Game 3 : Denver Nuggets (0-2) @ Toronto Raptors (1-2)

Post #1 » by **THE J0KER** » Mon Oct 28, 2024 4:20 pm

A nightmare start of the season could be a good thing if our FO sleeping beauty wakes up and realizes we need another useful and reliable veteran even now that we're injury-free.

Toronto has an all-star player in Barnes and a few good ones, but it is a rebuilding team with no ambitions for the playoffs this season, and even though it is played in Canada, it would be almost a scandal if after the Clippers we lose another game as bold favorites.

psimanic1 · Post #2 » by **psimanic1** » Mon Oct 28, 2024 10:57 pm

THE J0KER wrote:
A nightmare start of the season could be a good thing if our FO sleeping beauty wakes up and realizes we need another useful and reliable veteran even now that we're injury-free.

only if that vet can replicate what Jokic does for others when he is on the court, Malone doesn't know how to coach Non Jokic minutes, as soon as Booth and Malone figure that out, we will start winning...Malone probably expects those minutes team will be able to not lose that much so Jokic minutes can win us games... :banghead:

Post #3 » by **THE J0KER** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 2:05 am

Never in doubt :lol:

skywalker33 · Post #4 » by **skywalker33** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 2:19 am

NUGGETS WIN, NUGGETS win !!!

Post #5 » by **THE J0KER** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 2:20 am

Never in doubt 2! (OT edition)

famicommander · Post #6 » by **famicommander** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:59 am

Dario Saric is an absolute disaster so far. I never imagined we'd be relying on Gordon as 2C by the third game of the year.

DaFan334 · Post #7 » by **DaFan334** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 3:20 pm

famicommander wrote:Dario Saric is an absolute disaster so far. I never imagined we'd be relying on Gordon as 2C by the third game of the year.

And it looks like we missed another late-developing backup Center in Jay Huff, similar to Hartenstein. I can't figure out if it's just bad luck or Malone's inability to use another center effectively.

Post #8 » by **NuggetsWY** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 3:36 pm

DaFan334 wrote:
famicommander wrote:Dario Saric is an absolute disaster so far. I never imagined we'd be relying on Gordon as 2C by the third game of the year.

And it looks like we missed another late-developing backup Center in Jay Huff, similar to Hartenstein. I can't figure out if it's just bad luck or Malone's inability to use another center effectively.

<My opinion> Malone does not like giving young players playing time. In the NFL quarterbacks typically spend 2 or 3 years on the bench before getting to start (with exceptions of course). That's Malone's philosophy on every position.

famicommander · Post #9 » by **famicommander** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 5:02 pm

NuggetsWY wrote:
DaFan334 wrote:
famicommander wrote:Dario Saric is an absolute disaster so far. I never imagined we'd be relying on Gordon as 2C by the third game of the year.

And it looks like we missed another late-developing backup Center in Jay Huff, similar to Hartenstein. I can't figure out if it's just bad luck or Malone's inability to use another center effectively.

<My opinion> Malone does not like giving young players playing time. In the NFL quarterbacks typically spend 2 or 3 years on the bench before getting to start (with exceptions of course). That's Malone's philosophy on every position.

Christian Braun played 76 games his rookie year. Strawther played 50 games last year.

Huff was already a 2 year vet with a college national title and a G-League DPOY. He wasn't a young guy when he got here.

I'm convinced Malone and Booth don't even watch G-League games. I do, and because I do:
-I was sure about 10 games into his run there that Peyton Watson was the goods
-I was sure that Gillespie was the goods right away
-I was sure that Huff was good enough to deserve a look (I can pull up posts from December 2023 that say so)
-I was sure that Jalen Pickett was a lost cause right away. Can't dribble, period.
-I was sure that Hunter Tyson was a lost cause right away. Don't care about his 3 point shooting splits, he's not a good player at all.

The talent evaluation is a massive issue.

CodeBreaker · Post #10 » by **CodeBreaker** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 5:11 pm

At this point, I just wanna see how Zeke plays the backup C over Saric.

famicommander · Post #11 » by **famicommander** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 5:22 pm

CodeBreaker wrote:At this point, I just wanna see how Zeke plays the backup C over Saric.

We have four years of a sample size that says Zeke Nnaji sucks.

Saric sucks too, so it's not like it'll hurt to try Zeke, but we're Charlie Brown and he's Lucy holding the football at this point.

skywalker33 · Post #12 » by **skywalker33** » Tue Oct 29, 2024 9:50 pm

DaFan334 wrote:And it looks like we missed another late-developing backup Center in Jay Huff, similar to Hartenstein. I can't figure out if it's just bad luck or Malone's inability to use another center effectively.

Doesn't seem Malone has any trust in any C besides Jokic. Saric has shown nothing so far, at this point would like to see Nnaji on that 2nd unit. Huff would've been an excellent choice to develop further, but that's in the past now.

Post #13 » by **NuggetsWY** » Wed Oct 30, 2024 4:55 am

I've spoken about this in past years, so I might as well say it again. Nnaji & Huff are examples of what I say regarding Malone and rookies. Remember that Jokic didn't get fair consideration until December. Go look at what people were saying back then.

Here's some indicators that Nnaji & Huff should have been given more consideration last year and this off season.

Nnaji played in 58 games and averaged 10 mpg with 1 shot per game he scored 3 pts per game & 2 rpg.
Huff played in 20 games and averaged 2 mpg with less than 1 shot per game he scored just over 1 point per game.

If you look at the per 36 minutes stats:
Nnaji averaged 11.6 points with 8 boards on 50% from the field and 2.4 blocks.
Huff averaged 17 points with 8 boards and 2 blocks -- by the way, he hit every 2 pt shot he took (6 of them).

The stats below are a little warped because of limited minutes, but in my opinion, somebody should have at least considered giving them a better look.

Nnaji had the 8th highest PER for the Nuggets, if you like that stat.
Huff's PER was third on the Nuggets (Jokic & Murray were first).

Nnaji's Win Shares per 48 was right at the league average.
Huff's Win Shares per 48 was double the league average and only behind Jokic.

Pokuokic · Post #14 » by **Pokuokic** » Wed Oct 30, 2024 4:59 am

I said before the season Saric was done and that the Nuggets should sign one of Jokic's Serbian teammates or another Euroleague C (even discussed Jay Huff after he was reverse dunking on everyone in SL) I think the injury to Holmes really has potential killed the Nuggets season the starting 5 will all be dead come playoffs because of the energy they will expand to get to the playoffs.

Saric at this point is a back up/3rd C/PF in the Euroleague let alone the NBA. Thinking that a guy who is 6'7/6'8 and lost all mobility (never was athletic to begin with) can play C in the NBA is a joke. He might have the odd game where he shoots it well but there's nothing there.