Thinking about next year

[sportsmikegm23]

Not trying to start any problems or issues. I just wanted to start a discussion on what people think should be done...or will be done for next year. I know you probably wanna wait for the season and or playoffs to be done ...

Yes we are tied for the 8th seed right now...with 2 games left and the tiebreaker in our favor. If we make the playoffs we could go on a nice run?? I don't see it right now...but I am always hopeful.

That being said... next year looms. Portland will be a better team, Sacramento should be a better team, Minnesota will probably be better. How do we get better and really compete for a title? Do we need to break up this team and take a step back to make 2 steps forward? Is there a trade that can make a difference? or maybe just some subtle changes to the starting line-up?

I go back and forth with this. The only think I know right now...is that we need a bigger big in the middle. Nene would be great, but will he ever be totally healthy? Trading Camby seems to be one move needed... I just haven't seen him play with much intensity of late...last 15 to 20 games.

I know you all have great opinions. What do you think?

[el loco]

I think Camby gets traded if anyone does and trading him makes the most sense to me, but who knows what it will take to get this team to play for this coach who will probably be back when all is said and done.

We also have a lot of free agents. JR, Najera, Carter and Yak. Kleiza will be in the last year of his deal. AI can opt out although I doubt he will walk away from a 20 million dollar payday, so AI, Melo, Kmart and Nene will be back IMO, but anyone else on the roster could be dealt, and if we can find some takers for Nene and Kmart I think they could be dealt as well. It will be a little different team, and I agree with you on a better inside presence that would be nice to have.

[M.Balla]

I think that we could make a subtle change that would get us 5-10 wins more.

Look at my sig.

[Don_eMOCION#31]

I think that we could make a subtle change that would get us 5-10 wins more.

Look at my sig.

i just want to agree ^^ look at my sig too

[Duiz]

Trade K-Mart and Antony Carter away...

or to me the idea... Fire George Karl.

[DNIsLeGiT]

The first main thing is to fire karl and then trade away one of our 3 injury prone big men and find a pass first point guard that can defend and shoot to pair with iverson if he stays.

Resign jr and eddie and then let carter walk and consider whether or not we should resign kouba, the most important thing though is to get another coach in here that will design a offense and demand our player to give effort on the defensive end and not one that will fall in love with a midget back court.

Last but not least, hire a real gm..im sick of this 3 headed monster front office, we need a guy that will make a decision on whether or not we should make some trade and not let karl veto a trade. Personally i feel this roster can contend all we need is a new coach and a point guard and were set.

[sportsmikegm23]

The first main thing is to fire karl and then trade away one of our 3 injury prone big men and find a pass first point guard that can defend and shoot to pair with iverson if he stays.

Resign jr and eddie and then let carter walk and consider whether or not we should resign kouba, the most important thing though is to get another coach in here that will design a offense and demand our player to give effort on the defensive end and not one that will fall in love with a midget back court.

Last but not least, hire a real gm..im sick of this 3 headed monster front office, we need a guy that will make a decision on whether or not we should make some trade and not let karl veto a trade. Personally i feel this roster can contend all we need is a new coach and a point guard and were set.

Great points...I am a little worried about Camby too...but I like your points...but if you don't want to start JR....I don't know if there is a PG that isn't a midget you can play with AI...the only pure PG I know that is a legit 6'5" is Javaris Crittendon in Memphis and he's a pup and I don't know how sound he is defensively???

My question is two-fold...will Kroenke fire his buddy GK....and two...will AI and Melo listen to a coach that tells them to play some defense?

[Don_eMOCION#31]

have to agree. trade camby away and fire george. cambys trade value won't be higher again! we can get some or one decent player for him!

[The Rebel]

Trade Camby for a couple of younger players.

Move AI as I do not see him and Melo ever working well together, and he is a decade older.

Include Nene or Kmart in an AI deal to lower the cap money.

Trade Kleiza and filler for a decent young PG.

Resign JR.

Find a way to bring in some size in the middle, a PG who can play defense and hit open shots, find a defender or two to back up Melo and JR on the wings.

IN other words I am all for essentially changing 4 of our 5 starters and building a better team while at it.

[nola3]

"Move AI as I do not see him and Melo ever working well together, and he is a decade older.

Include Nene or Kmart in an AI deal to lower the cap money. "

How on earth do you expect to move this type of coin? You'd have to take back 2-3 albatross contracts of your own.

You're proposing a massive overhaul when the nuggets are in cap hell. If you are OK with 4-5 years of rebuilding during Melo's prime in a tough Western Conference, then you could take this route.

