What in the Hell Can the Nuggets Do?

[Pointgod]

Zach Lavine come on down!

[BelgradeNugget]

Westbrook made the right move leaving a killer shooter wide open in the corner on the last possession, if only because McCollum is a horse with blinders on.

Unfortunately, I'd bet WB makes the same move on a much smarter player than McCollum, and the Nuggets probably lose that game.

Good point. Also there was miscommunication between Braun and Watson on swich. Players can make mistakes in the speed of the game. With Westbrook it can be hit or miss. He made mistake going for steal in Portland game. But if you are a coach and you put Murray-MPJ for last defensive possesion instead of Braun-Watson it is like drawing a play for DJ for last second 3

Jokic, Gordon, and Braun should be on in any defensive situation. Watson may not be trustworthy, but I'd put him out there for the reps so that he's trustworthy when you need him.

They don't really have a fifth guy with KCP gone. I guess you could defend any of MPJ, Westbrook, or Murray, depending on matchups, clock, score, etc.. But I definitely do not trust WB to think straight.

After watching that last defensive possesion again Westbrook saved them with rotation on CJ because Braun-Watson miscommunication resulted in CJ being wide open.
Anyway I agree Watson should be in if you want to defend and Strawther for last possesion when you need to score.

[timdunkit]

It seems the emotional fatigue has set in and the team hasn't figured out how to get out of it. They looked labored last year in the playoffs too. It is strange because most of their rotation are in their theoretical prime, aside from Westbrook.

[scrabbarista]

Good point. Also there was miscommunication between Braun and Watson on swich. Players can make mistakes in the speed of the game. With Westbrook it can be hit or miss. He made mistake going for steal in Portland game. But if you are a coach and you put Murray-MPJ for last defensive possesion instead of Braun-Watson it is like drawing a play for DJ for last second 3

Jokic, Gordon, and Braun should be on in any defensive situation. Watson may not be trustworthy, but I'd put him out there for the reps so that he's trustworthy when you need him.

They don't really have a fifth guy with KCP gone. I guess you could defend any of MPJ, Westbrook, or Murray, depending on matchups, clock, score, etc.. But I definitely do not trust WB to think straight.

After watching that last defensive possesion again Westbrook saved them with rotation on CJ because Braun-Watson miscommunication resulted in CJ being wide open.
Anyway I agree Watson should be in if you want to defend and Strawther for last possesion when you need to score.

I agree on Watson and Strawther.

Yes, that's a fair interpretation of that last play. I'm not sure Watson wouldn't have recovered (the pass was behind CJ's ear), but ultimately I have to say the breakdown was on Watson and WB made a genuinely high IQ play. I still don't trust him though :]

[Decipher]

Wellsbrook has gotta go. You ain't winning nothing with that guy.

You having been watching him lately, I gather. He's been very good, especially for a guy on a vet minimum contract.

He's somehow reined in most of those crazy out of control tendencies and focuses on defense, passing, and getting to the rim to create opportunities for others. It's been a massive positive surprise.

Plus, in NBA terms, he’s virtually paid nothing

To put things into perspective, the Celtics are paying Springer more to play 4 minutes a game

If Russ was the biggest problem then they’re in pretty good shape

[Ssj16]

I don't think the talent is missing. What the team is lacking is cohesion and consistency, that's why they can have great or awful quarters, against literally anyone.

The Nuggets are playing below the sum of their parts at the moment. Some of the blame has to lay on the coaches

This is where I am at as well. You can't consistently play bad against the worst teams, when there are other teams with less talent that consistently over achieve. And you have arguably the best player in the world.

Unless they somehow turn it around, I think a shake up is needed.

[scrabbarista]

Wellsbrook has gotta go. You ain't winning nothing with that guy.

You having been watching him lately, I gather. He's been very good, especially for a guy on a vet minimum contract.

He's somehow reined in most of those crazy out of control tendencies and focuses on defense, passing, and getting to the rim to create opportunities for others. It's been a massive positive surprise.

Plus, in NBA terms, he’s virtually paid nothing

To put things into perspective, the Celtics are paying Springer more to play 4 minutes a game

If Russ was the biggest problem then they’re in pretty good shape

Sorry is still sorry even if it's cheap sorry.

[Wallace_Wallace]

I don't think the talent is missing. What the team is lacking is cohesion and consistency, that's why they can have great or awful quarters, against literally anyone.

The Nuggets are playing below the sum of their parts at the moment. Some of the blame has to lay on the coaches

This is where I am at as well. You can't consistently play bad against the worst teams, when there are other teams with less talent that consistently over achieve. And you have arguably the best player in the world.

Unless they somehow turn it around, I think a shake up is needed.

