Team Name: Denver Nuggets
Last Year’s Record: 54-28
Key Losses: Dahntay Jones and Linas Kleiza
Key Additions: Ty Lawson, Malik Allen, and Arron Afflalo
1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?
The Nuggets chose not to get involved with the free agent arms race that was taking place during the off-season by the Western Conference’s elite teams and for the most part stood pat with their nucleus returning from last season. Denver was able to resign fan favorite, Chris “Birdman” Andersen and steady back-up point guard, Anthony Carter. From the last year’s starting five, Dahntay Jones left the Nuggets as a free agent to sign with the Indiana Pacers and off the bench Linas Kleiza left the NBA for Greek powerhouse, Olympiakos.
However, after losing two key contributors from last season the Nuggets weren’t going to be content to just take a step back. Nuggets’ brass engineered a genius draft night trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 18th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, point guard Ty Lawson from the University of North Carolina. The Nuggets also replaced the departed Dahntay Jones by orchestrating a trade with the Detroit Pistons who sent third-year shooting guard Arron Afflalo and the seldom used Walter Sharpe in exchange for Denver’s second round draft pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. But the Nuggets weren’t done yet…To bolster their front court, Denver quickly traded Walter Shapre and Sonny Weems to acquire 6’10”, nine-year veteran, Malik Allen, from the Milwaukee Bucks.
In my assessment, anytime a team is able to walk away from draft night with a first round talent without having a first round pick they’ve done themselves a tremendous service. Ty Lawson is a proven winner at the collegiate level and under the wing of veteran point guard Chauncey Billups his adjustment to the NBA should be fast tracked. I also think the trade with Detroit was a very smart move by Nuggets’ management. Arron Afflalo is a very strong defender who possesses quick feet and good length. Afflalo is also an upgrade on the other end of the floor from the offensively challenged Dahntay Jones while providing youth to the Denver roster. Obtaining Malik Allen was another move that signifies that Denver wants to remain one of the elite teams in the Western Conference. Sonny Weems and Walter Sharpe were not in a position to crack George Karl’s rotation this season. But, by trading them to the Milwaukee Bucks for Malik Allen, the Nuggets have added another veteran presence to a locker room full of them while addressing Denver’s undersized front court.
2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?
The Nuggets’ biggest strengths revolve around its starting five. Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith, Nene, and Kenyon Martin are as good as any starting five in the league. Right there you have an elite scorer in Carmelo Anthony, an elite floor general in Chauncey Billups, an elite defender in Kenyon Martin, an imposing force in the middle with Nene, and lightning in a bottle with J.R. Smith. Together, they are a team that can put up mind-boggling offensive stats and match up well with any team in the league defensively.
3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?
Depth is going to be the Nuggets’ biggest weakness. New back-ups at shooting guard (Afflalo), small forward (Balkman), and power forward (Malik Allen) are going to have to emerge as reliable contributors for this team to be successful.
4. What are the goals for this team?
The goal for the Denver Nuggets is an NBA Championship. Last season, the Mile High City was forced to wonder “What if?” after stretching the eventual NBA Champion Lakers to six games in the Western Conference Finals after poor decisions inbounding the ball played pivotal roles in two key losses. The 2009-10 season is a chance for the Nuggets to answer that lingering question by returning to the Western Conference Finals and advancing to the franchise’s first appearance in the NBA Finals.
5. What do the Nuggets need to avoid to ensure a successful season?
The Nuggets need to avoid having anymore games missed by key contributors. Potential injuries aside, Denver is already behind the eight ball as a result of J.R. Smith starting the season suspended for the first seven games as punishment for a driving conviction this off-season and pending DUI charges on Renaldo Balkman could result in games missed by one of Denver’s back-up small forwards.
Projected Finish: 51-31
Go Nuggets!
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And this year's team is I believe better that last year given a full pre-season with Chauncey Billups and I would like to think that Carmelo Anthony would have a break-out season this year (a case of one step backwars, two steps forward) considering that he had a rather quiet season last year compared to his previous seasons although he did come out in the playoffs especially in the series against Dallas and Los Angeles.