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

[Andrew]

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.

Same, though I didn't care for some of the things he did towards the end of his tenure there; his explanation for not shaking hands in 2009, drawing attention to himself during the dunk contest then pulling out the next year, etc. Amazing talent, fun to watch but he just doesn't carry himself well and is terrible at damage control.

[Houndy]

I would call this year the year of vengeance, this group is hungry for that title.

[Warlock95]

Whoa, guys! I've only been gone for a few days, and a lot have happened?! Here are my thoughts:

Elimination from playoffs: One tough loss, man. One tough loss. And it came on the deciding Game 7, too. Better luck next season, amigo! ^^
Melo retirement: It was sad to see him go (right?), but at least you got Lebron.
Carlos to Nuggets, Durant to Spurs: Maybe if you face the Spurs again next playoffs, that will test which team got the better deal.
Lebron signing: His #0 stands for zero rings, but at least it's a ring-shaped number. What's his rating now?
Todd Griffin, Bart Meyer: Who are these guys?

[Kenny]

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

LeBron has actually been a player I've considered since the previous season. I was going to make him the destroyer of the dynasty, but he's way too fun to control, so you never know... he might actually get a ring. I knew about Alejandro's free agency well before the playoffs too... I just kept it under my hat so I could surprise people

Same, though I didn't care for some of the things he did towards the end of his tenure there; his explanation for not shaking hands in 2009, drawing attention to himself during the dunk contest then pulling out the next year, etc. Amazing talent, fun to watch but he just doesn't carry himself well and is terrible at damage control.

Luckily for me the only thing I have to worry about with him is how he's playing. Of course, I'll put in the odd quote and article about him as a bit of tongue-in-cheek... it's something I won't be able to resist.

I would call this year the year of vengeance, this group is hungry for that title.

Oh absolutely... if LeBron is still ringless by 2021-2022, I'd say he'd be the most hungry for a ring in the league.

Whoa, guys! I've only been gone for a few days, and a lot have happened?! Here are my thoughts:

Elimination from playoffs: One tough loss, man. One tough loss. And it came on the deciding Game 7, too. Better luck next season, amigo! ^^
Melo retirement: It was sad to see him go (right?), but at least you got Lebron.
Carlos to Nuggets, Durant to Spurs: Maybe if you face the Spurs again next playoffs, that will test which team got the better deal.
Lebron signing: His #0 stands for zero rings, but at least it's a ring-shaped number. What's his rating now?
Todd Griffin, Bart Meyer: Who are these guys?

I know, lots of updates. I had to get them out of the way so I could go to work without thinking/forgetting about it. Here are my responses to what you said:

-It was sad to see Melo go, but he was well past his prime and in the end, he wasn't very consistent. Adding LeBron was great for the team.--

-Overall success will likely be what determines which team won in that free agency signing.

-For me the symbol isn't mocking him, it's more a reminder of what he's left to do in the league. I'm sure he doesn't want to be on the list with Barkley and Malone as one of the greatest to never win one. As for your question, his rating is at 70. His athlecism and speed hasn't diminished, but his jumpshot is another story.

-Todd Griffin played small forward for Utah in the first 4 seasons of his career and led them to the WCF. From memory, he went to Wake Forest, a school which produced my basketball idol, Tim Duncan. Bartholomew Myer is a quick 6'2 (I think) point guard from the Milwaukee Bucks. I'm not very familiar with his overall game since he's from the Eastern Conference, but he seems to be better than average at this point.

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

Game 1 of the season and the new look Denver side came out with all guns blazing against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It looked like they hadn't missed a beat since their much publicised team break up, but to say that would have been premature, as they lost game two against the Hornets. Thanks to a big performance by an aging star, they were able to completely blow away the reigning Western Conference Champions the Houston Rockets, and they were able to beat the Spurs and Portland to start the season 4-1.

The feature game involves Alejandro Carlos coming up against the team he helped beat Denver in last season's playoffs:

Nuggets Get Revenge Through Old Enemy



Alejandro Carlos made a massive impact in Denver's 86-80 win over the San Antonio Spurs. It was merely months ago where he helped put the nail in the Nuggets' dynasty coffin, but now as a member of the franchise, he was the performer of the game against the Spurs with 34 points. Taylor MacKenzie continued his solid start to the season with 18 points, while new recruits Todd Griffin and LeBron James both contributed 12 each.

On the opposite end of the coin, it was an ex-Nuggets star that did most of the damage for the Spurs, with Kevin Durant scoring 21 points. Gordon Wilkins added 16 to their efforts, while playoff standout Jamie Mathieu was solid without being brilliant with 13. In his new role as a starter, Jeff Simmons added 10 points to the cause as well.

