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

[Cruzerr]

Aww man. Cmon dude, you got shit. We have done this shit before have we not?

Just, take each game 1 by 1 and see how you end out, rooting over here.

[Andrew]

No way, it can't go down like that. Epic comeback time.

[Kenny]

Aww man. Cmon dude, you got shit. We have done this shit before have we not?

Just, take each game 1 by 1 and see how you end out, rooting over here.

I was down 3-0 to the Rockets a couple of seasons ago, so the situation isn't completely unfamiliar... but I also think I was down 3-1 to the Spurs in the first season... that didn't turn out quite so well

No way, it can't go down like that. Epic comeback time.

I was thinking of dropping the conclusion of this tomorrow, but I have it now. Patience isn't a great virtue of mine

[Kenny]

NBA Playoffs: Denver Vs San Antonio
The Conclusion

Game 5: Old Duo Extend Series To 6



J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony answered the S.O.S. as they helped the Nuggets win Game 5 by 93-85. They combined for 55 points, as Earl scored 28 and Melo 27. Dwight Howard was well contained once again, but managed 14 points, while Borislav Perko flirted with another triple-double (11 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists).

After a couple of quiet performances, Alejandro Carlos came to the forefront for the Spurs, scoring 30 points. Jamie Mathieu continued his impressive series, grabbing another double-double with 22 points and 12 assists. Bartholomew David (16 points, 7 assists) and Ralph Patel (11 points, 13 rebounds) both contributed to the cause, but the Spurs had no answer for the dynasty's original stars.

The Nuggets now face a game 6 in San Antonio, trailing 3-2.

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SAN@DEN

DEN: 93 (Smith 28, Anthony 27, Howard 14)
SAN: 85 (Carlos 30, Mathieu 22, David 16)

Sprite Performer of the Game: J.R. Smith 28 points 4 rebounds 2 assists 2 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 11
SAN: Patel 13

Assists

DEN: Perko 9
SAN: David 7

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Game 6: Nuggets Even Up Series



After trailing 3-1, the Nuggets have evened up the series by winning 80-76 in San Antonio. J.R. Smith once again found his shooting touch, being the top scorer of the game with 22 points. Carmelo Anthony and Taylor MacKenzie both provided solid support with 14 each, while Borislav Perko got yet another triple-double with 12 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. The real surprise of the game came from JaVale McGee, who scored 10 big points while Howard was resting.

For the Spurs, Alejandro Carlos basically played a lone hand with 21 points, even Ralph Patel, Mathieu (11 rebounds) and Kerry Hofmann all scored 10. They made a good run in the fourth, but some late shots made this look closer than this really was.

Denver head into Game 7 with the momentum and the home game. Can they be stopped from here?

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DEN@SAN

DEN: 80 (Smith 22, Anthony 14, MacKenzie 14)
SAN: 76 (Carlos 21, Hofmann 10, Mathieu 10)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 12 points 14 rebounds 13 assists 2 blocks

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 14
SAN: Mathieu 11

Assists

DEN: Perko 13
SAN: Carlos, David, Gibson 5

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Game 7: Spurs Upset Top Seed; Dynasty Over?



The San Antonio Spurs have done the unthinkable and have ended an era of domination by winning Game 7 by 94-86. It seems the Denver Nuggets have a new enemy in Alejandro Carlos, who was clinical in the Spurs win with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Johnny Gibson scored 16, while perenial Nuggets tormentor Rudy Gay also joined the party with 14. Jamie Mathieu had a quieter game, but still ended up with a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Nuggets were defiant til the end, with Taylor MacKenzie (29) and J.R. Smith (26) both having strong games. For the third time this series, Dwight Howard was held to 14 points, while Borislav Perko had one of the better games of his post-season, with 12 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.

After being the top of the league with 67 wins, this result will go down as one of the biggest boilovers in NBA history. Many have already drawn comparisons between Borislav Perko and Dirk Nowitzki; both winning the MVP trophy but being bundled out as the West's top seed.

