| Nuggets Limp Into The Offseason Authored by Brent Blaze - May 2, 2008 - 4:04 pm
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Who should the fans blame for this embarrassing sweep? George Karl barely runs an offense and the team doesn’t focus on defense. Are the players or the coaches to blame? With the Nuggets, the answer is none of the above.
Kiki Vandeweghe was an above average general manager for the Nuggets. Kiki is the type of GM that can turn a team around, but couldn’t construct a contender. Jeff Bzdelik, who was the head coach during the Kiki era, was constantly on the hot seat because he wasn’t reaching out to the NBA’s egos. Ironically, Bzdelik preached defense. Borrowing a phrase from Charles Barkley – Jeff must now be rolling over in his grave.
When questionable decisions occurred in the past, the fans at least knew who to blame. Bernie Bickerstaff took one of the best young rosters in the NBA and turned them into perennial losers. Bernie allowed Dikembe Mutombo to sign with the Atlanta Hawks, breaking apart a promising young team. How Bernie can still find work in the NBA is mind boggling, but at least the blame for the team’s struggles was easy to assign during his tenure.
Currently, the Nuggets do not have a GM or president specified on their organizational chart. Mark Warkentein was promoted to vice president of basketball operations, Rex Chapman is listed as the VP of player personnel and Bret Bearup (apparently owner Stan Kroenke’s best buddy) is listed as an advisor to the Nuggets. Bearup’s extensive experience as a junior high basketball towel boy made him a shoe-in for the job. In all seriousness, the most dysfunctional part of the Nuggets is the front office. The buck stops with owner Stan Kroenke. Blame Kroenke for not appointing a qualified basketball mind to run the club.
Should George Karl be fired? The writers at the unofficial ‘Fire George Karl’ website (www.firegeorgekarl.com) believe so. However, the Karl dilemma should be placed on the backburner in favor of the current roster situation. Building a team requires skill. If trading for big names alone worked, then Isiah Thomas would be both the executive and coach of the year. The Nuggets just got handed a first round sweep, while Andre Miller helped the Sixers push the Pistons much further than anyone imagined they could.
The problem with the Denver Nuggets wasn’t just at point guard. Prior to J.R. Smith and Allen Iverson, the Nuggets couldn’t buy a three-point basket, but trading Miller turned out to be a mistake. Voshon Lenard couldn’t play any defense and Greg Buckner couldn’t keep other teams honest with his offense. The front office failed to pursue both Raja Bell and Mo Peterson when they were free agents. At the trade deadline the Nuggets had the opportunity to add a perimeter defender. They should have shipped their expiring contract (Eddie Najera) for John Salmons, who was having a career year with the Kings. With Salmons on the roster, Karl wouldn’t have been forced to start Linas Kleiza at shooting guard.
Iverson paired with Anthony Carter (5-11) in the backcourt makes absolutely no sense. Did the Nuggets actually think they could handle a wing like Kobe Bryant or Manu Ginobili in a seven-game series with such a small guard rotation? Carmelo Anthony needs to be paired with shooters and a point guard that is focused on distributing the ball. Ideal guards that can handle this role include Rip Hamilton or Michael Redd. Guards that want to create off the dribble do not mesh with Melo. Iverson has tried to blend in with the team, but he just hasn’t been the right fit.
The Nuggets have a young star with a cast of aging veterans. The front office shouldn’t hesitate to shop K-Mart, Marcus Camby and Iverson. Bringing in more veterans will just equal another first round exit. Warkentein should focus on this June’s draft and adding younger players to the roster. Denver has the 20th overall pick in the draft, but do not have a second round selection. Dealing for draft picks would be a wise strategy and this year’s draft has two potential players that could eventually replace Martin and Camby in the lineup.
Alexis Ajinca (7-1, 238) is a natural shot blocker and athlete loaded with potential. He made the most of his second chance at the 2008 Hoop Summit leading the world team. Ajinca has successfully added muscle mass to his lean frame as well. The Jonathan Bender factor will not stop teams from taking a chance on him in the first round.
Nathan Jawai (6-10 280) is a prospect hailing from Australia, who has surfaced on the NBA Draft radar. Jawai’s surprising rookie campaign propelled his stock to a bubble first round selection. Both prospects should be high on the Nuggets’ list. Kevin Love is an appealing prospect too, but the Nuggets would likely have to trade into the lottery in order to get him. Love is a college freshman who has already had serious issues with his knees. Drafting Love could be a medical risk as well.
The Nuggets should deal for picks to land a quality backcourt prospect too. Eric Gordon would be an ideal shooting guard for the Nuggets down the road. O.J. Mayo is an outstanding talent, but it is questionable as to how well he would fit around Carmelo. Brandon Rush and Chris Douglas-Roberts both would be intriguing prospects at the end of the first round as well. The perfect point guard for the Nuggets might be Johnny Flynn out of Syracuse, but he likely will not declare until next season. Raymar Morgan is an underrated prospect from Michigan State that the Nuggets should scout as well.
Nuggets’ fans should not expect a championship next year. They probably shouldn’t even expect to get out of the first round, but they are entitled to believe in the future. However, the current roster doesn’t have a winning future. The front office should not prolong the inevitable. Rebuilding now means avoiding declining players with high salaries later and could mean success sooner.
If Warkentein terminates Karl, he should have a distinct game plan to replace him. The question then becomes who is qualified to change the culture and style of the Nuggets? At the college level no coach has done more with less than Tim Floyd.
Coach Floyd turned a grocery sacker in an NBA Finals caliber center. After leaving New Orleans, Floyd turned a bunch of under-recruited JUCO players into the best team in the Big Eight. Floyd had no chance with the Jordan-less Bulls, but he did surprising well guiding the aging and ailing Hornets into the playoffs. Any writer could list the numerous names looking for their next NBA coaching gig, but picking the right coach for the situation is vital. Kroenke isn’t likely to spend big bucks on a big name coach.
Floyd is a demanding coach that will produce results. The question is will Melo buy in? If not the locker room could turn into World War III.
To check out Brent’s personal blog please visit: http://www.brentblazebasketball.blogspot.com |
