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

Free Agency Signings

High Flyer in Mile High City



Athletic centre DeAndre Jordan signed a two year deal with the Denver Nuggets. Jordan has been added to bolster the centre rotation as both Chris Andersen and Andrew Bogut retired at the end of last season.

Rudy Makes NBA Comeback



After looking like he'd retire in his native Spain, Rudy Fernandez has surprised everyone by signing a two year deal with Denver at the Veteran's minimum.

Big Free Agency Signings in the NBA

Zach Pearson to New York

Luther Rutherford to New Jersey

Blake Griffin to Milwaukee

Fred Carroll to Orlando

Javale McGee to Philadelphia

Al Jefferson to Indiana

Danilo Gallinari to New Jersey

Lawrence Coutts to New Orleans

Thomas Bender to Oklahoma City

Jerryd Bayless to Portland

Like the updates. Hope this rook turns out good, like all the rooks in this D you've acquired

The only thing that pissed me off about the Melo trade in real life was that Billups was put in the deal against his will. Losing him was the bigger tragedy to Denver basketball in my opinion because he played there in high school and college. I kept him on for so long because of that and I also think he's been one of the best in this dynasty. As for retiring his jersey, I didn't do it officially yet, but it's pretty much been implied that his number 1 won't be worn by anyone else.

Yes, that pissed me off as well; I don't think Chauncey should have to pay for Melo's whining about wanting to get out of Denver. Billups was probably pissed at Melo after the trade. But then I thought the Knicks would agree on a buyout with him so he could return to Denver but seeing as how it hasn't happened, I'm guessing he's playing the rest of the season and he'll probably return to Denver afterwards.

I liked the top 10 plays, in that Jennings for 4, I actually thought you'd made a really deep three. I like the Jordan acquisition, good shotblocker and very athletic. Has he improved his 38% free throw shooting in this story?

Nice additions in DeAndre and Rudy. I traded Rudy to the Nuggets in my Spurs. Looking forward to the jersey retirement ceremony for Birdman and Mr. Big Shot.

Like the updates. Hope this rook turns out good, like all the rooks in this D you've acquired

His overall rating (59) is a little concerning, but I guess with the player tendencies and what not, the rating doesn't matter as much as it used to. Hopefully I can over-achieve with him. He has the same last name as me, so hopefully it won't just resort to a little Homerism

The only thing that pissed me off about the Melo trade in real life was that Billups was put in the deal against his will. Losing him was the bigger tragedy to Denver basketball in my opinion because he played there in high school and college. I kept him on for so long because of that and I also think he's been one of the best in this dynasty. As for retiring his jersey, I didn't do it officially yet, but it's pretty much been implied that his number 1 won't be worn by anyone else.

Yes, that pissed me off as well; I don't think Chauncey should have to pay for Melo's whining about wanting to get out of Denver. Billups was probably pissed at Melo after the trade. But then I thought the Knicks would agree on a buyout with him so he could return to Denver but seeing as how it hasn't happened, I'm guessing he's playing the rest of the season and he'll probably return to Denver afterwards.

I liked the top 10 plays, in that Jennings for 4, I actually thought you'd made a really deep three. I like the Jordan acquisition, good shotblocker and very athletic. Has he improved his 38% free throw shooting in this story?

It all depends on Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton. Lawson has huge potential and if he continues to play well, Denver might decide they don't need to have Chauncey back. Still, I'd like to see him there again for sentimental reasons.

It's funny because I wanted to throw people off with that title and I'm glad it kind of worked. I wish Antoine Walker was in the game so I could bring him on as a sideshow in the blowout games. As for Jordan, I'm going to maintain that he's a poor free throw shooter, but if he improves, it's going to be the outstanding coaching staff at Denver getting all the praise

Nice additions in DeAndre and Rudy. I traded Rudy to the Nuggets in my Spurs. Looking forward to the jersey retirement ceremony for Birdman and Mr. Big Shot.

Oh that's cool; I've actually always liked Rudy. Even though he's basically a corpse and is in the side for depth purposes, I'm hoping there will be one or two good news stories about him this season. Still thinking of when the ceremony will be, but it'll definitely happen.

