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

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

The losing streak of the last stretch of 5 games continued on into this one as Denver lost to the East second seed, the Charlotte Bobcats. However, off some stellar Borislav Perko performances, they were able to snap that streak and win the next 3, before losing the last of the summary to the Phoenix Suns by two points. J.R. Smith was still nowhere to be seen in any of these games and it's believed his expected return will be after the All-Star Weekend. The feature game is the one against Cleveland:

Bench Lifts Denver



Denver were able to come up with an 86-80 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to a strong bench presense. The reserve unit was led by off-season recruit Nathan Bing, who scored 20 points. Taylor MacKenzie was also influential to the Nuggets result as he tallied 15. Dwight Howard had his moments with 14 points, but Borislav Perko was the Performer of the Game once again. After an incredible night against the Bulls, he followed it up with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists against the Cavs. Carmelo Anthony was the last of Denver's double-digit scorers with 10.

Cleveland's Dirk Blake was the pick of all the scorers, with 26 points. While he got good support from former Finals MVP Jason Gardiner (19) and OJ Mayo, who had a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists, they were the only three that could make any impact on the offensive end. In the end, even though they were without J.R. Smith, the Nuggets' depth prevailed.

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CLE@DEN

DEN: 86 (Bing 20, MacKenzie 15, Howard 14)
CLE: 80 (Blake 26, Gardiner 19, Mayo 16)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 12 points 15 rebounds 12 assists

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 15
CLE: Lange 12

Assists

DEN: Perko 12
CLE: Mayo 12

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Last 5 Games

CHA: 70-61 L
CHI: 90-74 W
CLE: 86-80 W
NJN: 79-71 W
@PHX: 85-83 L

Denver's record is now 36-9

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Joining A New Club

An interesting story of the round was Perko was averaging 9.8 rebounds a game after Denver's loss to the Bobcats. He needed 19 rebounds against the Bulls to remain on par with 10 rebounds per game for the season. The result? He ended up with 20. In fact, his stats were 20 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists. Not only did he get another triple-double, he became the 5th player in this dynasty to register a 20-20 game. He almost did it again against the Phoenix Suns. His triple-double streak is currently in tact and standing at 4. Here are his numbers from the last 3 games:

VS Cleveland: 12 points 15 rebounds 12 assists
Vs New Jersey: 12 points 14 rebounds 15 assists
VS Phoenix: 19 points 23 rebounds 14 assists

His triple-double total for the season currently stands at 19.

The Dwominate Force

Despite losing 85-83, it could have been a lot worse if Dwight Howard wasn't out there. At one stage, Denver were down in the 2nd quarter by 28 points, but behind an impressive performance by Dwight Howard (22 points, 7 rebounds), the Nuggets surged back and were able to take the lead in the fourth.

The Temporary Fix

Brandon Roy has been starting in place of J.R. Smith and he's been doing a pretty good job. In the loss against Charlotte, he recorded 16 points. He also helped the Nuggets surge against the Suns, scoring 18. His minutes may be limited, but he's still effective.

Some Stablility

After Brandon Jennings, Jesus Carlos and just about every other guy on the team below 6'6, it seems that the Nuggets now have some stability at the point in Ed Reed. With his shoot-first mentality, Ed is almost a perfect fit in the Denver lineup, with Perko being the primary ball handler. Against the Nets, he scored 15 points and proved he's still a deadly outside shooter.

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Next 5 Games

@LAL
@GSW
@SAC
ORL
PHI

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The next 5 games will be intersected by the All-Star Weekend, so the team announcements and the weekend itself will follow. And forgive me for the awful title for Dwight's mini article

[Kenny]

The 20-20 Club

If it wasn't for my lack of foresight, I would have put this in the year of 2020. But since Perko recently became a member of the club, I thought I'd post it now, in alphabetical order:

Chris Andersen: 24 points 27 rebounds Vs Los Angeles Clippers (Season 8)

The Birdman actually reached this accomplishment twice. The first one was against the New Orleans Hornets in season 4, where he had 21 points and 21 rebounds. But I didn't exclusively mention this one because he had more in both categories for this game, but it also came in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. He might not have made the big time shots like Mr Billups, but the Birdman was still a clutch performer in his own way.

Chauncey Billups: 20 points 21 assists Vs Golden State (Season 2)

Speaking of Mr Billups, Chauncey was actually the inaugeral member of this club. His performance came in the season Denver won their very first championship... ah memories!

Brandon Jennings: 25 points 21 assists Vs Indiana (Season 10)

One in the line of many potential successors of Chauncey Billups; but don't let that fool you, Jennings was a baller in his own right. His performance came the season after Chauncey Billups retired and the successor became the incumbent.

