Orlando @ Denver

[yunggunz]

Knicks board said it may be cancer or heat problems

Heat problems? Hes got beef with shaq?

[djtruebeliever]

heat problems? what is he going through menopause?

[RRFB]

Well another win when AI gets 10+ assists. What's that make our record to when he does that, something ridiculous like 19-1? With the only loss coming in his first game as a Nugget.

With a statistic like that, you would think it would make him want to pass it way more.

And hopefully Nene gets better soon. The way the Karl and some of the players were talking about it on the radio, it sounds like it could be pretty serious.

[el loco]

Well another win when AI gets 10+ assists. What's that make our record to when he does that, something ridiculous like 19-1? With the only loss coming in his first game as a Nugget.

With a statistic like that, you would think it would make him want to pass it way more.

And hopefully Nene gets better soon. The way the Karl and some of the players were talking about it on the radio, it sounds like it could be pretty serious.

You know I used to think that way myself, but sometimes his shot is falling and he controls a game with his scoring ability (he takes over). During those times, someone else needs to step up and get those 10 assists, and the rest of the team needs to work to make his shots easier. I see a legit debate on the topic either way it is looked at.

[KennerLeaguer]

Well another win when AI gets 10+ assists. What's that make our record to when he does that, something ridiculous like 19-1? With the only loss coming in his first game as a Nugget.

With a statistic like that, you would think it would make him want to pass it way more.

.

What SG in the NBA averages 10 assists per game, old wise one?

And what's the record when Carmelo averages 15 rebounds a game?
When Camby averages 7 blocks per game?
When Kenyon Martin puts up a double-double?

I'm sure the record for the Nuggets are good during any of these individual achievements but do we expect the each of those players to have those games night in and night out?

[Nutty Nats Fan]

I do think AI could average 10 assists, if he focused on doing so. GK needs to pull his head out of his ass and realize the team does better when AI is passing more.

[Neel]

-= original quote snipped =-




You know I used to think that way myself, but sometimes his shot is falling and he controls a game with his scoring ability (he takes over). During those times, someone else needs to step up and get those 10 assists, and the rest of the team needs to work to make his shots easier. I see a legit debate on the topic either way it is looked at.

Yeah the debate would be pretty interesting. The question boils down to whether or not AI's 10+ assists CAUSES wins, or if his 10+ assists is simply correlated with wins.

If by getting 10+ assists, he's creating a win, then he should be in pass-first mode all the time.

I find it a lot more believable that AI's 10+ assist nights just stem from teammates hitting their open shots and his assists are a product of the entire team playing well.

That being said, I think it's just more on this team to hit their open shots and show up to games looking like they actually care to win. When the Nuggets are motivated and hit a reasonable percentage of their open looks, any team in the league better watch out.

[nola3]

[quote="Neel"]-= original quote snipped =-



Yeah the debate would be pretty interesting. The question boils down to whether or not AI's 10+ assists CAUSES wins, or if his 10+ assists is simply correlated with wins.

If by getting 10+ assists, he's creating a win, then he should be in pass-first mode all the time.

I find it a lot more believable that AI's 10+ assist nights just stem from teammates hitting their open shots and his assists are a product of the entire team playing well.

That being said, I think it's just more on this team to hit their open shots and show up to games looking like they actually care to win. When the Nuggets are motivated and hit a reasonable percentage of their open looks, any team in the league better watch out.[/quote]


The catch is that AI needs to be considered a scoring threat to get 10 assists a game - with the exception of possibly Jason Kidd, all the great PGs are also scoring threats - Nash, Paul, Williams, Billups, etc. He can't just look to set others up all the time (like in his first game against SAC), or this team won't be as successful. After all, there are few players in the league who can offensively take over a game like AI can when he is on (Lebron and Kobe being the two that come to mind), and that threat should lead to opportunities to pass the ball off. That said, his teammates need to finish (looking at you Eddie).

The answer regarding correlation vs. causation is probably somewhere in the middle. Obviously if his teamates are hitting open shots, AI's assists will go up, especially if kleize, carter, jr are hitting 3's, which is good for the team, so in that sense it is correlation. But there are also times when AI has a "head down and go to the basket at all costs" attitude which can hurt the team if he's not hitting the open guy on a pick and roll (though that guy has to finish. Eddie!). It cuts both ways, to be successful, AI has to be a threat to score and to dish.

The Nuggets would not be a good team if AI just looked to pass every time up and played the role of traditional PG (wheres the scoring going to come from, aside from Melo?), especially in this "offense". Besides, y'all had that system for years with Andre Miller, and that team never scared anybody. Even worse, you wouldn't be using AI's abilities for the best of the team.

[Princerod]

What SG in the NBA averages 10 assists per game, old wise one?

And what's the record when Carmelo averages 15 rebounds a game?
When Camby averages 7 blocks per game?
When Kenyon Martin puts up a double-double?

I'm sure the record for the Nuggets are good during any of these individual achievements but do we expect the each of those players to have those games night in and night out?

Good post .


AI was, is and will be a great scorer with good passing skills and average vision skills.

What I see this year is that with a good offensive supportive cast, his FG% is up, and his FG attempts is down on a bad shooting night.

A matured AI, just before his legs start to slow down a little. Time for a TITLE.