The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of signing veteran free agent Al Harrington after being stymied all offseason in their efforts to fill the gaping hole at power forward.

The Nuggets had pursued an assortment of other veteran free agent forwards, most notably Jermaine O’Neal and Udonis Haslem.

O’Neal went to Boston to fortify their bulky interior.  Haslem took less money to re-sign with Miami in pursuit of another Championship in his hometown.  Other big-time PF’s on the open market included Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire, but Denver watched as each in turn chose large-market Eastern Conference teams Chicago, Miami & New York respectively.

That left Denver scraping the bottom of the barrel… and willing to pay a steep price for the privilege.

Harrington played with the New York Knicks most of the last two seasons, and has had a renaissance of sorts following a couple of down years in Golden State.  The 12-year veteran played the first half of his career in Indiana after being drafted by the Pacers in the 1^st Round of the 1998 Draft.

Post-Pacers, two seasons with Atlanta and two with Golden State drew a stark comparison on Harrington’s career.

In Atlanta he was at the apex of his productivity, averaging 18 points and 6.9 rebounds a game.  The following two seasons with the Warriors (briefly interrupted by a return to Indiana) saw his stat-line decline precipitously through the end of the 2007-2008 campaign.  Harrington averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last year in New York after being traded to the Knicks early in the ’08-’09 season, a move that spurred his rapid return to relevance as he had the best statistical season of his career.

We in Nuggetsland have to wonder, though, if the 5-year, $34 million deal that Denver has reportedly offered Al will be worth it in the long-run.  The move wreaks more than a little of desperation, but was actually the product of a bidding war with Dallas as both the Mavericks and Nuggets scrambled to keep up with the rest of the league’s contenders.  The offer that Harrington appears ready to sign would constitute the full mid-level exception, effectively a max deal for a second-tier free agent.

Harrington will be 35 by the time the proposed contract expires, though, and his inconsistent career promises nothing in the way of guaranteed production.

The Nuggets are obviously frantic to show Carmelo Anthony (who has still declined to sign a contract extension) that they are willing to do what it takes to surround him with the talent required to win a Championship.  But Melo could be gone after next season if he doesn’t re-up, and the Big Al Signing would go down as another in a litany of poor choices by the Nuggets’ front office since drafting Nene & Melo in consecutive seasons.

Then again, Harrington has typically been on teams light in talent, and his glory years in Atlanta mirrored their rise to semi-prominence in the East.  If Al can be a healthy alternative to the perpetually injured Kenyon Martin & Chris Andersen at big forward, he may provide those two with the light early-season load necessary to keep them fresh until the playoffs.  (Neither K-Mart or Birdman are expected to start the ’10-’11 season after matching knee surgeries in this offseason.)

The Nuggets were scary good when they were all healthy in the first half of ’09-’10.  Kenyon’s potency at 100%, combined with Harrington’s added length (6’9”) off the bench and the inspiring return of coach George Karl could be enough to keep Denver afloat in the stacked West.

But another disappointing early exit from the playoffs would likely pave the road to New York for Carmelo, and with him would go the Nuggets’ hopes of winning an NBA Title.

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The Denver Nuggets have had no choice but to wallow in the unhappy ending to their 2009-20010 season over the last two months.  Will they be able to right the ship by cashing in on the richest free agent market in NBA history?

With a suddenly glaring weakness at power forward, the Denver Nuggets need to make a move to compete in the loaded Western Conference next season.

Denver is in a heck of a bind after their playoff flop versus Utah.

An unfortunate combination of injuries, circumstance, and poor decision-making by the Nuggets’ front office have Denver on the edge of irrelevance as the rest of the West grows inexorably bigger and stronger across the board.

Kenyon Martin & Chris Andersen both had offseason knee surgeries, with K-Mart likely to miss training and preseason work with the team.  The Nuggets’ formerly formidable power forward corps look suddenly paper thin.

Carmelo Anthony is unwilling to sign a contract extension without guaranteed help from free agency that may never come.  Melo’s current deal is up in 2011, and the Nuggets have expressed a willingness to trade him instead of losing him to free agency next year.

It is most likely, however, that Denver and Carmelo will find a way to work out a deal for an extension under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement that will pay Anthony much more over the next four or five years than he could make here or anywhere else after the current CBA expires at the end of next season.