Robin Lopez: 34 points 31 rebounds Vs Houston (Season 10)

The 10th season was the one of retro jerseys... it was also almost the season of Robin Lopez. After being a fringe starter for his entire tenure with the Nuggets, Lopez had some breakout performances and created a club in TNL that only he is a member of: the 30-30 club.

Borislav Perko: 20 points 20 rebounds 13 assists Vs Chicago (Season 12)

Perko became the newest member of this club in the previous 5 game summary. While he scraped into this one, he's the one who holds the distinction of havin a 20-20 performance during a triple-double. He came so close to doing it a second time against the Suns too with 19 points, 23 rebounds and 14 assists. At this point of his career, I wouldn't put it past him to reach a double-triple-double (3x20).

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If anyone has suggestions for another club they'd like to know about, I'll do my best to put a report together. Nothing too broad though (eg: the 20 point club). Steals and blocks might be a bit hard to find documents on as well.

[Lamrock]

Forgot about when Robin Lopez did that. Would be cool if you could pull off the 20-20-20 with Perko.

Also, Howard has been Dwights Out!

[Andrew]

Smith's absence seems to be leading to a bit of a rough patch. Hope to see him return and be productive, assuming he's not on the verge of leaving Denver again. Awesome numbers from Perko to keep the averages intact.

[Axel The Great]

Amazing week by Perko. Nice to see you've been able to find some consistency at point guard as well. I had no idea that the Birdman would be in the 20-20 club, much less have two of those games. He really did have a huge impact in this dynasty.

[kibaxx7]

19 TDs by Perko already? That game against Phoenix will be replayed in NBA TV for years to come.

[Murat]

Badger: Often misunderstood, but always entertaining. I always like your banter on my thread about how old my team is. I hope you've learned along the way that age is no barrier when it comes to building a team. Also, when I've typed my screen name on my iPhone, it has sometimes auto-corrected to Badger, so I shall know you as BadgeReligion from now on

Thanks for those words, but you still have Carmelo! When is he going to retire? At least delete his armband and headband man!

[Andrew]

Why should he do that?

[Mavs4Life]

19 TDs by Perko already? That game against Phoenix will be replayed in NBA TV for years to come.

So will Lopez's 30-30.

[Kenny]

Forgot about when Robin Lopez did that. Would be cool if you could pull off the 20-20-20 with Perko.

Also, Howard has been Dwights Out!

It's funny, I think that was during the time I was out to prove that Robin was better than Brook... it kind of turned out to be true in this dynasty.

And that's an excellent pun... how did I not think of that one?!

Smith's absence seems to be leading to a bit of a rough patch. Hope to see him return and be productive, assuming he's not on the verge of leaving Denver again. Awesome numbers from Perko to keep the averages intact.

It is creating a bit of havoc, but I kind of like the fact that it is. It's the last season of his contract and I think I might have to get used to playing without him because of his age. He may do a Chauncey Billups and stay into his 40s, but at the same time, I could look to shake the team up like the Bulls dynasty team had. He won't be leaving this season though... I've learned from the Carmelo trade.

As much as I'm playing for another title, the triple-double season is a main priority of mine.

Amazing week by Perko. Nice to see you've been able to find some consistency at point guard as well. I had no idea that the Birdman would be in the 20-20 club, much less have two of those games. He really did have a huge impact in this dynasty.

I'm definitely liking Reed at the point. He's pretty much what I need considering I use Perko as a point forward.

And Birdman was a beast

19 TDs by Perko already? That game against Phoenix will be replayed in NBA TV for years to come.

So will Lopez's 30-30.

The funny thing is, it's 19 in the season alone. I haven't counted the previous triple-doubles yet (there's actually a few).

And all this Lopez love is making me miss him

Thanks for those words, but you still have Carmelo! When is he going to retire? At least delete his armband and headband man!

Why should he do that?

Come on Rudy, Melo without his headband?! That's just crazy talk

[Kenny]

2 Years On

Page 50 is proving to be quite a milestone page. With the inability to update lately, I've been waiting for this day so I can keep this thread active. Today is the 2 year anniversary of TNL. To go along with the theme of last year's anniversary thread, I thought I'd pay a tribute to the second season, which happened to be the first championship year.

While the squad isn't as star-studded as it is in the 12th and current season, it was a fun one to play with and it included many upgrades from the previous season. 6-man Malik Allen went to free agency and his spot was taken by the dynamic shooting forward Matt Bonner. Bonner was acquired from San Antonio in exchange for Denver's backup centre Johan Petro. Who replaced Petro? An accomplished defensive veteran named Ben Wallace, who was reunited with 2004 championship teammate Chauncey Billups. Terrence Williams was traded and a young, athletic forward by the name of Ty Maximilian was drafted by Denver in the first round and the Nuggets hoped he would develop into a solid backup for Carmelo Anthony... what he turned out to be in the next season would be so much more.

