The Nuggets Win! The Nuggets Win! (You know? The Denver Nugget?.....Ty Lawson and them?....)

WE WON, WE WON, WE ON!!!!

I am more than a Denver native.  I am a loyalist.  The demand of any true sports loyalist is to give your energy to the most important team in town. While I love the Nuggets for their place in the Denver sports hierarchy, it has come time to focus my loyalties in the area of importance, and the Avalanche are the most important team in town.
That being said, the Nuggets have finally won a game.

After losing six games straight, the Nuggets are swiftly losing fan interest.  I say swiftly because an Avalanche moves quickly and can overtake things in an instant.  What remains peculiar is that the Nuggets are still drawing any attention from local basketball fans.  Even the people calling for Shaw's head are giving measured criticism that comes only from watching the games.

Denver has hit a few bottoms this season.  They have seen signs of possibility, but the falls have virtually shaken those images from our mind.  On the way to losing 6 straight, the Nuggets played a close game with Portland without the support of Ty Lawson, rallied late against Minnesota with Lawson, but came up short in each.  Last night against Dallas, they finally broke through.

The Nuggets owned the Mavericks from pillar to post, despite allowing a late rally from Dallas that only served to distort the artistry of their effort.  Denver is mostly hard to watch because they can, and should, beat each of these teams on any given night, but are stricken with youth and inexperience on the court and the bench.

The new (and improved) angry coach Brian Shaw is still stuck with a team that can't close well, but having a chance to win is half of the battle.  He must find enough players that will give a professional effort each night or his future, and this team's, will remain a roller coaster ride for sure. The coach in me is perfectly satisfied with what I have seen from all parties involved this season.  Youth is what youth is.  Even Damian Lillard reveals his youth at certain times, and he is probably the most mature young player in the game.

Ty Lawson has read the tea leaves and returned to the lineup as fast as his cracked rib would allow.  He not only returned, but he is playing in a way to not make Shaw recognize his ability over veteran backup Aaron Brooks.  The Lawson/Brooks combination plate, alongside Randy Foye/ Evan Fournier in the spot up shooter role, has made for a fast and furious line up, but it comes at the risk of guard apathy, especially in the realm of defensive rebounding.

Is Brian Shaw getting a grip on this team or did he start too late

Shaw's options remain the same as they've been all season long; plentiful, and different every single night.  Coach Shaw has to find a happy medium between the Nugget team he'd like and the Nugget team he has.  No coach wants to mold boys into men, but every coach wants to place their fingerprint on the teams they coach.  Outside of
some magical work in the free agent market, small to mid-level market teams will always have to draft and develop.

Shaw is the right guy for the job and he has many of the right pieces for the mission before him, but he seems to have starting molding the clay after it sat and hardened for a while.  Molding clay that has begun to harden already is tough on you and the clay.

If Shaw accomplishes this task, he will have the forearms and the grip to show for it.