George Karl’s coaching future is still up in the air despite assertions from his family that his road to recovery is firmly on track.  Without Karl’s practiced hand steadying these Nuggets, they are simply not a reasonable contender for the Conference Finals or better.

And the Nuggets gained nothing from a loaded 2010 NBA Draft class that featured a cadre of qualified big men.  Even a lesser pick from the 2^nd Round could have helped to shoulder the crushing low post burden.  Kenyon has been unable to play a full season since coming to Denver, and there is little chance that next season will be any different.

The good news is yet to come. (It has to.)

Word is that Denver did fish for a trade partner to bust into last week’s draft, but nothing materialized that was worth the asking price.  (Denver’s unfortunate recent draft history left them without a 2010 pick.)

That leaves the Nuggets’ front office with continued draft-related failure since nabbing Nene and Carmelo Anthony in consecutive drafts from 2002-2003.  (The book is still out on Ty Lawson.)  Denver has instead opted to do its fishing in the free agent pool, and this season the big fish are biting.

While the Nuggets have not been mentioned by rumor mills like ESPN as suitors for any of the big names in the 2010 Free Agent Class, Stan Kroenke & Co. have been notorious for playing their cards close to the vest.

Do not be surprised to see one of the available power forwards come to Denver, paired with the exit of Kenyon Martin’s expiring contract.

The Big Bosh surprise?

The plum of this free agent class is obviously Lebron, but James and Melo have always been a better foil as opponents than teammates.  Lebron is certainly not willing to shift to power forward to accommodate Melo, or vice versa.

The slightly more likely solution would be a sign & trade with Toronto for Chris Bosh.

Although Denver is not on the Chris Bosh Wishlist, the Raptors’ ability to give Bosh a max deal and get an expiring contract in return makes the Nuggets an ideal trade partner.  Toronto would end up with Kenyon Martin drawing fans to their seats for a year, and the Nuggets would get the youthful big man that they need to partner with Nene in the paint.

As much as Chris may want to end up in the bright lights of New York, Chicago or Miami, he may be more motivated by the riches afforded a sign & trade through his current team.  Bosh would be a great fit in the Nuggets’ speed & isolation oriented offense, and his shot-blocking ability would partially make up for the loss of K-Mart’s unmatched post defense.

Then again, if Bosh and Lebron can find a way to fit into the budget together at Chicago, this all becomes a moot point and another Bulls Dynasty is born.

Amare For the Win

Amare Stoudemire is a long-shot to come to Denver because the Nuggets would have to unload K-Mart by other means in order to afford him.  The Suns will certainly not be interested in a bulky, defense-oriented, injury-prone power forward to replace the explosive Stoudemire.

That means the Nuggets would have to dump Kenyon on another team in exchange for a less expensive talent, then woo Stoudemire to Denver with promises of speedy transition play and a shooting forward (Melo) that can mirror his powerful interior skills out on the perimeter.  This is an unlikely solution and, as with any other potential deal this July, Amare’s path depends on where other power forwards end up around the league.

If Amare wants to win, he will not waste the next few years of his basketball life losing in Madison Square Garden or the NBA Purgatory known as Clipperland.  Better options for such a great offensive talent to win now and in the future lie in Phoenix or Denver.

The Most Unlikely Signing That Ever Was

We’ve gone from sort of likely to outright unlikely, and now we go to the Twilight Zone for the deal that would be fantastic for the Nuggets but would never, ever, not in a million years happen.

Carlos Boozer is an underestimated power forward talent in this free agent class.  He is a force comparable to Kenyon on defense, and his ability to rebound on the offensive glass extends possessions and wears down opponents.

Boozer is the workhorse that Denver needs to anchor its starting five… the anchor that Kenyon has been when healthy.  His skill set is so similar to K-Mart’s that you would hardly notice a difference, except that Carlos would be a force in the late season and playoffs where Kenyon becomes less effective and misses time as the year wears on.

The only problem is that Boozer has spent six dedicated seasons in Utah.  He could have left the Jazz for greener pastures in the past and hasn’t.  The very idea that he would betray the Utah faithful by coming to Denver must be highly offensive to Jazz fans.

However, the Jazz are never going to break through the laundry list of talented teams in the Western Conference to reach the NBA Finals under Jerry “Dinosaur” Sloan.

