Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

[Houndy]

Sent mine in, great idea.

[Rta]

Nice idea man I sent my vote.

[Andrew]

Nice idea on the anniversary team. Just sent in my votes.

[Axel The Great]

Excellent idea. Sent my votes in as well.

Also excellent job with the top 5 acquisitions, I still remember when Ty stole Beasley's starting spot in the playoffs, and I too agree that Shannon should be placed higher up than Durant in the list. J.R. at number one is cool.

[rise]

I like this idea, I sent my PM.

[The X]

Nice idea I sent my votes in

[kibaxx7]

Sent Nice idea man.

[Kenny]

Thanks for the votes guys, the support for this idea has been fantastic and apart from a few candidates, the competition for spots on this team is extremely close. In the end, I think the omissions from this side will be the biggest story with the depth of talent I've had on this team.

I may have left someone out, but you have had a lot of players. I have followed from the start, went with who I think deserve it.

You and Thierry both have been supporters of this thread since the humble beginnings and I've very grateful

There's been a lot of memorable contributors to the team, so it's easy to forget people.

Also excellent job with the top 5 acquisitions, I still remember when Ty stole Beasley's starting spot in the playoffs, and I too agree that Shannon should be placed higher up than Durant in the list. J.R. at number one is cool.

Thanks Axel, initially the Ty thing was just to try and combat Rudy Gay, but yeah, he just exploded and I found a way to work him in my system. The biggest regret I have in this dynasty is cutting him loose after his rating decline... but oh well. I thought Shannon deserved the higher spot because I'm still not 100 percent convinced that Durant has proved himself on my team yet and Brown also had some huge games for a bargain-basement guy.

J.R. had to be number one

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

This is the last 5 games of Denver's epic 12 game road trip. Unfortunately after winning their first 7 on the road, they lost 3 of their last 5 going 2-3 in this round. Their loss to Boston helped the Celtics complete a rare feat in sweeping the series against Denver. The Nuggets also lost against the Memphis Grizzlies and a one point heartbreaker against the Bucks. However, let's focus on the positives; they had a 6 point win against league cellar dwellers the New Jersey Nets and the feature game win against the Cavs:

Smith Sparks Win in Ohio



A 39 point performance from J.R. Smith propelled Denver to a 99-93 win against Cleveland. He had a supporting cast of 3 in double figures, with Brandon Jennings leading them with 15. Robin Lopez achieved another double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Kevin Durant had a quiet night with 10 points.

For the Cavs, 3 players (Bertrand Carroll, OJ Mayo and Tyler Jones) scored 21 points and Dirk Blake had 14, but it was Leo Lange who picked up the Sprite Performer of the Game. While he only scored 10 points, he picked up the slack on the boards taking 20 off the glass. Despite giving up height to Robin Lopez, he was able to dominate the matchup on the defensive end.

This is the first time this season that Denver played Cleveland and will look for the series sweep at home in the next 5 game summary.

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DEN@CLE

DEN: 99 (Smith 39, Jennings 15, Lopez 12)
CLE: 93 (Carroll 21, Jones 21, Mayo 21)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Leo Lange 10 points 20 rebounds 5 assists 3 blocks

Rebounds

DEN: Lopez 12
CLE: Lange 20

Assists

DEN: Perko 10
CLE: Jones 6

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Last 5 Games

@MEM: 68-61 L
@CLE: 99-93 W
@NJN: 82-76 W
@BOS: 79-74 L
@MIL: 83-82 L

Denver are now 46-24

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Late Season Arrival

Brandon Jennings has been great the last few games for Denver. Against his former team, he had 24 points, 12 assists and 3 steals. The higher amount of assists is a result of increased set plays using Borislav Perko as a screen.

A Rarity

While Perko picking up a double-double isn't that rare, him doing it without double-digit scoring is. He had 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the Cavs

Vintage T-Mac 2.0

Taylor MacKenzie scorched the Nets for 28 points off the bench. A key to his game was not settling for outside jumpers and moving into mid-range when he couldn't get all the way to the hoop. It's a great time for him to fire up.

Shifting the Focus

Being against Boston, you'd think the focus would be on Robin Lopez, but this time it was Andrew Bogut who caused Robin's brother the most problems. He had 14 points and 16 rebounds in Denver's loss.

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Next 5 Games

GSW
PHX
SAC
CLE
DET

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After all the voting madness, it's a shame I had to report on such an underwhelming 5 game result, but we're on the home stretch now. Not long til the playoffs!

