In a story almost too sad to tell, the Nuggets led the entire game but Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith missed too many shots and the Hornets got too many second chance opportunities, including the one at the buzzer of the overtime as the Nuggets became a losing team by dropping yet another home game to a losing team, 114-112 in one overtime.
The Nugget's star small forward Melo badly missed a jumper in regulation that would have won it for the Nuggets, but at the end of overtime, the Hornet's small forward, Desmond Mason, was in position near the hoop to grab the ball off a Melo block of a short jumper by Chris Paul. Nene was close but Mason was in better position to grab it. Mason put in a mini-jumper with less than a second left that won it for the Hornets. So it was a small forward who won the game but it was not the Nugget's small forward.
The Nuggets had a 99-89 lead with 3:50 to play in regulation but were outscored 14-4 in that time. In this 3:50 period, the Nuggets had 5 missed shots, 2 turnovers, and committed 3 unforced personal fouls, while making two free throws and one tip-in. In short, they gave the game away, only they had to disappoint their fans further by playing in overtime, since it was 103-103 at the end of the 4th.
In overtime Melo made one jumper, missed one, and had one blocked by Desmond Mason. Blake made a nice layup but offset that by losing the ball out of bounds. J.R. Smith came in with 23 seconds left in overtime with the Nuggets losing 112-109 and promptly buried a three with 17 seconds left, setting up the Chris Paul blocked jumper and the Desmond Mason point blank jumper. Actually, all J.R.'s made shot did was increase the misery, since the Nuggets still lost and since his shot reminded fans that he was only 2/13 for 6 points in regulation time.
It is true, though, that if Marcus Camby had been at the hoop at the buzzer there would have been no Mason follow up. Of course, if Marcus Camby had been in, the Nuggets would have won it in regulation, despite the shooting problems of the once high flying Nuggets. Camby remained out for a second game with a groin strain. Predictably, the Nuggets were outrebounded, by a margin of 57-46. It is unusual for the Nuggets to be outrebounded, and they usually lose when they are.
When you have Eduardo Najera putting up and making enough shots to finish in double digits (11 points) for the first time in ages you know something is seriously wrong with the Nugget's offense. Aside from the jump shooting problems of the entire team except Iverson and maybe Kleiza of all people, Blake and A.I. are still trying to develop the best distribution patterns for the ball and George Karl is still trying to develop the best player rotations. But there is very little time left for these things to be improved.
At this point everyone is getting very tired and frustrated with these Nuggets, who had enough talent to go 50-32 this year but have had so many lost player games due to suspensions and injuries, and have had so many off games by key players, that many of their fans have at this point lost hope in them. Most fans can only stand so much disappointment, and the amount the average fan can take was reached tonight. Maybe Stern can give a couple of Nuggets a 20 game suspension so that the fans can throw in the towel on the season once and for all and immediately begin looking ahead to next season and the possible return of Kenyon Martin, assuming of course that K-Mart has been able to shake off the voodoo curse on his knee by then.
Enough already, the fans are saying. So at this point, the Nuggets will have to earn their fans back by winning 2 or 3 upsets on the road. Good luck. The Nuggets no longer have the benefit of the doubt. They now must prove themselves from scratch. If the Nuggets win a playoff series they will surprise their own fans as well as their opponents.
And at this point all Nugget's players and coaches can throw out all their own high expectations for the Nuggets and realize that the Nuggets are not even going to make the playoffs unless things change. It is going to take some road wins for the Nuggets to make the playoffs, and it is going to take some good fortune on the injury front, less inconsistency from J.R. and Blake, and more made jumpers from Melo for the Nuggets to win some road games. But hey, if that sounds too difficult, consider that the Hornets just won their 13th road game in their last 15. Yes, I said the Hornets. So it can't be that difficult to win some on the road.
Did someone put a voodoo curse on Allen Iverson that every team he ever plays for must be a hopeless, losing team? Maybe, because the Nugget's injuries and individual player performances are getting very creepy at this point. On the other hand, I am thinking of Iverson as more of an innocent bystander in this basketball horror movie. Melo this week said the team is "snake-bit", but I am thinking more in terms of a black magic spell. I'd say the curse is on the Nuggets as a team, not on Iverson, but then again, what do I know about black magic?
Kleiza played for 17 minutes and was 2/4 and 0/1 on 3's for 4 points and he added 4 rebounds. Reggie Evans played 25 minutes and was 3/4 and 1/2 from the line for 7 points, and he had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal. Najera played for 37 minutes and was 4/5 and 3/3 from the line for 11 points, and he had 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
Steve Blake played 38 minutes and was 6/12 and 2/7 on 3's for 14 points, and he also had 6 assists, 5 rebounds, a steal, and a block.
J.R. Smith played for 20 minutes and was 3/13, 2/8 on 3's, and 1/2 from the line for 9 points. He also had 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Every once in awhile, J.R. decides he would rather shoot long jumpers all game and not look very hard for lanes to drive to the hoop. In these cases he will usually be the hero or the goat. Tonight he was the goat. Why does J.R. sometimes put himself under that much pressure? Why doesn't J.R. mix up his shots EVERY game and get a few relatively easy layups, dunks, and free throws every time out? This is part of the mystery of J.R. Smith that no human can figure out. At the very least, someone should tell J.R. that he is way to young to be only a 3-point specialist, a role reserved for older veterans in the NBA.
Nene played for 35 minutes and was 8/16 and 2/6 from the line for 18 points, and he had 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, and a steal. It was a pretty good game, except that he, like the rest of the Nuggets, missed most of his jumpers. A Nene jump shot is too much to ask for at this point; he should stick to the layups, tip-ins, and dunks.
Melo played 40 minutes and was 9/23, 0/2 on 3's, and 9/9 from the line for 27 points, and he added 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks. The bottom really fell out of his jumper; he was only 3/17 for that type of shot.
Allen Iverson, the innocent bystander to the train wreck that is the Nuggets, played the entire game despite coming off a severe ankle strain and was 9/21, 1/4 on 3's, and 3/5 from the line for 22 points, and he had 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. During breaks, Iverson iced his sprained right ankle on the bench.
Melo skipped his usual postgame podium stop and was said to have sat staring into his locker for several dozen minutes after the game. He knows he has lost many of the fans and will get them back only if he returns to the exact way he was shooting jump shots on December 16 and before then. There are very precise motions and thinking involved in any skill, and Melo's task is to reconnect with the exact motions and the thinking that had him making half his shots.
