No Blood No Foul

The sports blog world is probably going to erupt tomorrow with news that Carmelo has demanded a trade. I can see it now – hundreds of bloggers saying that Denver *has* to trade Melo or risk losing him for nothing.

Not so fast.

While it’s certainly true Denver would probably be wise to move Carmelo now, they certainly don’t have to. There are a lot of unknowns that play in Denver’s favor. (more…)

With no possibility of improving in free agency or the draft, little potential for improving via trade, and the harsh reality that Denver is no better than the 3rd best team in the Western conference, all signs point to a franchise that needs to rebuild. Barring the sudden availability of an impact player via trade, I expect Melo, Nene, and Chauncey will all be traded by next February. Here’s why:

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If you’re looking for a full recap of the game, both Bust a Bucket and The Nugg Doctor have done a nice job of breaking down last night’s game from each fan perspective.

Here are some thoughts I have about the game that I haven’t seen mentioned:

1. McMillan needs to resolve the PG question. I believe McMillan yanked Andre Miller at about the 6 min mark in the 4th quarter last night. Blake wasn’t playing nearly as well as Miller last night, and when Dre sat down the look on his face said it all. McMillan recognized his mistake at about 3 mins, but by then Blake had thrown a nasty turn-over. I recognize that it’s early, but I see this being a source of concern in Portland.

Miller is the better player, and the fact that McMillan isn’t starting him could upset team chemistry. Or it might not. As I said, it’s a concern in my mind.

2. Denver needs (more…)

If you watched the playoffs back in May and June, you can see that the Denver Nuggets need depth at the center position. While there’s been talk of working a deal for Jeff Foster (and I like that possibility), I think Kurt Thomas represents an excellent opportunity to grab a championship-caliber veteran player without giving up much of anything (a.k.a Steven Hunter – no offense).

Kurt Thomas would be a great Denver Nugget

Here’s what I like about Denver trading for Kurt Thomas (aside from the fact that Thomas is a better player than Steven Hunter): (more…)

Anthony Carter is going to get the blame, but the Nuggets lost this game in the last 3 minutes. They simply don’t have the experience in close games. A silly reach in foul, one poor rotation, and one bad possession is all it takes to lose in a game like this.

Denver’s disadvantage on the boards is profound. They’never been good on the boards this season…if only McDyess had stayed. The Nuggets are still one big man away.

By the way, I’m pretty sure that Carter isn’t the Nuggets best passer. Why is he making the in-bounds on the most critical possession of the game? Karl’s confidence in his role players is great, but he deserves part of the blame here as well. (more…)

Here’s what the Lakers-Nuggets 2008-2009 Western Conference Finals are going to look like:

Point Guards – Billups and Carter vs. Fisher, Farmar, and Brown. There’s an awful lot to like about L.A.’s trio of point guards. Brown is lightening quick, Farmar is a talented shooter and capable player, and Fisher is big, strong, and clutch. Denver’s Anthony Carter is a good game manager and a great defender, but I don’t think he’ll be able to match the point output from Brown and Farmar. Lucky for Denver, Chauncey will easily outplay Fisher. Advantage: Nuggets.

Shooting Guards – Dahntay Jones and J.R. Smith vs. Vujacic and some guy named Kobe. If the series lasts 7 games, there will be 1 game where J.R. Smith almost matches Kobe offensively – ONE. Most of the time, Kobe will double up J.R.’s scoring. When you add in Kobe’s defensive abilities and his superman powers, he wins the match-up all by himself.

Having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jones managed to get under Kobe’s skin a little in this series. In fact, the best thing Jones can do is figure out a way to get Kobe suspended (sounds like a crappy job). Advantage: Lakers (and it’s big). (more…)