RealGM

No pun intended.

3. R.I.P. fun-time Nuggets

The Nuggets were the second-fastest team in the NBA last season in terms of pace, at 97.8 possessions per game, and in the George Karl era (2005-2013) Denver has never dropped out to the league’s top five. But it’s time to say goodbye to the fun-time Nuggets as we know them.

Before Sunday’s game, new head coach Brian Shaw said that while he’ll carry over some Karl-era elements, the days of running and gunning are likely over, going as far to note the relative lack of success by teams running that style (which is another battle for another day). The new-look Nuggets, who also lost star general manager Masai Ujiri and the closest thing to a star player in Andre Iguodala this past offseason, won’t be going full-on Triangle under Shaw, a Phil Jackson disciple, but they will use some of those elements, according to the coach. It’s really a potpourri at this point, with the first-year head coach most focused on what he described as "basic" NBA sets.

Given the best abilities of this team, especially Ty, Nate and Faried but others as well, along with the altitude advantage, this is just plain stupid. It is one thing to not be run-n-gun all the time and quite another to give up the team's natural advantages completely.

It makes sense for a team such as Memphis is constructed to be a slow down, grind it out, top defense team. That said, the 56 win Grizz fared little better than the Nugz come P.O. time. And please do not count their 4 straight wins over OKC by 6, 6, 6 and 4 points WITHOUT Westbrook as a great accomplishment.

Finally, while I would certainly like to see the Nugz win a title, I definitely WOULD NOT prefer watching an 82 game regular season of Memphis style sub-200 total points games to last year's Nuggets games.

Tonight CSKA Moscow will illustrate a pace where they selectively run when they have it and grind it out using most of the shot clock when they don't. That's just smart basketball. It's something you'd see with Phil or Pop. The Denver Nuggets plan to play under control this year and that's good news. The team's health this season is what will be key. With Ty Lawson there will be plenty of fast break opportunities. It will nice to see Denver improve on their weaknesses from last season which is 3 point shooting, foul shooting, and half-court offense.

Based on your title, the massive quote you pulled without giving credit, and your 100% negative posts it is obvious to see this is just some juvenile trolling attempt after a nice pre-season victory for the Nuggets.

32 fast break points vs lakers. i'm sure we'll be fine.

Ugh. The first thing he said when getting here is that he wanted to keep some of the running style because he saw how successful it was and saw that the players were good at it.

But at the same time, it was of importance to have real half court sets and real defense.

Just because he doesn't want to run like Karl doesn't mean we'll become the grizzlies overnight.

There's still selective running, or getting a couple guys to run consistently, instead of the entire team.

Thats called good, fundamental basketball.... As opposed to gimmick basketball.

I'd much rather see the former. I guess you're different.

ujirifan wrote:It makes sense for a team such as Memphis is constructed to be a slow down, grind it out, top defense team. That said, the 56 win Grizz fared little better than the Nugz come P.O. time. And please do not count their 4 straight wins over OKC by 6, 6, 6 and 4 points WITHOUT Westbrook as a great accomplishment.

I'd say winning two playoff series and making it to the WCF is a lot better than a first round loss. Even if you want to downplay the OKC series, they still made it out of the first round.

corona wrote:Ugh. The first thing he said when getting here is that he wanted to keep some of the running style because he saw how successful it was and saw that the players were good at it.

But at the same time, it was of importance to have real half court sets and real defense.

Just because he doesn't want to run like Karl doesn't mean we'll become the grizzlies overnight.

There's still selective running, or getting a couple guys to run consistently, instead of the entire team.

Thats called good, fundamental basketball.... As opposed to gimmick basketball.

I'd much rather see the former. I guess you're different.

I knew Shaw, Mr Triangle, would do this. This is going to be a big let down season. Things were already troubling, but now Shaw looks set to maximise the disappointment.

Learning how to play half court basketball will only strengthen this team.

Critique from the fans, fan support in the seats, any disappointing results will open the window of fast break just enough to strike a balance.

There have been much greater things to worry about than playing a good half court game. Let's begin the adventure.

Btw nowhere fast is more indicative of a fast break team that doesn't convert on turnovers, not on a half court team that sets up a good shot. A disappointing half court team would be going nowhere methodically -not fast.

"Learning to play half court basketball."

Any way you cut it, the Nuggets will, LIKELY, drop 5 or more points per game in scoring under Shaw's preferred style of offense.

There is ZERO reason to believe that, however much he institutes a different style of defense, the players on the current roster are capable of improving said D enough to make up for the loss of offense.

