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

[Kenny]

December 2021 Review

Entering into the new year, the Denver Nuggets are in the same place they were this time last year. They're currently sitting on a record of 24-5... pretty incredible when you think the original prognosis was "dynasty over". The bulk of the damage has been done by the franchise's longest serving players in Taylor MacKenzie and Borislav Perko. T-Mac has produced the goods on the offensive end and now leads the league in scoring with 25.3 a game, while Perko continues to be the everywhere man. He's averaging close to a triple-double and is currently second in the MVP race.

Of course, the story hasn't just been about two players. The Nuggets now have an impressive new recruit in Duncan Werner. Coming to the Nuggets via Miami, it hasn't taken him long to impress the Mile High City and is currently starting at shooting guard, making T-Mac switch to small forward while Alejandro Carlos drops back to the bench. Veterans Dwight Howard and LeBron James both had memorable games during the month, although there is one moment that LeBron Zero would be willing to forget.

January will be the biggest test of the Nuggets championship credentials, as they encounter one of the most brutal road trips of recent memory. It's a trip that already started in Chicago on the 30th of December. It continues like this:

3rd of January: @Toronto
4th of January: @New York
6th of January: @New Jersey
7th of January: @Phoenix
8th of January: @LA Clippers
9th of January: @LA Lakers
10th of January: @Golden State
11th of January: @Sacramento

They will return home on the 15th.

Monthly Awards

East Player: [NYK] Ollie Rose (23.4ppg 4.4apg 2.6spg)
West Player: [NOH] Hobbes MacDonald (23.3ppg 3.9rpg 3.6apg)
East Rookie: [BOS] Nigel McLoughlin (5.3ppg 2.4apg 0.9spg)
West Rookie: [SAC] Demitri Richter (4.8ppg 6.9rpg 1bpg)

MVP Race

[NYK] Ollie Rose (21.7ppg 4.3apg 2.1spg)
[DEN] Borislav Perko [8.4ppg 10rpg 9.8apg)
[NOH] Hobbes MacDonald (21ppg 4.5rpg 3.5apg)
[DEN] Taylor MacKenzie (25.3ppg 2rpg 2spg)
[GSW] Johnny Williams (24.9ppg 6.9apg 1.3spg)

Standings

EAST

Philadelphia 21-10
Indiana 19-10
Detroit 16-10
Boston 15-10
New York 18-13
Washington 17-14
Chicago 13-13
New Jersey 13-15
---
Orlando 15-18
Miami 14-17
Charlotte 13-17
Cleveland 12-16
Milwaukee 10-16
Atlanta 11-18
Toronto 11-19


WEST

Denver 24-5
New Orleans 19-10
Memphis 18-13
Oklahoma City 18-13
Golden State 14-13
Dallas 16-16
Houston 16-16
LA Clippers 12-12
---
Portland 13-16
LA Lakers 12-17
Minnesota 12-17
Sacramento 12-17
Utah 10-16
San Antonio 10-18
Phoenix 9-18

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As I said before, I've been playing quite a few games of late. My next 5 game summary should be up sometime tomorrow.

Last edited by Kenny on Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Looks like Rose's scoring might edge out Perko's all around stats for MVP. Once again though, DPOY would be a more than respectable follow-up performance.

Close call in the Heat game but it turned into a great victory. Classic LeBron moment indeed.

Haha, I like that LeBron moment, getting bailed out of a game-deciding turnover. Smart trade for Werner, good to hear he's doing well so far.

That road trip is pretty extensive, but at least it's not all over the place as it goes from games in the east coast to games in the west coast.

6th of January: @New Jersey
7th of Jnnuary: @Phoenix

Damn, that's just not right. As a total, a back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back will be suicide.

At least schedule logic puts it from Toronto to NY to NJ, all pretty close. Obviously NJ to Phoenix brutal, but from Phoenix to LAC, LAL, GSW & Sac is all fairly close proximity, although I agree back-to-back-to..........back is ridiculous but funny to see all the same.

badreligionau, do you have progressive fatigue in Live '10? I hope so

I think it was supposed to be in the game, but I'm not sure if it actually has any effect. Kind of like Team Chemistry after NBA Live 07.

Looks like Rose's scoring might edge out Perko's all around stats for MVP. Once again though, DPOY would be a more than respectable follow-up performance.

Close call in the Heat game but it turned into a great victory. Classic LeBron moment indeed.

I'm starting to think that too, although, he is a pretty good all-round player himself. He wont he DPOTY last season... which means Perko would be the first since him to win MVP and DPOTY

That LeBron play couldn't have come up any better, even if I tried to do that

Haha, I like that LeBron moment, getting bailed out of a game-deciding turnover. Smart trade for Werner, good to hear he's doing well so far.

