Our team's real problem...

[SnakefromHell]

Our problem is not our lackadaisical approach towards the game.

Our problem is the FO has failed in its 44 days into the regular season to acquire a BIG who consistently boxes out, rebounds, has a pride and hunger to play well defensively in the post.

Come to think about it, it does NOT have to be a 7 footer. Any big who prides himself in defense in the paint and WANTS to rebound the ball, we have to acquire that.


Our problem is it does not matter if we go undefeated for rest of season to go 76-6, because when we meet the Lakers in another 7 game series, they will spank us, they will expose us. Strangely I'm not as afraid of that monster Andrew Bynum, putting All Star numbers so far, as I am of P-Gasol. That guy simply puts his hands up and the ball is magnet to his hands, he gets offensive rebounds as if the ball is rigged with a receiver to a remote control that Jerry Buss is holding and the ball just goes to him... and he gets easy put backs... and his fundamentals on offense kill us.


I remember 2 years ago when Celtics beat Lakers in the Finals... I remember P-Gasol tried to post Kendrick Perkins on the post, tried to back him down to better position. It didn't work. Perkins did not even move... I ROFLd that mofo is so big, so strong, and so physical... whatever feminine moves P-Gasol tried on him did not work.


I don't mean to say bring a double digit rebounder like Noah, M-Gasol, Dwight Howard, bigs that we would clearly have difficulties in acquiring. I'd say we bring someone like a Kendrick Perkins... he doesn't have to be a 7 footer (although Kendrick is)... but someone as thick as Kendrick, someone as physical and a load to deal with in the paint as Kendrick... to make it as much pain in the ass to P-Gasol and Bynum to do their thing on offense. Again, someone who prides himself in defense, rebounding, and "big man work" in the paint.


Acquire someone like that, and we may beat the Lakers. Don't do anything, again imo regardless if we go 76-6 in this regular season, the Lakers will once again beat us in the first round, in the second round, in the third round, in the around the world tour round, whatever it is.


Because it's easy for teams (playoffs/ non-playoffs) to give up games to us in the regular season, simply because we're too much for them to adjust to.... our running game, our altitude, our depth on offense, J.R.'s explosion, Ty's speed, Chauncey's smart, Melo's determination, Nene's X factor, KMart's defense... they're just too much to adjust in one regular-season game. So rarely teams would want to adjust to play us in the regular season, as a result, they drop these regular-season games to us. Even the Lakers

But once in the playoffs, they will adjust to us because they play us at least 4 consecutive games, and a team like the Lakers who're just equipped size-wise and skill-wise to beat us, it becomes so easy the regular-season games barely mean much.

[KAVK]

Decent points. I am sure the team was looking for quality big last summer. There just was not better options available. We need another 7 foot beef down low that can rebound and clog the line. There are few in this league worthy of real big man status & Gasol(ine) is premiere big man today. no disrespect to Howard but i would take Pau over Howard any day, he is that good.

Now what can we do? Most of us know and believe we need another quality big. One question is keep bouncing around in my head is what the heck Memphis gonna do with all those big men? is there a any way to get one more big without disturbing the core squad? if not i am certain that Front office will not go for the move to risk what we got at this moment. IDEAS PLEASE?

[Nutty Nats Fan]

If Denver had Lawson last playoffs, they beat LA. It was the starting SG and backup PG positions that were the biggest weaknesses against LA. Sure a big who can rebound and play defense to add to the rotation would be nice, but who? This team should be able to beat LA as is though.

[JRMelo15]

If Denver had Lawson last playoffs, they beat LA. It was the starting SG and backup PG positions that were the biggest weaknesses against LA. Sure a big who can rebound and play defense to add to the rotation would be nice, but who? This team should be able to beat LA as is though.

I'd take Kurt Thomas easily and take away our "4th PF" Joey Graham's minutes from him as well as some minutes away from Nene and K-Mart.

C - Nene (30) / Andersen (22)
PF - Martin (28) / Thomas (16)

That'd be ideal for our front court and we won't have to see Balkman or Joey play at all.

[Powder Blue]

Everyone always b!tchs about Denver needing another "quality" big......some of you fail to realize Denver has very few tradable assets to acquire one. The Lakers are stacked because they are 20 Million over the cap, Stan would never allow the front office to get anywhere near that.

[SnakefromHell]

According to Benjamin Hochman we are expected to use the 3.3 mil trade exception that expires on January 7

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_13946196


Marc Gasol I know it's stupid... or maybe DeAndre Jordan kid is hugeee and longgg... he plays defense and not bad at catching passes and finishing with dunks. Karl wouldn't resist playing him.

[pickaxe]

If Denver had Lawson last playoffs, they beat LA. It was the starting SG and backup PG positions that were the biggest weaknesses against LA. Sure a big who can rebound and play defense to add to the rotation would be nice, but who? This team should be able to beat LA as is though.