Nuggets are much better off just letting AIs contract expire after next year. Trade Camby for someone who produces, make some tweaks, fire Karl and hope the team as currently constructed can make a run.

If they can't, AIs contract is off the books and everybody moves on.

I'd put the probability of AI being moved (much less w/ Kmart) at about 5%.

[elbowthrower]

95% of the time I would say it's a bad idea to trade quality for quantity, but in this case I think they need to trade Camby for a point guard and a serviceable big.

One trade that works is Camby for Antonio Daniels and Brendan Haywood. AD was a big part of the Sonics good run in 2005, and is a very good defender.

What do you think? Think Washington would take that?

[M.Balla]

The way Haywood has been playing, I would probably trade him for Camby straight up, since he's like 7 years younger and has a friendly contract...

[RRFB]

We either need to make a significant trade that can turn us into legitimate contenders or (for lack of a better word) rebuild. Gotta go one way or another. The window is closing, fast, and making a small move or signing that might move us up a seed or two isn't going to make much of a difference.

I'd rather rebuild. If we can, get AI and Camby out of here for draft picks and expirings. Take a point guard in the draft, and build around the core of Melo, JR, and Nene.

[pickaxe]

I'm thinking if Camby's lack of D forces us out of the playoffs, he's the first to go. Not because he's aging and makes 10 mil, but because of diminishing returns. I mean, if he wants to be a beast I don't know any team that wouldn't keep him around, but he worries me these last few games.

Same question for Nene - how much can he contribute? Nothing against the man but it is definitely up for consideration since he's also making about 10 mil.

We can get 3 really nice role players, or even 4, that are healthy and bring the hustle and perhaps the right size for the right situation.

If we're talking about health solely, I think it will be time now to discuss who's gonna be healthy and who's not and just get some damn bodies in there that can still earn it.

And fix the mismatches already. Why are we playing with one hand tied behind our back? Get some size in at PG, hopefully with some shooting - but we can also find shooting in another big man.

You can't go out and acquire half the pieces you need, let a couple go, find out the rest are injured, and then not do anything all season.

[big123]

The clear problems on this team is the Coach, PG, inconsistent Camby and bench IMO.

New coach, bigger guard (doesn't have to be a PG or just start JR). Trade Camby, bloster the bench with some veteran role players w/ a pure shooter (Keep JR and Najera). Just doing these things while making the right moves could take the Nuggets to the top IMO.

[syxx87]

-New Coach (There isnt a big market though)
-Trade Camby for sure for PG and/or a servicable big, and either Nene(sorry he just cant stay healthy to save his life) or K-Mart
-Let AC walk
-Get an actual PG to play alongside AI or switch AI to PG and start JR

I agree with DNISLegit that I dont think we need to overhaul the roster and blow the team up. I feel that we are close to contention, we just need a coach who actually runs plays and demands the team to play defense( Brown or Van Gundy), and to get a for real Big Man who can defend and play down low and will play more than half the season, and a for real PG who can pass,defend, and shoot.

I dont know how the salary issues work out but if A.I. could opt out to sign for a smaller deal so we could make some significant signings, that would help out tremendously.

[IggyTheBEaST]

Defensive Coach is #1 priority.

then, like alot of people have said, its time to decide, do you hold on to camby for good, or trade him now, because his value is gonna start to drop. Kmart is close to untradeable. Kleiza is a player you should try to hold on to but right now he is one of your best bargaining chips and should be dealt if the deal is right(especially if jr or najera stay).
Im prob gonna get crucified for this but ill say it anyway; trade offers for melo SHOULD be listened to. Not saying you should trade him but gauging value would nto be a bad idea right now, teams would prob be willing to offer a $hitload. On the bobcat board, the majority seemed open to trading both jason richardson and gerald wallace for him. If you can get 2 young stars or better, it would be stupid not to entertain the idea.

[Duiz]

lol.. Why get rid of Camby when he is the only defensive player that you have. Do you want to become the Golden State Warriors or something?

[Teens On Acid]

i say rebuild.

out with Camby, AI, Nene, AC, Atkins, Kleiza, Hunter and Karl.

keep Melo, JR, KMart, Najera, Khouba.

add younger defensive minded energetic role players and a coaching staff that brings the best of both offense and defense disciplines and demands hustle on both ends and is passionate about winning and takes losses very hard.

i'm not saying Melo and JR have been perfect this year, but given a choice on who to rebuild this team around, i'm going to have to take Melo & JR over Camby, AI and Nene.

i know, crazy isn't it.

[jahshawn]

lol.. Why get rid of Camby when he is the only defensive player that you have. Do you want to become the Golden State Warriors or something?

cambys defense is overrated.he never step out on the p&r and his 1v1 isnt good.