Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:33 am
5 Game Summary
Although the Nuggets couldn't get the same lineup for each game, it still ended up being a pretty good five game run. It started off a bit patchy, with a loss to the Bulls in Chicago. The Nuggets won at home against Memphis, but then lost against the Timberwolves in the following game. Luckily for the Nuggets, the Magic were abysmal and the Kings were without their star centre.
Since the Grizzlies are highly ranked in the West, I've decided to make the Memphis game the feature.
Even though the Nuggets were missing four key players, they came away with a 105-92 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Both JaVale McGee and J.J. Hickson were listed as inactive, while Kenneth Faried and Gary Harris do not play due to injury.
Wilson Chandler embraced a larger role on offense, scoring a game-high 25 points for the Nuggets. Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams also contributed with 13 points each, while Erick Green (11) and Nate Robinson (10) made the most of their extended minutes.
The Grizzlies got a great performance out of Mike Conley and Zach Randolph. Conley had 21 points and 8 assists, while Randolph registered a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Unfortunately for Memphis, they were the only two who could make a significant impact on the night, as Vince Carter (15) was the only other double-digit scorer for the Grizzlies.
MEM@DEN
DEN: 105
(Chandler 25, Afflalo 13, Williams 13)
MEM: 92
(Conley 21, Randolph 20, Carter 15)
Jordan Player of the Game: Wilson Chandler 25 points (9-13 FG) 6 rebounds 4 assists
Rebounds
DEN: Gallinari, Nurkic 9
MEM: Randolph 11
Assists
DEN: Lawson 12
MEM: Conley 8
Last 5 Games
@CHI: 105-98 L
MEM: 105-92
@MIN: 94-90 L
ORL: 103-75 W
@SAC: 92-87 W
Overall: 24-13
Wilson Chandler was the star of this summary. As well as his POTG performance in the feature, he scored 29 points in the Nuggets loss to the Timberwolves.
Derrick Williams made the most of his extended playing time against the Magic. He had 26 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. We're finally getting to see his potential at the NBA level.
J.J. Hickson was a welcome return against the Kings. Against the team that waived him, Hickson put up 19 points, 6 rebounds and a block.
Jusuf Nurkic was another player who initially got extended minutes amidst all the injuries. He had 14 points in the loss against the Bulls. Unfortunately, he ended up joining the injury ward just a few games after.
Injuries
Ty Lawson - Sprained Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Next 5 Games
DAL
@DAL
MIN
@GSW
SAN
Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:39 am
mp3 wrote:The Bucks trade The Greek ??
Trade engine still broke then lol
Who did the knicks get for JR and Jason Smith out of interest?
Knicks traded: Jason Smith
Hawks traded: Mike Muscala, 2015 second round pick
Pistons traded: D.J. Augustin
Knicks traded: J.R. Smith, 2015 second round pick
KevinParker13 wrote:Jennings sure is killin' it. 2 Thunder players as MVP candidates.![]()
Martti. wrote:Giannis gets no love from 2K.
Ezio Auditore wrote:Lots of retro jerseys, nostalgia all around! Nice to see you with a new thread, Kenny.
Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:09 pm
Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:45 pm
Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:33 pm
Sun Nov 30, 2014 1:25 am
Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:49 pm
mp3 wrote:Apart from the Greek trade 2k made some realistic trades from what I saw then, hopefully no more "Clippers trade Chris Paul for Steve Nash" stupid type trades I have seen in the past
Ezio Auditore wrote:Good luck against the Warriors, they are killing everyone.
Lamrock wrote:Are you playing all 82 games, or simming some? (sorry if you've already answered this)
Martti. wrote:Nice to see Derrick Williams contributing.
Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:50 pm
5 Games Summary
From a team standpoint, it was another highly successful five game stretch for the Nuggets. After splitting the mini series against the Mavericks, the Nuggets won three straight, defeating the Timberwolves, the Warriors and the Spurs. Their winning ratio is currently 2:1, which is great for any team, let alone one that missed out on the playoffs entirely last season.
However, from an individual standpoint, the news was mixed for the Nuggets. Ty Lawson hit peak form and was awarded the Player of the Week for the Western Conference. Derrick Williams, on the other hand, didn't enjoy such luck. He was injured in the first game against the Mavs, and it was later revealed that he sustained a broken ankle (way to kick it up a notch). He will miss 6-8 weeks.
I have chosen the game against the Mavs, but not necessarily because Derrick Williams got injured in it.
