hog, he shoots a lousy percentage, he has turned into a cancer in every locker room he has been in, and he's not a winner. You can't win a horse race on an ornery mule! Adrian Haslett, Mich. I put most of the blame on Antonio McDyess. As the best player on the team, and one of the top five power forwards in the league, he needs to step up and take control of the team. I would say that McDyess is close to Kevin Garnett talent-wise, and the Nuggets are almost identical to the Wolves regarding personnel. But for some reason, the Wolves made the playoffs and were competitive all year, while the Nuggets floundered to a mere 35 wins. I shoulder most of the blame on McDyess. As team captain and obvious leader, it's his job to will this team to victory. With McDyess taking a passive approach to the game, it shows his lack of commitment and raises questions about whether or not he will ever live up to his superstar billing. Adam Prewitt Pennington, N.J. As a native of Denver, being a Nugget fan has become more frustrating than it is worth. Year after year I see several ex-Nuggets with their new teams in the playoffs. Some, if not all, of these players are a very important asset to the team as a whole. Rodney Rogers winning the sixth man award, Mark Jackson hitting from downtown all year, Jalen Rose being more important to the Pacers success than Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo leading the league in blocked shots.... see my point? So whoever the Nuggets decide they need to get better, give them 2-3 years to get rid of all of them so all of Denver and all in the Nuggets organization can watch them from the comfort of their couch come late-April. Larry Denver What is the problem with the Nuggets? Can anyone tell me why they expect instant results. The Nuggets organization has a history of getting rid of players before they had time to improve. Look at Rodney Rogers, they got rid of him after only two years. Then they trade to get Mark Jackson and he plays a little over half a season for them and they trade him back to the Pacers. Probably one of the biggest mistakes they made was trading away Chauncey Billups! He was just coming around playing in front of his hometown crowd. One injury and he's gone! The Nuggets need to stop looking for instant results. They need to let these young players grow together. To get back to the playoffs the Nuggets need to make the commitment to their players. I think that the Nuggets have only an upside, they may even reach the .500 mark. But the only way for this to happen is if the organization stops making bad choices and getting rid of all of its young talent. I also believe that if he is given time that Chris Herren will develop into a great NBA point guard! Steve McWade Colorado Springs, Col. The Denver Nuggets' top four problems: 1) Lack of guts: other teams try, but Denver just gives up. After amassing 20- and 30-point leads, how do they lose?? 2) Dan Issel: Why did he fire Mike D'Antoni? I thought Mike wasn't a good coach until I realized the players he had to work with. How unfortunate that Issel is now in charge as GM and coach. He has been making a lot of poor decisions, it appears, from getting rid of Gatling, who worked hard, and was one of the few players with guts, to choosing two big guys in the draft who are somewhat mediocre. I hope the Horse knows what he's doing or he'll end up being a horse's rear-end. 3) The Western Conference. As Issel said last season, the Nuggets might have been guaranteed a playoff spot if they had been playing in the East. The NBA is too unbalanced, at least it was last year. 4) Youth. The Nuggets are a very young, unseasoned team and they do not currently have the self-discipline to fight their way through losses and disappointments. Jonathan Blaine Denver I think the analysis is right on. I think the Nuggets were good enough to make the playoffs last year, but the tendency to lay down on the road hurt. The Nuggets obviously need a true center, and drafted two this year. But neither looks able to step right in. The hard part about watching this team is management has created a merry-go-round of players where no one stays to develop. If they can keep McDyess, Van Exel, Posey and LaFrentz together, there may be something. Keon Clark is a guy who is very hard to defend and I think the Nugs should keep him. Also, Ryan Bowen is the hardest working guy in the league with no talent. If McDyess, Van Exel and LaFrentz had his work ethic, the Nugs would win 45 games. It's frustrating to watch this team. Dan Davis Denver The Denver Nuggets are perhaps the most disastrous train accident in the NBA ... or at least they rival the Clippers and Grizzlies. The indicator that the Nuggets were turning in the absolute wrong direction was last summer, when they gave Nick Van Exel a long-term deal to lock him up for seven years in Denver. Nick struggles to shoot over 40 percent, has an atrocious attitude (when Issel pulls him from games, the pouting begins), and everyone in Denver wonders why Jerry West practically gave him away to the Nuggets in 1998. West knew that he would never win with Van Exel, and Dan Issel should realize that, too. The Nuggets will never be a viable threat in the Western Conference until someone steps up and assumes the leadership role. Antonio McDyess showed up to training camp last year overweight and out of shape. How many leaders report to camp that way? McDyess has phenomenal potential ... but he must be committed to basketball first. The most severe problem is that the Nuggets do not have the leadership within executive management to be a contender. Committing $50 million to a 40 percent shooter and team cancer will not bring the trophy home to the Rocky Mountains. Zach Wells Denver The biggest improvement the Nuggets could make would be to hire a genuine coach. Issel is better suited as an analyst and company PR person. In his first stint as coach, he quit on the team. His current tenure seems more of a stop-gap measure than anything else. It is no surprise that this team plays poor defense (Issel as a player) and lacks consistency and focus (Issel as a coach). John Baker Wilmington, N.C. Dan Issel has already proven that he can coach a winning Nuggets team -- so why isn't he as successful as when they upset the Sonics in the first round years back? Simply stated: Dan Issel needs to demand