Golden State Leaving It's Mark.... And It's Green

When it comes to this Golden State Warriors all time regular season win streak, I'm really concerned that folks just don't get it. Winning the most regular season games has a value only useful for barber shop crap talk.

No really.  These guys are pushing for a record that will only matter if they win it all, and even then only for the sake of looking like a peacock while sitting in that hair chair getting yo' doo did.

Now, I am perfectly black enough to get why barbershop crap is actually kinda important, but I'm also old enough to recognize risk over reward.  Also, I am cheap enough and bald enough to not have used a barber in years, so the barbershop dozens are no longer a part of my world.  If I had an NBA title to defend, and a full head of hair that demanded trained barber love and not just that trim the fuzz cut I do at home in my bathroom, I would try to do something that no team has ever done before too, and simply winning back to back is passe. Lots of teams have accomplished that.

I've followed the Warriors just like the rest of the universe, and I've written in the past that the season opening streak was an out of control monster. The health issues of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr left a spineless figurehead in interim coach Luke Walton to pull the strings of the kite and keep the wind from snatching it from his grip, sending it off towards a journey that usually ends horribly.

This run away kite turned a few loopty loops, launched a couple of half court 3 pointers and soared far from the grips of the interim coach's hand, and also out of the functional grip of the real coach who soon would return to the bench.  The out of control start to the season forced Golden State's true leader to keep the ship intact whilst it meandered on a journey few teams have ever ventured to take.

The evidence is clear as it spews freely from the mouth of this team's unquestioned leader,
Draymond Green

It was Green who admitted that the streak might have gotten to be too much before declaring that the regular season win total still stood within reach. It was Green who doubted that it could be done...until around game 50 when it was clear they were still on track to do it- which signifies the moment he decided, why not?.  If you listen to their leader now, Green says that his own coach can't really stop them from trying for the record.  Short staffed or full staff, Green has the influence to dictate the intensity of team play, whether on the court or glaring like a bully from the bench.  Green is both the engine and the brains of the Warriors operation, and Kerr himself would be replaced if he alienated and risked his team the long term services of Draymond Green. For Green, unlike the coach, is the only person that can not be replaced.

His defensive back line support against LeBron is the reason Golden State won one title, and he and said defensive support are still their best hope for getting two. Green is the only reason we even use the term "small ball" because his ability to play five spots on the floor make the Warriors small ball the blueprint- everybody else a copy.  Steph has the highlights and Russell Westbrook does the triple double thing, but even Paul George or LeBron himself DON'T have the plus/minus numbers that Green put up this year.

In fact, NO ONE has ever achieved the plus/minus production that Green has done during this season (although the metric is something the NBA has only tracked in the modern era of basketball). We might actually be witnessing a best player bait and switch move.  As we wait anxiously to anoint a stupendous scorer with average defense as the best player in the entire league, Green keeps proving himself to be "that" player of the so called best team in the league. Even this year's 3 point contest winner, Klay Thompson, could tally similar points to Steph with the same amount of offensive attempts, while his defense is among the best we've ever seen in this league.

With similar shot attempts, would Klay Thompson
score just as efficiently (or better) than Curry? 

How exactly is Curry the best player in the league but close to second or third on his own team? Thompson and Green do way more heavy lifting than does Curry, and are often saving the day on defense or the boards. In reality, the Warriors are much too balanced to really have or need an MVP.  Nonetheless, they will have two.  One that wins the award and one that earned it for him by gobbling up his misses for that second chance kickout, the true key to winning basketball in the first place since statistically, players (including Steph) mostly miss that first shot attempt.

I don't often respect the selection for MVP because it is notoriously given one or two years after it was most deserved, almost as a form of lifetime achievement award, much like all-star game selections. Is LeBron still the true MVP?  Overall, he is still the most impactful, but Green is so close on his heels that he might surpass LeBron before you finish this read.

Curry will continue to dazzle, but will never have the complete ability to impact all aspects of the game.  Green can and does, on and off the court.

On the court, Green is the best player not named LeBron. Off it, he declares that Kerr can't stop the pursuit of 73 wins even while Kerr admits that the record is meaningless to him- then smiles a sly grin realizing that he can't stop Green.