The next game will be Friday, Feb. 9 in Indianapolis to play the Pacers at 5 p.m. mountain time.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Nuggets Without A.I. & M.C. Fall Just Short to Suns 113-108
The Nuggets have lost alot of games at home this year, where their record is just 13-13, but this one, at least, was a loss on paper only. The Nuggets won the intangible battle by playing with alot of intensity and spirit, by having most of their players substantially contribute, and by holding the Suns to a 5 point winning margin, despite playing without two of their three best players, Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby, both out with injuries.
With A.I. and M.C. out, it was a perfect opportunity for Melo, who was playing with a finger contusion, to expand the reach of his game. Sure enough, he had a "triple double" with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. However, Melo continued to be slightly off on his midrange jumpers; had he produced that shot at the same pace he did in November and December, the Nuggets could have won this or taken it into overtime. J.R. Smith had 18 points on 7/13 shooting and the dynamic duo from the early part of the season was back for this game in good form. And Nene staked out the paint and scored on 5/6 layups, 4/5 dunks, and even 3/8 jumpers, though he did not have enough experience to guard the likes of Stoudemire well.
The Nuggets tried to outhustle and nickle and dime the Suns with good execution and heavy scoring in the paint, and they almost pulled off what would have been a monumental upset. Led by Nene, the Nuggets continued to try a tougher brand of defense, although they will probably never be as rough as the Jazz or as skilled as the Rockets on defense. They outrebounded the Suns 48-38 and they ran a great passing game and had 30 assists, with Blake and Anthony getting 10 assists each. And the Nuggets turnover problem was kept under good control in this one.
The Nuggets had the will to win and played almost as well as they could, but fate keeps intervening and removing players from games who the Nuggets need to win. The Nuggets have been routed only three times: in Dallas, in Los Angeles, and in Washington, and only 8 of the 23 losses have been by 10 or more points. 11 of the 23 losses have been very close games, where the margin of victory for the other team was 5 points or less.
The Nuggets have never completely surrendered any game, though they have had alot of defensive lapses and execution problems to get all these losses. Even in the 3 routs the Nuggets have continued to play hard. My point here, though, is to note the importance of the intangible of the will the win, which never leaves the Nuggets, even when they are playing in such a way that they can not possibly win. Or, to put it another way, if you are going to play poorly, at least keep believing you can win; if you play poorly and decide you can't win, then you are completely ruined, and the routs will start to pile up.
Both A.I. and M.C. were undoubtedly and correctly thinking while watching this game that the Nuggets would have beaten the Suns had either one of them been in. Had M.C. been in, C Amare Stoudemire, who had 36 points on 13/17 shooting, would not have had such an easy time of it. And had A.I. been in, the Nuggets would have had his shots instead of the lesser in number and more inaccurate shots from Steve Blake, DerMarr Johnson and Eduardo Najera.
So the Nuggets got a major consolation prize in this one. They indirectly proved that they can beat the Suns, at least at home. Despite being just 4-6 in the last 10 and 23-23 on the season, the Nuggets are still a potential threat when the playoffs begin in late April.
The Nuggets have lost so many home games at this point that, most likely, the best playoff seed thay can possibly get is the 5th, which would still be home court advantage for the opponent, so at this point losing an individual game is not really such a big deal anymore. The top four seeds are going to finish with better records than the Nuggets, the only thing yet to be decided is how much better those records will be. The Nuggets are destined to be without the home court advantage for the first playoff round and probably for any rounds after that as well. They should set their sights on the 5th seed, which is still possible to get.
These ramped up Nuggets had a shocker up on the scoreboard for a while. It was 60-51 Nuggets at the half, and when Diawara sunk a 3-pointer with 10 minutes left in the third, it was 67-57 Nuggets and fans were seriously thinking that they were watching a shocking upset. But then the Suns, who are so talented that they used just 5 players, Stoudemire, Bell, Diaw, Marion, and Barbosa for the great majority of the minutes, threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Nuggets (free throws, layups, dunks, jumpers, and 3-pointers) and it was 81-79 Phoenix at the end of the quarter.
In the 4th quarter, Leandro Barbosa and Stoudemire dominated for the Suns. PG Steve Nash sat out the second half due to inflammation in his right shoulder. This was no problem at all for the Suns, because the backup PG Barbosa is better than many starting point guards. Barbosa had 12 points in the quarter, including two of his 4 three pointers, and Stoudemire relentlessly went to the hoop to get easy layups or trips to the free throw line. When you are playing the Suns, it may seem like you are being nickled and dimed by several good players, but the scoreboard tells the real story, which is that you are being buried by several great players.
It was 105-98 Suns with 46 seconds to go when Steve Blake missed a three-pointer that might have gotten the Nuggets back in it. The Nuggets still did not surrender though, as they committed 5 intentional fouls and narrowed the margin from 7 to 5 by doing so, before time ran out.
DerMarr Johnson played 14 minutes and was 2/8, 2/6 on 3's and 1/2 from the line for 7 points, and he had 3 rebounds and a block. Diawara played 15 minutes and was 2/3 and 2/2 from downtown for 6 points.
Linas Kleiza played 20 minutes and was 4/6 and 1/2 on 3's for 9 points, and he added 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Reggie Evans, who was playing with a right ankle sprain, played for 21 minutes and was 1-2 and 2-2 from the line for 4 points, and he added 9 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Najera played 26 minutes and was 1/5 and 1/2 from the line for 3 points, and he had 4 rebounds and a steal.
Steve Blake was 2/8 and 0/3 on 3's for 4 points, and he also had 10 assists, 2 rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Nene played a full 32 minutes and was 12/19 and 3/4 from the line for 27 points, and he added 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. He is not getting all the rebounds and blocks that Camby gets but on the other hand he more and more is finding it easier to score than Camby does.
J.R. Smith played for 29 minutes and was 7/13, 3/5 on 3's and 1/3 from the line for 18 points, and he added 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal.
Melo was 12/27, 0/2 on 3's and 7/8 from the line for 31 points, and he had 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Anthony aggravated his injury, but postgame X-rays were negative.
The next game will be Wednesday, Feb. 7 in Denver against the Hornets at 7 pm mountain time.
With A.I. and M.C. out, it was a perfect opportunity for Melo, who was playing with a finger contusion, to expand the reach of his game. Sure enough, he had a "triple double" with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. However, Melo continued to be slightly off on his midrange jumpers; had he produced that shot at the same pace he did in November and December, the Nuggets could have won this or taken it into overtime. J.R. Smith had 18 points on 7/13 shooting and the dynamic duo from the early part of the season was back for this game in good form. And Nene staked out the paint and scored on 5/6 layups, 4/5 dunks, and even 3/8 jumpers, though he did not have enough experience to guard the likes of Stoudemire well.
