Nuggets Have Only One Person That Is Not Trade Worthy: BRIAN SHAW

Under George Karl I had a hefty list of players that I would not trade.  Kenneth Faried, Ty Lawson, Danilo Galinari (I still would keep the crippled Italian because of his end game freethrows).  I used to justify the Wilson Chandler love and even the mystery of McGhee (Javale).

Today, I would trade all of these cats to get a couple of players with a desperate hate of losing.  Not that we don't have a good list of players worth keeping, but none of them threaten the rest of the league with the ability to consistently rise to a level above what most typically do.

Except Brian Shaw.

The Vote Is In: B. Shaw, Coach of the Year

For the first time in a long time we have a team that can play the game in every way that the game demands.  Running is great, until it ain't.  Pick and Roll is deadly, until they force the kick out 3.  Drive and kick is probably the holy grail...........IF.

If you keep good spacing and then slash the gaps ...............IF.
If you who make good decisions with the ball.........IF.
If you drive with purpose and don't go like a punk (aka most of the Nuggets on this team)

When all of this fails, the championship teams insert  HE who drinketh' from the holy grail , the superstar athlete; but since we don't have one we will move on.

The Nuggets are not willing to accept that the best, of the best  will force you to hit the short jumper before they let you get to the lid over and over again.  I have said it once, I will say it again.  The Nuggets get more short jump shot opportunities than any team in the league because we miss more short jump shots than any team in the league.

Chandler won't keep shooting it, Lawson won't, Faried can't, J.J. is starting to (so stay tuned). Miller is Miller, and Nate is Nate. Everybody else is thinking about minutes instead of a strategic attack .   Whether by intention of our offense or their defense, we are getting that shot and being asked by Shaw to hit it.

George's teams started to get sniffs of that shot but they only understood oops and tre's.  The residual impact of that mindset  lingers.  Shaw understands this holy grail of basketball, the short jumper.  He was a virtuoso of the shot. His skill at it may have forced him to the bench as a secret weapon because all vicious weapons should be stashed.  In this era of  NBA, the only player who frightens you on that shot is old man Tim Duncan who might have played against Shaw.

With all that being said, this team still feels like they are on the edge of finding themselves and scaring the hell out of everybody else.  Is that because Gallo might come back soon, or because Miller and Nate are reliable every night?  Is it because Chandler lives up to his expectations or because the slight glimpses we keep getting with some of the young players.  Do we feel the temperature rising with this team because we can't win without Lawson who is explosive, when he wants to be? Or is it the hopeful return of finger roll McGhee? In his absence, J.J. and Timofey dominate offensive rebounds and missed put backs just like Javale did.

What player turns an ankle in tonight's game and makes you say, oh no, we are in trouble now.  Not one.  We should lose most games, but it feels like we can win any game we play.

Trade 'em all.  I got Shaw.