Arron Afflalo led the Nuggets to a 97-94 win over the Mavericks. Triple A was just 3 points off his career high, as he scored 40 points on the night.
Led by Afflalo's efforts, the Nuggets had four double-digit scorers on the night. Ty Lawson almost stole the POTG award from Arron Afflalo, as he fell one rebound short of a triple-double with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 19 assists. JaVale McGee also added 12 points, while Kenneth Faried registered another double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
But it wasn't all good news for the Nuggets. After contesting for a rebound, Derrick Williams was left on the floor, clutching at his leg. It was later confirmed that he broke his ankle and that Williams was likely to miss 6-8 weeks.
The Mavericks were lucky to stay in the game for as long as they did, as Dirk Nowitzki (3 points) had a poor game, shooting just 1-8. But Monta Ellis was able to carry much of the offensive burden. He had 27 points and 5 assists. Jameer Nelson (19) was the only other player in double figures for the Mavs, while Brandan Wright (9 points, 10 rebounds) was just one point away from a double-double.
DAL@DEN
DEN: 97
(Afflalo 40, Lawson 12, McGee 12)
DAL: 94
(Ellis 27, Nelson 19, Wright 9)
Jordan Performer of the Game: Arron Afflalo 40 points (14-24 FG) 2 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal 1 block
Rebounds
DEN: Faried 11
DAL: T Chandler 15
Assists
DEN: Lawson 19
DAL: Ellis 5
Last 5 Games
DAL: 97-94 W
@DAL: 108-98 L
MIN: 89-73 W
@GSW: 106-96 W
SAN: 100-98 W
Overall: 28-14
Despite the Nuggets loss in Dallas, Ty Lawson continued his stellar form. In a losing effort, he had 29 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists 2 steals. He also earned the West Player of the Week.
Gary Harris had a huge performance for the Nuggets against the Warriors. He had 28 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and a block. Harris has had some dynamic performances already this season and could be seen as a darkhorse for the Rookie of the Year award.
Nate Robinson has been in-and-out of the Nuggets rotation, but he made a great case for regular playing time against the Spurs. He had 18 points, 3 rebounds and an assist.
The Nuggets welcomed back JaVale McGee in the feature game, but he had his best performance against the Timberwolves. Along with his 14 points and 12 rebounds, he swatted away 6 shots.
Injuries
Derrick Williams - Broken Ankle, 6-8 Weeks (Out)
JaVale McGee - Sprained Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Next 5 Games
BOS
WAS
@LAC
@NOP
@MEM
Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:51 pm
6 Game Summary
The last six games of January followed the trend of the Nuggets season almost perfectly. They won two, lost one, won two, then lost the last one. The Nuggets had two close calls against the Celtics and the Wizards before being blown out by the Clippers in Los Angeles. They managed to escape New Orleans with a close win and they destroyed the second seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets then lost in Denver against the Charlotte Hornets.
Once again, the game with the major injury is the feature.
JaVale McGee became another ankle casualty in the Nuggets 101-95 win against the Pelicans. When McGee was left grabbing his ankle, medical staff feared the worst, as it looked similar to the Derrick Williams broken ankle. It was originally diagnosed as a "severe sprain".
The Nuggets didn't let McGee's injury drag them down for too long, though, as they received an incredible by Nate Robinson. Starting at the two-guard position in place of Arron Afflalo (ankle sprain), Robinson poured in 34 points. Wilson Chandler also provided a spark with 20 points, while Ty Lawson (14 points, 17 assists) had a high involvement in the game as well.
For the Pelicans, Jrue Holiday was on his game, registering 31 points to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Tyreke Evans (11) and Jeff Withey (10) both provided minor contributions, but it was the passive play of Anthony Davis that raised the most eyebrows. He scored only 4 points off 4 attempts from the field.
DEN@NOP
DEN: 101
(Robinson 34, Chandler 20, Lawson 14)
NOP: 95
(Holiday 31, Evans 11, Withey 10)
Jordan Performer of the Game: Nate Robinson 34 points (12-25 FG) 4 rebounds 5 assists 1 steal 2 blocks
Rebounds
DEN: Hickson 11
NOP: Davis, Withey 7
Assists
DEN: Lawson 17
NOP: Holiday 6
Last 6 Games
BOS: 88-82 W
WAS: 82-79 W
@LAC: 98-80 L
@NOP: 101-95 W
@MEM: 119-91 W
CHA: 113-99 L
Overall: 32-16
Ty Lawson continued to be productive in this stretch. Against the Celtics he registered 20 points, 11 assists and 3 steals. With the All-Star Weekend just around the corner, Ty is certainly putting his hand up.