They desperately need a roster/lineup change. It's good to have the same core at all, but sometimes they might get sick of playing each other. My suggestion is if they stay put, the Nuggets should move Gordon to the 6th man role, put Watson to the starting lineup, and have Gordon stabilize the second unit (he would feast on elite TS against 2nd any units). He is one of the few glue guys/swiss army knife remaining in the league today, and doing this may have an Iguodala effect to the team.

I'm not sure how likely the MPJ/Lavine swap will happen. If it does, then it should enough of a move to jolt the roster.

[FuShengTHEGreat]

Wow so much overreacting in this thread.

Denver has their flaws but gimme a break, they don't have to be THAT great out West to make the Finals.

Their boogeyman team out West Minnesota is struggling with Randle in place of KAT.

OKC still is unproven and Chet might not even be healthy for the playoffs. Dallas is the biggest matchup problem for them.

Let's see how they perform in the playoffs before making drastic changes.

[Ssj16]

Wow so much overreacting in this thread.

Denver has their flaws but gimme a break, they don't have to be THAT great out West to make the Finals.

Their boogeyman team out West Minnesota is struggling with Randle in place of KAT.

OKC still is unproven and Chet might not even be healthy for the playoffs. Dallas is the biggest matchup problem for them.

Let's see how they perform in the playoffs before making drastic changes.

I don't think it's an overreaction when they consistently struggle against the weakest teams in the NBA.

[Exp0sed]

They need a freaking bench. You can't be a contender if you have to often play the 36 year old Westbrook over 30 MPG and DeAndre Jordan is the backup centre. Strawther is their only backup who can score efficiently and create for himself but he is a complete disaster on defence.

"Bench" should be code for Jamal Murray. "They need a freaking bench" reads as "They need Jamal Murray not to suck."
Shouldn't any teams minutes be staggered to have the "2nd best" player, play all the minutes without the best player?

Since the start of 2020 season, Jokic's netRTG is 7.23 without Jamal Murray.

In that same time Murray's netRTG is -8.3 without Jokic.

Jamal Murray was always a fraud, mysterious "injury" or not, and most of y'all were foolish for not seeing the obvious signs.

The "2nd best player" needs to be better without the best player and Murray in incapable of efficient offense without Jokic's gravity and playmaking.

Jimmy Butler and Zach Lavine are much better players than Jamal Murray and deserving of the "2nd best player" moniker. They are capable of high volume, efficient offense alongside 4 bench players. But unless it's a decent trade, I rather wait to get rid of Murray and/ or AG next summer and keep MPJ.

Putting Butler and Lavine in the same sentence is blasphame lol

Butler is a true atg (albeit old), lavine is an avg Nba player at best, just a good scorer with low i.q that doesnt do much besides scoring and plays no defense. He'd be a horrible fit as well. Seems like they dodged a bullet with the Bulls balking at the posibility of taking on Zeke's god awful contract

[/url]

[cgf]

CHI: Zion WIlliamson + Zeke Nnaji + Julian Strawther
DEN: Zach Lavine + Jalen Smith + Torrey Craig
NOLA: Michael Porter + Dario Saric + DeAndre Jordan

Stagger Murray & Lavine's minutes so one of them is on the court at all times, hoping the offense goes nuclear and Lavine's work ethic + enthusiasm about finally being on a good team rubs off on their core.

CHI
White - Dosunmu - Williams - Williamson - Vucevic
Lonzo - Giddey/Duarte - Terry - Buzelis - Nnaji

DEN
Murray - Lavine - Braun - Gordon - Jokic
Westbrook - Watson - Craig - Smith

NOLA
Murray - Jones - Ingram - Porter - Missi
McCollum - Hawkins - Murphy - Theis

[mirmil]

CHI: Zion WIlliamson + Zeke Nnaji + Julian Strawther
DEN: Zach Lavine + Jalen Smith
NOLA: Michael Porter + Dario Saric

Stagger Murray & Lavine's minutes so one of them is on the court at all times, hoping the offense goes nuclear and Lavine's work ethic + enthusiasm about finally being on a good team rubs off on their core.

Murray - Lavine - Braun - Gordon - Jokic
Westbrook - Watson - Smith

So instead of having more NBA ready type of players they are even shortening the rotation. I'd take Cam Johnson over Lavine any day of the weak, especially when you compare their contracts. I'd even take Bogdanovic over Lavine.

[2weekswithpay]

CHI: Zion WIlliamson + Zeke Nnaji + Julian Strawther
DEN: Zach Lavine + Jalen Smith
NOLA: Michael Porter + Dario Saric

Stagger Murray & Lavine's minutes so one of them is on the court at all times, hoping the offense goes nuclear and Lavine's work ethic + enthusiasm about finally being on a good team rubs off on their core.

Murray - Lavine - Braun - Gordon - Jokic
Westbrook - Watson - Smith

So instead of having more NBA ready type of players they are even shortening the rotation. I'd take Cam Johnson over Lavine any day of the weak, especially when you compare their contracts. I'd even take Bogdanovic over Lavine.