[Houndy]

Eh it's okay, you'll still kick some mega ass in June. Gotta love how T-Mac is playing

[Axel The Great]

I see T-Mac's 'stache is growing back, which is the reason he tore ass against the Nets.

Shame you only went 2-3 this round, but now that that road trip is over, you'll be able to pick up more W's and tear ass like T-Mac, 50-win season is within reach! PS- Lol at Perko's double-double.

[kibaxx7]

Perko with 10 dimes. An all-around guy

[Andrew]

Great to see Bogut having some good games here and there.

[Kenny]

Eh it's okay, you'll still kick some mega ass in June. Gotta love how T-Mac is playing

Here's hoping T-Mac can get these kind of performances going in the big games

I see T-Mac's 'stache is growing back, which is the reason he tore ass against the Nets.

Shame you only went 2-3 this round, but now that that road trip is over, you'll be able to pick up more W's and tear ass like T-Mac, 50-win season is within reach! PS- Lol at Perko's double-double.

Precisely! The moustache giveth the power

I think my record for the remain games has to be 4-8 to be 50 plus, so I guess I'm quietly confident as long as I play the remaining games.

Perko with 10 dimes. An all-around guy

That's why he's one of my favourite guys on the roster; just a great team player.

Great to see Bogut having some good games here and there.

If Bogut was 5 years younger, I'd dare say he'd be starting. His post game is still very strong.

[Kenny]

Since trading Nicolas Batum's expiring contract, Denver now have 3 players on free agency in the following off-season. With Birdman odds-on to retire at the end of this campaign, the focus really is only on two players. While J.R. Smith and Patrick Mills are fairly contrasted in their roles with the team, their impact on eachother maybe more than you think.

If there was a success story of the Roster Player era of Denver, you'd have to say it was Patrick Mills. Even though he was drafted in 2009, Mills rookie campaign didn't start until 2013, when Denver picked up his rights. Even more unexpected was his impact right off the bat. Patty was not only Rookie of the Month for every month of his Rookie season, but he managed to pick up the Rookie Challenge MVP as both a Rookie and a Sophomore... and somehow still managed to finish second in the Rookie voting to Demetrius Charles.

With J.R. Smith playing for Memphis, Mills had to pick up a lot of the offensive slack off the bench. Like Mario Chalmers, he was touted as the next in line to take over the reigns from Chauncey Billups. When J.R. initially came back, his role was slightly diminished, however being the 7th man on the team, he helped Denver get their first championship since the three-peat. But during all the fuss about acquiring Brandon Jennings, he took an even bigger hit, falling back to the 3rd point guard in the rotation and soon to the IR list. Only recently he has reclaimed his spot in the rotation, but in his last year, the damage might have already been done.

While many may believe Smith is a certainty to get re-signed, just cast your mind back to 2011 when he walked out on the team after being insulted by an offer of 8 million a year over 4 seasons. J.R. Smith is arguably the superstar of this team, but he's also an aging one at that. The Nuggets have been a franchise generous to the veterans over the years, but it has come at a price. If J.R. is to remain in the Mile High City, he may have to sacrifice a good chunk of his salary, since 11 million a year (which he is earning this season) might be a bit pricey for a guy who turns 35 in 2020.

Whatever way you look at it, the coming off-season is an important one for Denver and these two players. Mills could stay in Denver and be a backup to Jennings for what could be the remainder of his career or he could seek a new beginning with a team he could start on. As for Earl, he could sacrifice his earnings to stay as a winner or cash-in on a team that is desperately looking to be a contender.

To throw in a cliche; only time will tell.

[The X]

I think you'll end up keeping both, even if Mills looks like a 45 year old white guy

[Warlock95]

How's the Holiday experiment go? Try playing him, I played the Sixers the other day, he bombed 52 on the Cavs...

[Fresh8]

I think you'll end up keeping both, even if Mills looks like a 45 year old white guy

Somehow Mills became Shane Heal

[Houndy]

How's the Holiday experiment go? Try playing him, I played the Sixers the other day, he bombed 52 on the Cavs...

That's because it's the crappy Cavs...

JR is gonna stay, just give him the Max Deal

[Andrew]

Hope you can keep Smith this time around. Perhaps he'll not be so hot-headed or self-absorbed now that he's a little older. Hopefully Mills will be back too.