Nate Robinson had a great run this summary, which started against the Clippers. Although he only had 11 points and 5 assists, it led to a nice run for Nate. Unfortunately it was cut short in the Hornets game, and Robinson is now looking at 1-2 weeks on the sidelines.
JaVale McGee had another great game against the Washington Wizards. He was hunting another career triple-double, but fell short by 4 blocks. He had 20 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks, and he even sunk the two winning free throws.
Erick Green got some quality minutes in the absense of Nate Robinson (sprained ankle). Green had 22 points and 4 assists in the loss against the Charlotte Hornets.
Even though McGee got injured against the Grizzlies, the Nuggets got a great performance from the centre position. J.J. Hickson stepped into the role and added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Hickson is likely to hold down the starting centre position while McGee is out.
Injuries
Derrick Williams - Broken Ankle, 4-6 weeks (Out)
JaVale McGee - Sprained Ankle, 2-4 weeks (Hurt)
Nate Robinson - Sprained Ankle, 1-2 weeks (Hurt)
Randy Foye - Sprained Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Next 5 Games
@PHI
@BOS
@DET
OKC
@LAL
Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:52 pm
LeBron, Westbrook to Miss All-Star Game
LeBron James became the first All-Star casualty, announcing that he would not be participating in the weekend. LeBron's decision was basically made for him when he was advised that he needed surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He is likely to be back at the end of March.
Along with LeBron, Russell Westbrook is another high profile scratch from the All-Star Game. Westbrook is likely to miss the entire month of February with a broken back.
Kobe and Durant Headline Starters
The starters for the All-Star Game have been announced.
Kobe Bryant has been selected for his 17th All-Star Game. The West in general have a more experienced starting lineup, with LaMarcus Aldridge (4) being the least capped starter. Chris Paul will take the place of Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup.
In contrast, the East have two debutants on the starting lineup. Kyle Lowry will make his All-Star debut, as he eclipsed Derrick Rose in the final voting tally, while Al Jefferson replaces LeBron at the centre position. Carmelo Anthony (8) and Rajon Rondo (5) are the only two players to be selected five-or-more times.
East
G: [TOR] Kyle Lowry (1st)
G: [BOS] Rajon Rondo (5th)
F: [NYK] Carmelo Anthony (8th)
F: [IND] Paul George (3rd)
C: [CHA] Al Jefferson (1st)
West
G: [LAL] Kobe Bryant (17th)
G: [LAC] Chris Paul (8th)
F: [OKC] Kevin Durant (6th)
F: [POR] LaMarcus Aldridge (4th)
C: [LAC] Blake Griffin (5th)
Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:55 pm
January 2015 Summary
At the end of January, there are five teams league-wide that have reached 30 or more wins. Chicago is currently at the head of the pack with a record of 33-16, but the Nuggets are not far behind. Denver went 11-5 and cemented their spot atop of the Western Conference standings.
Even though January ended up being another great month for the Nuggets, it was a month plagued by injuries. JaVale McGee and J.J. Hickson have both spent time inactive due to nagging ankle sprains, but it was Derrick Williams who had the most serious injury of them all, as he broke his ankle on a rebound attempt. Williams will likely be back early-to-mid March.
Looking ahead, February will once again be an eventful month in the NBA, and the Nuggets will be heavily involved. Ty Lawson will play in his first All-Star Game, as well as competing in the three point contest, while Gary Harris (Rising Stars Challenge), Arron Afflalo (three point contest), and Kenneth Faried (dunk contest) will also feature in the festivities.