This pursuit is about history, and history has to be made by teams and players that can make it. Is Golden State that kind of team?

Yes they are, but chasing history comes at a price.  To start the season with an undefeated streak forces you to achieve some kind of mark worthy of the all that energy you expended in the first place. 73 wins is that mark, but to set that mark and not win the title would be a waste of all the energy it took to set the regular season mark, which is why coach Kerr could care less about this record.


If the coach doesn't care for the pursuit, why does Green think that it shouldn't and won't be stopped?

Green already has gold, so why not?  

Given the determination of San Antonio, Cleveland, or the Clippers to unseat the Warriors and win their own gold, I don't think Green is really doing the right thing. Unless of course he is moving to make his mark as the best player in the NBA and among the best of all time. In that case, Green is looking to do the only thing all time greats think of.

Make history.

Return Of The King Forces Warriors To Look Ahead

Pimping is said to be difficult-  but it can't be much harder than closing out a series with a sweep in the NBA semi-finals.  That's the kind of thing only king's do well. Golden State, behind MVP Steph Curry, is a really good team. This team can truly play defense and crash the boards with the best of them, and at times they appear to be a team even LeBron can't handle.  They will need to be all of that and more tonight since the Cleveland Cavalier closeout should add the same pressure to Golden State that Golden State's closeout of Memphis added to the Clipper's.


What happened to the Clippers ? Kevin McHale and Golden State?

If the Houston Rockets are trying to duplicate their unlikely triumph over the L.A. Clippers, spotting Golden State a 3-0 lead was a great way to do it.  They might have gotten off of the snide by avoiding a sweep, but they've still got to do it again, and again, and again if they hope to be watched during the finals.  Most likely, Houston will watch the finals as spectators just like the rest of us. However, they just got the same free agent addition that they received at the end of the Clipper series.


The agent is doubt from a Warrior team who is already starting to wonder if they can actually beat a rested LeBron- and free because such doubt won't cost Houston a dime. Golden State should have never forced Curry to return to the lineup after his nasty spill, but pressure causes missteps.  If Curry needed a rest in game 5, the decision to force him back in game 4 made the game 5 decision for you.

Looking Ahead?

For a while, the Clippers were the story of the NBA playoffs after beating the defending champs and going up 3-1 to the Rockets.  Suddenly. the resting Golden State Warrior team joined the Houston Rockets cause by adding "we're waiting for you" pressure to the equation.  With a 19 point lead and a clear path to the Bay Area, the destraction became too much to bear, especially since the resting and waiting Warriors appeared unbeatable anyway.

Cleveland's sweep could be the opportunity that Kevin McHale needs to pull off his post season magic once again..  NO ONE thought Houston could do it without the services of guard Patrick Beverley, who went down at the the end of the regular season- or without their alMost Valuable Player James Harden, who sat on the bench during the magical 19 point, come from behind victory against L.A. that launched the Rockets into the next series.  They did it, and from the looks of things, even if Dwight Howard loses a game or worse from trying to free himself from Bogut- or worse, Terrence Jones at center could be the right way to go since Howard's limited offensive ability and inability to make free-throws on a consistent basis has turned him into a real liability in the 4th quarter.

By the way!

Tristen Thompson could be putting his name in the hat for top center in the league after this outstanding playoff season.

Hack-A-Howard  .vs. Hack-A-Dre .vs. Hack-A-Josh

While I am now rooting for Kevin McHale and his Rockets (if my team is out- give me the underdog everytime), I am not a fan of the intentional foul (a.k.a, Hack-A-Shaq).  In fact, I really wonder if it even currently fits inside of the rules of the game, Every foul typically demands a play at the ball and not at the head or legs when a player actually has  the ball.  On every level of basketball, fouls that are intentional but not directed at the ball will typically invoke some version of a flagrant foul, much like it does in the final 2 minutes of the NBA. How can we ever justify and allow intentionally fouling a player who doesn't have the ball  and call it a good rule or good basketball?  While I can't understand how the rule gets allowed throughout the game, every team that does the tactic at least deserves shame and bad luck if you ask me.