[Kenny]

I think you'll end up keeping both, even if Mills looks like a 45 year old white guy

Somehow Mills became Shane Heal

Unfortunately Mills hasn't been shooting as well as Heal did during his career... well, in his career in the NBL anyway. It is rather strange how inaccurate his likeness is in this game though... they got David Anderson relatively close, you think they could have done a better job with Mills.

How's the Holiday experiment go? Try playing him, I played the Sixers the other day, he bombed 52 on the Cavs...

That's because it's the crappy Cavs...

JR is gonna stay, just give him the Max Deal

I think even my boy Luke Walton could drop 50 on the Cavs at the moment (ok, that's a stretch, but you get my point). I think his lack of jumpshot in this game really hurts him as far as my rotation is concerned. He might be a bit too big for my liking as well. I guess I have a preference towards smaller points.

I might give J.R. the big salary if he asks for it. It'd be a shame to lose him during the free agency... again.

Hope you can keep Smith this time around. Perhaps he'll not be so hot-headed or self-absorbed now that he's a little older. Hopefully Mills will be back too.

If I keep both I'll pretty much have a set rotation next year and I'll probably just pick up a few vets/bit players to help fill out the lineup. I like my team currently so that might be the best option.

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

The Nuggets experienced another hot-and-cold 5 game stretch but managed to stay above .500 with 3 wins and 2 losses. They started with a comfortable win against the Golden State Warriors, but dropped their second game against LeBron's Suns. They won a close encounter with the Kings of Sacramento, but narrowly missed out on a season sweep against the Cavs. That brings us up to the feature game against the Detroit Pistons:

Smith's 4th Secures Playoffs Spot



J.R. Smith scored 23 points in the 4th quarter to beat the Detroit Pistons 91-82. He ended up with 42 on the night, while bench weapon Taylor MacKenzie scored 23. While Robin Lopez only scored 10 points, he led the Nuggets in rebounds (8) and assists (4). The Pistons were able to keep the game close through Demetrius Russo and Tristan Lehmann. Russo scored 22 points and 4 assists, while the All-Star Power Forward scored 20 and grabbed 8 rebounds. Doran Coutts also hit the glass for 8 rebounds while scoring 12 points.

With Denver's 49th win of the season, they secured their spot in the 2019 playoffs.

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DET@DEN

DEN: 91 (Smith 42, MacKenzie 23, Lopez 10)
DET: 82 (Russo 22, Lehmann 20, Coutts 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: J.R. Smith 42 points 2 rebounds 3 assists 4 steals 2 block

Rebounds

DEN: Lopez, Perko 8
DET: Coutts, Lehmann 8

Assists

DEN: Lopez 4
DET: Russo 4

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Last 5 Games

GSW: 70-59 W
PHX: 84-79 L
SAC: 89-82 W
CLE: 100-95 L
DET: 91-82 W

Denver are now 49-26 with 12 games left in the season

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Instant Offense

Taylor MacKenzie has been excellent coming off the bench recently. Against the Kings he scored a season high 35 points. In his rookie year he earnt himself the 6th man award and might find himself to be an outside shot for the honour this year.

Another Epic Matchup

Durantula Vs Brand LeBron; another one of the great matchups in this era. While both players scored 8 points, LeBron beat Durant in just about every other category... including the one that matters most, the W.

Heroics Unrewarded

It seems a lot of Perko's best performances are when his team is struggling. Against the Cavs he had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead his side... but unfortunately the Nuggets fell short by 5 points.

One Former All-Star Against Another

Andrew Bogut played well against former All-Star MVP Andris Biedrins, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds off the bench.

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Next 5 Games

IND
@UTA
@UTA
DAL
HOU

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Another season, another playoff berth. Something worth noting that while the Nuggets gained a spot in this year's playoffs, around the same time it was announced that the Timberwolves were no longer in the hunt. With just 7 games left in the season, the Nuggets have the opportunity to consolidate their number 1 seed. Unless I think of an article to put up beforehand, the next post shall be the last 5 game summary of the season.

[Axel The Great]

And there goes T-Mac 2.0 with the epic performances, though I see he's shaved off the stache so that won't keep up anymore.

LeBron may have edged out KD, but KD will edge him out in the playoffs, where it matters most.

[The X]

I'm hating Lebron James for wearing Cedric Ceballos' number with the Suns

[Houndy]

How bout dem Nuggets. keep killing with T-Mac and you'll be good