Prologue

The first 10 years of The Next Level are over... and now it's time for some players to step up. One player that comes to mind is Robin Lopez, who has had a mixed tenure with the Nuggets. Last year he had some big performances, but with the retirement of both Chris Andersen and Andrew Bogut, he will have to step it up once again for Denver to make a run at a 4th consecutive title. In the off-season the Nuggets enlisted help in the form of DeAndre Jordan and Aaron Watters, but the weight of expectation will be on Lopez, being the experienced player in crucial games.

This season is also an opportunity for Borislav Perko to have his awaited breakout season. At times he threatened to do so last season, but was unable to string together consistant performances in Denver's offensive bottleneck. Along with Kevin Durant, he will be a free agent at the end of this season and his contract could very well be hinged on how productive his season is. With George Power fading and Crispin Erwin a fringe bench player, Perko will be getting a lot more minutes and there's no reason to why this shouldn't be his best year yet.

Then of course there's Earl; the 2019 playoffs proved what a truly great player he still is. He will need to turn it on once again and Kevin Durant will have to remain content with being a complementary player.

This is arguably one of Denver's most balanced sides. Every player has a precise vision to what their goal is. Will the pieces fall together? Or will this dynasty break down like it did after the first three-peat? We can only wait and see what unfolds.

The 2019-2020 Denver Nuggets

The Starters



| Robin Lopez | Borislav Perko | Kevin Durant | J.R. Smith | Brandon Jennings |

The Bench



| Ed Reed | Taylor MacKenzie | DeAndre Jordan | George Power | Aaron Watters | Patrick Mills | Dennis Da Conceicao |

IR



| Rudy Fernandez | Crispin Erwin | Adrian Young |

In

DeAndre Jordan (free agency), Rudy Fernandez (free agency), Aaron Watters (acquired from Oklahoma City), Adrian Young (first round pick)

Out

Chris Andersen (retired), Andrew Bogut (retired), Jrue Holiday (sent to Oklahoma City), Basil Richter (free agency)

I'm probably going to put up an article or two before I post the first 5 games. Here comes another season!

The Denver Rose Garden


When you have a dynasty that has gone for a number of years, you notice a few interesting patterns, whether they've been on purpose or purely coincidental. With the signing of Rudy Fernandez this season, I cast my mind back and thought "Hmmm... another Portland player. How many of these guys have I had?"

If we're talking about the current Trail Blazers side in real life, I have had 5. Here they are:

LaMarcus Aldridge: 2014-2016
Nicolas Batum: 2013-2018
Marcus Camby: 2011-2012
Rudy Fernandez: 2019-present
Patrick Mills: 2013-present

Look at the years and it shows that there has been atleast one player from the current Trail Blazers side on the team since 2011. That's a lot of love for the city of roses... even if it was unintentional.

Admittedly I never considered myself a Portland fan, but I have always admired the way they've kept a competitive side no matter what misfortune was thrown at them. The kind of quality I look for in a team; but fortunately for the Nuggets, the bad luck hasn't struck too often *knock on wood*.

Awww..... why trade Jrue? I thought you're gonna resign him until he's 40. Besides, you're gonna need his 3pt shooting in the event your other point guards get injured...

Also, retro year is over! Time to bust out the sky-blue and white again!

Solid offseason moves. Lopez and Jordan definitely have some big shoes to fill, hope they can step it up. Hope you can get something out of your rookies too, Young sounds like he could be promising as a solid role player albeit kind of stuck between two positions at forward. Perhaps that will turn out to be versatility though, with his size he might even be able to spend some time at centre if you go small.

Wow this is one long dynasty I remember that we started a dynasty almost at the same time and I still can't do a successful one. Doesn't it gets boring when almost of the players are generic? Anyways congrats on this sure HOF story.

Wow this is one long dynasty I remember that we started a dynasty almost at the same time and I still can't do a successful one. Doesn't it gets boring when almost of the players are generic? Anyways congrats on this sure HOF story.

Generics are the best. You just have to give them life. Although if you haven't, then it can be trouble when all the current players are gone.

Wow this is one long dynasty I remember that we started a dynasty almost at the same time and I still can't do a successful one. Doesn't it gets boring when almost of the players are generic? Anyways congrats on this sure HOF story.

