Lakers Own Nuggets, Sweep Season & Series

Well, overall, all things considered, it was an Ok season for the Nuggets. 50 Wins in a Season for the first time in 20 years is not bad for a team who lost 2 of it's supposed Starters for majority of the season.

When it comes to the Nuggets against the Lakers, it is plain embarrassing. We might as well have been the Miami Heat out there, they would have probably at least tried harder. I'm not saying that the players didn't try, I'm saying that I figured out the Lakers Offense but George Karl didn't. Hell it even took 83 games for Karl to notice that we had a mismatch against the Lakers. AI, who had a hot hand in game 3 was benched etc. etc.. Karl was probably too excited that his Son was on a Lakers squad that could go to the Finals. Anyway please see all my other previous posts on what I would have done differently.

I am still confident to this day that: "IF I WERE COACH OF THE DENVER NUGGETS, WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN 60 WINS AND OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS AS WINNERS". There is simply no excuse for a team with this amount of talent to not do well, especially against a team comprised of mostly mediocre players like the Lakers. As I mentioned in my post, all we needed to do was recognize and defend their "FAKE & PASS or DRIVE & PASS until they HIT THE OPEN MAN OFFENSE".

If you would like to see my other suggestions for this Denver Nuggets Team, just look at my previous posts. Sometimes I wonder if the Denver Nuggets have any Analysts or Coaching Staff with Brains, or at least some Basketball IQ. Too bad they don't do any research on the internet because we fans had a lot of ideas for this team, oh well.

And with that, with the END OF THE DENVER NUGGET'S SEASON, I END THIS BLOG, and depending on what moves are made during the Off-Season, I'll decide on whether or not to BLOG about the Nuggets again. If Coach Karl is replaced with someone that has FIRE and an emphasis on D, and most especially can control the likes of AI and Anthony, I'll definitely be back.

Till then, I will tuck my tail between my legs and run away like the EMBARRASSED NuggSter that I am.

To the DENVER NUGGETS PLAYERS:

AI & MELO: I specifically hoped (in my previous posts) that you would not try to do it yourselves and to trust in your talented teammates. AI's assists went down and Melo took TOO MANY JUMPERS with a lack of effort to ATTACK THE RIM OR PASS THE BALL. Melo I think you should be humbled by this experience and defer the leadership of this team to AI, learn from him for a couple of years and then take over when AI says you are ready. With Melo as the leader, and everybody FOLLOWING the LEADER, everyone is taking contested jumpers, not attacking the rim, not hitting the boards, not passing the ball and so on and so forth.

MARCUS: I think everybody hates that you take those long shots that are literally that. With your height and athletic ability you should be dunking the ball.

Everyone Else: I really like this team, I just wish it worked out Defensively for you all. I think it is a mix of a lack of good coaching and leadership that did this team in. Kleiza and JR have shown that they can be All-Stars if they put their minds to it.

IF THE NUGGETS PLAYED AS A TEAM: THEY COULD EASILY BE LIKE AN ALL-STAR TEAM.

At the end of the day, we the fans felt like we wanted it more than they did, and we go home to our normal lives after the losses while they go back to being pimpin' millionaires and who knows, maybe they were tired of the season and wanted to "chill"?

I actually wish we didn't make the Playoffs instead of getting sweeped like this, it is more embarrassing & Nuggets Fans will never hear the end of it from the Laker's Fans.

Let's just hope for the best for next season, maybe we can land defensive minded players like Raja Bell who was with AI in the Finals in 2001 and led the Suns to a Win over the Spurs.. Wishful Thinking...

Embarrassed NuggSter

Nuggets Bend Over for the Lakers

Ok, I know it doesn't seem appropriate for a Nugget's Fan to say it, but hey, what else can you say? We were dominated by these Lakers 3 times this season, and now we give up winnable games another 3 times to set ourselves up for what is possibly the only sweep in the first round of the Playoffs. That is "Bending Over" in my book.

Here are some points to ponder:

* If coach Karl is telling the players to do things that they are NOT doing, shouldn't they be mouthing off to each other and calling each other out?

* Why did it take Coach Karl 83 games before he noticed that we are mismatched with certain teams like the Lakers?

* Does Coach Karl want his son and the Lakers to advance is that why he is not coaching this Talent-Filled team?

* Early in the season, I suggested that the Nuggs especially AI-Melo put some set plays together a la Stockton & Malone but much more potent, but NNOOO.... 1 on 1 or just settling for the jump shot is SSOOO much better.. =P'

* Before the Playoffs started, I suggested that the All-Star Nuggs AI & Melo don't try to do it themselves but what do they do? Yup! Settle for the jumper with no passes, over and over and over and over... well, you get the idea.

* After Game 1, I suggested that way to beat the Lakers is to learn how to defend their FAKE & PASS or DRIVE & PASS until they hit the OPEN MAN Offense. But NNOOOO... let's look stoopid and just let the lesser players make OPEN shots. When I say lesser players I don't mean Kobe, I mean these guys making the OPEN shots that didn't used to make them.