It seems like a simple fix to force ALL intentional foul's to be allowed ONLY while making a reasonable attempt at the  ball being held by the player holding or receiving the basketball.  If such a modification goes into play, fouls against these horrible shooting post players will only happen when those players have the ball.  This is important because RIGHT NOW, team's choosing to foul often mitigate their approach by selecting teammates with minimal fouls to do the dirty work.  If off-ball fouling gets corrected, teams will no longer have the luxury of doing it with minimal risks.

Hack-A-Shaq doesn't seem to ever give good kharma to the team's that do it anyway. Nonetheless, despite having players that have endured this tactic all season/career long, the Rockets and the Clippers chose to do it towards each other.  You would think that the teams with a Shaq (or whatever) would be more sensitive to the low brow approach that others have taken against them.

Obviously that's not true.

I have a soft spot for great coaching, so I am pulling for McHale, and generally I am a West Coast guy since my Denver Nuggets are a Western Conference team,  but I have a hard time expecting good sports kharma from any team that tries to win a title through off the ball intentional fouls. From my best recollection, every team that did the Hack-A-Shaq lost to Shaq.

Make Your FreeThrows Kids
;That being said, if the league doesn't change the Hack-A-Shaq, I can live with that too because you already can't get away with it in the final 2 minutes, and kids really need a graphic example of the vital importance of making or missing freethrows.  Crappy post season freethrow shooting has been a leaguewide horror flick, and it's not only Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan with the problem.

Ain't that right Josh Smith?

#7 Might Not Be So Lucky

Houston's two Achilles heel's, Josh Smith and Dwight Howard, are likely to cost the Rockets in the end, no matter how far the Rockets rise.  A rested LeBron is surely enough pressure to make a team that's never been there before tighten up.  Without question, the Warriors must dominate game 5.  A loss in game 5 comes with a virtual guaranteed loss in game 6 at Houston as well. and #7 might not be so lucky if it goes that far.

#7 Might Not Be So Lucky

The biggest problem with making yourself believe that you are a contender when you really are not is that it totally delays the process of realizing and pursuing the truth.  The Denver Nuggets were not really close to winning anything when they had Carmelo, and they moved even further away after he left, despite the illusion that 57 wins and a Coach of The Year create. These Nuggets have NEVER seen a sniff of the top pick because they've only recently come to recognize the value of sucking for a while to smell what big time losing provides.

This year's #7  might be the unluckiest of them all.  Why?  The Nuggets own it.

The last 7 at #7 have been more good than bad.  Maybe even some greatness at 7.  

2014  #7 Julius Randle  UNC            - Lakers
2013  #7 Harrison Barnes  UNC       - GS
2012  #7 Greg Monroe  Georgetown - Detroit
2011  #7  Bismack Biyombo   Congo - SAC
2010  #7  Stephen Curry Davidson    - GS
2009  #7  Eric Gordon   - Indiana       - LAC
2008  #7  Corey Brewer - Florida       -MIN

It could be a good pick, if my Nuggets weren't still looking for a coach, presumably one that might impress the front office more than interim coach Melvin Hunt does.  Brian Shaw was really no different than Melvin Hunt relative to his experience as a head coach, but he had name recognition.  If the Nuggets have chosen not to lock up Hunt as their next coach, its because they are, once again, waiting for another coach with a name, not one who clearly connects and can develop a team of up and coming players.

The problem with chasing big names is that it assumes that any recognizable coach will trust coaching for a team that got rid of George Karl after a 57 win, Coach of The Year effort, and won't hire an interim who did everything you hoped he could do.  Shaw's failures might have removed the Karl cloud from above our next head coach, but any smart person must know to tread lightly with a front office that is more focused on the fish they would like to take the bait and not at the bait at all.

News Flash:

An up and coming coach is the right choice for an up and coming team.