Generics are the best. You just have to give them life. Although if you haven't, then it can be trouble when all the current players are gone.

I know giving some generics its personality is fun but having the league almost filled with generics is a different story.

Wow this is one long dynasty I remember that we started a dynasty almost at the same time and I still can't do a successful one. Doesn't it gets boring when almost of the players are generic? Anyways congrats on this sure HOF story.

Generics are the best. You just have to give them life. Although if you haven't, then it can be trouble when all the current players are gone.

I know giving some generics its personality is fun but having the league almost filled with generics is a different story.

I played a Nuggets (coincidentally) Dynasty back in Live '04 about 10 seasons in and it's not as bad as you think. Whilst there is not as much interest around the league, you really have to focus on your own team and you get attached to your own generics. You can see that in this dynasty. Short, quick seasons help. I don't know if I could 82 games of it though.

All I have to say is those articles are awesome.

Funny about the Blazers connection. I had Aldridge, Roy and Oden on my last Thunder dynasty.

Can we expect to see some alley-oops to Jordan like in real life?

Awww..... why trade Jrue? I thought you're gonna resign him until he's 40. Besides, you're gonna need his 3pt shooting in the event your other point guards get injured...

Also, retro year is over! Time to bust out the sky-blue and white again!

Jrue just wasn't fitting in, plus with Ed Reed proving to be a more than competent point guard, there were too many in my rotation. It was going to be between him and Mills and I found that Mills was a better fit. I would have liked to have stuck with the experiment, but the team has to come first.

And yes, the gaudy Nuggets retro jersey will be put away for this season

Solid offseason moves. Lopez and Jordan definitely have some big shoes to fill, hope they can step it up. Hope you can get something out of your rookies too, Young sounds like he could be promising as a solid role player albeit kind of stuck between two positions at forward. Perhaps that will turn out to be versatility though, with his size he might even be able to spend some time at centre if you go small.

I had a few options but I felt like Jordan would be the best choice for a backup. Hopefully his athleticism can translate to effective pick and roll plays and some showy alley oops. As for Young, there's not much to suggest that he'll be anymore than a handy rotation player that'll cause matchup problems with his size, but right now that's all he really needs to do. With any luck Durant will breakout in the Nuggets jersey and Young could get some garbage time.

Wow this is one long dynasty I remember that we started a dynasty almost at the same time and I still can't do a successful one. Doesn't it gets boring when almost of the players are generic? Anyways congrats on this sure HOF story.

Generics are the best. You just have to give them life. Although if you haven't, then it can be trouble when all the current players are gone.

I know giving some generics its personality is fun but having the league almost filled with generics is a different story.

I played a Nuggets (coincidentally) Dynasty back in Live '04 about 10 seasons in and it's not as bad as you think. Whilst there is not as much interest around the league, you really have to focus on your own team and you get attached to your own generics. You can see that in this dynasty. Short, quick seasons help. I don't know if I could 82 games of it though.

Generics make things interesting for me because they give me a blank canvas to work with and with their NBA Comparisons, you can somewhat play their careers out in the way you wished that your favourite players did. I'm still yet to find the Josh Childress-like rookie, but if I do I'll be trying to get multiple MVPs with him

All I have to say is those articles are awesome.

Thanks Houndy, I'm glad you're enjoying them

Funny about the Blazers connection. I had Aldridge, Roy and Oden on my last Thunder dynasty.

Can we expect to see some alley-oops to Jordan like in real life?

Yeah I noticed that in your last story, that front court was beastly! I still have no idea how you got Lopez, Horford, Durant and Westbrook on the same team on your new one as well. You've certainly got a good blueprint going.

If I see Jordan open and heading towards the hoop, there's no way I'll be able to resist throwing the ball up for him!