The Nuggets tried to outhustle and nickle and dime the Suns with good execution and heavy scoring in the paint, and they almost pulled off what would have been a monumental upset. Led by Nene, the Nuggets continued to try a tougher brand of defense, although they will probably never be as rough as the Jazz or as skilled as the Rockets on defense. They outrebounded the Suns 48-38 and they ran a great passing game and had 30 assists, with Blake and Anthony getting 10 assists each. And the Nuggets turnover problem was kept under good control in this one.
The Nuggets had the will to win and played almost as well as they could, but fate keeps intervening and removing players from games who the Nuggets need to win. The Nuggets have been routed only three times: in Dallas, in Los Angeles, and in Washington, and only 8 of the 23 losses have been by 10 or more points. 11 of the 23 losses have been very close games, where the margin of victory for the other team was 5 points or less.
The Nuggets have never completely surrendered any game, though they have had alot of defensive lapses and execution problems to get all these losses. Even in the 3 routs the Nuggets have continued to play hard. My point here, though, is to note the importance of the intangible of the will the win, which never leaves the Nuggets, even when they are playing in such a way that they can not possibly win. Or, to put it another way, if you are going to play poorly, at least keep believing you can win; if you play poorly and decide you can't win, then you are completely ruined, and the routs will start to pile up.
Both A.I. and M.C. were undoubtedly and correctly thinking while watching this game that the Nuggets would have beaten the Suns had either one of them been in. Had M.C. been in, C Amare Stoudemire, who had 36 points on 13/17 shooting, would not have had such an easy time of it. And had A.I. been in, the Nuggets would have had his shots instead of the lesser in number and more inaccurate shots from Steve Blake, DerMarr Johnson and Eduardo Najera.
So the Nuggets got a major consolation prize in this one. They indirectly proved that they can beat the Suns, at least at home. Despite being just 4-6 in the last 10 and 23-23 on the season, the Nuggets are still a potential threat when the playoffs begin in late April.
The Nuggets have lost so many home games at this point that, most likely, the best playoff seed thay can possibly get is the 5th, which would still be home court advantage for the opponent, so at this point losing an individual game is not really such a big deal anymore. The top four seeds are going to finish with better records than the Nuggets, the only thing yet to be decided is how much better those records will be. The Nuggets are destined to be without the home court advantage for the first playoff round and probably for any rounds after that as well. They should set their sights on the 5th seed, which is still possible to get.
These ramped up Nuggets had a shocker up on the scoreboard for a while. It was 60-51 Nuggets at the half, and when Diawara sunk a 3-pointer with 10 minutes left in the third, it was 67-57 Nuggets and fans were seriously thinking that they were watching a shocking upset. But then the Suns, who are so talented that they used just 5 players, Stoudemire, Bell, Diaw, Marion, and Barbosa for the great majority of the minutes, threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Nuggets (free throws, layups, dunks, jumpers, and 3-pointers) and it was 81-79 Phoenix at the end of the quarter.
In the 4th quarter, Leandro Barbosa and Stoudemire dominated for the Suns. PG Steve Nash sat out the second half due to inflammation in his right shoulder. This was no problem at all for the Suns, because the backup PG Barbosa is better than many starting point guards. Barbosa had 12 points in the quarter, including two of his 4 three pointers, and Stoudemire relentlessly went to the hoop to get easy layups or trips to the free throw line. When you are playing the Suns, it may seem like you are being nickled and dimed by several good players, but the scoreboard tells the real story, which is that you are being buried by several great players.
It was 105-98 Suns with 46 seconds to go when Steve Blake missed a three-pointer that might have gotten the Nuggets back in it. The Nuggets still did not surrender though, as they committed 5 intentional fouls and narrowed the margin from 7 to 5 by doing so, before time ran out.
DerMarr Johnson played 14 minutes and was 2/8, 2/6 on 3's and 1/2 from the line for 7 points, and he had 3 rebounds and a block. Diawara played 15 minutes and was 2/3 and 2/2 from downtown for 6 points.
Linas Kleiza played 20 minutes and was 4/6 and 1/2 on 3's for 9 points, and he added 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Reggie Evans, who was playing with a right ankle sprain, played for 21 minutes and was 1-2 and 2-2 from the line for 4 points, and he added 9 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Najera played 26 minutes and was 1/5 and 1/2 from the line for 3 points, and he had 4 rebounds and a steal.
Steve Blake was 2/8 and 0/3 on 3's for 4 points, and he also had 10 assists, 2 rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Nene played a full 32 minutes and was 12/19 and 3/4 from the line for 27 points, and he added 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. He is not getting all the rebounds and blocks that Camby gets but on the other hand he more and more is finding it easier to score than Camby does.
J.R. Smith played for 29 minutes and was 7/13, 3/5 on 3's and 1/3 from the line for 18 points, and he added 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal.
Melo was 12/27, 0/2 on 3's and 7/8 from the line for 31 points, and he had 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Anthony aggravated his injury, but postgame X-rays were negative.
The next game will be Wednesday, Feb. 7 in Denver against the Hornets at 7 pm mountain time.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Melo's Jumper Is Missing: Kings 94 Nuggets 87
Like someone looking for a lost child, Carmelo Anthony has seemingly become more and more frustrated in the last week or so about the fact his famous jump shot is missing. He is not getting easy scores like he did most of his career up until his 36 day suspension. Tonight, he went all out to find the missing skill. Even the Rocky Mountain Rescue Team bloodhounds were released to try to find it, but nothing was found.
True, Artest had a little something to do with it but he was certainly not the main reason for the large number of Melo misses. With only one layup and one dunk in this game, 22 of the 24 shots Melo took were jumpers, and only 5 connected, whereas he and Nuggets fans could have expected at least 9 or 10 to drop based on his previous play through December 16, 2006.
Overall, Melo was only 7/24 from the field, and with Iverson out, the Nuggets were unable to make up for the big shortage of Melo scoring, despite solid contributions from Nene, Steve Blake, and J.R. Smith. It was simply mathematically impossible to win this game with Melo held to 20 and no A.I..
So the Nuggets lost a very winnable game to the Kings, 94-87, to drop to 23-22 and now they are just barely hanging on to the last playoff berth in the West. Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, the team that is well ahead in the division that the Nuggets won last year, the Utah Jazz, beat the high flying Suns in their building, underscoring how far behind the Nuggets are in this years Western Conference. The Nuggets could not beat the Suns in Phoenix right now if it was 5 on 4. The team that many thought would roar like a lion is squeaking like a mouse.
And even if Melo had hit 4 or 5 more shots, though, the Nuggets might have lost anyway, either in regulation or in overtime. Both the Kings and the Nuggets were a very low 38% from the field. The Kings had no one off the bench going on a rampage like so many Nuggets opponents have had recently. Indeed, they had no surprises for the Nuggets to deal with at all, and they presented no major obstacles in the paint, and in general were very beatable and ready to be beaten. They were led by, predictably, SF Ron Artest and SG Kevin Martin. About all they had to do to beat the Nuggets was to protect the ball, which they did with a vengeance, finishing with just 9 turnovers.