Make no mistake, Sloan runs a tight ship and puts together tough, competitive teams each season.  But Utah is merely a weigh station; a worthy obstacle to be overcome in the playoffs.  Their back-to-back playoff exits at the hands of the Lakers have shown how woefully untalented this team is on the offensive side of the court.

Carlos would be better off in powder blue.

Mr. Boozer could do great things in Denver, most importantly bringing in the kind of toughness and tenacity that the Nuggets have been missing without a 100% Kenyon over the last six years.

Don’t waste your breath, Dirk’s goin’ nowhere.

The last power forward on the Big List (see below) is Dirk Nowitzki.  The big German sensation could make the Nuggets a Title Contender immediately with his rare combination of strength, speed, rebounding ability and shooting touch.

However, despite Dirk’s announcement yesterday that he would opt out of the final year of his current contract, Nowitzki is staying in Dallas.  Doubtless, Dirk decided to opt out that he might garner a more favorable contract under the current CBA than if he had waited until next season.  Like Carmelo, Nowitzki wants to stay where he is… he just wants to be rewarded handsomely for his loyalty.

Best Wishes to Melo & Lala

Carmelo Anthony and longtime girlfriend Lala Vazquez will finally tie the knot next Saturday, July 10^th.

While the rest of the NBA world goes gaga over the big free agent frenzy, Melo & Lala will be saying their vows in New York City.  The wedding is accompanied by a VH1 Reality TV Show that premieres in September and focuses on the months leading up to the wedding.  The finale will be a 90-minute detail of the wedding itself.

So congrats to Melo & Lala.  May their marriage and Carmelo’s career in Denver both last well into a bright ‘n shiny future.

The Big List: Top Ten 2010 NBA Free Agents

Lebron James (SF)

Dwyane Wade (SG)

Chris Bosh (PF)

Joe Johnson (SG)

Dirk Nowitzki (PF)

Paul Pierce (SF)

Amare Stoudemire (PF)

Carlos Boozer (PF)

David Lee (C)

Rudy Gay (SF)

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The 2010 Draft was loaded with talent, but the Nuggets got no help for their aging and ineffective front line.  Denver had no draft picks to play with… again.

Meanwhile, the rest of the West’s contenders got bigger to match up against the length of the NBA Champion LA Lakers.

The Rest of the West gets better…

Oklahoma City, after being knocked out of the 2010 Playoffs by the Lakers, picked up the 6’-11” Cole Aldrich (Kansas) from New Orleans and the 7’-1” Tibor Pleiss (Germany) to improve their chances against LA.

San Antonio, whose lineup is ancient by comparison to the young Thunder, grabbed the 6’-11” Ryan Richards (England).  Dallas improved its height via trade last season, picking up the 7’ tall Brendan Haywood before falling to the cagy Spurs in the playoffs.

The Lakers’ Pacific Division punching bags, Sacramento & Golden State, used their high 1^st Round Picks in the 2010 Draft to grab big, mean shot-blockers to contend with LA’s enormous frontcourt of Odom, Gasol & Bynum.  Sacramento netted DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky), the most coveted big in this year’s draft at 6’-11” and an imposing 270 pounds.  Golden State picked up the 6’-9” Ekpe Udoh (Baylor) to shore up their shoddy defense, that they might finally win a few of their regular season scoring sprints versus the Lakers.

Even the Lakers’ 2009 Finals opponent, the Orlando Magic, used its sole 1^st Round Pick on 6’-10” Power Forward Daniel Orton.  The Magic do not lack for height with Dwight Howard roaming the paint, but understand that to summit the NBA mountain is to outreach the Lakers at any cost.

Oh, and how about those NBA Champion Lakers?  They improved their own stable of big men by drafting two 6’-9” forwards.  LA added Devin Ebanks (West Virginia) and Derrick Caracter (UTEP) via two 2^nd Round Picks.  With their biggest question marks at guard and small forward, the Lakers continue to draft size first.

Where does that leave the Nuggets?

Each of the Denver bigs are a potential liability at this point in their careers.

Chris “Birdman” Andersen is a crowd favorite and an imposing presence when healthy.  But each season The Bird fades as spring approaches, and Chris was a non-factor late in the year.  Even coming off the bench both Andersen’s age (31) and the hard-charging, high-energy style with which he plays are catching up with him.

It certainly didn’t help that Andersen spent the latter half of the regular season trying to fill the very large shoes of Kenyon Martin.  K-Mart is the defensive heart of this Denver team, and his history of knee injuries looms large on the Nuggets’ future.

