Did Nuggets Beat Dallas Because Murray Got Tossed?

 

Whether it was the chaos in D.C. inspired by "what's his name", or this virus that has driven the daytime drinking levels to exponential proportions, giving a damn about sporting events has been terribly difficult. Thankfully, our orange mistake and the fecal odor from that Capitol Hill raid are getting dealt with in a similar manner, so let's talk hoops and see if we can avoid one of those virus mutations

If you saw the Nuggets play yesterday (hit the link above if you missed it) and you agree like me that it's finally time to care about the Nuggets enough to talk about them, then I have a question for you. 

Did the Denver Nuggets win the game last night in Dallas in large part because of the third quarter ejection of Jamal Murray and in small part PJ Dozier, who went down earlier in the game with a hamstring injury, or was it a victory despite the loss of two key players, especially their all-star guard Murray?

Before I clarify my question so you don't think I am hating on Murray or Dozier, my answer is both. They won despite the challenge of losing two very important players, but they also won because one player in particular got out of the way and allowed a few fresher legged, hungry pups to eat.

While I have always appreciated the toughness and grit of Murray, it has always felt like coach Mike Malone gives him injured PT (playing time) just to help him get used to learning how to play injured like Kobe used to do, not because it's the best thing to do for him or the team, especially given the depth the Nuggets have at the guard spot and the difficulty of healing and injury while playing with it. 

As for Dozier, he has quickly become the kind of guy Malone relies on because of his length and ability to play team defense and because he fills in at four positions on the floor. Dozier is not yet a star player, but losing him last night makes it a win despite the loss of a secret weapon of sorts. With Murray it's a differet story. His current injuries and erratic performances thus far turned his ejection (which was legitimate thanks to his ball busting behavior) into a moment for someone else to shine, and Michael Porter Jr. came through.

By allowing Murray to play through injuries that everyone knows about, which makes the injury a ready made excuse if he needs it, Malone is forcing his team to hope for the best mental focus and performance out of their injured star who himself forces these moments on his coach to develop mental toughness while slowing the development of key backups interested in his job and simultaneously nullifying the reason for upgrading the backups in the first place. But it's all of that and one other thing.

Without Murray on the floor, a player who demands and gets his number called by the Nuggets quite a bit in every game, the Mavericks didn't really know where to focus their defensive efforts which had to be game-planned for Murray and Jokic especially late in the game. Because they aren't saddled with expectations yet, the Nuggets backups come at you like mosquitos in the summer time, and there really is no way to defend against mosquitos in the summer time. Without Murray on the floor, the capable stable, or maybe I should say swarm of Nuggets guards- Campazzo, Morris, and especially Porter Jr.- got to perform without the expectations you get after putting up 50 points more than once in the playoffs, and that is a good thing.

This is not to say the Nuggets are a better team without Murray. This is to say they aren't bound by his performances or his presence on the floor like they were last season, and that's, once again, a good thing. #whatdoyouthink

Bonus Note: R.J. Hampton actually got significant PT in something other than garbage minutes because of the loss of two guards...and he looked impressive, especially on defense. Keep an eye on him!!

 

Mudiay For Carmelo Makes Lots Of Sense Actually

The Denver Nuggets are barely on the edge of deserving a post about their current fortunes, but fortunately, the West is back-sliding enough for the Nuggets to have a legitimate shot at....at...

Does Emmanual Mudiaye have a little too much
Evan Fournier in his game?

The truth is that the Nuggets have a legitimate shot at being a first round bucket of barbecue chicken wings for some top seed in the West. Unless Gallo becomes someone he's never been in his career, Nikola Jokic won't quite be ready to carry a team past the best in the West. He would need someone with enough experience and skill to demand the double like he does and, still score in moments that matter.

To get out of the first round, Jokic would need Carmelo Anthony or someone like that to pass to when teams send the double at him because they'll soon have no choice. They really don't have much of a choice right now, yet many teams hesitate to double Jokic, at their own peril.

Did somebody say barbecue chicken?

The Denver Nuggets are currently seeded 8th in the Western Conference playoff race because Portland can't defend and nobody is doubling Jokic nearly enough. If this trend continues, the Nuggets could actually move up to 7th seed, but they'd still be barbecue chicken to the hungry team they would face in the first round.

Without a serious star that is seriously available for trade, the Nuggets are fighting to be bounced once again; bounced like they used to be back when George Karl was at the helm.  That's not all bad and certainly not different than what George Karl apologists talk about when they complain about the rebuild of the Nuggets that has yet to yield what we gave up with Karl.

This year appears to be the year that we return to the days of Karl, but I'm not so certain that settling for what Karl could do is the way we need to be thinking right now.  Again, not because getting in isn't respectable enough, but because Emmanuel Mudiay no longer makes sense in Denver almost as much as Melo no longer makes sense in New York.

Both teams need to consider what their teams are clamoring for and look to make the proper fix. Mudiay would be the perfect playmaker for the Knicks future star and current go-to-guy Kristaps Porzingis. Melo isn't the kind of distributor that the Knicks need right now, and Mudiay isn't the kinda scorer that can keep Jamal Murray at bay.  He's not even outplaying Jameer Nelson anymore, so the reasonableness of letting him go and making room for Murray and Malik Beasley to play more makes a whole lot of sense.

Mudiay, however, is not a piece of scrap metal and he's got a huge upside, so the Nuggets need to offer him as a straight up trade or a trade with enough add-ons to make the money right, but not as a blockbuster trade like Melo was when we let him go.  NBA insiders realize that Phil Jackson is on the verge of losing his own job if he can't get the chemistry right in New York, so the trade rumors are not leaking out on accident. Jackson is likely blowing up phones to try and find a team willing to bite on his offering. Whether the Nuggets and Melo pursue such a touchy trade could be a hurdle, but if Denver is not at least considering the top trade options, then they are not serious about finally getting over the top.

Melo is the top trade option and would have a career resurgence returning to Denver with the freedom to get open and hit jumpers while bringing some of that Olympic level leadership to bear. He'd have to humble himself quite a bit to come back to the team that drafted him out of college, but so would all the fans who wrote him off when he left us the first time.

Keeping Gallo and making him spell Melo is also a move that makes a lot of sense. Neither of these players seems to have exactly what it takes to make other players better on the floor, but Jokic makes that necessity a moot point now.  He is the difference maker and the reason Melo and Gallo would never have to fight for a shot again if we made that trade. Such freedom on the offensive end would actually uncover a Melo that can and does play defense, just not as easily when asked to score 40. Keep in mind that Melo is still the best player in the league covering LeBron James, although Draymond Green is a close second.

The current ridicule Melo is getting from New York fans could be the exact kind of humbling humiliation that gives Denver a chance, but will we have enough of an interest to get in the Melo chase? This fan is dreaming of the day Melo returns to Denver and finishes what he started. He, and we deserve that kind of story. And dreams really do come true. Ask Cleveland.