But the big news was the acquisition of Michael Beasley and to a lesser extent, Mario Chalmers. The Nuggets sent Nene and their first round pick to Miami for the duo and the Denver Nuggets franchise changed dramatically. Chris Andersen switched from power forward to centre and his defensive role became much bigger with the offensive minded Michael Beasley in the lineup. He excelled in this role and he went on to win the Defensive Player of the Year. Mario Chalmers was the main guard off the bench, limiting the roles of Ty Lawson and Lou Williams. The Nuggets became one of the deepest teams in the NBA and it's a tradition that continues to this day.

Now, without further adieu, here are the 2011 NBA Champions:

The Birdman's legendary tenure with the Nuggets really started with this season. Currently his defensive efforts still remain unmatched by any other centre to come through after him.



If anyone asked me who the final piece to Denver's championship puzzle was, I'd have to say Michael Beasley. His perimeter shooting added another dimension to the Nuggets' offensive and he created Denver's power forward prototype for years to come.



Not a whole lot more to say about Melo that hasn't been said previously. However, season 2 marked the first of four finals MVP trophies that he'd win in his illustrious career.



J.R. Smith has always been an effective scorer in this dynasty, but season 2 was the last season of his first tenure with Denver. As we all know now, he came back a much better player.



Chauncey Billups had many great seasons for Denver, but the one thing that stood out in this one was his All-Star clutch moment:

phpBB [video]

In the line of gingers that the Nuggets have had in the space of 12 seasons, Bonner was probably the best. His game was from beyond the arc, but occassionally he would excite the fans with a dunk. His offensive injection off the bench earned him the 6th man award.



When the season's DPOTY went on the bench, the former four time winner of the award would come on. What Denver lacked in size, they made up for in toughness with the likes of Ben Wallace.



Super Nintendo Chalmers ended up being an excellent acquisition from Miami, as he came off the bench and played some big games for the Nuggets. He was one of many point guards earmarked as the successor to Chauncey Billups.



In this season, he was known as the other Ty... but over the course of his stint with Denver, he became THE Ty.



Now known as Denver's other Ty, Mr Lawson's minutes dried up in the second season thanks to the acquisition of Mario Chalmers. You know it's bad when the only picture you can find is one of him facing his back to you.



Okay, I'll admit it, I have a lot of "scrub-love". The idea of having two gingers on my team was too tempting for me... plus the fact that I didn't have a player over 6'10 meant I had a reasonable excuse to sign Swifty... am I trying to hard to justify this?



He didn't get on the court much and he played for peanuts, but Arron Afflalo had some quality games for the Nuggets when called upon. At the end of the season, he found a way into Denver's first 12.



In the previous season he was the number 1 backup at the shooting guard position. But much like Ty Lawson, Lou Williams' minutes declined when Mario Chalmers joined the team.

[Houndy]

Awesome cards, it rocks to have so many seasons so you can reflect on all of them

[Lamrock]

Love the player cards. Really cool that you've been running this for two years.

[Andrew]

Nice work on the cards, congrats on the milestone! It's fun to see how the Dynasty has evolved since then, but that was a special year.

It is creating a bit of havoc, but I kind of like the fact that it is. It's the last season of his contract and I think I might have to get used to playing without him because of his age. He may do a Chauncey Billups and stay into his 40s, but at the same time, I could look to shake the team up like the Bulls dynasty team had. He won't be leaving this season though... I've learned from the Carmelo trade.

Good call. Well, i'm interested to see how he gets back into the rotation and hopefully makes a contribution.

[Axel The Great]

Yet another great milestone post. I would've liked for Ty Lawson to become Chauncey's successor, but at that time I'm assuming Chalmers was considered better than him?

[Cruzerr]

Yeah. The cards is a great thing.

[The X]

Liking the cards. Keep this one rolling

[Mavs4Life]

Yes, don't stop this, it's like a big alternate world

[kibaxx7]

Great as usual. Hopefully Durant is not in the cards to come.

[Cruzerr]

You got to be kidding me. You shouted me out and I did not even say anything. Bro, been an honor to follow this shi..I mean dynasty ,

[Lamrock]

What's the dynasty year cap in Live 10?

[Kenny]

Awesome cards, it rocks to have so many seasons so you can reflect on all of them

I very much enjoy reflecting back on the early seasons. I find having that ability is a great reason for longevity in itself.

Love the player cards. Really cool that you've been running this for two years.

It's been a crazy couple of years and this has almost stopped for one reason or another, but I'm glad I've been able to stick with it.