Kenyon’s early-season form saw a player capable of dominating games from the paint and helping to stretch opposing defenses with a reliable shot from the top of the key.  But when Martin returned from expedited injury recovery in time for the 2010 Playoffs he looked tentative, not tenacious.  That reliable shot Kenyon spent the offseason working on was too strong, forced even, and the Nuggets had to watch Carlos Boozer knock down the very same troublesome jumper for Utah as the Jazz trounced Denver for a playoff series win.

Meanwhile Nene, who has always struggled with issues of toughness in the rough ‘n tumble paints of the NBA, could not hold the center of the Nuggets’ defense without Kenyon & Birdman at 100%.  When Denver’s offense is humming, Nene can use his superior speed and quickness to take advantage of slower centers.  However, he has never been one to force the issue on his own offensively or bear the brunt of an opposing attack on defense.  Without big help on either end of the court, Nene’s numbers deflated precipitously through the end of the 2010 season.

In that dismal playoff series versus Utah, the Nuggets were outworked and outschemed as a result of their less effective paint personnel, in addition to being thoroughly outcoached in the absence of head coach George Karl.

Where does Denver go from here?

The unfortunately likely answer is down…

Down in size as Birdman and K-Mart become less effective.  Down the standings as other Western Conference powers improve.  And down the draft chart into the teen neighborhood of picks as a result.

Unless the Nuggets’ front office can wheel and deal for the likes of Chris Bosh (Denver was not on his list of preferred cities to play in), then we will have to hope that Kenyon’s knees hold, that Birdman can be energy off the bench instead of a late season burnout, and that Denver never, ever has to rely on Johan Petro to start a game ever again.

Help is certainly not coming in the form of up-and-coming big men, as Denver has failed to take on a power forward or center through the draft since Nene in 2002.

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The Denver Nuggets have developed a disturbing trend of sitting out the NBA Draft.

What began with an ill-fated Draft Day decision the year after Carmelo Anthony was drafted in 2003 has become a legacy of poor draft-related decisions by the Denver Nuggets’ front office. (See Recent Draft History below)

You will remember the Nuggets’ pickup of Ty Lawson in 2009, trading with Minnesota on Draft Day to grab the young dynamo that would back up the aging Chauncey Billups at point guard in 2010 and beyond.  This move paid dividends back when the Nuggets were still a contender.  Back before Kenyon’s knee buckled.  Before coach Karl’s heart-wrenching trip to chemotherapy.

But the move to grab Lawson was indicative of a larger strategy employed by the Denver front office that has failed to pay off.  Buckle up and get ready for a sad ride through Nuggets Draft History over the last eight years…

2003-2005

Since the Nuggets drafted Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 NBA Draft, Denver has had only two players come out of the draft and onto the court in a Nuggets uniform… and that includes Melo.

The other was the ill-fated Julius Hodge, who is better known for being shot in Denver than playing here.

Hodge came within 5 minutes of bleeding to death on I-76 North of Denver proper after a night of clubbing in the city.  The 15 minutes of fame that resulted from a drive-by highway shooting statistically outpaced his 14 games played with the Nuggets in Julius’ 2005-2006 rookie campaign.  After playing in four games the next season, Hodge was off to Milwaukee and then a series of lesser basketball leagues.

Denver drafted point guard Jameer Nelson, now of Orlando fame, in the 2004 Draft.  Nelson was an NBA All-Rookie Second Teamer and was an NBA All Star in 2009.  He and Dwight Howard teamed up to ferry the Magic to the Finals that same year.

The Nuggets, fronted by GM Kiki Vandeweghe, did not see Nelson as a talent worth keeping, though.  They traded Jameer on Draft Day ’04 for Orlando’s 1^st Round Pick in ’05.  Nelson went on to play starting point guard for the Magic every year after his rookie season.  The Nuggets went on to experiment with the likes of Allen Iverson as they desperately searched for a competent PG accompaniment to Carmelo.

And who did the Nuggets draft with the 2005 1^st Rounder they garnered for Nelson?

The forgettable Julius Hodge.

Denver’s other 2005 picks were Jarrett Jack and Axel Hervelle.  Jack went immediately to Portland for Linas Kleiza and Ricky Sanchez.  Hervelle was the first player from Belgium drafted to the NBA, but never played a single minute for the Nuggets.  Kleiza struggled in the NBA and ended up regressing to the Greek League after the 2009 season.