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SAN@DEN

SAN: 94 (Carlos 32, Gibson 16, Gay 14)
DEN: 86 (MacKenzie 29, Smith 26, Howard 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Alejandro Carlos 32 points 6 rebounds 4 assists 1 block 2 steals

Rebounds

SAN: Mathieu 11
DEN: Perko 17

Assists

SAN: Gibson 8
DEN: Perko 10

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So with this result, I'm seriously considering simming the next season. I have a few story ideas in my head at the moment and I think it could be quite interesting. I'm by no means feeling deterred, I just think this would be a good chance to rebuild the team with some young(er) talent.

[Kenny]

Press Conference

The often reclusive GM of the Denver Nuggets Kenny Young gave a press conference after their early exit. Here are the highlights from it:

On the Dynasty

Well, I guess everything truly great needs to come to an end. We were the best for 4 straight seasons, 5 if you count this regular season. It was a great ride and one I've enjoyed every minute of. You want it to last forever, but you know that's never going to happen. For it to last as long as it has, with all the salary cap restrictions and other various elements, it's something I'm very happy with. But you're always wanting one more ring.

On San Antonio Spurs

Every single game they came at us and on 4 of those, we didn't have what it takes. I don't think we played badly at all, the Spurs were just too good. They've always been a great franchise with great players, we have 4 future Hall of Famers starting and one who's currently on the injury reserve (Brandon Roy), they couldn't have beaten us if they weren't a great team. So we could sit here and talk about how the Nuggets "choked" or we can discuss how great the Spurs played.

On Taylor MacKenzie

His improvement over the past year both as a player and as a teammate has been nothing short of amazing. We put a lot of faith in him over the years and he's starting to repay us every opportunity he gets. He had 1 bad game out of 7 and it was one we happened to win anyway. He was probably our best player in the series.

On Borislav Perko

He really deserves to be the MVP and he deserved a much better finish to the season. If there was one guy that everyone wanted to win the NBA Championship for, it was him. He will be the cornerstone of this franchise for many years to come.

On the Big Free Agents

We'll see what happens. I'll be having discussions with all of them to see where they think they can fit in as far as the future of the franchise is concerned. Earl, Melo and Dwight aren't getting any younger, but I think they all still have at least a year left in them... in Dwight's case, he probably has another 2 or 3. On the other hand, this also could be an opportunity to invest in some future talent. I guess I have a decision to make.

On the Year That Was

If anyone can give me a movie that was incredible in the beginning and the middle, but had a terrible ending that spoiled the whole thing, that's the best way to describe how the 20-21 season. Chasing Amy anyone? I'm kidding, I'm actually a big Kevin Smith fan... hope he isn't watching this.

--------------------------------

Please note: I actually do like the movie Chasing Amy, I just couldn't think of any other movie that would match the description ... plus I wanted a nice little "Shaq-esque" cheap shot in there.

[Kenny]

Retirements

Melo Calls It Quits

Carmelo Anthony has decided to retire after 18 seasons in the NBA. The decision apparently came midway through the ill-fated San Antonio series and Melo reportedly admitted to not being able to keep up with Alejandro Carlos.

Anthony had a decorated career, in which he spent all but 2 1/2 half seasons with Denver. He was also one of the last remaining members of the first championship along with his partner in crime, J.R. Smith. He won the Finals MVP in all four championships that he won. During the dynasty era, he was an All-Star four times, an All-Star MVP in 2011 and was an All-NBA First team player twice.

He will go down as one of the greatest to ever put on a Denver Nuggets jersey.

Roy Retires

Along with the news of Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Roy has chosen this as the right time to call it a career as well. He spent his entire career, with the exception of this season with Portland Trail Blazers, where he won an NBA Championship and was named the Finals MVP.

Smith To Play On... But Not With Denver?

It's reported that J.R. Smith will go on for another season, but it's unlikely that it will be with the Nuggets. His inconsistent playoff performances and off-court issues during the regular season made 20-21 an unusually down season for Earl, who previously won the MVP award before Borislav Perko.

[Kenny]

2021 NBA Finals: Houston Vs Washington

Washington: 4
Houston: 1

2021 NBA Champions: Washington Wizards (47-35 | 16-8)
Finals MVP: Jason Everett (16.6ppg 4.8apg 1.7spg)

[The X]

What happened to Spurs? Did Rockets beat them?