Nice work on the cards, congrats on the milestone! It's fun to see how the Dynasty has evolved since then, but that was a special year.

It is creating a bit of havoc, but I kind of like the fact that it is. It's the last season of his contract and I think I might have to get used to playing without him because of his age. He may do a Chauncey Billups and stay into his 40s, but at the same time, I could look to shake the team up like the Bulls dynasty team had. He won't be leaving this season though... I've learned from the Carmelo trade.

Good call. Well, i'm interested to see how he gets back into the rotation and hopefully makes a contribution.

I think one aspect I've really liked has been the amount of role players I've had that I've really liked. In season 2, Matt Bonner and Mario Chalmers were really two great pickups for my bench.

J.R. will be back after the All-Star break.

Yet another great milestone post. I would've liked for Ty Lawson to become Chauncey's successor, but at that time I'm assuming Chalmers was considered better than him?

In real life, I definitely regard Ty Williams over Mario Chalmers (hell, I'd probably even prefer Lou Williams), but Chalmers to my recollection had a player rating of about 73, while Lawson had one of 68. I really only acquired Chalmers initially to make up for Nene's salary in the Beasley trade, but he ended up being quite a good player so I stuck with him instead of Ty Lawson.

Yeah. The cards is a great thing.

Thanks Cruzerr

Liking the cards. Keep this one rolling

I got the idea off a dynasty that dare did back in the day, and apparently he got the idea off you... so apparently I actually have you to thank for that

Yes, don't stop this, it's like a big alternate world

I'm pretty sure no matter what happens, I'll always find a way to keep this going. I really enjoy the alternate universe myself.

Great as usual. Hopefully Durant is not in the cards to come.

It all depends I suppose. Durant won't be apart of the 3rd and 4th anniversary cards (if that happens), but later down the line, it could be unavoidable

You got to be kidding me. You shouted me out and I did not even say anything. Bro, been an honor to follow this shi..I mean dynasty ,

Hey, better late than never right? I'm glad you've enjoyed it and it's great to have you as a reader

What's the dynasty year cap in Live 10?

If it's 25 seasons, it'll be the season of 2033-2034 that would be the last one I believe. I believe there will be some simming before that point, considering in 2 years I've played almost 9 seasons in some capacity.

[Kenny]

All-Star Weekend Announcements

Nuggets Frontcourt to Start

Borislav Perko will have a chance to reclaim a second consecutive All-Star MVP as he was selected as a starter for the West. Him and Dwight Howard will be Denver's representatives in the main event, with Howard wearing the West jersey for the first time in his career. It's an occassion where many players will crossover to the enemy for the first time, with Derrick Rose (Minnesota) and Zach Pearson (LA Clippers) the two other big names to line up for the West for the first time, while Kevin Durant (Miami) and Ollie Rose (NYK) will start for the East team.

All-Star Teams

EAST

Sam Conners (WAS)
Tristan Lehmann (DET)
Kevin Durant (MIA)
Ollie Rose (NYK)
Steven Hunt (WAS)

Byron Mullens (CHA)
Vince Rousseau (TOR)
Cody Campbell (WAS)
Chuck O'Farrell (PHI)
Timothy Banks (CHA)
Jared Butler (DET)
Jason Gardiner (CLE)


WEST

Dwight Howard (DEN)
Borislav Perko (DEN)
Alejandro Carlos (SAN)
Curt McNamara (MIN)
Brady O'Leary (DAL)

Zach Pearson (LAC)
Darrell Flanagan (MEM)
Theo Hadson (LAL)
Rudolf Gibson (GSW)
Dickey Freeman (LAC)
Hobbes MacDonald (NOH)
Derrick Rose (MIN)

Jesus Named On Rookie Bench

Rookie Jesus Carlos will be the sole Denver Nuggets representative in the Rookie Challenge.

Rookie Challenge Teams

Rookies

Walt Billups (ATL)
Levi Alexander (CHA)
Caleb Vick (OKC)
Patrick Vaughn (CHA)
Larry Boctor (ORL)

Nach Carlos (PHI)
Kitt Vine (MEM)
Ian Nolan (ORL)
Jesus Carlos (DEN)


Sophomores

Travis O'Reilly (ATL)
Will Walter (SAC)
Dilbert Roy (POR)
Nicholas Schneider (NJN)
Thomas Scott (LAC)

Steven King (NYK)
Alexander Popescu (SAC)
Jud Healy (IND)
Brian Simon (CLE)

[Andrew]

Good to see you represented with three players at the event, hope Perko can make it back-to-back All-Star MVPs.

[Axel The Great]

It's a sin for the league to not have Jesus start.

No surprise with Perko being an All-Star, but kind of surprising to see Howard continuing to be one this late in his career.