A viewpoint I expect most will disagree with

[JerrySloan]

It is considered practically an article of fact that Denver will never be a chosen destination of topflight FAs and that may well be true.

What is therefore required is not only drafting very wisely but in properly evaluating, developing and using players obtained in trades.

The current foremost example is the far and away 2nd leading Cavs performer in the first 4 games of the NBA Finals, Timofey Mozgov.

While it is obvious that if Love and Irving were healthy, Mozgov would likely be pretty much unnoticeable in this series, that in no way changes the quality of both his offensive and defensive performances when it actually became essential for him to step up.

I also understand that most everyone here likes Nurkic and thinks he will develop into at least a better than average center. The fact is, that RIGHT NOW, he is not as good as Mozgov can be, IF really utilized intelligently, for a team like the Nuggets were this year. If those late 1st round picks uncover at least one player who becomes a solid rotation starter on a QUALITY team - i.e., a Draymond Green or Harrison Barnes - it becomes a decent move - assuming that Nurkic fulfills his expected potential. If not, it becomes a bad move to trade a center who is just hitting his prime and can clearly provide solid D and rebounding and 13-14 PPG, IF included in the offense of most teams, i.e., 10-11 SPG.

Meanwhile, there's the guy who Steve Kerr just called the best player on his team in the Finals first 4 games. I understand that Iggy probably would have signed with the Dubs regardless of what Kroenke did to try and retain him. That said, the way that the Nugs low-balled him, essentially dissing his value to any team, was incredibly stupid. I'd bet the ranch that, if asked and honestly answered, Brian Shaw would say that he would have LOVED to have had Iggy as the leader of the team for his first year as a head coach.

[MHZ]

Your premise has some fundamental issues with it. The biggest, honestly, is you're looking at two complementary pieces that are playing with MVP-caliber talent next to them and saying "they should be doing exactly that with the Nuggets if they would have kept them." The Nuggets don't have anything close to a LeBron or a Curry, so Iguodala playing the #1 role on the Nuggets isn't close to the same thing as what he's being asked to do in GS (much more his skillset). Mozgov flourishing next to LeBron puts him next to a laundry list of guys who have looked great with LeBron. LeBron doesn't play for Denver.

More specifically:

The Nuggets didn't lowball Iguodala. He took less money to go to GSW. His prerogative entirely. From a basketball standpoint, it's worked out x100. He was traded to the Nuggets and played on year here. He was hesitant to come to Denver at the outset (he was with the US team at the time), and bolted as quickly as he could at the end of the season. Actually, in his case, before the end of the season he was already bolting. He was a horrible #1 option here, and the same in Philly. He's in a situation that makes much more sense for him. Not surprising at all he's doing well in that situation.

Re: Mozgov - the Nuggets didn't undervalue him at all. They resigned him. Mozgov is doing pretty much what I expected him to do if you give him a guy like LeBron. The Nuggets don't have that guy. Not even close. If they can get two firsts for a guy who is a complementary player and you just drafted a guy who does the same things, you do it. Those picks are just as likely to be used in a trade than they are actually used by the Nuggets (maybe more-so), so it's not quite as simple as you lay it out.

[MHZ]

There are a ton of spots the Denver FO deserves finger-pointing, but neither of those qualify.

Really happy for Mozgov having the success he's having.

[The Rebel]

Agreed with everything MHZ said, and would only like to add that Mozgov was playing very similar to the way he is during this finals trip just over a year ago. the last few weeks of 2013-2014 Mozgov was a beast. This year between Shaw's terrible coaching style, the asking of Mozgov to play a game that did not fit him, and the fact that it was widely known that the coach he had as a teenager wanted him on a championship contender, Mozgov did not look nor act the same. Even still the front office managed to get 2 1st round picks for him, while he was being thoroughly outplayed by Nurkic, a price that many reporters and fans called a huge overpay.

[tstrick33]

It also helps that Mozgov is playing with the best player in the world and has 6"8 guys guarding him. Having said that, I am happy for Mozgov.

Seeing Iggy leave was hard for me because him and Brewer were a very part of that stingy defense that led to our run and gun offense. I am happy for Iggy as well, but Iggy's mind was made up when GS swept us, that he was joining them. Not much we could have done.

[skywalker33]

Right now, Mozgov, it what he is going to be. He is playing above his head because LBJ is ademanding that of him and his teammates. At 28 yrs old, he's hit his ceiling. Nurkic is only 20, has only been playing basket ball for 4-5 years so he still has a high ceiling and should only get better over the next 3-5 years. This is where your viewpoint is accurate. We need a management system that is willing and able to develop talent via the draft and trades.

As for attracting top level FA's, winning can change all that. CLE isn't exactly a FA paradise, but with the talent they have there already, not hard to see them pulling in some talented free agents.

[Powder Blue]

Mozzy played 9 min last night and only put up 2 fouls....

[pickaxe]

Mozzy played 9 min last night and only put up 2 fouls....

My first thought too when they waited until late 3rd quarter to play him again. Not using him actually gave GS a weird advantage in which Green & Barnes took on Thompson nearly by himself since Iggy still had LeBron locked down for the most part. I say locked down because if we had seen full LeBron not miss so many easy shots it would have easily been one of the best Finals performances of all time.

I was thinking.....I know you value Mozzy more than as a foul absorber, but you waited until 12 minutes left to insert him. May as well play balls to the wall.