What do the Nuggets' have to offer the Nets for Cam Johnson?

[cgf]

CHI: Zion WIlliamson + Zeke Nnaji + Julian Strawther
DEN: Zach Lavine + Jalen Smith
NOLA: Michael Porter + Dario Saric

Stagger Murray & Lavine's minutes so one of them is on the court at all times, hoping the offense goes nuclear and Lavine's work ethic + enthusiasm about finally being on a good team rubs off on their core.

Murray - Lavine - Braun - Gordon - Jokic
Westbrook - Watson - Smith

So instead of having more NBA ready type of players they are even shortening the rotation. I'd take Cam Johnson over Lavine any day of the weak, especially when you compare their contracts. I'd even take Bogdanovic over Lavine.

You're upgrading on Porter and replacing Nnaji with a rotation-caliber big, giving up a 20mpg wing you might be able upgrade upon on the buyout market seems like a steal to this Knicks fan

And the bolded is just silly unless you're gunna make the expiring argument; which works just as well against MPJ as against Lavine.

[cgf]

CHI: Zion WIlliamson + Zeke Nnaji + Julian Strawther
DEN: Zach Lavine + Jalen Smith
NOLA: Michael Porter + Dario Saric

Stagger Murray & Lavine's minutes so one of them is on the court at all times, hoping the offense goes nuclear and Lavine's work ethic + enthusiasm about finally being on a good team rubs off on their core.

Murray - Lavine - Braun - Gordon - Jokic
Westbrook - Watson - Smith

So instead of having more NBA ready type of players they are even shortening the rotation. I'd take Cam Johnson over Lavine any day of the weak, especially when you compare their contracts. I'd even take Bogdanovic over Lavine.

What do the Nuggets' have to offer the Nets for Cam Johnson?

Presumeably a very similar package. Cam Johnson is less of an injury risk, cheaper, and playing better than Porter atm, but he isn't as good as MPJ when Porter is playing well so the rebuilding Nets could bet on him returning to form and giving them a talent upgrade.

[iggymcfrack]

It seems the emotional fatigue has set in and the team hasn't figured out how to get out of it. They looked labored last year in the playoffs too. It is strange because most of their rotation are in their theoretical prime, aside from Westbrook.

They’re just not very talented. Murray’s banged up and playing like trash and they keep trimming a player off the roster every year. Like other than Jokic and Gordon does any player on this team even make the rotation for OKC? IDK who Porter or Murray takes minutes from among their top 9 guys.

[mirmil]

CHI: Zion WIlliamson + Zeke Nnaji + Julian Strawther
DEN: Zach Lavine + Jalen Smith
NOLA: Michael Porter + Dario Saric

Stagger Murray & Lavine's minutes so one of them is on the court at all times, hoping the offense goes nuclear and Lavine's work ethic + enthusiasm about finally being on a good team rubs off on their core.

Murray - Lavine - Braun - Gordon - Jokic
Westbrook - Watson - Smith

So instead of having more NBA ready type of players they are even shortening the rotation. I'd take Cam Johnson over Lavine any day of the weak, especially when you compare their contracts. I'd even take Bogdanovic over Lavine.

You're upgrading on Porter and replacing Nnaji with a rotation-caliber big, giving up a 20mpg wing you might be able upgrade upon on the buyout market seems like a steal to this Knicks fan

And the bolded is just silly unless you're gunna make the expiring argument; which works just as well against MPJ as against Lavine.

I don't think Lavine is upgrade over MPJ, especially with that contract. Smith over Nnaji sure, but this one nope.

[Lalouie]

it's simple - stay healthy

if healthy they will almost have the team they won with and the best goat of the millenium

you cannot dismiss injuries. it's around the corner

[cgf]

So instead of having more NBA ready type of players they are even shortening the rotation. I'd take Cam Johnson over Lavine any day of the weak, especially when you compare their contracts. I'd even take Bogdanovic over Lavine.

You're upgrading on Porter and replacing Nnaji with a rotation-caliber big, giving up a 20mpg wing you might be able upgrade upon on the buyout market seems like a steal to this Knicks fan

And the bolded is just silly unless you're gunna make the expiring argument; which works just as well against MPJ as against Lavine.

I don't think Lavine is upgrade over MPJ, especially with that contract. Smith over Nnaji sure, but this one nope.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that because I don't think the ~8M a year that separates Lavine from MPJ's contracts comes even close to making up for Lavine's massive self-creation advantage.

Especially with Zach being an excellent off-ball shooter, as well as MPJ sharing Zach's main faults...both being middling defenders who don't really move the needle one way or the other, and both having legitimate questions about their health in the long term. Throw in the Nnaji - Smith upgrade and it would be a clear upgrade for Denver IMO.

...though I don't know if that would be enough to give them the spark that they need to threaten Boston without the FO also snagging someone good from the buyout market & Murray/Gordon getting back to their best.