After a long off-season of soul searching and franchise changing player movement, the Nuggets first step to redemption was to conquer the side that ended their glorious run. But as the 6 point margin may suggest, the Spurs aren't going to lay down for the Nuggets.

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DEN@SAN

DEN: 86 (A Carlos 34, MacKenzie 18, Griffin 12)
SAN: 80 (Durant 21, Wilkins 16, Mathieu 13)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Alejandro Carlos 34 points 2 rebounds 1 assist 3 steals 1 block

Rebounds

DEN: Howard 10
SAN: Mathieu, Wilkins 8

Assists

DEN: Perko 9
SAN: Mathieu 6

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Last 5 Games

@MIN: 97-74 W
@NOH: 91-87 L
@HOU: 94-61 W
@SAN: 86-80 W
@POR: 83-72 W

The Nuggets start the season 4-1

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New Look

Borislav Perko may have shaved off his blond hair, but he proved he's still good for a triple-double. Against the Wolves, he had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. It was the only one he had this round, but with the likes of Alejandro, Todd and LeBron on his team, stats may be harder to come by this season for him.

The New Number One Scorer

Alejandro Carlos struggled initially in the season with his shooting, but in the last two games, he did a lot better. Along with his performance in the feature game, he also had 23 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. He's currently leading the Nuggets in scoring with 17.8 points per game.

Meet Mr Griffin

Somewhat of an unknown quantity to TNL readers, Todd Griffin is an athletic swingman who can pull off eye-popping dunks and is also a good midrange shooter. He scored 24 points in Denver's loss to New Orleans and he is second in the team with 17.2 points per game. One thing that may endeer him to readers is that he has a fadeaway very similar to that of Dirk Nowitzki (pictures to come I'm sure).

LeBron Zero

The newly dubbed LeBron Zero has made quite an impression in his new role as a point guard. Against the Rockets, he was at his devastating best with 26 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. He's already taken the starting spot away from Bartholomew Myer.

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Next 5 Games

@UTA
GSW
LAC
PHX
SAC

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Updates may come a little more sporadically now, but hopefully I can get another 5 games done before my working week starts.

[Andrew]

Strong start. Nice that you were able to get some revenge on the Spurs early on in the new season.

Luckily for me the only thing I have to worry about with him is how he's playing. Of course, I'll put in the odd quote and article about him as a bit of tongue-in-cheek... it's something I won't be able to resist.

No doubt. It definitely adds flavour to the Dynasty.

[The X]

Perko looks so much different with shaved head. I hope next season or later this season he has a crew cut showing regrowth but maybe a dark blonde since hair is darker closer to the roots

Nice touch though

[Cruzerr]

Perko needs to get his hair back...

Still, good start, LeBrons jumper is gone or?

[kibaxx7]

Durant in a Spurs jersey? That's sweet

[Kenny]

Strong start. Nice that you were able to get some revenge on the Spurs early on in the new season.

Luckily for me the only thing I have to worry about with him is how he's playing. Of course, I'll put in the odd quote and article about him as a bit of tongue-in-cheek... it's something I won't be able to resist.

No doubt. It definitely adds flavour to the Dynasty.

It was nice to win against them, particularly since Kevin Durant has joined the team. It's almost added to the rivalry the fact that he's there.

I was thinking about making a LeBron Zero anti-perspirent, with the slogan "Superstar protection for everyday people" (a bit of a piss-take out of his post NBA Finals quote about how the haters have to go back to living their lives).

Perko looks so much different with shaved head. I hope next season or later this season he has a crew cut showing regrowth but maybe a dark blonde since hair is darker closer to the roots

Nice touch though

It is an interesting touch by the game. It's unfortunately something I have no control over, otherwise I'd pretty much designate one of my guys to be the next Scot Pollard

Perko needs to get his hair back...

Still, good start, LeBrons jumper is gone or?

I'm actually a fan of his very first look, the longer hair. At that time, he was the closest player to look like me in the game. But now I've shaved my head (not completely, just number 4) and he did pretty much the same in his triple-double season. Maybe my next step is to completely go bald?

LeBron's jumper is very inconsistent and he's a poor free throw shooter. That and he's more likely to miss contested layups now. Athletically, the dude is still a beast though and that's what really matters.

Durant in a Spurs jersey? That's sweet

It is and it'll definitely keep them competitive since I poached Alejandro Carlos

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

Despite an almost triple-double from LeBron James, the Nuggets started off the five game summary with a loss to the Jazz. Against Golden State, they were taken to victory by one of the original 4-peat heroes, while they also picked up comfortable victories against the Clippers and the Suns. The game against the Kings however was definitely one to forget. Even though they're struggling with offensive inconsistency, they still managed to come out over .500 with 3-2.