That road trip is pretty extensive, but at least it's not all over the place as it goes from games in the east coast to games in the west coast.

When it comes down to it, LeBron still got the assist on the play It's kind of fun having the last second play with him, because if it comes off, it looks brilliant. If it doesn't, I can blame his clutch gene

Werner is providing some scoring that Alejandro Carlos hasn't on a regular basis this season. You'll also be pleased to know that he has the same jumpshot as your boy Kevin Martin

And the road trip isn't bad travel-wise, but playing that many games in a row isn't at all logical.

6th of January: @New Jersey
7th of Jnnuary: @Phoenix

Damn, that's just not right. As a total, a back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back will be suicide.

It'll make things interesting. I remember when I saw it, I knew it was something I had to write down. Absolute craziness

At least schedule logic puts it from Toronto to NY to NJ, all pretty close. Obviously NJ to Phoenix brutal, but from Phoenix to LAC, LAL, GSW & Sac is all fairly close proximity, although I agree back-to-back-to..........back is ridiculous but funny to see all the same.

badreligionau, do you have progressive fatigue in Live '10? I hope so

I think it was supposed to be in the game, but I'm not sure if it actually has any effect. Kind of like Team Chemistry after NBA Live 07.

At least with NJ to Phoenix, they're traveling into a timezone like QLD to WA... East to West wouldn't be as bad as West to East, the players could at least sleep in a bit

I think it's kind of like injuries in NBA Live 10. The commentators make reference to it, but the effect it actually has is negligible. Maybe a missed shot every now and then, but not enough to effect an overall outcome.

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

The Nuggets continued their hot streak into this round, once again going 5-0. They have now been undefeated in 10 straight games. The closest anyone got was Memphis, who got within 7 points. They beat San Antonio twice... one was an absolute laugher. Chicago put in a good fight, but faded towards the end and Toronto showed there's a reason they're at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

I usually report the close games, but since there weren't really any this round, I'm going to give you the biggest win. Here it is, the second San Antonio game:

Nuggets Dominate Spurs



The Nuggets recorded of the most emphatic wins of their dynasty, downing the Spurs by 90-52. New recruit Duncan Werner had a much better game this time around as he led the Nuggets with 27 points. In his first game against the Spurs, he went into 4th quarter hitting just 4/20 from the field, but there was no sign of rust this time around. Taylor MacKenzie was the one who had the off shooting night this time around, but he still managed 20 points. Alejandro Carlos was relatively underwhelming once again, scoring 10 against his old side.

The Spurs lackluster display was led by Durant and Whitney, who both scored 12 each. Jamie Mathieu was unable to find the form that helped the Spurs eliminate the Nuggets last year, as he scored 11 to be the last of San Antonio's double digit scorers.

The Nuggets fans witnessed revenge that would only be written about in one of the great novels. Against the team that seemingly destroyed the dynasty, did Denver prove that it's still alive?

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

SAN@DEN

DEN: 90 (Werner 27, MacKenzie 20, Carlos 10)
SAN: 52 (Durant 12, Whitney 12, Mathieu 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Duncan Werner 27 points 3 rebounds 3 assists 1 block 4 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 9
SAN: Mathieu 8

Assists

DEN: Perko 5
SAN: Whitney 5

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Last 5 Games

MEM: 90-83 W
SAN: 83-72 W
SAN: 90-52 W
@CHI: 98-88 W
@TOR: 95-71 W

The Nuggets are now 25-5, with a current win streak of 10 games.

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

WOWARD!

Dwight Howard joined a statistical club against the Chicago Bulls with his 22 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists. While he had already registered triple-doubles for the Nuggets, he's now in the 20-20 club.

Almost... Again!

Borislav Perko was 4 blocks away from a quadruple-double against the Toronto Raptors. He had an incredible game with 23 points, 16 rebounds, 14 assists and 6 blocks.

Officially On Top

At the end of December, Taylor MacKenzie was at the top of the league's scoring list. With efforts like 46 points against the Memphis Grizzlies, he's likely to stay there for a little while.

Help Has Arrived

Duncan Werner had a nervous start in his debut against the Spurs, but he managed to come good in the fourth. After shooting a dismal 4 from 20 for the game, he managed to finish with 23 points off a slightly more respectable 8/26 from the field and 4/9 from beyond the arc.

