Return of Nuggets 1: Forum #2 Comments From April, 2008, Part 6

Forum commentary I did from March 2008 through July 2008, when I didn't have time to do the detailed and extensive reports that I like to do, is being posted in early October, 2008. The primary themes are how the Nuggets are blowing a great (and expensive!) opportunity to play the game of basketball in such a way that respects the sport and that takes as much advantage as possible of who they have on the roster. The 2006-09 Nuggets have turned out to be an excellent case study of how not to run a basketball team; many things you should not do if you are a basketball manager or coach can be identified from what the Nuggets actually did during these years.

In these comments, do not look for the usual huge amount of detail and proof that you see in the ordinary releases here at Nuggets 1. Some of this is more like everyday conversation than like top quality sports writing. On the other hand, some of the comments do include some detailed reasoning and proof that I pride myself on in the primary reports I release.
______________________________________________
APRIL 2008 FORUM COMMENTARY ON THE NUGGETS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THEIR MISTAKES

The following comments were being made while the Nuggets were being blown out by the Lakers 4 games to zero in the 2008 playoffs.
_____________________________________________
The Nuggets' lack of any plays and the lack of any 3-point shooting are two factors that take a heavy toll in the 2nd quarter. The Lakers are up by 10 at the half and everyone is yawning about this series, thinking now that the Nuggets are badly overmatched.

If the Nuggets were a smart team, they would not be badly overmatched. The Lakers are a smart team, unfortunately. In the West, the talent is surprisingly evenly distributed. The basketball know-how is not evenly distributed.

Byron Scott has had his high scoring point guard starting the whole season long at the position. George Karl finally started his high scoring PG at PG in game two of the playoff series. When was GK wrong? Was he wrong when he wasn't starting AI at PG all season long, or is he wrong tonight? He was wrong all season long. But the funny thing is, even if he was just wrong tonight, he would still be caught in a major error, whereas Byron Scott has definitely not made any errors of that magnitude all season long.
__________________________________________
Reminder to self for the game report (when it finally gets done in August lol): Compare the number of different starting lineups between the different coaches, and especially look to see how many coaches changed starting lineups for or during the playoffs.
__________________________________________
More Half-Time Notes:

Nuggets 0/10 on threes; the Nuggets having no 3-point shooting in critical playoff games is about as likely as the sun coming up in the morning. Lakers 6/12 on threes.

Assists: Lakers 17 Nuggets 5. Ouch, Iverson better find some open men in the 2nd half or he's going to make it hard on me. Is Iverson responsible at PG if he has seldom been the designated PG during the season. Mostly yes, because he is definitely a combo guard, and he has definitely been playing both positions at once during games. So he needs to step it up, win or lose.
__________________________________________
A rare Camby drive on Gasol for the foul. Camby makes both free throws, 67-66 Lakers.
__________________________________________
Iverson makes up for a poorly selected three and for a selfish charge by getting a great steal at the other end. Kleiza goes in for the slam, for 68-67 Nuggets. Phil Jackson lumbers off his seat and begs for a timeout.

One way or another, the Nuggets ARE much better with AI at PG and Carter on the bench. Even if it doesn't play out exactly as you might think it would.
___________________________________________
As dumb as they are, the Nuggets can sometimes look even dumber than they are. As the clock runs out in the third, they leave Vujacic in the right corner all alone, as if he is invisible and no one sees him, allowing the Lakers advantage over the Nuggets in 3-point shooting to become like the grand canyon. Vujacic might as well have been the only one on the court. Vujacic doesn't come from the ghetto either, I don't think.

89-79 Lakers after 3 quarters, 1st and 3rd quarters were even.
____________________________________________
Early in the 4th, Smitty makes a couple of threes, but the Lakers are still miles ahead in 3-point shooting.
___________________________________________
Martin shuts down Gasol but Najera can't stop Kobe drive for a +1. 101-93 Lakers 6 1/2 minutes left.
____________________________________________
LA lead doubles from 7 to 14 just past the half way point of the 4th. JR technical and Melo charge, Kobe Bryant 3.

Well, hopefully the Celtics will knock off these Lakers in the Championship.
____________________________________________
Kobe Bryant is a true SG. Iverson is not a true SG. You look at them in a game like this, compare how they play and what they do on the court, and how can you think that they should be playing the same position? Is it fair to Iverson to be classified as a SG? Was it fair to the 76'ers franchise? Is if fair to the Nuggets? No, no, and hell no.
____________________________________________
The Nuggets played well and still got beaten badly. Main reasons I can think of, and other observations:

1. The Nuggets were totally uncompetitive in 3-point shooting.
2. The Nuggets had a totally unplanned offense. That can only take you so far.
3. The Nuggets are nothing if not obnoxious. Iverson is the designated PG but he chooses this game of all games to play more as a SG and less as a PG than what has been the average. The Nuggets are utterly destroyed in assists. Anything to make my life more difficult, lol.
4. The Nuggets could never beat the Lakers in a series in 100 tries without Nene in there defending and rebounding. It just can't be done. The Nuggets are playing with one hand tied behind their backs if they don't have Nene. Camby, Martin, Najera, and Anthony don't add up to enough paint penetration prevention to be able to beat the Lakers. Man to man or zone doesn't matter much, the Lakers can adjust for either.
5. Has there ever been a critical playoff game in recent years where the Nuggets did not have more turnovers than their opponent? It was Nuggets 14 turnovers and Lakers 11 in this one.
6. At least Carmelo Anthony did not appear to be drunk during the game.
7. The series is a yawner after all.
___________________________________________
That is, this series is a yawner for the average fan, but not for me, because I like basketball too much for any series to be a yawner for me.
___________________________________________
Lakers 53 Nuggets 46 at the Half

The root of inconsistency is imbalance(s), and the Nuggets are sadly unbalanced on offense in the first half. Coach Karl's inferiority complex is on full display as he advises the Nuggets to attack the rim over and over and over again. But to be most successful, you need a balance between inside attacking and outside shooting.

Carmelo Anthony acts more like Shaquille O'Neal than like Carmelo Anthony by trying to make contested layups from point blank range, which he fails miserably at. The Nuggets are facing elimination, for all practical purposes, and the home crowd so far has not been able to get to see Anthony's trademark and traditional midrange jumper. This is all so very sad. At least the Nuggets are 4/8 from downtown though, just barely enough to keep them in this game.

Karl reportedly also ordered that the Nuggets pass the ball around more than in game 2, when they barely passed it around at all, but they have been unwilling or incapable of responding. Iverson started at PG in a tacit admission by Karl that his regular season lineup was more incorrect than correct, but now Iverson is playing as if he is still assigned to the 2-guard, with just 2 assists. The Nuggets are playing as if they don't know what a point guard is, and they completely lack any reliable playmaking capability. It seems that the Nuggets can't win even when they make a move in the right direction.

At least the overall number of assists is up some from the horrible game 2, the Nuggets have 11 assists and the Lakers 16 at the half.

Nene made a short, more or less token 5 minute appearance in the first half. Najera did at least as well as Martin guarding Bryant, and cost the Nuggets less easy inside scoring from Gasol/Odom while he was guarding Kobe than while Martin was guarding him. Kobe Bryant (6 assists) and Jordan Farmar (2 assists) provided the Lakers' playmaking identity and resulting efficiency in the first half. The overall Laker assist advantage is 16-11.

Nuggets from the field are 18/46 or 39.1%. Lakers from the field are 20/42 or 47.6%. There were 8 Nuggets turnovers and 6 Lakers turnovers.