These Nuggets need to lock up Melvin Hunt and give up that #7 to go up or down from that spot to get a player that doesn't need so much development.  Keeping #7 means that the list of young Nuggets who need developing will only grow after next season unless we get a sure fire pick, or one that we won't need to develop so much while Jusuf Nurkic, Erick Green and Garry Harris prove their value.  Frank Kaminsky should do just fine at 15 or 20.

 Kaminsky has a lot of Kevin McHale in his game.

Is Frank Kaminsky the NBA draft sleeper?
This Nugget fan hopes he is, for our sake.

I have already confessed my support for coach Kevin McHale, the guy who took out the other coach that I was rooting for, Doc Rivers. I'm a coach. What can I say?  I was also always a big McHale fan as a kid, especially when I discovered Larry Bird was quite the jerk. I encountered Bird's  Boston Celtics when they borrowed our high school gym prior to a game against my Denver Nuggets.  McHale was awesome, and his kindness and post moves have stayed with me for years.  I still utilize a couple of his baseline pivot moves whenever I get a chance to act like a basketball player, although I typically credit Jack Sikma because his name sounds cooler to say.

7 game series?

Bleak seems to be the exact temperature that these Rockets perform best under, as if losing the weight of expectation allows them to takeoff.  If this Rocket is losing fuel, McHale's championship history could become the power source for this series like it was in the last. It is reasonable to expect an up against the wall Houston team to fight, maybe even steal a game in the Bay area as they nearly did in the first two games.   This series still feels like a 6 or 7 game brawl to me that sets the Western conference up to deal with the well rested Cavs.

Aside from the damage they might inflict upon each other before it's over, both western conference teams would be worthy opponents for LeBron, maybe even favored over him- yet both teams are young and new at all this, so neither will win a crown without a world class brawl, most likely one for the ages.  If Golden State can actually win the west without a 7 game series (which I doubt), they almost certainly won't have the experience to beat LeBron's Cavaliers in less than 7 games.

Either way, buckle your seatbelts for the kind of NBA basketball that makes you need to sit and watch for 4 quarters.

Finally!

Kharma Writes Stories and Wins Game 4 For LeBron

And then there were none.

Is LeBron his own dynasty, or is Cleveland attempting
the impossible? Winning in a small market?

With the fall of the San Antonio Spurs, the age of the NBA dynasties has almost come to an end.  If you count the fact that LeBron is struggling as I write to take down the Chicago Bulls just for a chance to overcome the Washington Wizards or the Atlanta Hawks, then its safe to say that none of the remaining teams are cut from championship pedigree.

The moment I typed these words, LeBron drove to the lane against the Bulls to cut into their double digit lead that they took into the fourth quarter of game 4.  Win this game and the Bulls take a strangle hold over the series (3-1) and start the process of returning Chicago to the realm of champion, despite distant memories from their dynastic days of old.

This season, all signs point towards the rise of the "Have Not's", teams from small market cities that typically were believed to be incapable of winning a championship.  Maybe Chicago or the LA Clippers will win and keep the theory intact, but their franchises are among the many in the league fighting to rise to relevancy too.  Even if the Clippers (big city) or the Cavs (LeBron's team) can win a title this season, hope still springs eternal for lowly cities like Denver that have never proven themselves to be capable of reaching the peak of the NBA.

While my heart has moved into the corner of supporting NBA legend Doc Rivers this playoff season, the only other championship mind capable of dealing with the championship experience of LeBron, I wouldn't be sad if the Warriors lay siege or the Wizards cast  a spell of hope for the rest of us secondary sports cities like Denver to build on.  With a capable front office, anything is possible.  Whether or not Denver's front office qualifies as capable is the only question left unanswered for this hopeful fan looking for a reason to believe.  The Nuggets' next few moves will reveal a lot.  In the mean time, I have to watch this Cav's versus Bulls game and wonder if losing Timofey Mosgov and J.R. Smith was good in the long run, or is LeBron so good that he makes even these ex-Nuggets look like stars?

Before I could complete two paragraphs of thought, LeBron has erased the Chicago lead, and is making Smith and Mosgov look like Parish and Ainge as he carries them towards greatness.  I expect LeBron to find a way to win this game and keep the Bulls in the state of figuring things out- which might mean firing Tom Thibideau at the end of this season.  Thibideau is actually the only other coach that I would take in Denver aside from Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt, still in the hunt for a permanent tag in Denver.