February will also see the trade deadline. With players such as Randy Foye, J.J. Hickson and Nate Robinson all asking for trades at some point during the season, the Nuggets could potentially be an active team in trade talks as they look to
Standings
East
Chicago 33-16
Cleveland 32-17
Miami 29-17
Atlanta 27-21
Indian 26-23
Brooklyn 24-23
Toronto 24-24
Detroit 23-25
---
Milwaukee 21-26
Boston 20-25
New York 21-27
Washington 21-27
Charlotte 20-27
Philadelphia 19-29
Orlando 10-40
West
Denver 32-16
Memphis 31-16
Houston 30-18
Oklahoma City 27-20
San Antonio 25-23
LA Clippers 25-23
Sacramento 24-23
Minnesota 24-23
---
Phoenix 25-24
LA Lakers 23-24
Dallas 23-26
Portland 23-26
Golden 21-24
New Orleans 21-26
Utah 11-36
Monthly Awards
Player
East: [CLE] Kyrie Irving
West: [LAL] Kobe Bryant
Rookie
East: [MIL] Jabari Parker
West: [HOU] Kostas Papnikolaou
Transactions
Hawks traded: Pero Antic
Thunder traded: Mitch McGary, 2016 second round pick
Wizards traded: Dejuan Blair, 2016 second round pick
Lakers traded: Ed Davis
Magic traded: Ben Gordon
Pacers traded: C.J. Miles
Raptors traded: Tyler Hansbrough, Landry Fields
Celtics traded: Tyler Zeller, Gerald Wallace
Magic traded: Kyle O'Quinn
Warriors traded: Festus Ezeli
Clippers traded: Spencer Hawes
Spurs traded: Patrick Mills
Hawks traded: Shelvin Mack
Trail Blazers traded: Joel Freeland, 2016 second round pick
Raptors traded: Chuck Hayes
Bucks traded: Zaza Pachulia
Clippers traded: Jordan Farmar
Pelicans traded: John Salmons, 2016 second round pick
Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:31 pm
Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:50 pm
#anklegate? #adidasAndrew wrote:You're having some really terrible luck with all these ankle injuries.
Mon Dec 15, 2014 10:01 pm
Mon Dec 15, 2014 10:13 pm
Tue Dec 16, 2014 6:00 am
Wed Dec 17, 2014 11:06 pm
KevinParker13 wrote:#anklegate? #adidasAndrew wrote:You're having some really terrible luck with all these ankle injuries.
Andrew wrote:It's looking that way.
Phil89 wrote:Good job staying on top of the conference despite the injury curse#anklegeddon
Strange seeing all the west teams so far ahead of Utah. Usually there are a few teams with poor records down the bottom, not just one.
Lamrock wrote:LaMarcus All-Starter
Wed Dec 17, 2014 11:10 pm
5 Game Summary
The Nuggets extended their winning streak to six, with wins over the Sixers, Celtics and Pistons. But now Denver faces a different streak, after losing to the Thunder and the Lakers (sigh).
Since it was a monumental game for one of my rookies, I've chosen the Pistons game for the feature.
Gary Harris lit up the Detroit Pistons in the 106-96 win. The rookie guard put his hand up for selection in the Rising Stars Challenge by pouring in 31 points off 11-13 from the field. Seven of his made attempts were three pointers.
Kenneth Faried also had a solid night out against the Pistons, scoring 18. Arron Afflalo added 16 points, while Wilson Chandler (11) and Ty Lawson (10) had minor contributions. Erick Green contributed at double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.
As it's often been the case with the Detroit Pistons, they lived and died off the performance of Brandon Jennings. The mercurial point guard topped both the points (26) and assists (7) column, but shot an inefficient 11-27 from the field. New recruit J.R. Smith was also a big contributor for the Pistons on the offensive end, scoring 21 points. But they were the only real potent options for Detroit, as Jodie Meeks and Greg Monroe (10 rebounds) only had minor contributions on the offensive end.
DEN@DET
DEN: 106
(Harris 31, Faried 18, Afflalo 16)
DET: 96
(Jennings 26, J.R. Smith 21, Meeks 10)
Jordan Performer of the Game: Gary Harris 31 points (11-13 FG) 1 rebound
Rebounds
DEN: Chandler 8
DET: Anthony, Monroe 10
Assists
DEN: Lawson 12
DET: Jennings 7
Last 5 Games
@PHI: 89-77 W
@BOS: 105-86 W
@DET: 106-96 W
OKC: 112-101 L
@LAL: 112-101
Overall: 35-18
Arron Afflalo duked it out with Kobe Bryant in the Lakers game. Triple A ended up with 32 points, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Kobe ended up with 37 points, and most importantly, earned his team the win.
Wilson Chandler was in fine form against the Boston Celtics. He led the Nuggets scoring with 24 points.
Against the likes of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, Kenneth Faried held his own on the boards. He ended up with 17 rebounds, to go with his 13 points.
It's been a relatively quiet season for Danilo Gallinari, but he had one of his better nights against the Thunder. He scored 17 points.