2006-2008

In 2006 Denver picked up Leon Powe with their only selection, then ship him off to Boston for a 2^nd Round Pick in the 2007 Draft.

The 2007 Draft saw Denver fritter away two 1^st Round Picks (and accomplished assist-man Andre Miller) in exchange for point guard Allen Iverson.  The Iverson Experiment was made necessary by the Nuggets’ decided lack of a PG that could challenge defenses independently and open up the court for Carmelo.

This is the perfect moment to think back on the Jameer Nelson Experiment that never was.  It does little good to wonder what the Nuggets could have accomplished with Jameer’s ability to disrupt defenses and create plays for his teammates, but still…

Instead of holding onto Nelson with that 2004 pick and building a young nucleus around Jameer, Carmelo & Nene (drafted by Denver in 2002), the Nuggets ended up trading for and wasting a 1^st Round Pick on Julius Hodge, trading away two 1^st Round Picks for Allen Iverson, and then settling for the tail end of Chauncey Billups’ career.

Really, Detroit bailed out the Nuggets’ front office by accepting Iverson’s ball-hogging and poor shooting in exchange for a great all-around player and perennial All Star Billups.  And yet it still wasn’t enough come playoff time.  Chauncey showed his age each of the last two seasons in the playoffs, looking weary and playing well off his A-Game when it mattered most.

As a result of the Iverson trade and other transactions the Nuggets did not make any draft picks in 2007 or 2008.

2009-2010

That all brings us full circle; back to the drafting of another point guard, Ty Lawson, in the 2009 Draft.  The Nuggets’ front office, championed by GM Mark Warkentein since 2006, went out on a limb and grabbed Lawson fresh off his NCAA Championship at North Carolina.

This was, by most accounts, a good draft pick.  But it all ties back to that first mistake; letting Nelson go to Orlando for future considerations.  It would seem that Denver’s draftnicks have been trying to mend that mistake for seven long years through six stacked NBA Drafts only to come up with an undersized point guard who will need to have a revelation of a 2010-2011 sophomore season just to make up for the legacy of failed point guard experiments that precedes him.  (Earl Boykins anyone?)

That is, of course, if Lawson even plays for the Nuggets next season.  Word on the street has Ty on the trading block.  Perhaps for a big man to back up the aging/injury riddled/underwhelming Denver frontcourt.  Perhaps for a draft pick to post up for future Nuggets’ teams.

Or maybe the Nuggets will trash Lawson and a couple of future draft picks for another short-term solution to the franchise’s biggest problems.

Denver Nuggets Draft History 2003-2010

2003 NBA Draft, June 26

1-3 Carmelo Anthony* (Syracuse)

2-46 Sani Becirovic (Slovenia)

2004 NBA Draft, June 24

1-20 Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s)

(Traded to Orlando for 2005 1^st Round Pick)

2005 NBA Draft, June 28

1-20 Julius Hodge* (North Carolina State) DENx2, MIL

(Pick from Washington via Orlando)

1-22 Jarrett Jack  (Georgia Tech) PORx3, IND, TOR

(Traded to Portland for Linas Kleiza & Ricky Sanchez)

2-52 Axel Hervelle (Belgium) DEN, MIL

2006 NBA Draft, June 28

2-49 Leon Powe (California) BOSx2, CLE

(Traded to Boston for 2007 2^nd Round Pick)

2007 NBA Draft

No Picks

2008 NBA Draft

No Picks

2009 NBA Draft

1-18 Ty Lawson

(Acquired from Minnesota for 2010 1^st Round Pick)

2010 NBA Draft

No Picks

Denver Nuggets GM’s 2001-Present

Kiki Vandeweghe 2001-2006

Mark Warkentein 2006-Present

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The Nuggets season was over when George Karl started missing games in mid-March to begin his courageous battle with throat and neck cancer. It just took us over a month and half to realize it.

Star-divide

Mark Warkentien's agent said that the 2009-10 Nuggets season should carry an asterisk beside it due to Karl's absence. I think it's safe to assume that the Nuggets would have finished with an extra regular season win or two under Karl and likely would have won at least one playoff series. Even longtime Karl critic Bill Simmons ranked Karl fourth in his “2010 NBA Playoffs Human Power Rankings” while acknowledging that coaching matters more than we fans often believe.