* I put all of these suggestions on Melo's Blog too, obviously who am I for "Professionals" to listen to but, I think I was right, don't you? So either I am being ignored or Melo doesn't read the comments on his own BLOG.

* Don't the Denver Nuggets have Analysts & Coaching Staff? Why have they not figured these things out??

* How can a team with at least 5 players that can score 30 in a game get swept over and over again by a team with only 2 players that can score 30 in a game, albeit one of them can score 81 but hey, not every night.

* Everyone keeps deferring the leadership role to Melo but here's my thing: Melo is young, he is obviously still making a lot of mistakes. Why not defer the Leadership of the team to the veterans like AI and Marcus until such time Melo has matured, learned from the veterans and is ready to take over. Right now I don't see anyone being the true floor leader of this team, if it is Melo, then everyone is following the leader and just settling for jump shots time and again.

I could go on and on with all of my thoughts on these, but it makes no difference, I am just talking to myself to keep my sanity.

Well folks, it could be the end of this season, this opportunity & possibly this team since Management may see the problem as being certain players and not the coaching staff.

I'd love for us to get at least 1 win but I think it is too late for that already.

Prove me wrong.

Embarrassed NuggSter

Anthony and Nuggets Fall to Lakers.

One of the hardest things on a highly emotional fan like myself is taking in the disappointment. If it weren't for Martin's return the Nuggets would have been completely depleted in the front court. The Lakers have now swept the Regular Season Series with the Nuggets, literally using the Nuggets as a broom, winning by an average of about 16. Granted, the Nuggets are without some of their key players but, hey, I've said it before and I'll say it again: THE NUGGETS ALWAYS GET BEAT BY THE 3-POINT LINE, whether it is making them or defending them. Another thing that seems weird is that there is always 1 person on the Lakers squad that absolutely rips the Nuggets a new one. Last time it was that Vujacic guy that came off the bench and scored like 200 in the 4th quarter! This time it was Fisher that was like a sniper killing the Nuggets one by one by making what seemed like 50 3 pointers. =P' I always wait for the next televised Nuggets game (because the networks seem to like the Spurs / Lakers / Cavs and a couple more) so you can imagine how excited I was waiting for it to show on TNT. Then you can also imagine the trauma of getting blown out and swept by one of the teams I appreciate the least.

On a positive note, Nene's tumor has been removed and it was caught very early so Nene should be recovering. Thank You God.

Uh oh,.. here we go with the Negatives, I just hope I am able to stop:

1. As I've said before, the NUGGETS are more often than not beat by the 3 pointer. They need to learn how to make them AND defend them.
2. Who the hell was defending Fisher?? hint: I didn't watch the delayed TNT Telecast.
3. Now the NUGGETS have a reputation for being the team that can give you your Season or Career highs. I can just imagine guys on the bench of other teams excited to play the NUGGETS because they can probably score 30 or 40 for once. =P'
4. Obviously Karl doesn't see any reason to concentrate on the NUGGET'S weakness but hey, he's happy that his son on the Lakers scored 1 point. =P'
5. Nene is still out.
6. Najera is also injured.
7. Now Melo is out on a sprained ankle too.
8. If AI is as passionate as I think he is, he is very frustrated right now.
9. Nothing new here... I might as well stop.

For now, I am just going to hope that this injury bug finally gives the NUGGETS a break and leave us for awhile so we can get our Shtuff together.

Hopefully Karl is smart enough to start with:

G Carter, G Iverson, F Martin, F Kleiza, C Camby

I hope JR and Von Wafer gets a lot more playing time out of this at least too.

I'm not coach though so whatever.

GoooOOo NUGGETS?..

Iverson bails out the Nuggets for a Series Sweep over the Wolves

AI made a couple of plays at the end to finish off the Wolves. The Answer is definitely the Hero of this game for the Nuggets.

Here are the problems though:

1. The Nuggets gave up an early 14 point lead in the first half,


2. The Nuggets allowed 60 points in the first half on about 60% shooting,


3. Of course Nene and Martin are out and noone knows when their comin back,


4. Who knows when Hunter will be able to help,


5. Coach Karl publicly doesn't seem to believe in his own team!

From ESPN:

"I feel like a thief tonight," said Karl, whose team finished 4-0 against Minnesota this season. "We weren't the better team, but we won. I'm happy we don't have to play them again. If we did, we would probably lose."

WTF!!?? How the hell does a coach say that about his own team??! I would understand if Pat Riley said it about the Heat but Karl on the Nuggets??!! Ok maybe that is not what he meant but he could have been more specific don't you think? If he means considering they are short-handed or considering how lousy our play was we would lose if we tried that again, .. then that's how he should have said it.

I d0n't know about you but it is really hard to win when your own coach doesn't believe you can win.

Then, our next stop is at the Lakers, where Karl's son plays, so who is he gonna support? The Nuggets or his son's Lakers?? =P

As for us,... We really could use a road win especially against the Lakers who have manhandled us in previous meetings.

Go NUGGETS!!

#6 Nuggster.