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http://milehighsports.com/tim-connelly-proud-season-not-content-stretch/

Connelly's interview included some frustrating statements:

“We can’t continue to defend at this level and expect to be a relevant team,” he said. “The ability to close tight games; I thought all too often was the case this year was in the final minute and a half, two minutes, we were incapable of continuing how we played the first 46. I think that’s two things we have to address if we want to be a team that continues on this upward trajectory.”

Part of the inability to close, Connelly admitted, was due to the inability for his young team to handle the pressure. Another part, due to the players on the roster.

*** All I hear there is blah, blah, blah, blah. "Inability for his young team to handle the pressure" regarding closing out games. All year long, we saw Malone use a veteran heavy lineup at the end of virtually every game - the only exception being Jokic and even that didn't happen until a couple of months into the season. So Connelly is saying that Nelson & Harris & Chandler & Gallinari are too young and unable to handle the pressure? Then get rid of them. They were Malone's favorite players at the end of the games and IMO, the only problem with Harris was the other three freezing him out and/or him not being aggressive/assertive enough.

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“We don’t have that one go-to guy,” he said. “Nikola [Jokic] emerged as that guy as the season progressed; but we don’t have a James Harden, a Russell Westbrook, where the game comes really simple in the last two minutes. Kind of give him the ball, get out of their way. I do think for a lot of those guys it was their first time in those situations. I’m sure nerves played a part in some of the failures.”

*** "We don't have that one go-to guy." Malone seems to like Barton and/or Nelson as his go-to guys. Watch end of period and end of game shots. How many fans have suggested Murray as a player that can create his own shot? He was kept on such a short leash we don't know for sure, but ...

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Still, Connelly isn’t looking to count on his current roster alone. He talked a little bit about free agency, perhaps even going after a restricted free agent.

*** Is that a frustrating statement? "Perhaps even going after a restricted free agent." I've been critical of his inability to make the big trade/signing, especially after hearing "going to be aggressive" for a couple of years now. So now he's cautiously saying maybe a RFA? Sounds like our team next year will be the same team as this year, with maybe another rookie and if they don't go after a RFA with more than a "maybe" ...

NuggetsWY wrote:http://milehighsports.com/tim-connelly-proud-season-not-content-stretch/

Connelly's interview included some frustrating statements:

“We can’t continue to defend at this level and expect to be a relevant team,” he said. “The ability to close tight games; I thought all too often was the case this year was in the final minute and a half, two minutes, we were incapable of continuing how we played the first 46. I think that’s two things we have to address if we want to be a team that continues on this upward trajectory.”

Part of the inability to close, Connelly admitted, was due to the inability for his young team to handle the pressure. Another part, due to the players on the roster.

*** All I hear there is blah, blah, blah, blah. "Inability for his young team to handle the pressure" regarding closing out games. All year long, we saw Malone use a veteran heavy lineup at the end of virtually every game - the only exception being Jokic and even that didn't happen until a couple of months into the season. So Connelly is saying that Nelson & Harris & Chandler & Gallinari are too young and unable to handle the pressure? Then get rid of them. They were Malone's favorite players at the end of the games and IMO, the only problem with Harris was the other three freezing him out and/or him not being aggressive/assertive enough.

What do you expect Connelly to say? He blamed it partially on the players on the roster, and the fact is we do not know what we have with the young guys because the veterans and Malone did not give them enough of a chance.

NuggetsWY wrote:<clip>
“We don’t have that one go-to guy,” he said. “Nikola [Jokic] emerged as that guy as the season progressed; but we don’t have a James Harden, a Russell Westbrook, where the game comes really simple in the last two minutes. Kind of give him the ball, get out of their way. I do think for a lot of those guys it was their first time in those situations. I’m sure nerves played a part in some of the failures.”

*** "We don't have that one go-to guy." Malone seems to like Barton and/or Nelson as his go-to guys. Watch end of period and end of game shots. How many fans have suggested Murray as a player that can create his own shot? He was kept on such a short leash we don't know for sure, but ...

