Denver @ Lakers : Game 13

[corona]

i take full responsibility for this loss.

sorry guys. won't happen again.

back to the hot tub.

[Shady08]

Missed the game, but Melo no FTA? What's up with that?

[corona]

jumpshot - jumpshot - jumpshot

[Nutty Nats Fan]

He was also banging in the paint, but calling fouls on him isn't allowed.

[el loco]

jumpshot - jumpshot - jumpshot

So far this year, he has yet to see one that he didn't like.

His game hasn't changed any on the offensive end, he sees a double or triple team coming at him, what does he do? He forces shots instead of passing to someone for a wide open shot. In the San Antonio game, he got a shot rejected that could have been avoided if he would learn to use his left hand. A lot of the blame goes to Melo but an equal part needs to go to our coaching staff. If podunk el loco can see this, one of our brilliant masterminds running the show should also be able to see it and work with him to correct it. This has been going on since the playoff series that we had with the Clippers several years ago.

[Teens On Acid]

horrible shooting.
horrible game management.
watching the lakers go on a 10 point run while carter is still in and billups is on the bench and no time out called? we'll never beat the lakers with george karl and anthony carter.

they're a hell of a team, i'd love for us to get better so we could build a playoff rivalry like the bulls/pistons had in the 90's.

anybody know where Melo was this game? i didn't see him on the court at all.
ghost town.

[b-lawson]

Melo wont be here for a long time

Its pretty obvious. I put anything on it

Knowing this organization, they would get rid of him, and keep scapegoat Karl instead

[SnakefromHell]

Man I know the Lakers were strong but not this strong.

We played terrible okay... but they were still not supposed to blow us out like this. But Kobe just couldn't miss in the first quarter... he really was why we're such in a big hole early. And then Billups and Kleiza clanged open shots, Melo was pretty much non-existent throughout the game... was not the night for KMart offensively... J.R. again just either: chucked a three or drove to the rim... his game is so predictable but he's still pretty much unstoppable and he knocked down his shots in this one. It's just his offense is so predictable it is much easier for the defense to set up and adjust... but he was hitting shots. If not, we'd struggled even more.

But the biggest disappointment is Melo... I thought he didn;t play 100% at all... and didn't seem like he put effort to play he can... He's supposedly happy with the departure of AI and now have Billups, a PG who will get him the ball... but his old lazy self was in this game. If he's not up to it offensively, what makes anyone think he will play on the other end?

[el loco]

I got something right on the season prediction thread and so did anyone else that chose PJ to be the first head coach axed this season. I wish I had been wrong and it would have been George Karl instead.

I watched the George Karl show last night for the first time. While watching his fat assss sit in that chair I kept waiting for someone to walk up and poke him in the belly so I could hear him go gooooohooooooo like the pillsbury dough boy guy used to do in those old commercials. It never happened, so his show is just as big a failure as his coaching is IMO.

[Nutty Nats Fan]

horrible shooting.
horrible game management.
watching the lakers go on a 10 point run while carter is still in and billups is on the bench and no time out called? we'll never beat the lakers with george karl and anthony carter.

they're a hell of a team, i'd love for us to get better so we could build a playoff rivalry like the bulls/pistons had in the 90's.

anybody know where Melo was this game? i didn't see him on the court at all.
ghost town.

I don't think Karl played Melo at all in the 4th.

He did coach great. Nuggets start the 2nd half strong, get the lead down to 11, then for whatever reason start to fall apart, maybe their run left them a little winded? Who knows. But it was great how Karl let the lead get up to 21 before doing anything. Could say the game was over then.

[b-lawson]

But the biggest disappointment is Melo... I thought he didn;t play 100% at all... and didn't seem like he put effort to play he can... He's supposedly happy with the departure of AI and now have Billups, a PG who will get him the ball... but his old lazy self was in this game. If he's not up to it offensively, what makes anyone think he will play on the other end?

People think Melo is happy with the departure, but I really dont see where people get that from. He hasn't said that himself. Of course he's going to say positive things about what Billups brings, of course. Only person happy is Karl

If anybody listen to the response, it was pretty obvious he was hurt that they did that. He said if they told him before it happened, he wouldn't have let it go so down so easily

But how is that we got this true PG now and Melo is the main person now, but he's PPG has decreased a lot. Hmmm, by now he should be averaging what he did back on 06. He's more experienced now and his game should be mentioned when you talk MVP candidates

Its just mentally, he's not focused right now

[Nutty Nats Fan]

But the biggest disappointment is Melo... I thought he didn;t play 100% at all... and didn't seem like he put effort to play he can... He's supposedly happy with the departure of AI and now have Billups, a PG who will get him the ball... but his old lazy self was in this game. If he's not up to it offensively, what makes anyone think he will play on the other end?

Yeah, I don't believe he has said anything like that, and if you didn't watch the game, don't talk about the kind of effort Melo put in. He wasn't being lazy. He was playing with a lot of effort. Just because his shot wasn't falling, doesn't mean he was just standing there doing nothing.

