Nuggets Need One Or None To Get It Done. Clippers In Town Tonight.

When timid Ty last returned from injury, we discovered the guy who quickly earned the label, timid.  Tonight Ty returns from the shoulder strain and Nugget fans wait with baited breath to see which Ty we get.

In my Nugget fantasy world I am imagining a Ty Lawson who saw the young talent in Fournier and he is rushing back to make sure Tom Brady isn't about to send Drew Bledsoe to the bench again.  It is much more likely that coaches are begging Ty to help them overcome the risk of another ugly slide.  Certain teams and certain games can do that to young teams like the Nuggets.  The LA Clippers are that type of team and this is that type of game.

Ending losing streaks, even when you are under manned, is a signal of what type of team you truly are.  Playoff teams do it, everybody else tucks a tail and doubts their ability.  The Clippers should be the recipients of a lot of Nugget frustration. No matter what line up we place out on the court we have the ability to defend and rebound.  What we don't always uncover is a reliable scorer each night.  Lawson is the best thing we've got going and Fournier is rapidly increasing his ability to play and make plays for others.  Combined, they both make Randy Foye better because their penetration free's him up to hit 3's.

These magic three should be the formula tonight and for the rest of the season.  Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mosgov and J.J. Hickson will be three guys that you cross your fingers and hope for  good shooting.  On any given night, those 6 guys can, and should, go for double digits.  As the playoffs approach they will need all 6 players clicking. Right now they need 3 guys to score each night combined with "one or none" defense.

Is Fournier the closer we've been needing?

One or none is a defensive coaches term use to remind our players that the offense gets one shot or no shots (because of steals/offensive turnovers).  One or none basketball teams automatically gain confidence on offense because they will only lose to teams that get hot.  Even against hot teams, one or none defenders can steal a game late, if you have a closer yourself.

Fournier smells like a closer, who can also hit a late free throw, but the smell of fear distorts my perception of these things.  I said all of that to say, we still don't have a closer.

We do have one or none defensive ability.  We've shown it in enough stretches to determine that it is a skill now.  If the Nuggets are to win tonight's game they  need hope LA doesn't get hot, or be prepared to match their scoring ability.  If they are to establish an identity that can get them into the playoffs this season,
it will be "ONE OR NONE".