As I write, J.R. Smith just nailed another long range 3 in response to one scored by the Bulls, giving the Cavaliers a 3 point lead with 5 minutes to play.  James blocks a shot that Mosgov recovered and then set Mosgov up with a pick and roll dunk   He missed of course, but nailed the two free throws from being fouled.  In game 3, Mosgov only missed one free throw, and for all of the things he struggled with in Denver, he was an improving free throw shooter.  As I typed these two sentences, Mosgov followed his two freebies with a defensive rebound, and offensive rebound and a put back for a 7 point lead.

Timeout Chicago.

Cleveland might win it with LeBron doing what he does, but they are the Cavaliers of small city Cleveland. A victory by this team makes small city hoops more possible than ever, so even the magic that LeBron keeps doing works in favor of the little guys.  After a really good defensive play that produced a foul from the Bulls, J.R. Smith shoved the same Bulls player, giving up a technical free throw and reminding me why we don't really miss J.R.  On the next possession, Mosgov got one of those wide open layups that he often misses.  He missed the shot, reminding me why we don't really miss Mosgov that much either.

With the clock winding down quickly, LeBron misses another 3 point shot (he has hardly made any during the series), and Derrick Rose heads down court to show King James how its done, knocking down a 3 pointer to close this pivotal game to a 3 point margin.  How did the King respond?  With a muscle drive to the hole for an easy 2 points.  Rose advances up the court trying to match LeBron shot for shot, and gets fouled by a Cavalier team unwilling to let him do it freely.

Rose hits both freebies.

When the King can't hit a jumpers, it's not hard to guess what he will do instead, so Joakim Noah did just that when he guessed right on the next Cavalier possession, drawing an offensive foul on James destined to get to the hole.  Despite the turnover, the Cavs got a stop and had one minute and LeBron James to finish off an important game.  This time down, the Bulls fouled an attacking LeBron and he nailed both freebies for a 5 point lead.  With 27 seconds left in the game, Jimmy Butler nails a 3 point bucket to try and salvage the biggest game in the series for his team.  Win the game and you cripple the King.  Lose it and he inspires his henchmen to take you out.  Guaranteed. If LeBron doesn't get you, the depression of such a lost will do it for him

Bulls use their last time out to create a plan.

3 seconds separate the game and shot clock, and Noah informs the ref that they will not play to foul, so hold tight to that whistle. A strong double team on J.R. causes him to take a timeout with 19 seconds on the clock.  Though the Bulls have no time outs with one left for the Cavs, until more great defense on the in-bounds forces the Cavs to use their last timeout without taking a second off of the clock.  These Bulls saw red and the Cavs were it.  With a long inbound pass to LeBron that he catches in half court corner, the Bulls double team too, forcing LeBron into another offensive foul and a turnover. With a sudden sign of life, Rose takes the ball end to end to tie the game and force the play back to LeBron.

There are no timeouts left and very little time on the clock as LeBron makes his hesitation drive at the lane.  When he was a younger man, he would have dunked on Noah who put a hand on his shoulder to stop the expected dunk. The refs swallowed their whistle forcing the King to use 1.5 seconds in regulation to decide it.  He was clearly fouled on the play, but the uncertainty of when the ball got knocked  of bounds gave both teams one last chance to huddle up as referee's checked video to correct the shot clock.

In my mind, hoop kharma writes these stories for you, and kharma usually goes in favor of those who've paid their dues in the past.  LeBron has won it before, but he also has a lot of tears from those years when he didn't win.  Those are the tears that carry you over the top in moments that matter.

James hit the shot at the buzzer.  Series tied 2-2.

Maybe all the years of bad hair has hurt Rickie's kharma?

PostScript:  Kharma told me that Rickie Fowler was going to rush from behind to win the Players championship today even though he was 5 shots back when I felt the premonition and turned to watch the Cavs/Bulls finish.  By the time I turned the channel back to The Players, Fowler was in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner.  Garcia has a lot of kharma out there on the course, but nothing compares to 2014 for Fowler.  I'm predicting Fowler wins just so I can pat myself on the back for having kharmic awareness.  He's left a lot of tears out on the course over the years
.