Nice to see Wizards win it all, I think they were there against you previously or knocking on the door, but took advantage of your early exit.

I agree your team needs a youth movement. Obviously Perko is the franchise cornerstone, but you've got to get younger. Your team reminds me a bit of real life Spurs & Lakers. Great teams looking at milking another title out of the core players.

[Martti.]

Time to blow it up, just keep Perko, Dwight and T-Mac.

[Lamrock]

Did not see that coming at all! Should make for an interesting year next season though. Can't wait for the offseason.

[kibaxx7]

Certainly unexpected. You know me as a fan of the Spurs, but I didn't like to see Perko & Co. being dethroned.

[Axel The Great]

Never would have thought it ended that way. Perko being outplayed was a big factor, that Mathieu guy sure had his number. With Melo and JR out of the way, that clears up some space to add some young, fresh talent in the offseason, ideally you want scorers.

[Cruzerr]

Sadface :S

Well, I got to give you effort for trying but..ahh..not enough: S

What now?

[Andrew]

That's a shame, a season like that deserved to be capped off with another Larry O'Brien trophy. Still, it does make for an interesting story and I'm intrigued to see what changes you make from here, especially with fewer and fewer real players left in the league. Nice work on the post-elimination coverage despite what I'm sure has to be a healthy dose of disappointment right now.

[Kenny]

What happened to Spurs? Did Rockets beat them?

Nice to see Wizards win it all, I think they were there against you previously or knocking on the door, but took advantage of your early exit.

I agree your team needs a youth movement. Obviously Perko is the franchise cornerstone, but you've got to get younger. Your team reminds me a bit of real life Spurs & Lakers. Great teams looking at milking another title out of the core players.

The Spurs were beaten by the Rockets in the second round, then the Rockets met up with Utah in the WCF. I'm not quite sure what happened in the East, as it all simulates very quickly and I have more of an interest in the Western Conference in general.

It was nice that the Wizards won it all because they have been contenders for the last few seasons. It's a shame the Rockets couldn't take them to 7 though, because they've been great as well. Former Denver Nuggets championship player Sam Conners also got himself another ring with the Wizards.

I always said if I lost a playoff series this season that I'd blow it all up. I set it up so all my expiring contracts were big ones for that very reason. Season 13 will definitely be an intriguing one. But yeah, it was an old team in denial for a long time

Time to blow it up, just keep Perko, Dwight and T-Mac.

There's a few other pieces I wouldn't mind keeping or at least ride out the rest of their contract (Reed and McGee mainly). The new team will be based around Perko and T-Mac, with Dwight being the main veteran presense I suppose. Still, you guys know me well enough to know that I'll probably get in one more ring chaser since Dwight already has one

Did not see that coming at all! Should make for an interesting year next season though. Can't wait for the offseason.

It's nice to know this dynasty still has a little unpredictability, even at this point. I really thought I was going to get through that series easily because I previously blewout the Spurs. But that's how it goes; I'm excited to see where this goes next.

Certainly unexpected. You know me as a fan of the Spurs, but I didn't like to see Perko & Co. being dethroned.

There was a little sadness to it because it was like an end of an era, but if anyone did it, I'm glad it was the Spurs... even if they didn't have Tim Duncan on their team.

Never would have thought it ended that way. Perko being outplayed was a big factor, that Mathieu guy sure had his number. With Melo and JR out of the way, that clears up some space to add some young, fresh talent in the offseason, ideally you want scorers.

Mathieu was incredibly quick and athletic. An absolute nightmare to guard. I think I'm going to go back to my old school way of playing and have my wings dominate the scoring.

Sadface :S

Well, I got to give you effort for trying but..ahh..not enough: S

What now?

Now this dynasty goes to a place completely unfamiliar. You know it'll be the first team I've had a team that hasn't had either J.R. Smith or Carmelo Anthony on it?

That's a shame, a season like that deserved to be capped off with another Larry O'Brien trophy. Still, it does make for an interesting story and I'm intrigued to see what changes you make from here, especially with fewer and fewer real players left in the league. Nice work on the post-elimination coverage despite what I'm sure has to be a healthy dose of disappointment right now.

As much as I would have loved that trophy, this really does give the story an exciting new twist. Gives me the chance to change things up a little bit and maybe re-think my approach.