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

Next 5 Games

@NYK
@NJN
@PHX
@LAC
@LAL

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The brutal road trip is about to begin. I'm going to be away for most of next week, so the next 5 should be up next weekend sometime. Until then, I have a few ideas for some articles to post. Stay tuned

Last edited by Kenny on Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

Trade Announcement

Alejandro Goes To Washington

After a poor start to the season, Alejandro Carlos has been shipped off to the Washington Wizards. He along with Yi Jianlian will head to the nation's capital for shooting guard Cody Campbell, centre Liam Leopold and the Wizard's 2022 first round pick.

Cody Campbell comes to the Nuggets averaging 17.3 points per game and will most likely be used as the team's 6th man.

The Nuggets have quite the stockpile of picks now, with their own first rounder, along with the Wizards, and the second rounders of both Dallas and Miami.

Huge win there against the Spurs, a bit of revenge for last year's Playoffs.

Not too surprised to see Carlos moving on. Unfortunately that signing hasn't lived up to the hype.

It was great to put the ass-kicking on them. I'd actually consider them my second or third team in real life, but when it comes down to it, I hate them in this dynasty

Carlos was a big disappointment and it comes down to the fact that I couldn't use his jumpshot effectively. It's funny how something so small like that can affect your game, but I could never time his release properly.

Anyway, I just wrote up a wanky LeBron James article, so I'll be posting that

[Kenny]

LeBron Zero: The LeBron James Story

Nobody in the NBA experiences the level of fanaticism as LeBron James. Whether you love or hate the man who was once proclaimed the King of Cleveland, you have to rate him. He's a three time MVP; the only other active player to ever do that is Stanley Alston. He's a perenial All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive player. Simply put, he's one of the greatest players to ever step out onto a basketball court.

LeBron seems to have it all; the accolades, the unrivaled athleticism, the adoration of fans from all over the world, but the story of the King isn't complete without controversy, frustration and devastation.

His glory days were with Cleveland, a team he won all his MVP awards with and most of his fan base. A small market was in awe of their local superstar as he made pretty much everything look easy. But his efforts to win a championship for Cleveland fell short against two dynasties; the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 and the Denver Nuggets in 2011. In 2014, he fell short for the third time against the Brandon Roy led Portland Trail Blazers. Something had to give.

Unhappy with the support he was getting with the Cavaliers, he left the franchise during the 2014 off-season. LeBron decided to pick up his game and take it to the desert in Arizona. He was teamed up with stars Stephen Curry and Greg Oden. He promised championships, while Cavs owner Dan Gilbert made promises of his own.

The most odd part of this story? The season LeBron James joined the Suns and proclaimed a dynasty... it was the same year that Cleveland would enjoy the success that the King had previously strived for, as they were led by Finals MVP Jason Gardiner to the 2015 NBA Championship.

With three top 5 players in their positions, as well as acquiring aging talent in LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwyane Wade, Phoenix looked to be the team that could possibly replicate the accomplishments of the Denver Nuggets. But the Suns became the dynasty that never was, as LeBron had to come to grips with Stephen Curry being the league's new sensation. Inner franchise rivalries between the two stars errupted as neither player wanted to be the Robin to the other's Batman.

Stephen Curry won the league's MVP award in 2018, but the tensions of the team had already taken their toll. He left the next season to play for Memphis. Oden would leave not too long after to play for the Indiana Pacers, leaving LeBron in the midst of a rebuild project.

After many broken promises, misguided quotes and suspect performances in pressure situations, James wore out his welcome in Phoenix and was relegated to the bench in his last season with them... and if you thought being Curry's sidekick made him mad, just look at the quote for when he was benched for the Suns:

"I've never heard of no three time MVP coming off the bench. I've never heard of no All-Star coming off the bench. I've never heard of no All-NBA player coming off the bench. I've never heard of no All-Defensive player come off the bench... why LeBron James?"

Coming into the 2021 off-season, not many teams were eager to pick up a guy who had a reputation for killing a team's chemistry. The Nuggets however saw it as an opportunity to not only rebuild their team, but to reinvent the man who was proclaimed to be the chosen one. They signed him to a 1 year deal, and even though his contract is guaranteed, it came with a clauses not included in the writing. He would have to make the switch to point guard if he wanted to play significant minutes. He would have to change his famous number 23 as well, as it was retired under the name Marcus Camby.

Seeing it as an opportunity to reveal a less image conscious side, LeBron chose the number 0, previously worn by role players Robert Horry and Smush Parker.

"It's to serve as a constant reminder to what I haven't achieved yet. All the awards and the accolades don't mean nothing if you haven't won the championships."

His number is his motivation; he is LeBron Zero.

Last edited by Kenny on Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Carlos was a big disappointment and it comes down to the fact that I couldn't use his jumpshot effectively. It's funny how something so small like that can affect your game, but I could never time his release properly.