Injuries
Derrick Williams - Broken Ankle, 2-4 weeks (Out)
JaVale McGee - Sprained Ankle, 1-2 weeks (Hurt)
Kenneth Faried - Sprained Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
J.J. Hickson - Sprained Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Erick Green - Sprained Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Up Next: All-Star Break
Wed Dec 17, 2014 11:15 pm
Ty Lawson Named As A Reserve
Ty Lawson has been named into his first All-Star game as a reserve. It is a well-deserved honour for Lawson, who leads the league in assists and steals.
He will join six other debutants on the bench, with Michael Carter Williams, Jabari Parker, Goran Dragic, Chandler Parsons, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans all receiving their first selection.
Along with LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, both Stephen Curry and Derrick Rose were ruled out of participating in the weekend due to injury.East Reserves
[PHI] Michael Carter-Williams (1st Appearance)
[MIA] Dwyane Wade (11th Appearance)
[MIL] Jabari Parker (1st Appearance)
[CHI] Pau Gasol (5th Appearance)
[ATL] Al Horford (3rd Appearance)
[CLE] Kyrie Irving (3rd Appearance)
[WAS] John Wall (2nd Appearance)
West Reserves
[PHX] Goran Dragic (1st Appearance)
[HOU] James Harden (3rd Appearance)
[DAL] Chandler Parsons (1st Appearance)
[NOP] Anthony Davis (2nd Appearance)
[SAC] DeMarcus Cousins (1st Appearance)
[DEN] Ty Lawson (1st Appearance)
[NOP] Tyreke Evans (1st Appearance)
Harris Named on Elites Bench
Gary Harris will team up with Jabari Parker, Trey Burke and Joel Embiid in the Rising Stars Challenge. He will come off the bench for the Elites.Elites
G: [UTA] Dante Exum
G: [UTA] Trey Burke
F: [PHI] Joel Embiid
F: [OKC] Steven Adams
C: [ORL] Dewayne Dedmon
Bench
[HOU] Isaiah Canaan
[DEN] Gary Harris
[MIL] Jabari Parker
[WAS] Anthony Bennett
[BOS] Kelly Olynyk
Stars
G: [BOS] Marcus Smart
G: [PHI] Michael Carter-Williams
F: [PHI] Hollis Thompson
F: [BKN] Mason Plumlee
C: [MIN] Andrew Wiggins
Bench
[DET] Spencer Dinwiddie
[ORL] Victor Oladipo
[HOU] Kostas Papanikalaou
[PHI] Nerlens Noel
[CLE] Alex Kirk
Faried to Return to Dunk Contest
Kenneth Faried will have a second chance at a dunk contest trophy this weekend. Him and Andre Drummond appear to be the favourites to take out the competition at the moment.Dunk Contest
[DET] Andre Drummond
[DEN] Kenneth Faried
[BKN] Markel Brown
[LAC] Jared Cunningham
Lawson, AAA to Compete in Shootout
The Nuggets will have two representatives in the three point contest. Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo will compete for the three point crown with some of the league's best sharp shooters.Three Point Contest
[GSW] Klay Thompson
[DEN] Ty Lawson
[ATL] Kyle Korver
[PHX] Goran Dragic
[DEN] Arron Afflalo
[DET] J.R. Smith
Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:07 am
Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:38 am
Andrew wrote:Good to see your players getting the nod for the All-Star festivities.
Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:41 am
Harris Dominates Rookie Challenge
The Elites came away with a 108-99 victory, thanks largely to Gary Harris. He had 32 points and 8 assists.
Note: I thought I would be able to get the boxscores through the calendar, but the stats read as 0 for everything.
Korver Takes Three Point Championship
Atlanta Hawks forward Kyle Korver is the 2015 Three Point Champion, defeating Denver's Arron Afflalo and Detroit's J.R. Smith in the final round. Korver's 25 in the final round was enough to narrowly beat Arron Afflalo (22), while J.R. Smith only managed 13.
Drummond the New Dunk Contest Champion
Andre Drummond managed to edge out Markel Brown to win the 2015 Dunk Contest.
Denver's Kenneth Faried had the highest individual dunk score, tallying 90 on his first attempt. But he was unable to keep up the momentum, finishing third.
Faried To Replace Aldridge in All-Star Game
The 2015 All-Star Game has another casualty with Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge succumbing to a back injury. Aldridge will be replaced by Kenneth Faried, who will make his All-Star debut.
DeMarcus Cousins will take Aldridge's starting spot in the West lineup.
Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:31 am
Fri Dec 19, 2014 7:27 pm
Andrew wrote:Sucks for the Blazers, but good for you and Faried.
Fri Dec 19, 2014 8:16 pm