Denver Nuggets Team Preview 2010-2011

By Sam Littman

The Nuggets have been a model of consistency since acquiring [player Carmelo Anthony], though they haven’t been consistent in all the right ways; they’ve made the playoffs in each of Melo’s seven seasons, but have advanced past the first round just once. Just when they appeared to be on the cusp of breaking into the realm of the elite, after making the Western Conference Finals in 2009 and taking the Northwest Division crown again in 2010, they fizzled out in the first round of last year’s postseason against an undermanned Jazz squad. Now Anthony is looking to be traded, their oft-injured big men (Nene and Kenyon Martin) are in the last year of their contracts, and the model of consistency appears to be decaying.

There’s no doubting this team’s talent, however, as they are still one of the deepest teams in the league. Point guard [player: Chauncey Billups] is playing as well as ever, contributing near 20 points and 6 assists while making multiple threes per game and shooting a ridiculous 91% from the line. Aaron Afflalo will not blow anyone away but he’s a good fit next to Billups in the backcourt in his ability to guard three positions and hit efficiently from beyond the arc. They also boast the league’s best backcourt bench tandem in speed demon Ty Lawson and three-point marksman JR Smith.

The Nuggets are similarly stacked at the forward spots with Melo holding it down at the three (for now) and Martin and new addition Al Harrington providing a great juxtaposition of tough defense and smooth offense. It appears that in light of injuries Shelden Williams might be the opening night starter, though that shouldn’t last long. Their pair of centers is very much like their power forwards, with Nene attacking the basket and Chris Anderson swatting shots like a mad man.

Denver certainly has the talent to go far; indeed, they look like contenders on paper, with an elite-level scorer in Anthony, an All-Star point guard in Billups, seasoned big men and a great sixth man with unmatched explosiveness off the bench, not to mention a coach nearing 1,000 wins. So how is it that the Nuggets are not widely considered to be a force in the West?

The Nuggets first round matchup against the Jazz last year was an abomination, as the Nuggets lost to a lower-seeded team playing without its starting small forward and center. Every one of the Nuggets’ major weaknesses – too much emphasis on isolation situations on offense, poor shot selection, at times lackadaisical defense, lack of teamwork – was illuminated, and while George Karl’s absence might soak up some of the blame, he can’t account for all of it. Why else would Carmelo want out?
Carmelo Anthony
Come Fall 2011, the Nuggets might be all but unrecognizable, and the domino effect looks to start with Carmelo Anthony’s imminent departure. That isn’t counted against them in projecting how their seasons will turn out, of course – it would be foolish to predict that he will be traded – but his disgruntled disposition will undoubtedly have an effect on the Nuggets, and that’s a bad sign when their biggest weakness is teamwork.

With at least nine teams in the West that seemingly deserve to make the playoffs, it would appear that the Nuggets might be the team most ready to disappoint. Al Harrington, while a very good scorer, only adds to the lack of defensive intensity, and it is hard to imagine how they would otherwise improve on a season in which they were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, and in embarrassing fashion. They will be good so long as Carmelo is there, though they won’t be nearly as consistent.

Predicted Record: 42-40, 4th in Northwest Division

6       Afflalo, Arron         G      6-5      UCLA     
11     Andersen, Chris    F/C     6-10     Blinn (TX) JC    
15     Anthony, Carmelo    F     6-8     Syracuse    
32     Balkman, Renaldo   F     6-8     South Carolina
1      Billups, Chauncey    G     6-3     Colorado    
25     Carter, Anthony     G     6-2     Hawaii
34     Ely, Melvin           F/C     6-10     Fresno State
0      Forbes, Gary        G/F     6-7     Massachusetts R
7      Harrington, Al         F/C     6-9     New Jersey
31     Hilario, Nene         F/C     6-11     Brazil
3      Lawson, Ty             G     5-11     North Carolina
4      Martin, Kenyon         F     6-9     Cincinnati
5      Smith, J.R.           G/F     6-6     New Jersey
23    Williams, Shelden     F     6-9     Duke