Phil Jackson will find a way to exploit whatever weakness it is we have and if he can find a way to make his 3 giants wear down our 3 mini-giants he will do it. Of course if our guys can outrun and hustle those 3 bigs it won't be a problem. That's a big if.

Wouldn't risk an entire season on that if.

[piglet]

Rather than retyping this, I cut and pasted me earlier post on my observations from th Bobcats game. I think a big would be nice but I am not so sure that is the sole issue confronting the Nggs..

I was at the game last night. I sat about 40 feet from the Nugget bench. Was a great experience. I came away amazed and alarmed at a few things I watched. The first being the general malaise the Nuggets showed on the bench. They seemed tired, disinterested and overall out sorts throughout the game. No smiles, no cheerleading, no nothing with the exception of my second thing. JR was constantly yelling and up praising his teammates the whole game while on the bench. While the rest of the team sat back and looked to have private conversations amoungst themselves, JR actually showed passion. It caught me off gaurd. Not sure why. I guess all the things written about his immaturity. It was a pleasant surprise to see him display more emotion than anyone else on the bench including the coaching staff. The Bobcats on the other hand reminded me of a high school or college team who still played because the game is fun. Jackson and Wallace were EXTREMELY emotional and vocal. They seemed to simply want to win more. They truly pumped up and energized their team and the crowd. The fans were sparse. I have been to louder funerals than what I heard the first Quarter. The second half they rocked for such a small crowd.

I left feeling alot worse about the Nuggs and their prospects.......

[The Rebel]

Piglet, reading this for the 2nd time, I am left to wonder how much of this was just because of the 2nd night of a back to back with traveling, as well as playing a team the obvoiusly did not care about beating, and how much is just becoming a common theme with them. While the only game I have attended this year was the Lakers where everybody seemed into it, I have also noticed that Carmelo, Lawson, Afflalo, and JR seem to be the only ones that give a damn most nights.

I am beginning to wonder if this team does not need something to shake them up, whether that is through a trade of someone, bringing in new blood through a TPE, or just Karl climbing all over them, I am wondering what would get them more interested, as this team is reminding me of the 05-06 team that had went on the great run at the end of 05, and was left almost completly intact to only come back and win 44 games in 05-06.

[MHZ]

I honestly think the Nuggets should slow their pace a little bit. I'm sick of guys leaking out, leaving one guy to try to rebound against three offensive rebounders crashing hard. The Nuggets are a perfectly capable halfcourt team, perhaps they should stress everybody crashing the defensive boards for a little bit, see how that goes.

[nathkost]

I think someone like Marcin Gortat who has hinted at wanting out of Orlando would be good, or also Brandon Bass )from the Magic, both play hard, and could be decent trade suitors, with two pg's with injuries/injury history, we could unload carter and Allen (or Petro or Balkman) maybe a future draft pick for Bass or Gortat.

[KAVK]

Gortat is decent player & most importantly he has a WILL. I would like to see if we can snatch a deal with ORL.

MHZ has solid point on defensive rebounding. We got half court game compared to couple years back. I am sure Billups noticed it & trying to balance this out.

DJ was our shrink on being sicked about the game! I am satisfied with AA on D and O both ways. But DJ was that crazy one keeping us pumped about the game most of the time getting animated & more.

ABOVE ALL LET'S be More Optimistic. Anybody please do not mention anything about injury. It is a bad luck.

[SnakefromHell]

REBOUNDING is like the seal of your defense.

Think... what's the reason you play defense? Mainly is so you can regain ball possession without opponents scoring.


There's no use if you play excellent defense but can't rebound the ball and keep giving second chances, offensive rebounds to opponents. That means you keep playing excellent defense but can't get the ball. It's exhausting, it's tiring, it's GOD DAMN STUPID.


But REBOUND the ball and bam... the ball in your hands right there IS THE RESULT OF YOUR DEFENSE.

It's the seal of the deal. It's the knock out punch. You can keep punching your opponent in boxing, but if he keeps getting back up, the match ain't over and you keep giving them opportunities to find a crack to beat you... and just like this Pistons game, they kept getting back up and finally found a crack and beat us. You have to deliver a KNOCK OUT punch. And knock out punch in basketball is = REBOUNDING. That's the result of your defense, regaining the possession of the ball without the opponents scoring.


So far, we're like the favored fighter to win in match, but we keep fighting and can't knock out the opponent, they keep getting back up and in reverse a few small punches here and there from them and we're starting to feel dizzy and end up losing matches. This team needs someone who can rebound the ball. Rebound and we win. Don't rebound and we keep having games like these.

[eathy]

Lack of urgency and routinely playing down to opponents. Losing games to opponents that should be easy wins (6 of the 7 losses are against below 50% teams).

Not cool.

Something that happened regularly with AI. It never happened last season when Billups came back home.

Now it happens this season. Very disappointing.