The one thing you have to say in the Nugget's defense is that they were playing on the road with no rest, which whoever made the schedule has them doing alot. Meanwhile, the Kings were playing at home after two nights off.
The Nuggets, who came into this game tied with the Knicks, Magic, and Pacers for the most turnovers per game, almost certainly took over the lead in sloppiness with their 21 turnovers in this one. Melo had 6 turnovers, Camby had an extremely unusual 5, and Nene had 4 to lead the Nuggets in this negative category.
And check this, Allen Iverson and Ron Artest are two of the best pickpockets in the League. But with A.I. still out with an ankle sprain, Artest and the Kings picked the Nugget's pockets all game long: they had a huge 14 steals versus just 2 for the Nuggets. Artest had 4 steals, Martin and Bibby had 3 steals each, and 4 other Kings had one each for the incredible total of 14 steals. That, my friends, is having everything in all your pockets stolen.
There was one thing this game had that very few games have: alot of blocks. Marcus Camby, who probably surpassed Jermaine O'Neill as the number one blocker in the NBA with his 7 blocks, led the Nuggets who had a total of 10 blocks. But the Kings, who are just about the worst blocking team in the League, had 2 more than their typical number of blocks: they had 5 blocks.
So a quick way to sum up this fiasco is to think of it this way: Melo missed a ton of jumpers and the Nuggets had a ton of turnovers, while the Kings just laid back and let the Nuggets shoot themselves in the foot in these ways all night long and coasted to an easy but not a very well earned win.
This loss was like two losses in one; you had the actual loss and then the way it was lost. The loss featured an ugly lack of execution and the no show of the Melo shot. Even the Kings fans were curious about just where in the world Melo's shot has gone off to. The Nuggets are in real trouble until and unless these two problems are solved or at least mostly solved. Even with Iverson back in, the Nuggets in this condition still can not possibly beat the Spurs, Jazz or Rockets in a 7 game series, let alone the Lakers, Suns, or Mavs. You are looking at being almost swept in the playoffs, in fact.
The irony is that one problem that appeared to be big has been turning around during the last two games, namely, the severe shortage of performance outside of A.I., Melo, Camby, and J.R.. In the last two games, Nene and Blake have come on strong, and almost everyone else from the bench has contributed something, which is alot better than the almost nothing they were contributing.
But for the Nuggets, as soon as one problem is reduced, another one or two problems sprout up big and ugly. So is there time to get these things under control? Yes, there is about 4 weeks to be exact, as long as the Nuggets don't lose every single game during the 4 weeks.
Diawara played 12 minutes, missed one 3-pointer, and had 1 rebound. Linas Kleiza played 18 minutes and was 3/6, 2/4 on 3's, and 2/2 from the line for 10 points, and he had 2 rebounds. Najera played 19 minutes and was 3/6 for 6 points and he added 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and a steal.
DerMarr Johnson played 21 minutes and was 1/4, 1/3 on 3's, and 1/2 from the line for 4 points and he had 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and a steal.
Nene played 29 minutes and was 5/12 and 3/7 from the line for 13 points, and he had 10 rebounds, 1 block, and 2 assists.
Blake played 29 minutes and was 5/9 and 3/5 from 3-point land for 13 points, and he had 7 assists and 4 rebounds.
J.R. Smith played 25 minutes and was 4/10, 3/8 on 3's, and 2/2 from the line for 13 points, and he had 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Back to back 3-pointers from Blake and Smith in the final minute of the game pulled the Nuggets to within 3, but Artest then calmly sunk a jumper to ice the easy win for the Kings.
Marcus Camby played for 34 minutes and was 3/9 for 6 points. Aside from the huge 15 rebounds and the more huge 7 blocks, he also had 4 assists.
Melo was only 7/25, 1/4 on 3's, and 5/6 from the line for 20 points and he had 7 rebounds and 2 assists. If someone stole Melo's jump shot (I'm thinking Nate Robinson or Isaiah Thomas as the most likely thieves), would you please return it to the Nuggets as soon as possible? You can return it anonymously, and no questions will be asked. Thanks in advance.
The next game will be Monday, Feb. 5 in Denver against the Suns at 7 pm mountain time.
True, Artest had a little something to do with it but he was certainly not the main reason for the large number of Melo misses. With only one layup and one dunk in this game, 22 of the 24 shots Melo took were jumpers, and only 5 connected, whereas he and Nuggets fans could have expected at least 9 or 10 to drop based on his previous play through December 16, 2006.
Overall, Melo was only 7/24 from the field, and with Iverson out, the Nuggets were unable to make up for the big shortage of Melo scoring, despite solid contributions from Nene, Steve Blake, and J.R. Smith. It was simply mathematically impossible to win this game with Melo held to 20 and no A.I..
So the Nuggets lost a very winnable game to the Kings, 94-87, to drop to 23-22 and now they are just barely hanging on to the last playoff berth in the West. Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, the team that is well ahead in the division that the Nuggets won last year, the Utah Jazz, beat the high flying Suns in their building, underscoring how far behind the Nuggets are in this years Western Conference. The Nuggets could not beat the Suns in Phoenix right now if it was 5 on 4. The team that many thought would roar like a lion is squeaking like a mouse.
And even if Melo had hit 4 or 5 more shots, though, the Nuggets might have lost anyway, either in regulation or in overtime. Both the Kings and the Nuggets were a very low 38% from the field. The Kings had no one off the bench going on a rampage like so many Nuggets opponents have had recently. Indeed, they had no surprises for the Nuggets to deal with at all, and they presented no major obstacles in the paint, and in general were very beatable and ready to be beaten. They were led by, predictably, SF Ron Artest and SG Kevin Martin. About all they had to do to beat the Nuggets was to protect the ball, which they did with a vengeance, finishing with just 9 turnovers.
The one thing you have to say in the Nugget's defense is that they were playing on the road with no rest, which whoever made the schedule has them doing alot. Meanwhile, the Kings were playing at home after two nights off.
The Nuggets, who came into this game tied with the Knicks, Magic, and Pacers for the most turnovers per game, almost certainly took over the lead in sloppiness with their 21 turnovers in this one. Melo had 6 turnovers, Camby had an extremely unusual 5, and Nene had 4 to lead the Nuggets in this negative category.