[eathy]

Melo got hacked heaps... should've had more FT attempts.

[SnakefromHell]

Nutty Nuts Fan, I've suspected for a long time that you're really a Melo fan and not the team's fan. If you rate Melo's performance in this game good and he put effort... wow you're biased and talking to you is useless because all you see is this huge pink heart with "Melo" emblazoned on it.

Again, I'm not a Melo hater, I think he played really well in the first 12 games (despite his shooitng percentage and decreased ppg... it's his attitude that's changed)... but this 13th game he stunk. And I didn't just see the stats... I watched the game. Everytime I criticized Melo, you need to get over accusing me not watching the game. I criticized Melo not because I hate him but because he's our leader and he needs to show the energy and that "desire" to win. Didn't he look like "ahhh I'd rather be in bed now than playing ball really" ?? Melo needs to be more professional and when it comes to work, like it or not, he has to show up just like regular people at work.

Melo is like the manager you see at McDonalds and everyone else, including Billups, is the counter person or guys working in the kitchen. If the manager shows up at work with such "you know what I don't feel like working today"... what do you think the rest of the employees are going to act?

I'm not suggesting we trade Melo after this game... I see attitude improvement in him this season... but to see it come back after such change... it's disappointing and it's a nightmare. It's what put him in trade rumors right after the season ended. He better stay out of his old habit or he might not be here by the trade deadline.

[pickaxe]

I can't tell you how disappointing that game was. Consistency is still a problem.

I'm beginning to feel the Nuggets are a barometer for success in the NBA. The best teams will beat them time and time again, until finally the Nuggets figure them out. The Nuggs go on to beat one of the best, in this case the Celtics, with a really decent effort. Then another team becomes the best and beats the Nuggets when they should be at their best. The Lakers are just like the Spurs were at one time to the Nuggets.

The solution is figuring teams out during the game, as it is going on. Hindsight is 20/20. This team has potential but as it stands it's still #2 potential at best.

[el loco]

I can't tell you how disappointing that game was. Consistency is still a problem.

I'm beginning to feel the Nuggets are a barometer for success in the NBA. The best teams will beat them time and time again, until finally the Nuggets figure them out. The Nuggs go on to beat one of the best, in this case the Celtics, with a really decent effort. Then another team becomes the best and beats the Nuggets when they should be at their best. The Lakers are just like the Spurs were at one time to the Nuggets.

The solution is figuring teams out during the game, as it is going on. Hindsight is 20/20. This team has potential but as it stands it's still #2 potential at best.

I feel the same way. This is the most unexcited I have been about a Nuggets team in a long time. Not because they are not playing well or trying because as a team we have been giving a much better effort. Last year in these same games against the Lakers we tanked it early, this year we played until the end in both games against them so far. It is more because I know that we don't have enough size and enough pieces to compete with the top dog in the conference.

[pickaxe]

I can't tell you how disappointing that game was. Consistency is still a problem.

I'm beginning to feel the Nuggets are a barometer for success in the NBA. The best teams will beat them time and time again, until finally the Nuggets figure them out. The Nuggs go on to beat one of the best, in this case the Celtics, with a really decent effort. Then another team becomes the best and beats the Nuggets when they should be at their best. The Lakers are just like the Spurs were at one time to the Nuggets.

The solution is figuring teams out during the game, as it is going on. Hindsight is 20/20. This team has potential but as it stands it's still #2 potential at best.

I feel the same way. This is the most unexcited I have been about a Nuggets team in a long time. Not because they are not playing well or trying because as a team we have been giving a much better effort. Last year in these same games against the Lakers we tanked it early, this year we played until the end in both games against them so far. It is more because I know that we don't have enough size and enough pieces to compete with the top dog in the conference.

That's just it - I think we do have the talent. I just don't think they show up at the right times. Kobe and the Lakers take them out of their games and that's part of Phil Jackson's success is playing mind games with the opposing team. He hunts out weaknesses, as does Kobe, and likes to exploit them.

I believe a Laker team playing fundamentals like they did in this last game is no better than this same Nuggets team, if the Nuggets team stuck to fundamentals and stayed within their game.

The Ace is just the fact Jackson is a far better chess player, and Kobe can make instantaneous adjustments, where the Nuggs still need a timeout to see the need to change it up a bit.

Of which, Karl is not the best in the business at making well timed time-outs.

You don't want to micromanage, but you kind of need to until the adjustments are automatic.

[el loco]

I guess we do differ a bit on this, but I would rather you be right then me, so I will go with your logic for now.

I just don't think we matchup well against the Lakers at all. They have too much size up front for us IMO.

Gasol 7'0"
Bynum7'0"
Rad 6'10"
Odom 6'10"
Mihm 6'11"
Powell 6'9"
Mbenga 6'10"

They can run our bigs into the ground. When healthy, we only go 3 deep up front, and this doesn't even include the Kobe and Phil element. They play as a team and everyone on the team shares the ball, so when they go to the bench nothing really changes. When we go to the bench everything changes for us.