I thought the unexpected result deserved a press conference. It was a way to kind of reflect on how things were I suppose.

[Kenny]

Re-Signings

Howard In For One More

Dwight Howard has agreed to play at least one more season for the Denver Nuggets. He will be the oldest reamining member of the 2021 Playoffs failure.

DDC Gets Incentive

Dennis Da Conceicao was given a 4 year, incentive based contract, where the last two seasons are a team option.

Power Leaves

George Power's contract won't be renewed with Denver. After winning Rookie of the Year, his career spiralled downward to a point where he wasn't playing at all.

Draft Pick

With Pick Number 60, Denver Choose...

Cyrus Banks (Iowa St)
Small Forward
Age: 21
Height: 6'11
Weight: 220lbs
NBA Comparison: Peja Stojakovic

Inside: C-
Outside: A
Defense: C
Teamwork: C-
Athleticism: B-

[Kenny]

Free Agent Signings

Enemy Joins Denver

In the biggest signing news of the off-season, former San Antonio Spurs All-Star player Alejandro Carlos signed a 2 year deal with the Denver Nuggets. It was only months ago where he helped the Spurs advance in a 7 game series against his new team.

Utah High Flyer Signs On

Former Utah Jazz wingman Todd Griffin has signed a 2 year deal with the Denver Nuggets. Previously he helped his team reach the 2021 Western Conference Finals, where they were eventually beaten by Western Conference champions, the Houston Rockets.

LeBron LeSigns

Former MVP and perenial All-Star LeBron James has signed a 1 year deal with the Nuggets. He's won not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7... but zero rings so far in his career. In fact, in an unusual move, he has decided to wear the number 0 with the Nuggets, to remind him of the goal that he has yet to achieve.

Ageless Man Signs For Two

In one of the more odd signings of the free agency, the Denver Nuggets signed Yi Jianlian to a 2 year contract. With George Power leaving the Nuggets, Yi will likely get sporadic minutes throughout the season behind Borislav Perko and Adrian Young.

Player Movement

Bing Sent To Milwaukee

Seldom used combo guard Nathan Bing was sent to Milwaukee, along with Denver's 2022 second round pick for Point Guard Bartholomew Myer.

Mills Arrives In Dallas

Australian point guard Patrick Mills was sent to Dallas for their 2022 second round pick.

[Kenny]

Mile High Media

LeBron James: "I'm Better Than Jesus"

LeBron James has barely been in Colorado for a week and already he has put his foot in it. During an interview with local media, he was asked about possibly taking minutes away from Ed Reed and Jesus Carlos:

I still feel like I have to offer the NBA. I know I'm getting old, but still, I'm better than Jesus... Carlos! Oh shit, that's probably going to get edited.

Not only has he outraged the Christian community in Colorado, but also the cult following of Jesus Carlos:

Jesus is our king!

LeBron James signed a one year deal with the Denver Nuggets.


Taylor To Change Number

In order for Alejandro Carlos to wear his patented number 18, Taylor MacKenzie has agreed to change his number this season to 50. It's an hommage to himself joining the 50 club last season, as well as the fresh start the Denver Nuggets now have.


Earl Moves To OKC

After a 5 season second stint with the Nuggets, J.R. smith has decided to move on, with the Oklahoma City Thunder being his new team.

Durant to Replace Carlos

Kevin Durant has found a new home with the Spurs this season. San Antonio were looking to fill the void after losing Alejandro Carlos to free agency.

[Andrew]

Very interesting moves there, particularly the signings of LeBron and Alejandro Carlos. With LeBron still being ringless and the first round exit last season, this season could certainly have a strong theme of redemption...if you decide to play through it.

Also, LeBron's remark reminded me of this:

[The X]

I love the Alejandro Carlos signing Funnily enough I was going to suggest you go after him (or Ollie Rose) after he burned you in that series but didn't realise he was a free agent.

[Martti.]

Wasn't LeBron not winning a title one of your goals for this?

[Mavs4Life]

Don't post for a few hours, & see what happens So you've got LBJ now... this should be intresting.