And check this, Allen Iverson and Ron Artest are two of the best pickpockets in the League. But with A.I. still out with an ankle sprain, Artest and the Kings picked the Nugget's pockets all game long: they had a huge 14 steals versus just 2 for the Nuggets. Artest had 4 steals, Martin and Bibby had 3 steals each, and 4 other Kings had one each for the incredible total of 14 steals. That, my friends, is having everything in all your pockets stolen.
There was one thing this game had that very few games have: alot of blocks. Marcus Camby, who probably surpassed Jermaine O'Neill as the number one blocker in the NBA with his 7 blocks, led the Nuggets who had a total of 10 blocks. But the Kings, who are just about the worst blocking team in the League, had 2 more than their typical number of blocks: they had 5 blocks.
So a quick way to sum up this fiasco is to think of it this way: Melo missed a ton of jumpers and the Nuggets had a ton of turnovers, while the Kings just laid back and let the Nuggets shoot themselves in the foot in these ways all night long and coasted to an easy but not a very well earned win.
This loss was like two losses in one; you had the actual loss and then the way it was lost. The loss featured an ugly lack of execution and the no show of the Melo shot. Even the Kings fans were curious about just where in the world Melo's shot has gone off to. The Nuggets are in real trouble until and unless these two problems are solved or at least mostly solved. Even with Iverson back in, the Nuggets in this condition still can not possibly beat the Spurs, Jazz or Rockets in a 7 game series, let alone the Lakers, Suns, or Mavs. You are looking at being almost swept in the playoffs, in fact.
The irony is that one problem that appeared to be big has been turning around during the last two games, namely, the severe shortage of performance outside of A.I., Melo, Camby, and J.R.. In the last two games, Nene and Blake have come on strong, and almost everyone else from the bench has contributed something, which is alot better than the almost nothing they were contributing.
But for the Nuggets, as soon as one problem is reduced, another one or two problems sprout up big and ugly. So is there time to get these things under control? Yes, there is about 4 weeks to be exact, as long as the Nuggets don't lose every single game during the 4 weeks.
Diawara played 12 minutes, missed one 3-pointer, and had 1 rebound. Linas Kleiza played 18 minutes and was 3/6, 2/4 on 3's, and 2/2 from the line for 10 points, and he had 2 rebounds. Najera played 19 minutes and was 3/6 for 6 points and he added 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and a steal.
DerMarr Johnson played 21 minutes and was 1/4, 1/3 on 3's, and 1/2 from the line for 4 points and he had 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and a steal.
Nene played 29 minutes and was 5/12 and 3/7 from the line for 13 points, and he had 10 rebounds, 1 block, and 2 assists.
Blake played 29 minutes and was 5/9 and 3/5 from 3-point land for 13 points, and he had 7 assists and 4 rebounds.
J.R. Smith played 25 minutes and was 4/10, 3/8 on 3's, and 2/2 from the line for 13 points, and he had 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Back to back 3-pointers from Blake and Smith in the final minute of the game pulled the Nuggets to within 3, but Artest then calmly sunk a jumper to ice the easy win for the Kings.
Marcus Camby played for 34 minutes and was 3/9 for 6 points. Aside from the huge 15 rebounds and the more huge 7 blocks, he also had 4 assists.
Melo was only 7/25, 1/4 on 3's, and 5/6 from the line for 20 points and he had 7 rebounds and 2 assists. If someone stole Melo's jump shot (I'm thinking Nate Robinson or Isaiah Thomas as the most likely thieves), would you please return it to the Nuggets as soon as possible? You can return it anonymously, and no questions will be asked. Thanks in advance.
The next game will be Monday, Feb. 5 in Denver against the Suns at 7 pm mountain time.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Nuggets Get Desperate & Beat the Blazers in OT 114-107
With A.I. out due to a sprained ankle and the flu, and with the basketball world starting to talk about the Nuggets in the past tense, the Nuggets were desperate to avoid a fifth straight loss, especially since they were playing at home, where they have already lost too many times for comfort.
So with one engine out, and with one wing on fire, the Nuggets brought their damaged basketball plane in for a safe landing tonight. Steve Blake, on whom George Karl has bet the ranch, Nene, with his painful knee, Marcus Camby with his painful finger, and J.R. Smith, with his youthful temper and impulsiveness, refused to leave the burning deck until they narrowly defeated the Trail Blazers in overtime, 114-107. Nene, Camby, and J.R. were playing the overtime with 5 fouls, as George Karl knew that he had to win at all costs. However, had any of the three actually fouled out, the win would probably have slipped away, so this was a very close call.
The Nuggets scrapped and closely defended much more than usual, even at the cost of fouls. After all, Utah is leading the division and they commit more fouls than anyone, so fouls can't be all bad, right?
Karl also decided that he had to violate all of the rules the trainers set up regarding the caring for Nene's knee, in order to try to get something from the power forward position for a change. So the big man from Brazil played a staggering 38 minutes, and responded by chucking in 20 points on 8/10 shooting.
With 31 seconds to go in regulation, Marcus Camby blocked a Zach Randolph layup, one of his 5 blocks on the night. Diawara got the rebound, and the score remained 95-92 Nuggets. The Trail Blazers were now forced to foul, and Blake got one of two free throws. After Jarrett Jack drove to the hoop for a layup, he fouled Blake, who again only got one of two free throws, so it was now 97-94 Nuggets with 6 seconds left.
So the Nuggets had won, right? Of course not. Brandon Roy, the great rookie guard of the Trail Blazers, who was just named rookie of the month for the Western Conference for January, sunk a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left. Roy led all rookies in scoring (16.6 points) steals (1.69) and minutes (34.4) in January. He was second in assists (3.4) and third in rebounds (4.8). Melo hoisted a quick midrange jumper at the buzzer that missed, and Nene's tip-in was too late, so the Nuggets were forced into overtime as the fire threatening to consume much of their playoff hopes had flared up again. In fact, the flames were getting dangerously close to the fans in the front rows, and those fans were starting to think that Nuggets mania might be more hype than reality.
Steve Blake had already, after a whole series of games in which he was missing, come alive in regulation with 14 points and 11 assists. But in overtime, he stepped up even more and tried to do what A.I. would have done on the burning deck and he succeeded greatly. He made three successful drives to the hoop and made a nice jumper and a follow up free throw. J.R. Smith wisely followed the pattern Blake set up and had two successful drives to the hoop himself with about 2 minutes left in overtime. Aside from a Melo missed jumper at the beginning of overtime, the Nuggets did not miss any shots from the field in overtime.
The Nuggets finally realized that it is better to simplify their game as much as possible, rather than to keep making it unnecessarily complicated. They may be a complicated team, but it does not follow that they should play in a complicated way. They finally began to establish a team flow or rhythm and to take natural, high percentage shots rather than trying to force shots.