The feature game is against the Warriors:

Perko Wins It For Nuggets



The Nuggets narrowly beat the Warriors by 75-73 thanks to a last second basket from Perko. Here's how the play unfolded:

phpBB [video]

Perko ended up being the player of the game with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. But Denver's high scorer of the night was Taylor MacKenzie. With the Nuggets' starting wings both having subpar games, T-Mac stepped in and scored 20 points. LeBron James helped out with 11 points, while a surprise effort from bench big Yi Jianlian saw him score 10.

For the Warriors, All-Star Rudolph Gibson was the high point man with 23. Steven Crawford contributed 13, while explosive point guard Johnny Williams was held to 12 points.

The Nuggets held a commanding lead for most of the night, but the Warriors rallied in the 4th to tie the score at 73. With the biggest potential clutch moment of his Nuggets career to date, LeBron James was hesistant to take the deciding shot, instead choosing to pass it off twice. Is that a sign of things to come?

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GSW@DEN

DEN: 75 (MacKenzie 20, Perko 13, James 11)
GSW: 73 (Gibson 23, Crawford 13, Williams 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 13 points 6 rebounds 5 assists 4 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Howard 8
GSW: Wilson 12

Assists

DEN: Meyer, Perko 5
GSW: Williams 6

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Last 5 Games

@UTA: 71-68 L
GSW: 75-73 W
LAC: 93-82 W
PHX: 90-79 W
SAC: 92-66 L

The Nuggets are now 7-3.

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Carrying the Offense

The Nuggets offense has been erratic this season, but Taylor MacKenzie has been the shining light off the bench. He's leading the team in scoring with 18.4 per game, including a 46 point effort against the Phoenix Suns. He's also sporting a retro look (think back to his rookie year) and a new number.

LeWOW!

LeBron Zero had a hell of a game in the Nuggets loss to Utah. He was one rebound away from a triple-double and 3 assists away from a 20-20. His overall statline was 20 points, 9 rebounds, 17 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

Beast From the East

Yi Jianlian has provided some surprise production off the bench so far this season. His best effort came against the Clippers where he had 16 points and 11 rebounds.

This Is Bartholomew Myer

The Kings game was a truly horrible one for pretty much every player except for T-Mac and (surprisingly) Yi Jianlian. But I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce Bartholomew Myer. He's a quick, small point guard, not dissimilar to JJ Barea.

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Next 5 Games

MIN
POR
ATL
MIL
NJN

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Next up will be the 10 game review. Definitely some interesting standouts so far, as well as some underwhelming performers.

[The X]

Are you saying that generic's hairstyle changes during their careers? If so, I hope EA keep this feature in

[Cruzerr]

Alright, I admit one thing about Perkos hair. He actually now looks like a "Borislav"

[Andrew]

Not a bad round, great look at the basket there for Perko to get that game winning layup. Sounds like LeBron's still got a bit left in his tank...love the idea of "Superstar protection for everyday people" too.

[Mavs4Life]

Love that T-Mac Perko chest bump at the end

[Axel The Great]

LeBron Zero, I like that. You should go through with that anti-perspirant; at least maybe the logo with a slogan?

Tough end to the round with that spanking the Kings gave you. Good to see your team can still win in the clutch, that was a sweet drive by Perko.

[Kenny]

Are you saying that generic's hairstyle changes during their careers? If so, I hope EA keep this feature in

That's correct, the looks do get changed, but not for everyone. Ty Maximilian kept the same look for his 4 seasons. Alejandro kept the same look for 8 seasons, then came to the Nuggets and got cornrows. I'm pretty sure Todd Griffin has kept the same look for his first 5 seasons of playing too. It's an interesting process because someone like Stanley Alston has had many looks throughout his career and it's hard to keep up with. Still, it's a nice feature and it seems to give generates a little bit of humanity.

Alright, I admit one thing about Perkos hair. He actually now looks like a "Borislav"

Yeah, he looks a little more like a Borislav now

Not a bad round, great look at the basket there for Perko to get that game winning layup. Sounds like LeBron's still got a bit left in his tank...love the idea of "Superstar protection for everyday people" too.

Normally that doesn't work for me at all, but luckily I was able to fool the defender that time and there was no help near the basket. That shot will get blocked 9 times out of 10.

I wonder if LeBron has a cologne or an anti-perspirant... seems like something he could potentially do.

:D Love that T-Mac Perko chest bump at the end

I thought it was a nice touch too. They're pretty much the heart and soul of the organisation right now.

LeBron Zero, I like that. You should go through with that anti-perspirant; at least maybe the logo with a slogan?

Tough end to the round with that spanking the Kings gave you. Good to see your team can still win in the clutch, that was a sweet drive by Perko.