I completely understand. In my T-wolves one I just couldn't get use to Luke Ridnour's shot style so I traded him pretty quickly.

Loving this season with the side-stories. It's been fun to follow.

Great piece on LeBron. It'll be interesting to see if he gets that caustic in real life should his quest for that first ring continue for a few years yet.

Agreed, great piece on Lebron. Great to see this one continuing to roll

Carlos was a big disappointment and it comes down to the fact that I couldn't use his jumpshot effectively. It's funny how something so small like that can affect your game, but I could never time his release properly.

I completely understand. In my T-wolves one I just couldn't get use to Luke Ridnour's shot style so I traded him pretty quickly.

It can really effect your game, particularly when you're used to guys like J.R. Smith. His jumpshot just made so much sense to me and then going to Alejandro Carlos (who has one similar to Brandon Roy), you're almost re-learning how to play the game.

Loving this season with the side-stories. It's been fun to follow.

Thanks Lamrock, LeBron is always a big story himself, so it's been fun trying to think of silly situations to put him in. I've also been reading a lot of comic books lately, so if the end of my piece sounds a little superheroish, that's why

Great piece on LeBron. It'll be interesting to see if he gets that caustic in real life should his quest for that first ring continue for a few years yet.

I'd like to think there would be some point where he kind of loses his ego and adjusts his attitude a little bit. But who knows, if the X's prediction is right and he wins a ring this season, it'll probably be the same old LeBron.

Agreed, great piece on Lebron. Great to see this one continuing to roll

Thanks X, I convinced myself I was going to sim this season, but it's ending up to be another incredibly enjoyable one to play. 25 is going to take a long time to get to at this rate

Thank you!

I have to admit, between Sit's dominance on this board and Thierry's second-to-none presentation, I can genuinely say I didn't expect to pick up this award this year. At a time where 2k is absolutely kicking EA's ass, it's nice to get one back for the dynasty.

I'd like to congratulate all the finalists of this year; the field was outstanding and anyone could have been in first spot and I wouldn't have been that surprised. I'm going to enjoy this moment now, because if this year is anything to go by, repeating is going to be damn hard. I'd also like to thank Sit for inspiring everyone on the board to kick it up a notch. You've set the standard for dynasty/association stories and you are probably the major reason to why the field is so strong at this point.

Thanks to everyone who voted for this, obviously without your support this award wouldn't be possible and without your feedback, TNL would probably be 10 pages long instead of 54. The enthusiasm I get from the readers adds to my own, so I can really credit you guys for the longevity of this story. Thanks to Martti for conducting the competition. We all appreciate the work you put in to tally up all the votes.

I'd also like to quickly thank EA for producing this great game. I have the odd dig at it's flaws, but in the end I have enough fun with it to keep playing and there is a bunch of stuff they got right with NBA Live 10 (remember that the previous Live title I played was 08, so 10 is a downright masterpiece in comparison to me). Hopefully they can produce another quality game in the not so distant future.

I hope that covers just about everything. Currently I'm a little bereft of ideas because I really didn't expect this at all. I hope I can continue to make this story interesting to everyone who reads it and who knows, I'll probably be back to defend the title next year.

Thanks again!

Congrats. Trust me, your win had nothing to do with Live '10 & mostly to do with longevity, plus your ability to keep it fresh with different ideas, breathe life into the generics (a personal fav from my Live '04/'05 days), & to improve your dynasty writing/presentation/formats as you've gone along.

I thought you should've done better (maybe not beat Sit, but come in 2nd) in last year's vote, but now the dynasty and association stories are together, you finally got the proper recognition.

Hope you keep this one rolling to 25

Congrats! There's a lot of quality threads going at the moment but this was a very well deserved win.

Congrats, man. I loved all 54 pages of it. You inspired me to give my generated players different personalities in my associations in 2K11.

Well-deserved award, man. Considering this was the only dynasty going up against five other quality associations in the finals, it's definitely a big accomplishment. I hope that's added motivation to reach page 100.

Congratz! This one definitely deserves it. Even with so much going on in my life right now this dynasty I continue to check in on and it continues to inspire me to want to keep mines going.

Congratulations again on the award. I'll admit I was a doubter from the start. Back when Live and 2K were separated, I seldom went to the Live section and my ideas on what a "successful" dynasty was were different. Then, I returned several months later and caught up, and thought "wow, what a great dynasty. Can't wait to see what he has to offer for 2K11!"

With 2K11 (still) being the shit, I had no idea that the story would even continue - let alone become more engaging as generics completely take over the league. It shows that you enjoy the game and writing these storylines.

Wow I missed a lot

Congrats on the award bro, you've flat out deserved it.