They finally started to cut down on lower percentage shots, meaning shots where the player does not have enough experience to sink the shot reliably. Shots should be at the right time, hopefully when the defense has broken down, and should be the highest percentage shot possible for the possession. Career development shots should be kept to a minimum.
For the Nuggets, it was a small step, but you have to learn to walk before you can run.
Melo went all out in the attempt, but remained short of the extremely high scoring accuracy he had before the suspension. 1/3 from beyond the arc, he was only 6/18 on jumpers inside the arc. Since he was 3/5 on jumpers from point blank range, he was only 3/13 on midrange jumpers. Melo has clearly been affected by the great amount of turmoil that has happened to his team in his fourth season. I think the midrange jumper requires alot of inner peace and pure confidence. Fans will have to continue to wait for the return of Melo's near perfect midrange jumper shooting.
Najera fouled out half way through the 4th quarter. He played for 21 minutes and had 6 points on 3/4 shooting. He also had 3 rebounds. Even 6 points was a nice uptick for Najera. Kleiza played 18 minutes and was 2/6 and 0/1 on 3's for 4 points and he also pulled down 8 rebounds. Swingman Diawara played for 14 minutes and was 2/4, 1/3 on 3's, and 2/3 from the line for 7 points. Again, it is a huge improvement for someone to get 6 or 8 points rather than 2 or 3.
Nene played a staggering 38 minutes and was 8/10 and 4/6 from the line for 20 points, and he had 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and a steal. Like a man dying from thirst who comes upon an oasis in the desert, the Nuggets finally had production at power forward just before they burned up.
Steve Blake played virtually the entire game and was 6/7 and 7/11 from the line for 19 points, and he had 14 assists, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds. Is this closer to the real Steve Blake or was this just another flash in the pan game? Or, to put it another way, is Blake going to largely make up for the loss of Boykins or not? The answer will go a long way in determining how much of a threat the Nuggets are in the playoffs.
J.R. Smith played for 27 minutes and was 7/11, 2/4 on 3's and 1/1 from the line for 17 points and he had 2 steals and an assist. Although he made two of them, Smith cut down on his over consumption of 3-point shots and went to the hoop much more in a wise move that increased the odds of victory in this particular game.
Marcus Camby was 3/9 and 2/4 from the line for 8 points, and he had 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 assists, and 3 steals. If Melo is the soul of the Nuggets and A.I. is the heart of the Nuggets, then Camby is the handyman who can fix just about everything in a game.
All-star Carmelo Anthony was 11/26, 1/3 on 3's and 10/14 from the line for 33 points, and he also had 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Melo could not and did not rise to the Michael Jordan level at the buzzer or in the game generally, but everyone should stay tuned for further developments. This suspension recovery thing is by no means over.
Both Melo and J.R. got technicals for jawing with referees at two different points in the game. This is a good sign. As long as it does not become a habit, most of the best players, and the ones most serious about winning, occasionally let a referee know about a perceived mistake he or she made. It is a sign of will to win and intensity.
Now if only Allen Iverson can return so that the Nuggets can win one easily for a change without all the drama. But A.I. is questionable for tomorrow night's game.
The next game is tomorrow night, Saturday, Feb. 3 in Sacramento to play the Kings at 8 pm mountain time.
So with one engine out, and with one wing on fire, the Nuggets brought their damaged basketball plane in for a safe landing tonight. Steve Blake, on whom George Karl has bet the ranch, Nene, with his painful knee, Marcus Camby with his painful finger, and J.R. Smith, with his youthful temper and impulsiveness, refused to leave the burning deck until they narrowly defeated the Trail Blazers in overtime, 114-107. Nene, Camby, and J.R. were playing the overtime with 5 fouls, as George Karl knew that he had to win at all costs. However, had any of the three actually fouled out, the win would probably have slipped away, so this was a very close call.
The Nuggets scrapped and closely defended much more than usual, even at the cost of fouls. After all, Utah is leading the division and they commit more fouls than anyone, so fouls can't be all bad, right?
Karl also decided that he had to violate all of the rules the trainers set up regarding the caring for Nene's knee, in order to try to get something from the power forward position for a change. So the big man from Brazil played a staggering 38 minutes, and responded by chucking in 20 points on 8/10 shooting.
With 31 seconds to go in regulation, Marcus Camby blocked a Zach Randolph layup, one of his 5 blocks on the night. Diawara got the rebound, and the score remained 95-92 Nuggets. The Trail Blazers were now forced to foul, and Blake got one of two free throws. After Jarrett Jack drove to the hoop for a layup, he fouled Blake, who again only got one of two free throws, so it was now 97-94 Nuggets with 6 seconds left.
So the Nuggets had won, right? Of course not. Brandon Roy, the great rookie guard of the Trail Blazers, who was just named rookie of the month for the Western Conference for January, sunk a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left. Roy led all rookies in scoring (16.6 points) steals (1.69) and minutes (34.4) in January. He was second in assists (3.4) and third in rebounds (4.8). Melo hoisted a quick midrange jumper at the buzzer that missed, and Nene's tip-in was too late, so the Nuggets were forced into overtime as the fire threatening to consume much of their playoff hopes had flared up again. In fact, the flames were getting dangerously close to the fans in the front rows, and those fans were starting to think that Nuggets mania might be more hype than reality.
Steve Blake had already, after a whole series of games in which he was missing, come alive in regulation with 14 points and 11 assists. But in overtime, he stepped up even more and tried to do what A.I. would have done on the burning deck and he succeeded greatly. He made three successful drives to the hoop and made a nice jumper and a follow up free throw. J.R. Smith wisely followed the pattern Blake set up and had two successful drives to the hoop himself with about 2 minutes left in overtime. Aside from a Melo missed jumper at the beginning of overtime, the Nuggets did not miss any shots from the field in overtime.
The Nuggets finally realized that it is better to simplify their game as much as possible, rather than to keep making it unnecessarily complicated. They may be a complicated team, but it does not follow that they should play in a complicated way. They finally began to establish a team flow or rhythm and to take natural, high percentage shots rather than trying to force shots.
They finally started to cut down on lower percentage shots, meaning shots where the player does not have enough experience to sink the shot reliably. Shots should be at the right time, hopefully when the defense has broken down, and should be the highest percentage shot possible for the possession. Career development shots should be kept to a minimum.
For the Nuggets, it was a small step, but you have to learn to walk before you can run.
Melo went all out in the attempt, but remained short of the extremely high scoring accuracy he had before the suspension. 1/3 from beyond the arc, he was only 6/18 on jumpers inside the arc. Since he was 3/5 on jumpers from point blank range, he was only 3/13 on midrange jumpers. Melo has clearly been affected by the great amount of turmoil that has happened to his team in his fourth season. I think the midrange jumper requires alot of inner peace and pure confidence. Fans will have to continue to wait for the return of Melo's near perfect midrange jumper shooting.