 

Doc, Pop and LeBron. Which One Name Will Prevail?

It's no longer March, but even the best sports tournament in the land doesn't finish in March these days so maybe the Madness and the magic have found their way to an LA doctor.

Hall Of Fame Coach? Doc Rivers.

Before I go all in on butt kissing the legendary coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers, I was concerned that he was using way too much of his coaching capital on the resurrection project called Austin "Doc's son" Rivers. After an impressive double digit win in Game 4, the San Antonio Spurs had better hope "Baby Doc" or whatever nickname we'll be working on for Austin doesn't stick during this playoff season. Baby Doc might stick if he keeps performing as he did to help the Los Angeles Clippers defeat the defending champion Spurs on their home court last night. Along the way, we all got another one of those magical father son moments like Georgia State provided in this years NCAA Final Four tournament.

The win not only ties this series at two games apiece, it reminds avid fans that the NBA will always be owned by legends with one name, even if they all don't shoot baskets.  Over the past decade, a few players and a couple of coaches have elevated themselves into championship contention in such a way that smart money would bet on them every time. Is it just a coincidence that each of them can be identified with a one name description? Maybe not.

Last night's Clipper victory signifies that the decade of the one named legends is poised to continue. Kobe may never get back to the top, but he won two rings in the past decade and joins the2 one name coaches and 2 other one name players to create a list of five one name champions in 10 years (Doc, Pop, Kobe Dirk and LeBron). Dirk (Nowitzki) might not be the same Dirk who upset the one-name legend LeBron to win his own crown, but he is still championship dangerous and desperate to put a cherry on the top of his stellar career as he almost did while pushing the Spurs to 7 games last season.  LeBron also has Dirk to thank for the awful taste that propelled him to finally drink from the cup of victory and rinse the taste of defeat from his mouth, yet he also has Pop and the gang to blame for reintroducing defeats flavor last year.

'Timmy' could also be that South Park kid,
not a one name legend like LeBron.

Greg "Pop" Popovich

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker are all really good two name players that embody teamwork, but do so as they credit their one name coach on the sideline. Greg "Pop" Popovich has found a way to keep each of his Spurs teams championship relevant for the bulk of his career, all while being the only one name person during the storied run of the Spurs organization.

This morning, Pop will need a doc after getting popped by Doc.  Although Doc Rivers captured his own crown a few years back while being the only one name person for the Boston Celtics during his tenure, his return to the top has been tasking, to say the least. No one, especially the LA Clippers who paid Doc handsomely to leave the Celtics and resurrect the Clippers, thinks that this Doc can't operate. In fact, he has pulled off the typed of coaching surgery that only adds to his legacy and his public persona-  but also his expectations.

Game 4 outtakes

During the key moments of the Spurs .vs. Clippers game 4, Doc had his son defending Tony Parker, forcing him to struggle from the field, adding to his struggle from the free throw line as well.  This season, Pop has officially handed the reigns of the Spurs over to Kawhi Leonard, who began to trigger a comeback for his team as the heated game 4 battle neared the end.  Leonard's play making ability engineered a running right hander and two long range three's down the stretch of the game forcing a response from the Clippers coach, desperate for a win to even the series.

When Kawhi Leonard got hot, Doc sent the double team forcing him to attack the basket or find the open man. Leonard had never been a playoff double teamed player before this game, and frankly seemed overwhelmed by the respect it represents. When Leonard adjusted to the double by trailing the offense, he hit two 3's before the double could arrive, but seemed more awed by the moment than wide mouthed fans who keep wondering if we are all watching the second coming of Kobe, Jordan, and LeBron all wrapped into one player.

Good players never get doubled in the NBA playoffs because everybody's good in the NBA.  If a coach doesn't have the ability to counter a good player with a good defender, then his coaching days are numbered.  The challenge of the elite basketball league in America is what to do with the elite basketball players in the league.  Kawhi Leonard has officially been added to the elite list because last night, Doc added him.