[Kenny]

Prologue

After one of the biggest upsets the NBA Playoffs has ever seen, the Denver Nuggets finally reached the end of a dynasty. They looked old, slow and where unable to keep up with a player named Alejandro Carlos. So what did they do? They decided to start it fresh and make Alejandro their marquee signing of the season. He becomes apart of Denver's new fast and athletic wing duo, the first without J.R. Smith or Carmelo Anthony. The other guy's name is Todd Griffin. He mighn't be as well known to the Denver faithful, but his achievements last season in the playoffs were impressive as well, as he led the Utah Jazz to the Western Conference Finals, overcoming Dallas and Minnesota along the way.

Denver's entire backcourt is new, with the arrival of Milwaukee's Bartholomew Meyer, a quick, slashing point guard who can get to the hoop as well as anyone. Keeping his starting spot will be one hell of a challenge though, with a former MVP breathing down his neck. It was a move many said should have happened years ago, but the Denver Nuggets signed LeBron James with one position in mind; point guard. LBJ is one of the most gifted ball players to ever grace the game and now he is teamed up with Dwight Howard and Borislav Perko. Can you imagine the fun they will have on the pick and roll?

Of course, with all the new players, there are of course some familiar faces. Howard and Perko will still be livid after their first round exit merely months ago. Taylor MacKenzie, who was arguably the best player in Denver's post-season is back, eager to step up another level in his career now he's hit the age of 30. JaVale McGee, Adrian Young and Ed Reed will all look to make their own impact this season as well.

So will the Nuggets see instant success from their off-season acquisitions? Will the league's most hated man win another ring? Or will he just give the media more soundbites to use against him in the future? These questions will be answered as the season unfolds.

The 2021-2022 Denver Nuggets

The Starters

| Dwight Howard | Borislav Perko | Alejandro Carlos | Todd Griffin | Bartholomew Meyer |

The Bench

| Taylor MacKenzie | LeBron James | JaVale McGee | Adrian Young | Ed Reed | Dennis Da Conceicao | Jakov Branco

IR

| Yi Jianlian | Jesus Carlos | Cyrus Banks |

[Kenny]

Very interesting moves there, particularly the signings of LeBron and Alejandro Carlos. With LeBron still being ringless and the first round exit last season, this season could certainly have a strong theme of redemption...if you decide to play through it.

Also, LeBron's remark reminded me of this:

I really like the team I've created this for this season. I've actually got the first 5 games done already. Putting my distaste for LeBron aside, he's a lot of fun to control. And really, the reasons I don't like him are simply behaviour related. I actaully liked him quite a lot when he played for Cleveland, but like many, I didn't agree with the Miami move and the whole spectacle that followed.

Plus I figured signing him would be a good excuse to say he's better than Jesus

Vintage Simpsons reference by the way

I love the Alejandro Carlos signing Funnily enough I was going to suggest you go after him (or Ollie Rose) after he burned you in that series but didn't realise he was a free agent.

I actually knew he had one year left on his contract before I started the San Antonio series, but I kept it quiet so I could surprise some people in case I went after him. He's 31, but he's also very much in the peak of his career. As for Ollie, he's a great player, but I'm pretty sure he's in his mid-30s, or close to it. He was in the 2010 draft if I remember correctly.

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but Alejandro is also a former number one pick of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Wasn't LeBron not winning a title one of your goals for this?

Originally out of pettiness it was. But then I thought he'd be good for these reasons:

-Since Shaun Livingston isn't a beast in NBA Live 10, I've been waiting for a 6'9 point guard and LeBron has all the skills.
-Being able to play pick and roll with LeBron/Dwight or LeBron/Perko was simply too hard to say no to.
-It's a rebuilding season, so him not winning a ring is still very plausible.
-He gives me the ability to post dumb quotes (like the Jesus one)

Don't post for a few hours, & see what happens So you've got LBJ now... this should be intresting.

I know... I've kind of gone nuts over the last few days. A big reason for that is because I start a new job tomorrow. Working 36 hours over 3 days isn't going to give me a lot of time to post on the forums, so I wanted to get everything done before my life becomes a lot more busy.

Love him or hate him, LBJ always makes things interesting

[kibaxx7]

Loving the LeBron signing And also Alejandro joining, fantastic job.