Najera fouled out half way through the 4th quarter. He played for 21 minutes and had 6 points on 3/4 shooting. He also had 3 rebounds. Even 6 points was a nice uptick for Najera. Kleiza played 18 minutes and was 2/6 and 0/1 on 3's for 4 points and he also pulled down 8 rebounds. Swingman Diawara played for 14 minutes and was 2/4, 1/3 on 3's, and 2/3 from the line for 7 points. Again, it is a huge improvement for someone to get 6 or 8 points rather than 2 or 3.
Nene played a staggering 38 minutes and was 8/10 and 4/6 from the line for 20 points, and he had 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and a steal. Like a man dying from thirst who comes upon an oasis in the desert, the Nuggets finally had production at power forward just before they burned up.
Steve Blake played virtually the entire game and was 6/7 and 7/11 from the line for 19 points, and he had 14 assists, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds. Is this closer to the real Steve Blake or was this just another flash in the pan game? Or, to put it another way, is Blake going to largely make up for the loss of Boykins or not? The answer will go a long way in determining how much of a threat the Nuggets are in the playoffs.
J.R. Smith played for 27 minutes and was 7/11, 2/4 on 3's and 1/1 from the line for 17 points and he had 2 steals and an assist. Although he made two of them, Smith cut down on his over consumption of 3-point shots and went to the hoop much more in a wise move that increased the odds of victory in this particular game.
Marcus Camby was 3/9 and 2/4 from the line for 8 points, and he had 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 assists, and 3 steals. If Melo is the soul of the Nuggets and A.I. is the heart of the Nuggets, then Camby is the handyman who can fix just about everything in a game.
All-star Carmelo Anthony was 11/26, 1/3 on 3's and 10/14 from the line for 33 points, and he also had 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Melo could not and did not rise to the Michael Jordan level at the buzzer or in the game generally, but everyone should stay tuned for further developments. This suspension recovery thing is by no means over.
Both Melo and J.R. got technicals for jawing with referees at two different points in the game. This is a good sign. As long as it does not become a habit, most of the best players, and the ones most serious about winning, occasionally let a referee know about a perceived mistake he or she made. It is a sign of will to win and intensity.
Now if only Allen Iverson can return so that the Nuggets can win one easily for a change without all the drama. But A.I. is questionable for tomorrow night's game.
The next game is tomorrow night, Saturday, Feb. 3 in Sacramento to play the Kings at 8 pm mountain time.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Unproductive Nuggets Lose Ugly to Blazers 100-91
Melo hit a three-pointer very early and one very late, but in between, the Nuggets were in a world of hurt. The Nuggets lately have become like a worn out engine that is not firing on all cylinders. If J.R. is hot, Camby is not. If Camby is hot, then neither Nene, Evans, nor Najera hit much of anything. If Nene and Evans are scoring, then J.R. can't hit the side of the barn. And if A.I. is really hot, almost no one else is.
So there is a dangerous and frustrating lack of consistency in production, not only in actual points, but, worse still, even in the number of shots attempted. The Nuggets are consistently having players playing 20 or even 30 minutes and not attempting more than 1, 2 or 3 shots. What are they afraid of? Or, who is responsible for all the missed opportunities?
In a sluggish, sloppy, ugly game marked by many turnovers and offensive fouls, Zach Randolph and the Trail Blazers did not have to do much to defeat the sparkless and almost listless Nuggets. The Nuggets had 19 turnovers and the Trail Blazers had 18, where 14 is considered the mark for decent execution. The Nuggets failed to pass, distribute, and execute in a competitive way, and finished with a miserably low 13 assists. The Nuggets had a grand total of 6 fast break points. They not only lost, they lost ugly, 100-91.
Neither Carmelo Anthony nor George Karl has been able to motivate or to devise tactics that bring consistency to the play of players such as Steve Blake, Reggie Evans, and Yakhouba Diawara. The Nuggets are in a vicious circle, where each loss motivates the big name starters, A.I., Camby, Melo, and J.R. to try to do more, but they end up just forcing shots and missing opportunities to get the other Nuggets into plays. The Las Vegas style roll of the dice hope that someone will get a few lucky shots and help the starters is not working; Nene, Evans, Johnson, Diawara, Kleiza, and Najera have to be given significant opportunities to produce; they have to get the ball and shoot the ball more than once or twice a night.
In other words, it is high time for Karl, Melo, A.I., and Camby to figure out how they are going to connect themselves with the rest of the squad, so that the rest of the squad can and does contribute consistently on both scoring and defense. If they can not do this, the Nuggets apparently will not even make the playoffs. The problem is that serious. Maybe A.I. can give a little speech at a team meeting explaining how it doesn't do anyone any good to be on a team where players are allowed to underperform and no one does anything about it. The reasons differ from player to player, but the common theme among almost all the Nuggets aside from A.I., Melo, M.C., and J.R. is very few shot attempts, very few points, and very few assists, and that is a formula for losing if there ever was one.
George Karl remains, for some mysterious reason, afraid to start and afraid to play J.R. Smith for as many minutes as he had before the suspensions, when he and Melo were the top scoring tandem in the NBA. With 9 1/2 minutes to go in tonight's game, J.R. was called for an offensive foul and then, 12 seconds later, a personal foul. Karl sat him for the entire rest of the quarter. Then, early in the fourth, he was called for a travel, which was one of his 5 turnovers, and Karl immediately brought in Steve Blake. Smith did not return until 5 1/2 minutes to play, and Brandon Roy's long ball made it 82-74 Blazers right after that. It would have taken at least a couple of 3-pointers from J.R. to give the Nuggets a chance, but Smith took only one such shot and missed it with 1:40 to go, although Nene did stuff it in on the rebound.
Unless J.R. Smith can get 28-30 minutes a night, even if Karl insists that Blake starts, the Nuggets are in trouble. But J.R. has earned starting, as well, and he has fewer turnovers and more confidence if he starts, so it is also important that he starts. The fewer minutes J.R. plays, and the fewer times he starts, the more trouble the Nuggets will be in.
A Camby layup with 51 seconds to go made it 91-88 Blazers, but Jarrett Jack buried the dagger in the Nuggets carcass by sinking a 3 with 33 seconds to go, to put the Blazers ahead by 6. The Nuggets were still behind 96-91 with 18 seconds to go after Melo's very late 3.