Anyone here who does not accept that, talent wise, the Nuggets are a worse defensive team now than they were before the roster changes, is either being disingenuous or just plain ignorant.

ujirifan wrote:"Learning to play half court basketball."

Any way you cut it, the Nuggets will, LIKELY, drop 5 or more points per game in scoring under Shaw's preferred style of offense.

There is ZERO reason to believe that, however much he institutes a different style of defense, the players on the current roster are capable of improving said D enough to make up for the loss of offense.

Anyone here who does not accept that, talent wise, the Nuggets are a worse defensive team now than they were before the roster changes, is either being disingenuous or just plain ignorant.

Have you considered applying for a job at Fox News?

Have you considered applying for a job at Fox News?

Good one.

Particularly since I am, without a doubt, the most left-wing poster on this board.

Too bad you cannot actually contribute a meaningful observation.

ujirifan wrote:

Have you considered applying for a job at Fox News?

Good one.

Particularly since I am, without a doubt, the most left-wing poster on this board.

Have you considered applying for a job in Managua?

ujirifan wrote:"Learning to play half court basketball."

Any way you cut it, the Nuggets will, LIKELY, drop 5 or more points per game in scoring under Shaw's preferred style of offense.

There is ZERO reason to believe that, however much he institutes a different style of defense, the players on the current roster are capable of improving said D enough to make up for the loss of offense.

Anyone here who does not accept that, talent wise, the Nuggets are a worse defensive team now than they were before the roster changes, is either being disingenuous or just plain ignorant.

If we are judging off of the preseason, then are we not able to judge the defense off the preseason, or are we ignoring that?

ujirifan wrote:"Learning to play half court basketball."

Any way you cut it, the Nuggets will, LIKELY, drop 5 or more points per game in scoring under Shaw's preferred style of offense.

There is ZERO reason to believe that, however much he institutes a different style of defense, the players on the current roster are capable of improving said D enough to make up for the loss of offense.

Anyone here who does not accept that, talent wise, the Nuggets are a worse defensive team now than they were before the roster changes, is either being disingenuous or just plain ignorant.

To be clear, they would be learning to play half court basketball together as this team of individuals has not yet done this, full season, within an entire system, in an NBA venue, with a coach that sanctions it as a style of play.

There is more than one way to wear down an opponent. You can either run him to death, hoping you know how to convert -or, as is being tried this year, you can grind him to death.

Grinding and running together is basically saying you are going to wear out the opponent, then make them run clear to the top of Mt. Evans. Good luck with that (Denver's visiting teams).

To be clear, they would be learning to play half court basketball together as this team of individuals has not yet done this, full season, within an entire system, in an NBA venue, with a coach that sanctions it as a style of play.

I don't particularly disagree with the above.

What I do believe - and I will obviously be shown to be right or wrong over the course of the season - is that it makes little sense given the players on the current roster, for two reasons.

First, if you were intending to emphasize team defense this year, it would have made a lot more sense to build that defense around by far the best defensive player - and I sincerely hope that you don't disagree with that assessment - on the team, i.e., Iggy, and even by keeping a 6' 6" PG in Stone, who if nothing else, is a far better defender than any of the trio of undersized PGs that management preferred to have.

Secondly, spending 14 million for 3 years on Mozgov is really stupid if they don't end up giving him meaningful PT. If they do, then there won't be much time for the other guy they spent a bunch of money on, Hickson, at the 5 spot. This then means they have 4 PFs, of which Hickson will almost certainly get as much or more PT than the others. Which means either Faried or Arthur plus Randolph is on the outs.

In my opinion, even if Shaw is a potentially good coach, this year's team is more likely than not to turn out to have less chemistry, enthusiasm and success - short and long term - than would an intact roster from last year with Karl still coaching. Shaw can be a great teacher and motivator but, at the end of the day, there are likely to be several unhappy players sitting on the bench over and above Andre Miller. A more traditional coach, which Shaw seems to be, is likely to settle on a 9 man rotation. which when Gallo returns, will leave the 10th thru 14th players, likely Randolph, Miller, Hamilton, Arthur or Faried, Foye or Fournier not feeling all that great.

Finally, I'd ask you to answer this. Is winning a title the only way you can be satisfied devoting X amount of time over the bball season to the Nuggets? As frustrating as losing in the 1st round of the P.O.s is, would you have rather watched an entire season of Memphis - or Memphis style - games last year to the Nuggets.

I most certainly would not.