He should have been added last season when he won the championship MVP for himself, but the Spurs' ball movement was so precise that LeBron and the Miami Heat couldn't chase fast enough to double anyone safely. Shot clock basketball forces the isolation of the elite players, and Leonard has consistently proven that he is now among the group of elites. Pop uncovered his future star during last year's series, and seems poised to turn him into something that very few players ever become.

One name.      

LeBron James

With a name like Kawhi, it seems plausible that we can soon drop the Leonard  from this year's Defensive MVP's name and send him into all time greatness without confusion between the world famous boxer, Sugar Ray. Unfortunately, right now he is up against a one name coaching legend that just elevated his legend a bit.  You might say that Kawhi forced Doc to double team him with the way he's performed for the Spurs throughout the series thus far. Whatever the reason, Doc did it and it was like placing a defibrilator on a team whose fading double digit lead was their last sign of a heart beat in this series.  To lose that lead could have meant  losing the game and certain death.

Doc not only resurrected his son's career while taking the ire off of his own from the insanity of acquiring him in the first place, he neutralized the vaunted Spurs passing game and has forced them into one on one isolation basketball in which he has the younger, hungrier team with a strong defensive force in the middle (DeAndre Jordan) if things break down.  Even when his force in the middle breaks down at the free throw line and has to sit down next to the coaches as it happened in last night's game, Doc steals minutes from his bench while also resting Chris Paul through crucial moments of the fourth quarter as it happened in last night's game. All of it worked because he recognized the need to double Kawhi.

The move uncovered youthfully inspired legs in Austin "don't call me Doc's son" Rivers- who used last night's game to go make a name for himself in the NBA. It also humbled Paul to the point that I hardly recognized him in the post game interview.  It seems Doc has finally converted the Clipper's apostle Paul into a River's evangelist.  Paul quickly creditted (Austin) Rivers with capturing a win for his Clipper team, but his tone was so calm and serene, that I would worry as a Spurs fan that the one name coach with a young and hungry team lead by a humbled Chris Paul represents a serious threat to their repeat.

Paul is no longer a young player, but he is younger than Tony Parker who is starting to reveal the mileage of being in the mix for so long.  Paul is also the undisputed king of the short jump shot, which makes him the undisputed king of the pick and roll that creates the open shots for him.  The poison of playing against the Clippers is the alley-oop ability of Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin, players who demand attention in the paint.  Until this series is over, the Spurs will have to hope Paul misses his short jump shot- which he won't- or force him to make the extra pass for the WIDE open 3-point shot that JJ. Reddick and Austin Rivers are nailing.

Well- they nailed it during the games that the Clippers have won, but they will need to keep nailing the shots when or if the Spurs finally resurrect their own shooters who have been mostly absent in this up and down series. Pop used his defensive MVP to shut down Reddick's floor stretching ability which made Doc counter by inserting his son who can shoot and penetrate equally. Pop is formulating his counter at this very moment. Doc and Pop are now front and center down the stretch of this series, and their ability to counter each other will be on full display for NBA fans lifting the underbelly of a series that could be the prelude to a championship run.

Neither coach has won a game with all guns ablazing which might also be a credit to their coaching prowess.  Neither of these teams lack counterpunching skills either, so the fatal blow could happen from an attack or a counter.  In losing, Pop wouldn't fall from grace although he might insure the dismantling of a team that is sorely in need of an overhaul. If Doc wins, however, he will secure his place in history as one of the best to ever get it done.  His championship caliber teams have certainly been talented, but they have also been amalgamations of traveling stars trying to connect at the end of their career, and sorely needing a coach capable of making that happen.  Doc does what Pop has never bothered with.  Pop certainly turned his Spurs into the disciplined fighting unit that his military background inspires, but he has never done what Doc has done once, and is trying to do once again.

Doing it like Doc just doesn't happen in today's NBA because it seems Doc is the only one capable of doing it.  On one hand, he is biting off more than he can chew with trying to take down the defending champion Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, but on the other hand that is precisely how legends grow. If Doc can humble Chris Paul into the kind of team play that he has never relaxed enough to take advantage of, Paul becomes a player with twice the late game energy than what he usually carries into the fourth quarter.  In other words, sitting and watching Austin Rivers do your job is supremely inspiring.