Every Nuggets fan in the world is hoping that Murray and/or another young guy on the roster grows into that guy, but Murray is not there yet. Westbrook and Harden did not come into the league being able to close out games, think back to when those guys were young with Durant on the Thunder, the 3 of the could never beat the Nuggets, until they grew into that role and they got Perkins to teach them how to win. It is also his way of sending out a message to a couple of players on the roster and around the league that he thinks this team is better than their record and they need a number 1 scorer now.

NuggetsWY wrote:<clip>
Still, Connelly isn’t looking to count on his current roster alone. He talked a little bit about free agency, perhaps even going after a restricted free agent.

*** Is that a frustrating statement? "Perhaps even going after a restricted free agent." I've been critical of his inability to make the big trade/signing, especially after hearing "going to be aggressive" for a couple of years now. So now he's cautiously saying maybe a RFA? Sounds like our team next year will be the same team as this year, with maybe another rookie and if they don't go after a RFA with more than a "maybe" ...

Do you expect him to come out and to lay out his plans for the summer including what players he wants and how much he wants to give them? If he did he would be fined as officially free agents are still under contract until July 1st, and that would be considered tampering.

He is supposed to say that he needs to reshape his roster and list out the veterans he wants to trade? You know piss them off while at the same time killing their value, so when they do get traded the return is crap and if they don't they are pissed all next year after being publicly shopped all summer.

Reading through the double talk and bull I actually like what he had to say in this interview. He is saying that he knows the team has holes. that he is not getting the things he expects out of the veterans and the young guys are too young to expect them to do it every night. He is saying we need veteran defenders and guys who are good in end of game pressure situations. In other words he is saying much the same things we have discussed on here, just in GM speak as to not open himself to trouble with the league, current roster, and not make a bunch of promises to fans.

For once he is not going into the offseason saying they are going to be aggressive, which means exactly nothing. I think this is the year that Connelly has to build a playoff team or Malone and Connelly are both gone. Name the last GM to have a team miss the playoffs 5 years in a row and still have a job? The last coach to have a young talented team for 3 years not purposely tanking and still have a job? It does not happen in the NBA. 5 years running a team is enough time to expect a solid playoff team from a GM and the 3rd year is enough time for a coach to implement his systems and figure out his roster.

While I am and probably always will be pissed about the Nurkic deal it did indicate the Nuggets starting to look for players to fit their roster and not just for picks and expiring deals. Connelly has to continue building the roster around the young guys, and it has to happen this summer, I think he knows that as well as I do. He just cannot come out and say it if he wants any chance to actually do what he needs to this summer.

Jokic was able to close lots of games when they played through him, I don't talk about last game shots , but he was big in the last two minutes of many games this season , that includes big threes ,points in the paint or just simply setting his teammates for the basket. The problem is as it was mention above, Malone didn't create any structure on this team , we saw Nelson, Barton and some other players taking ill advised shots , every night is different player taking late game shot usually bad one , since this team doesn't have a superstar , you have to build one, and Jokic is often ignored on the offense and that's coaches fault. Also I agree with the person in the article , Nuggets need established superstar to take them to the promise land , that player would bring credibility with the ref's, Nuggets were constantly screwed by refs all season long , no superstar calls at all , especially late in the game. But that's his job, to make trades for the big names.

The Rebel wrote:What do you expect Connelly to say? He blamed it partially on the players on the roster, and the fact is we do not know what we have with the young guys because the veterans and Malone did not give them enough of a chance.

Hmm, like the other GMs don't already have a good idea of what Connelly wants to do? They all have their sources, maybe a team employee somewhere, definitely players' agents, plus they explore options with each other.

What Connelly says is just for the public. He's already said he'd like to resign Gallinari and Plumlee. I doubt he knows who he'll draft because until draft night, a #13 pick is hard to project. For two years, he's said "aggressive" and wasn't. Now he's not talking "aggressive" and it frightens me that he might be even less aggressive.

Of course, I'm describing the simple view, but I like simple explanations.