more from his players. If it's one thing the city of Denver demands from their sports franchises it is determination to win and a sense of pride. Neither were present last season. A great coach (gospel in any sport) receives 110 percent of his players' heart, soul and effort almost every night they perform. A good coach leads teams to winning records and the playoffs. A great coach finds a way to appeal to his players on a personal level and always seems to know how to maximize his players' potential. Should Issel move to Tibet this summer and take up Zen Buddhism? No, he is definitely not Phil Jackson. I do think Issel is a mastermind and no doubt possesses the potential himself to do great things. Dan, if you're reading this, please give the city of Denver a taste of what it needs most this season -- postseason basketball! Jay Turner Arvada, Col. When the Nuggets traded for Nick Van Exel and then signed Antonio McDyess, I thought that they would make the playoffs that year. Who knew Sacramento would be so good? As an avid Laker fan, I watched hundreds of games that Van Exel played in, and one thing that I noticed was that whenever he is hot, the team won. I never really looked up the statistics, but emotionally, I think Van Exel is the key for the Nuggets' success. He (with help from rookie Eddie Jones and Ceballos) took the '95 Lakers past the heavily favored Sonics in the first round of the playoffs and who can forget that incredible Game 5 against San Antonio? Van Exel constantly hit the crucial game-winners and that is why he is the key. I truly believe that he lost his confidence ever since he stayed on the bench in '98 when the Lakers went to the Conference Finals against Utah. Denver needs to do whatever they have to do to help Van Exel regain his confidence. If that happens, Denver should have the talent and emotional guidance needed to make the playoffs next year. Also, I think that many people underestimate Raef LaFrentz. This guy is flat out good. He blocks shots and makes 3-pointers. He's like an athletic, aggressive version of Sam Perkins. Finally, with the progress of McDyess, last year has to be considered an off-year. With all those factors to consider, it wouldn't be too unbelievable that the Nuggets can make the playoffs even next year. But like I said, the key is held by Van Exel. Sam Yu Berkeley, Calif. I think that the Nuggets can be a legit playoff team as long as they start winning on the road, and LaFrentz gets tougher at center. The team has shown that they can contend with the best teams, and even beat them. The opportunity is there with this young team, and I think they are the surprise team of the year, and the team to watch in the future. If you are a Nuggets fan (which I am) then you have everything to be excited about this year. Charles Parvin Glendale, Ariz. It's obvious what the problem is in Denver, coaching. They have assembled a great young group of talented players, some of which have performed at an extremely high level elsewhere. I watched an Orlando game and saw Abdul-Wahad dominate end to end. McDyess is sweet and tough. If motivation and consistency are the shortcomings of the team then the coaching staff should attend the Pat Riley/Bill Parcells school of intelligent leadership. Steven Miller Boston The Nuggets will improve over last year's inconsistent, yet promising, season. The big reason is the continued development of some young, talented players. Last year the Nuggets showed glimpses of the team they can become, and that was a team that started a rookie, James Posey, at small forward, and a second-year player, Raef LaFrentz, who was essentially a rookie having missed most of an already shortened season, at center. Furthermore, Antonio McDyess did not play at the level he is capable, which was partially due to the poor start he got after suffering an ankle injury that limited his preseason preparation. With some more experience, an improved McDyess, and continued strong play from Nick Van Exel, who I believe is developing into a strong player and leader now that he has the support of his organization, the Nuggets should compete for a playoff spot in an extremely competitive Western Conference. The only questions are center and shooting guard. LaFrentz and McDyess are just too small to match up with the better centers in the league, and the Nuggets still need to find out who will be this year's shooting guard. Tariq Abdul-Wahad re-signing would provide defense, which is definitely a team weakness, while obtaining Derek Anderson could provide a consistent third scorer to complement McDyess and Van Exel. I just hope they don't give up Keon Clark to get Anderson because Clark showed signs of greatness last season. Matt Dalen San Francisco, Calif. LaFrentz and McDyess cannot coexist successfully in the frontcourt, regardless of chemistry. Both players are impressive, but neither can compete at center and both need to play the big forward position in order to be their best. One will have the thankless task of sumo wrestling with the centers of the West and the other will get a chance at the All-Star game playing his natural position. I would not predict that scenario would last very long. Both are outstanding players, but I suspect whichever is elected to play center will be looking elsewhere when his time is up in Denver. J. Hale Nashville, Tenn. Even though it may be embarrassing, I am a big-time Nuggets fan, sticking through the 11-win season and hoping better times come. Last summer, I thought the Nuggets had an answer when acquiring Ron Mercer. However, he proved to be too one-dimensional and streaky, which did not fit in with a team led by one of the streakiest players in the league, Nick Van Exel. What the Nuggets need this offseason is to bring in consistent players who will help them to become a playoff team. I think they started going that way by acquiring Voshon Lenard, a steady pro who will contribute off the bench and if they can either acquire Derek Anderson or re-sign Abdul-Wahad, they could make steps toward being a .500 team and beyond. However, watching the Nuggets for so many years, I know not to be too optimistic. We all saw how they screwed up a young team with Dikembe that could have been an NBA power. We'll see. Daniel Lozow Englewood, Col. | ALSO SEE Offseason spotlight index Offseason spotlight: Denver Nuggets | |||||