I liked the "ring" of LeBron Zero sorry... thought it would be an interesting story idea too. I think the only person he's stealing the number off is Robert Horry, who even though I'm a big fan of, he really didn't make a huge impact in the dynasty. I was thinking about making the logo pretty minimalistic; maybe the name in a nice font. Nothing too crazy.

I didn't know what happened with that Kings game... it just got out of control. They're actually a much better team this season. At least those clutch moments keep me playing though

[Kenny]

10 Game Summary

After playing 10 games, I do a review on how my players are doing so far. I do my best to give all my players at least one game durining this little period, but most times one usually misses out. Here it is:

The Starters

Dwight Howard: While Howard's per game averages don't jump off the page, his 72.5% from the field is good enough for first in the league so far. With the early emphasis of the Nuggets offense being on the wings, Howard's scoring role has taken a big hit, but he still does his fair share of work on the other end.

Borislav Perko: Currently the reigning MVP only has two triple-doubles so far this season, but his averages aren't too far off what they were last season. While no stat alone really stands out, he leads his team in rebounds (9.4), assists (7.6) and blocks (1.7), while scoring 9.5 points per game at 52.5% from the field. He's had to share the point duties more with LeBron James around, but he's still doing a great job.

Alejandro Carlos: Apart from one or two great performances, the big signing of the off-season has had a relatively underwheliming season so far. Scoring 12.7 per game at just over 40 percent from the field isn't great when you consider he was an all-star last season. Hopefully things will pick up as the season goes on.

Todd Griffin: He's had his flashes of greatness, but very much falls into the Alejandro Carlos category so far this season. Currently being outplayed by 6-man Taylor MacKenzie.

LeBron James: Athletically, LeBron Zero hasn't missed a beat. He plays at an incredible pace and is as fit as he's ever been. Jumpshooting is another story, but he's made up for that by being second in assists per game (6.7). With James on the team, the Nuggets have two of the elite passers in the league, with the other being Perko.

The Bench

Taylor MacKenzie: If anyone has been the standout so far, it's been Taylor. Currently leading the team in points per game (18.4) and doing so while having the best shooting percentage from beyond the arc (38.4). If Taylor keeps these numbers up, he will not only be knocking on the door for a starting spot, but also an All-star berth. Him and Perko currently stand as the heart and soul of this team.

Yi Jianlian: The real surprise of the season so far. Yi has been a terrific buy so far, as his range has proven to really test opposition defenses. The Nuggets have even thrown him in at the centre position when they've wanted a shooting lineup. Defensively he can be a bit of a liability, but with Howard, Perko and McGee, his flaw can be covered.

JaVale McGee: So far he's doing a steady job. Often used as Howard's defensive backup, but he finds himself losing minutes to Yi because of his inferior shooting. He's still a bit part of this Nuggets side though.

Bartholomew Myer: The jury is still out on Myer, but one thing we can establish is that he's not a great shooter. It's perhaps something he needs to work on if he wants to take anymore minutes from LeBron. He's very quick and is a great passer though... he'd be the top assist guy on any other team probably.

Cyrus Banks: Much like Adrian Young, he's playing out of position at power forward because of his height (6'11) but because he is actually a better all round shooter, he's currently beating Young for minutes right now. It's hard to see him making a big impact this season, but he's had a solid start so far.

Adrian Young: Surprisingly he's only seen one game so far this season. The Nuggets are playing a pretty tight rotation right now and he's currently not fitting in it. Perhaps a move is on the cards?

Ed Reed: In the last season of his rookie contract, Reed is one of 4 players currently fitting into the category of playing one game. The point rotation has been a hard one to crack in this team and his future heavily relies on what the Nuggets do with Bartholomew Myer.

IR

Jesus Carlos: Currently behind Ed Reed on the point guard waiting list, Jesus would probably benefit from a stint in the D-League right now.

Jakov Branco: The surprise element of old man (or is it young man) Yi has meant Jakov has only had a couple of minutes this season. They came when Dwight got in foul trouble in the first quarter. Currently too many limitations in his offensive game are keeping him out of it.

Dennis Da Conceicao: Has not played a game yet.

[Warlock95]

Too bad Jakov plays like that...or I would've given him the nickname "Bronco".

[Andrew]

Interesting that your sixth man is leading the team in scoring, reminds me a little of the situation with Ricky Pierce on the Bucks back in the 80s (or possibly early 90s).

[Houndy]

Perko's stache is creepy

[Mavs4Life]

So why isn't T-Mac starting?

[The X]

So why isn't T-Mac starting?

I was wondering that myself. I was sure after his play last season that he'd get the starting nod this season.

[Andrew]

I'm guessing it's kinda hard to bring LeBron off the bench. Seems he's still got it.

[The X]

I'm guessing it's kinda hard to bring LeBron off the bench. Seems he's still got it.

I meant in place of Griffin, not Lebanon.