As the game clock wound down to zero last night at EnergySolutions Arena, I couldn't help but feel sad for all involved with the Denver Nuggets. I felt sad first and foremost for Karl, who has been around long enough to know that championship opportunities are few and far between and must be taken advantage of when they arise (Karl often gloated about how much he “liked my team” this season…he knew this squad was on to something special). I felt sad for Chauncey Billups whose remarkable streak of seven consecutive conference final appearances comes to an abrupt end, even though he did all that he could to win Games 5 and 6 of this series. I felt sad for interim coach Adrian Dantley, a super nice guy thrust into an impossible situation and never got the respect from the referees or, shamefully, his own players that he probably deserved. I felt sad for Joey Graham and Johan Petro – two minimum wage guys (by NBA standards) – who have been jerked around the lineup all season but nevertheless play every minute with the best of effort regardless of their limited skill sets. I felt sad for the Nuggets organization, team and Pepsi Center employees who were probably counting on a few extra playoff games which translates into a few extra paychecks and perhaps even a bonus during what remains a crappy economy.

Continue reading the full story at A sad ending to a sad season (and 10 questions for the offseason)… – Denver Stiffs.

The season started off  in spectacular fashion with a Melo dunk over Paul Milsap, allowing Anthony to announce to the world “I’m back!”  The season ended against the same Paul Milsap team in game 6 in the first round of the playoffs in Utah.   After playing poorly and getting themselves into a 3-2 series deficit, the Nuggets had one last chance to tie the series up and bring it home to Denver.

Denver never found the offensive consistency or defensive toughness that was needed to win a game in Utah.  They got out to a hot start but then found themselves in an early hole, as Utah closed out the first quarter.  But Denver finally found a way to close out a half with Joey Graham.

Joey Graham was the second high scorer for Denver with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Melo had a poor shooting night going only 6-22.  But he didn’t force things, didn’t force his shots and didn’t turn the ball over.  He continued to work hard, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.

Ty Lawson proved that he is already a tremendous young player and should be a valuable asset to Denver in the future.  He showed that he is one player that will step up in big games.  At certain points he was the only player diving on the floor, forcing Utah to play defense and giving it his all.

Championship windows are small.  Time is short.  With Denver’s back against the wall, in a do-or-die situation, it should now be apparent who the Nuggets organization should keep in their fox hole.  One player who was not there tonight was JR Smith.  Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, had two tweets throughout the game saying that JR was at the bench sulking and getting yelled at by assistant coaches.  Denver was down 6 in the fourth and a couple JR 3-pointers would have been huge.  After tonight’s game, it should now be apparent that JR Smith will never be a team first player.  These are the games where a player’s true character shines through.

Denver has too much potential, too much talent, too much ability to go the distance; that anyone who takes away from Chauncey Billups’ chance of  riding a fire truck down Broadway in front of the Capitol Building, needs to be shown the door.  This city deserves more than a sulking JR Smith.

Deron Williams continued to create opportunities for himself and played within the Utah system, and Denver couldn’t find an answer.  On the defensive end, they continued to reach in on him and not play straight up when he created contact.  Williams is now in the “best guards of the NBA talk.  ” If he can play this well against the Lakers, he will no doubt be the considered one of the best.

The season for the Nuggets is now over.  They can get out their golf clubs.  But one thing is for certain, this team, in its current configuration, cannot win a championship.  No mental toughness, no physical toughness under the boards, no defensive toughness and the lack of a consistent third offensive scorer, continues to be the reasons for post-season exits.

This season ends the same way all the other before have.

Down three games to one in the opening round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Denver needed a big victory on Wednesday night.  More than that, they needed a big outing from absent star Chauncey Billups.  The Nuggets got both in Game 5 at Pepsi Center, part of their 116-102 win.

Carmelo Anthony & Chauncey Billups both came up big in this elimination game.

Where Melo had carried the team through one win and three tough losses, Billups stepped in and shouldered his share of the load at long last.  Chauncey was good for 21 points and 4 assists.  Carmelo added 26, well below his 34.5 point/game playoff average.

But the Nuggets don’t need Carmelo Anthony to score 35 points a game to win.  They need a complete team effort, and Denver finally got that.

