Mile High: The Denver Nuggets (2k11)

[jdx66]

Mile High: The Denver Nuggets

Nuggets hire new GM amidst turmoil

Denver--Someone would have to be crazy to walk into the Denver Nugget's front office and actually want to run the organization. It's a job for someone with a proverbial death wish - like jumping at the chance to man the Titanic after it hit the iceberg.

Patrick Johnson, 34, says he's the man for the job.

Quote:

"Yeah, there are problems in Denver," Johnson said in a phone interview following the announcement. "Obviously, we would love to keep Carmelo [Anthony] in the organization. He's one of the best players in the NBA."

Anthony, the Nugget's All-NBA forward, has requested Denver trade him in lieu of recent events within the league. Mainly, he wants to turn Chicago or New York into a "super team" like the Miami Heat with their three stars: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. A trade to the Chicago Bulls would pair Anthony with blooming PG Derrick Rose and All-Star Carlos Boozer. Sending Anthony to the Knicks would make a formidable pair of Anthony and Knicks PF Amar'e Stoudamire.

Quote:

"This isn't about basketball, though," Johnson said in reply to Anthony's requests. "[Carmelo] wants to win, sure, but he wants to be in a bigger market, too."

Quote:

"I think Denver is a little too blue-collar for the guy."

Will he stay or will he go?

Johnson would know blue-collar. As a kid in Detroit, Johnson watched the "Bad Boy" Pistons win back-to-back NBA championships with a blue-collar, beat-you-up style. He fell in love with the game of basketball in those years and took that Detroit style to heart. Johnson - who is a wall of a man at 6'9", 266 pounds - was a bruising power forward at St. John's and looked to have a lengthy NBA career ahead of him before blowing out his knee in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

With no hopes of making a league roster, Johnson turned to law school following graduation. He turned that law degree into a consulting position with the New Jersey Nets - where he worked his way up the front office ladder before landing the assistant general manager position for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008.

As far as Anthony goes, Johnson stands prepared for whatever may happen. The new GM learned a thing or two about egos and NBA free agency during his experiences with the Cavaliers and their former star LeBron James.

Quote:

"Seeing [LeBron] leave Cleveland, seeing the heartbreak following 'The Decision' and how it was handled on both sides, I know what's right and what's not. I know what we should do as an organization and what we should expect from a professional basketball player," Johnson said.

Quote:

"With or without Carmelo Anthony, this franchise is going to be okay. It's not the sinking ship most [people] think it is."

We may not have hit the iceberg yet, but we can definitely see it in the distance.

[jdx66]

Platform: Xbox 360
Games: 82 regular season; 7-7-7-7 playoffs
Quarters: 12 minutes (play and sim)
Difficulty: Pro
Sliders: Custom
Settings: Chemistry ON, Roles ON, Clutch OFF

I'll be doing things a little differently this time around. I really enjoyed my Boston association before the file was corrupted, but playing 40 games + the playoffs with 12 minutes quarters is a tedious task. So, I think I'll play around 10 games a season + the playoffs (if I make it). Otherwise, I'll be trying to manager the team as a GM. With the Celtics association, I didn't have roles or chemistry on, so I added that to the challenge since I'll be spending less time playing.

As far as updates go, I'll do write-ups for the 10 games I play and I'll do monthly write-ups about Nuggets specific stuff (how the month went, stats, who wants out of Denver, etc.). I'll also do an "Around the League" type deal where NBA news and rumors are discussed.

In no way is this concrete, so if you have any comments or suggestions, throw them my way. That includes in-game stuff, too. If I'm the GM, then anyone who reads this can consider themself part of the front office (in a lesser role, of course ).

Here are the 10 games I'll be playing:

Denver Nuggets 2010 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT
Oct 27	vs Utah Jazz
Nov 11	vs Los Angeles Lakers
Dec 12	at New York Knicks
Dec 25	at Oklahoma City Thunder
Jan 13	vs Miami Heat
Feb 14	at Houston Rockets
Feb 24	vs Boston Celtics
Mar 10	at Phoenix Suns
Mar 23	vs San Antonio Spurs
Apr 3	at Los Angeles Lakers

[jdx66]

Mile High: The Denver Nuggets

Team Spotlight: Denver Nuggets

2009-2010 record: 53-29
2010-2011 prediction: 33-49
Departures: Johan Petro, Joey Graham
Arrivals: Al Harrington

The Skinny:
Basically, our prediction boils down to the fact - I repeat, FACT - that Carmelo Anthony is going to be traded for expiring contracts, prospects and/or draft picks. With Melo and his 26 points per game, the Nuggets are a 50+ win team and top-four in the West. Without Anthony, who do the Nuggets have? A 34-year old "Big Shot" Chauncey Billups, a feisty back-up PG in Ty Lawson and everyone's favorite half-man, half-bird Chris "Birdman" Andersen. That makes up a 30 win team in the tough Western Conference - and that assumes oft-crazy shooting guard JR Smith doesn't implode like a cold fusion experiment gone terribly wrong.

Let's not forget that the Nuggets play in one of the most competitive divisions in the entire NBA. If Melo were to stay in Denver for the entire season, the Northwest Division would have a chance to see four teams make the playoffs. FOUR!

It would benefit Denver to deal Carmelo sooner rather than later. Patrick Johnson should concede the 2010-2011 season in hopes of building a contender in 2014, done the right way through the draft and free agency. Move Melo and Smith and wait for Kenyon Martin's 18 million to come off the books. It's going to be hard for the first year GM, but if Johnson opts to keep Anthony and win 50+ games, all he'll have to show for it is the 26th pick in the 2011 draft and a 30 win team next year.