5 Game Summary

It's the beginning of the new era; the next 10 years of TNL have begun with a 5 game winning streak for the Denver Nuggets. All 5 games were on the road, as they started their campaign with a win in Oklahoma City. They were overwhelming winners against the Blakeless Grizzlies, but the Nuggets would encounter a team on the rise for the feature game in New Orleans. After being tested against the Hornets, they had little trouble taking care of Western Conference rivals the Houston Rockets in both games. Here's how the feature game went:

Nuggets Sting Hornets



After trailing for most of the game, the Denver Nuggets came up with a 88-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. It wasn't looking good for the Nuggets at the start as Hobbes MacDonald caused headaches for the defense. He scored a game-high 24 points and stuffed the stats sheet to be the performer of the game. Despite his strong performance, Denver had two equally strong efforts on the offensive end by Borislav Perko and Kevin Durant, as they both scored 20 points. Perko also managed to pick up a double-double with 12 rebounds. J.R. Smith played an unfamiliar role as the team's 3rd scoring option as he registered 17 points, while Ed Reed continued his strong start to the season with 13 off the bench.

Along with MacDonald, the Hornets had 3 other double figure scorers. Rex Collins scored 16, while Pablo Carlos and Rufus Baylor both had 15 each. Carlos was 1 rebound shy of a double-double.

Before this meeting both teams had an unbeaten record of 2-0. With the Hornets making their intentions clear of being a contender this season, they had the better of Denver for 3 quarters. This was Denver's 3rd win on the road, with 5 more games to come before heading back to the Mile High City.

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DEN@NOH

DEN: 88 (Durant 20, Perko 20, Smith 17)
NOH: 82 (MacDonald 24, Collins 16, Baylor 15)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Hobbes MacDonald 24 points 4 rebounds 6 assists 2 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 12
NOH: Coutts 13

Assists

DEN: Jennings, Jordan 3
NOH: MacDonald 6

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Last 5 Games

@OKC: 88-79 W
@MEM: 100-82 W
@NOH: 88-82 W
@HOU: 88-80 W
@HOU: 95-74 W

Denver start the season with a record of 5-0.

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Warming Up

After a quiet start to the season, J.R. Smith was at his MVP best against Houston. In the first game of the back-to-back, he scored 38 points. He currently leads the team in points per game with 24. Is this the calm before the storm?

All-Star Season?

It's of course too early to predict whether Borislav Perko is finally going to have that breakout season, but if he can sustain his numbers he will be in the forefront for MIP considerations. He is currently averaging 18.4 points, 8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. His role in the team has increased dramatically and it's the result of having another strong post-season.

Ed Threed

Ed Reed has followed his huge playoff campaign with an excellent start to the 2019-2020 season. He is currently averaging 20 points per game and is shooting at 45 percent from beyond the arc. His best performance came in the second game against the Rockets where he scored 34 points. Is it just a matter of time before he takes Brandon Jennings' starting spot? Or will he be Denver's Jason Terry?

DeAwesome Debut

After just one game in the Nuggets jersey, DeAndre Jordan made his claim for the starting centre spot. Against the Thunder he had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. With both Bogut and Andersen retiring, Denver needed an enforcer in the paint and it looks like Jordan is going to answer the call.

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Next 5 Games

@SAN
@POR
@UTA
ATL
CHI

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Next 5 games should be up soon. I'm thinking of activating Adrian Young for the first home game against the Atlanta Hawks and see what he's made of. Hopefully he can prove the pundits wrong about him being a questionable pick at 29.

Yeah I noticed that in your last story, that front court was beastly! I still have no idea how you got Lopez, Horford, Durant and Westbrook on the same team on your new one as well. You've certainly got a good blueprint going.

Basically my strategy is getting the minimum amount of guaranteed contracts for season 2, whilst keeping my main stars.
Then hoping I get lucky with who is available in the off-season. I got Lopez by trading a first round pick and Jeff Green, who was an all-star last season.

Perfect start to the season, 5 road wins is really nice. Looking good for title #7 already.

5-0... That's not unusual for the Nuggets. Nice start

I think you should keep Reed on the bench for that Jamal Crawford/Jason Terry role. Yung Buck should start.

Pretty rough schedule to start the season, but really doesn't affect the team. Great to see DeAndre Jordan having a good run; him and Perko make a great, athletic frontcourt. Looking forward to seeing what Young has to bring to the table.

Ed Reed for 6th Man Looking good man.

Ed Reed AKA The Flute.

Great start to the season! I'm interested to see if Reed will end up with the starting spot, though it seems like he could be really good in a Jason Terry/Jamal Crawford-type role.

Well deserved 2000 replies.