Reggie Evans played for 19 minutes and was 2/5 and 1/2 from the line for 5 points, and he had 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Eduardo Najera played for 16 minutes and was 2/3 for 4 points and he had 1 rebound and 1 assist. Nene Hilario played for 24 minutes and was 5/8 and 4/8 from the line for 14 points, and he had 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Steve Blake played 39 minutes and was just 2/5 and 1/2 from the line for 5 points, and he had only 3 assists and 3 rebounds. I hate to be blunt, but that is simply not enough production for that many minutes. Blake has had 3 productive games out of 10 starts, the others have been very unproductive. Earl Boykins would have won this particular game (and others) had he been in for the Nuggets.
Yakhouba Diawara played 27 minutes and was 0/3 and 0/1 on 3's for 0 points, and he had 1 rebound.
If Blake is such a great distributor, then why is it that Yak got only 3 shots? And what about J.R. Smith getting only 10 shots in 26 minutes, with no trips to the line for him either? And how did Marcus Camby end up with more assists, namely 5, than Blake, with 3. Why is Blake starting?
J.R. Smith played 26 minutes and was 4/10 and 1/5 on 3's for 9 points.
Marcus Camby was 6/12 and 5/6 from the line for 17 points, and he had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.
Melo Anthony was 11/25, 2/6 on 3's, and 9/9 from the line for 33 points, and he had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. I hope Melo starts putting up at least 4 or 5 shots from behind the 3-point arc each game. This would be by far the biggest improvement Melo could make in his game, and his hitting some 3-pointers would be crucial for the Nuggets to have a chance in the playoffs (assuming they even make the playoffs.)
The next game will be Friday, Feb. 2 in Denver versus these same Trail Blazers at 7 pm mountain time.
So there is a dangerous and frustrating lack of consistency in production, not only in actual points, but, worse still, even in the number of shots attempted. The Nuggets are consistently having players playing 20 or even 30 minutes and not attempting more than 1, 2 or 3 shots. What are they afraid of? Or, who is responsible for all the missed opportunities?
In a sluggish, sloppy, ugly game marked by many turnovers and offensive fouls, Zach Randolph and the Trail Blazers did not have to do much to defeat the sparkless and almost listless Nuggets. The Nuggets had 19 turnovers and the Trail Blazers had 18, where 14 is considered the mark for decent execution. The Nuggets failed to pass, distribute, and execute in a competitive way, and finished with a miserably low 13 assists. The Nuggets had a grand total of 6 fast break points. They not only lost, they lost ugly, 100-91.
Neither Carmelo Anthony nor George Karl has been able to motivate or to devise tactics that bring consistency to the play of players such as Steve Blake, Reggie Evans, and Yakhouba Diawara. The Nuggets are in a vicious circle, where each loss motivates the big name starters, A.I., Camby, Melo, and J.R. to try to do more, but they end up just forcing shots and missing opportunities to get the other Nuggets into plays. The Las Vegas style roll of the dice hope that someone will get a few lucky shots and help the starters is not working; Nene, Evans, Johnson, Diawara, Kleiza, and Najera have to be given significant opportunities to produce; they have to get the ball and shoot the ball more than once or twice a night.
In other words, it is high time for Karl, Melo, A.I., and Camby to figure out how they are going to connect themselves with the rest of the squad, so that the rest of the squad can and does contribute consistently on both scoring and defense. If they can not do this, the Nuggets apparently will not even make the playoffs. The problem is that serious. Maybe A.I. can give a little speech at a team meeting explaining how it doesn't do anyone any good to be on a team where players are allowed to underperform and no one does anything about it. The reasons differ from player to player, but the common theme among almost all the Nuggets aside from A.I., Melo, M.C., and J.R. is very few shot attempts, very few points, and very few assists, and that is a formula for losing if there ever was one.
George Karl remains, for some mysterious reason, afraid to start and afraid to play J.R. Smith for as many minutes as he had before the suspensions, when he and Melo were the top scoring tandem in the NBA. With 9 1/2 minutes to go in tonight's game, J.R. was called for an offensive foul and then, 12 seconds later, a personal foul. Karl sat him for the entire rest of the quarter. Then, early in the fourth, he was called for a travel, which was one of his 5 turnovers, and Karl immediately brought in Steve Blake. Smith did not return until 5 1/2 minutes to play, and Brandon Roy's long ball made it 82-74 Blazers right after that. It would have taken at least a couple of 3-pointers from J.R. to give the Nuggets a chance, but Smith took only one such shot and missed it with 1:40 to go, although Nene did stuff it in on the rebound.
Unless J.R. Smith can get 28-30 minutes a night, even if Karl insists that Blake starts, the Nuggets are in trouble. But J.R. has earned starting, as well, and he has fewer turnovers and more confidence if he starts, so it is also important that he starts. The fewer minutes J.R. plays, and the fewer times he starts, the more trouble the Nuggets will be in.
A Camby layup with 51 seconds to go made it 91-88 Blazers, but Jarrett Jack buried the dagger in the Nuggets carcass by sinking a 3 with 33 seconds to go, to put the Blazers ahead by 6. The Nuggets were still behind 96-91 with 18 seconds to go after Melo's very late 3.
Reggie Evans played for 19 minutes and was 2/5 and 1/2 from the line for 5 points, and he had 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Eduardo Najera played for 16 minutes and was 2/3 for 4 points and he had 1 rebound and 1 assist. Nene Hilario played for 24 minutes and was 5/8 and 4/8 from the line for 14 points, and he had 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Steve Blake played 39 minutes and was just 2/5 and 1/2 from the line for 5 points, and he had only 3 assists and 3 rebounds. I hate to be blunt, but that is simply not enough production for that many minutes. Blake has had 3 productive games out of 10 starts, the others have been very unproductive. Earl Boykins would have won this particular game (and others) had he been in for the Nuggets.
Yakhouba Diawara played 27 minutes and was 0/3 and 0/1 on 3's for 0 points, and he had 1 rebound.
If Blake is such a great distributor, then why is it that Yak got only 3 shots? And what about J.R. Smith getting only 10 shots in 26 minutes, with no trips to the line for him either? And how did Marcus Camby end up with more assists, namely 5, than Blake, with 3. Why is Blake starting?
J.R. Smith played 26 minutes and was 4/10 and 1/5 on 3's for 9 points.
Marcus Camby was 6/12 and 5/6 from the line for 17 points, and he had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.
Melo Anthony was 11/25, 2/6 on 3's, and 9/9 from the line for 33 points, and he had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. I hope Melo starts putting up at least 4 or 5 shots from behind the 3-point arc each game. This would be by far the biggest improvement Melo could make in his game, and his hitting some 3-pointers would be crucial for the Nuggets to have a chance in the playoffs (assuming they even make the playoffs.)
The next game will be Friday, Feb. 2 in Denver versus these same Trail Blazers at 7 pm mountain time.
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