The whole Denver bench contributed to this victory, scoring 37 points to 16 from the Utah bench… all by Jazz PF Paul Millsap.  JR Smith dropped 17 playing starter minutes (31), and Ty Lawson had another well-rounded game with 2 board, 3 dimes and a pair of steals to go with his 6 points.

Even after starting Center Nene Hilario went down with a tweaked knee in the 2^nd Quarter, the Nuggets played strong team basketball to muscle out a series of leads.  After giving up 6 & 8 point advantages, Denver dropped the hammer with metered scoring and responsible defense in the latter part of the 4^th Quarter.

Nene has underperformed along with Chauncey all series, and may not be the Nuggets’ best option at Center.

In fact, Nene has been a liability on both ends of the court, and both Johan Petro & Chris Andersen were more effective as replacements.

Petro & Andersen combined for 13 rebounds, and Birdman notched 10 points despite a nagging hand injury.  Both were more effective defensively, getting out on big Carlos Boozer’s deadly jumper from the top of the key.  Carlos has killed the Nuggets with that shot all series, but longer arms coming out of the paint threw off Boozers’ rhythm in the second half.

Nene’s 5.8 rebound/game average was inflated by an 11-board performance in Game 2, but the Nuggets’ only other win in the series came in Game 1 when he played just 14 minutes.  (Nene averages 34/game.)  It could be that the 1-2 punch of the taller, longer Chris-Johan combo may be a better match on the glass against the Jazz.

Denver has a rough road ahead of them.  They are still just one loss away from elimination.

The Nuggets will need to do on Friday night what they have only rarely done in the last decade; win a game in Utah.

The team showed glimpses of its old dominant self in Game 5, and will need to be firing on all cylinders to overcome the imposing Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena in Game 6.  Despite all of their trials and tribulations through the last few months, the Nuggets are just one big W away from coming home for a decisive Game 7 on Sunday morning.

Game 6: Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz

Friday, April 30^th on ESPN & Altitude

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The Nuggets beat the Jazz to stay alive for another game. Good thing. With all of the Tebow stuff and my trip I haven’t had the chance to weigh-in on the Nuggets. I got back from D.C. just exhausted, so I hope you won’t mind the “replay” for today. Anybody got Nuggets Fever?

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The Denver Nuggets dropped a crucial Game 4 in Utah on Sunday night, but it was the way they lost that has this former contender looking dead in the water.

Denver’s bigs couldn’t make layups, their bench had no spark, and their defense made lazy rotations versus the Jazz for the third straight game.  Not coincidentally, after going up 1-0 to start this opening round playoff series, the Nuggets have lost the last 3 games.

Worse, there is no bright horizon in site for Denver, as the heart of their precipitous decline from contender to first-round flop is a near complete lack of leadership.

George Karl spent the last month of the regular season undergoing chemotherapy treatment, and has been absent throughout the playoffs in recovery.  His replacement, assistant coach Adrian Dantley, has been nothing more than a placeholder in that time.  Dantley has failed to light a fire underneath these Nuggets, watching as they make serial mistakes on defense and bog down into one-dimensional stagnation on offense.

And where George was a master of in-game adjustments, Dantley is anything but.

The strength of Denver’s bench was utilized to perfection in the first 3/4 of the season by Karl, whose career has been predicated on his understanding of on-court chemistry & match-ups.  Now Denver’s B-team is so ineffective that the series may have been over before it began.  Chris Andersen has been a defensive liability and absent on the offensive boards.  Ty Lawson has not come in as a change of pace alongside Chauncey Billups, where he took pressure off the aging All-Star guard all season.  Instead, Lawson has only come in when Billups racks up too many fouls.  What a waste of raw talent.

Carmelo Anthony has been the one bright spot offensively, and JR Smith has played beyond his NBA experience defensively.

The rest of the team, even Chauncey Billups, has turned in a sub-par postseason performance.

And so, with Game 5 in Denver on Wednesday night, the Nuggets will be up against a wall and in need of 3 consecutive wins to move on.  If this team plays up to its potential, starting inside with increased effort and moving outside with improved shooting, Denver stands a very real chance of coming all the way back.  They are no doubt the better team when playing at peak efficiency, but the Nuggets have been so careless, lazy & without leadership that the turnaround would have to be nothing short of monumental.

Game 5: Utah Jazz @ Denver Nuggets

Wednesday, April 28^th on TNT & Altitude

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