I hope Johnson and the Nuggets see the light and pack it in come December (or sooner!).

Northwest Division 2010-2011 Prediction
NORTHWEST	W	L
Oklahoma City Thunder	61	21
Utah Jazz	56	27
Portland Trail Blazers	50	32
Denver Nuggets	33	49
Minnesota Timberwolves	26	56

[jdx66]

Mile High: The Denver Nuggets

Jazz torch Nuggets 115-90

Denver--Carmelo Anthony turned his ankle four minutes into the 2010-2011 NBA season and the Denver Nuggets struggled out of the gate following his departure from the court. Anthony later returned to action but his game suffered as he battled through the ankle injury. He is listed as day-to-day.

With their star forward out of the game, the Nuggets found it hard to score against a strong defensive team in the Utah Jazz. Chauncey Billups stepped up to carry the offensive load after Anthony's injury but the Jazz adjusted and neutralized Billups' effectiveness in the second half. Chris Andersen provided a nice spark off the bench but the offense was inconsistent at best.

On the other side of the ball, the Utah Jazz looked to be in top form on Wednesday night. Raja Bell scored a game-high 32 points on a very efficient 14-19 shooting but it was floor general Deron Williams who shined in the contest. Williams repeatedly beat Billups off the dribble and into the paint. From there, the University of Illinois product dished out to Bell for open looks or dumped the ball to big men Al Jefferson, Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap.

Quote:

"You never want to go out on opening night and lose. You definitely don't want to be blown out by 25. It was a tough night, man," Billups said following the game.

Oct 27, 2010 - UTA at DEN
TEAM	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Utah Jazz (1-0)	18	34	36	27	115
Denver Nuggets (0-1)	24	23	22	21	90

Utah Jazz Key Contributors
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Deron Williams	31	5-12	0-4	3-4	2	9	3	0	3	2	13
Raja Bell	31	14-19	3-6	1-2	2	3	1	0	1	0	32
Andrei Kirilenko	27	2-5	0-1	0-0	2	1	0	2	0	3	4
Paul Millsap	27	4-6	0-0	2-2	11	3	0	1	0	1	10
Al Jefferson	30	6-11	0-0	4-5	8	3	1	1	1	0	16
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
C.J. Miles	20	5-10	0-3	0-0	2	1	0	0	0	1	10
Mehmet Okur	30	7-17	0-0	2-2	9	1	1	0	0	1	16

Denver Nuggets Key Contributors
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Chauncey Billups	28	7-14	3-8	2-2	1	7	3	0	4	5	19
J.R. Smith	29	5-9	4-6	0-3	3	0	1	0	0	1	14
Carmelo Anthony	27	5-19	0-3	3-3	2	1	2	0	1	1	13
Kenyon Martin	31	2-7	0-0	2-2	9	1	0	1	0	0	6
Nene	28	5-5	0-0	0-0	6	2	0	2	0	3	10
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Chris Andersen	23	7-8	0-0	0-1	4	0	1	1	2	2	14
Aaron Afflalo	20	3-6	2-4	0-0	1	2	1	0	1	0	8
Ty Lawson	21	2-5	0-0	0-0	2	9	0	0	4	2	4

Games Notes:

• Anthony is listed as day-to-day with a sprained ankle.
• Al Harrington came down awkwardly on his left ankle. He is listed as day-to-day as well.
• The Nuggets face the Hornets in New Orleans on Friday night.
  

[jdx66]

Mile High: The Denver Nuggets

Nuggets lose Nene to broken hand

No Nene for 4-6 weeks

Denver--Nuggets starting center Nene suffered a broken hand in Monday night's 116-87 loss to the Chicago Bulls. The big man from Brazil expects to miss anywhere between four and six weeks while rehabbing the fracture along the side of his left hand.

Nuggets PF Kenyon Martin is expected to start at center while Nene is sidelined. Sixth man Al Harrington will move from the bench to the starting power forward position.

Denver Nuggets Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD
PG	Chauncey Billups	Ty Lawson	Anthony Carter
SG	J.R. Smith	Aaron Afflalo
SF	Carmelo Anthony	Renaldo Balkman
PF	Al Harrington	Shelden Williams	Melvin Ely
C	Kenyon Martin	Chris Andersen

Division Standings - Updated: Nov 8, 2010
NORTHWEST	W	L	GB
Utah Jazz	4	2	--
Denver Nuggets	4	3	0.5
Minnesota Timberwolves	4	3	0.5
Oklahoma City Thunder	3	3	1.0
Portland Trail Blazers	4	4	1.0

[jdx66]

Mile High: The Denver Nuggets

Injury bug bites Billups, Andersen

Frail much?

Denver--One day after starting center Nene fell victim to a broken hand, starting PG Chauncey Billups and backup C Chris Andersen were injured as well. Billups suffered a sprained shoulder in an overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Andersen dislocated the middle finger on his right hand. He is expected to play through the injury but his minutes will be limited.

The Nuggets fell to 4-4 after the loss.

Nov 9, 2010 - DEN at IND
TEAM	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Denver Nuggets (4-4)	31	29	21	32	9	122
Indiana Pacers (4-2)	30	33	25	25	13	126

[Pezell04x]

Wow - injuries are killing you guys right now.

[jdx66]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pezell04x

Wow - injuries are killing you guys right now.

Yeah, no joke. Things are about to get shaken up, though.