I'm rooting for Doc this season.  Besides, Pop should have skin blisters from too many days under the sun.  It might be a dark cloud for the Spurs to bow out in the first round of the playoff after winning a title last season, but a little shade is what it takes to heal those blisters and to make you hungry for the sun again.

Although he's touched the sun during his career, Doc knows about the chill of the shade and has used every trick in his book, including his son, for a chance to bask in the sun once again. Doc has his Clippers shining bright and on the rise. Although these teams are both shining brightly before our eyes, from what I can see, this championship chase will come down to Doc, Pop and LeBron.

Which ONE name will prevail?

Is Denver Nuggets "Gallo" Championship Wine Or Fancy Vinegar?

I'm proud to call myself a Denver Nuggets fan, but this team can be downright habit forming- and not in a good way.

When the Denver Nuggets took the Memphis Grizzlies to the wire in a hard fought game that did not include 3 starters, I immediately did the happy dance because starter resting is something only the good teams get away with.  Tanking teams usually fake injuries or other ailments to justify the type of shady behavior that good teams do all of the time.  Not these Nuggets.  They stood boldly before their public and made it known who would not play against Memphis just as they rested three others the night before.

Before the Memphis loss, the decision felt like a reasonably smart chess move for a team that has made mostly good moves recently.  The biggest move involved that psychological ploy notoriously described as replacing the king/coach.  While this ploy has been known to motivate underachieving teams, these Nuggets have rapidly driven past motivation and are playing inspired basketball. So inspired, in fact, that an interesting dichotomy has grown.

Will ill-Will always look the
same way he did the night
he got traded to Denver?

Despite recent success, some Nuggets fans(me) are angry towards this newly unleashed effort that has left us all unsure of what the heck we are watching now or what exactly we were watching previously.  These products are so incongruent  that the only explanation points to really immature players with a really fragile psyche.  Some of the most accomplished men in the world were terribly underwhelming before they gained the confidence from a strong woman or a trusted confidant- or both. Nuggets management must uncover the most fragile Denver Nugget players no matter which coach they pursue.  They should also try to uncover whether or not Wilson Chandler realizes that he's no longer in New York.

Playing Like Single Men

Prior to firing Shaw, these Nuggets had fallen to a performance level that typically comes from single men because no wife or fiance would allow her man to continuously perform so miserably- for many reasons. Coach Melvin Hunt has displayed motherly sensitivity towards his players, so he's been able to help them see themselves on a bigger level- dare I say, on a championship level. In the process of starting their 5 game road trip, the Nuggets rested 3 key players and still pulled off a double overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans- in New Orleans.  Before Denver plucked the Pelicans, the Golden State Warriors attempted the resting game against Denver too, but it cost them a victory.

As the team with the top record in the West, the Warriors might have been shocked by their Denver loss, but what is the excuse for the teams that followed?  Under interim coach Melvin Hunt, Denver has placed their product on film, and opposing teams are noticing.  This all could be end of season spoiler duty, but you still have be the kind of team that can spoil to be a spoiler.  Last years Nuggets showed a similar season ending stride, which probably added to the over inflated expectations Denver had going into this season.  What we hoped we had at the end of last year has resurfaced in just enough time to make next year our greatest hope once again.  Fortunately, there's no such thing as bad hope since even a little hope can change the world.  We hoped for a healthy dose of Danilo Galinari to anchor our "strength in numbers" marketing line that started the season. When he wasn't quite ready for public consumption, the marketing team had to finally stop the stupid ads.

Brian Shaw lost a job waiting for a wine that never quite matured and a Nugget who still thinks he's a Knick.  In some ways, George Karl did too.

Just when you thought it was time to cook a stew or simply throw out that bitter wine we call Gallo, Danilo Galinari has forced fans and the front office to hit the breaks and make sure we don't already have our closer in the fold.  Gallo has always been squeezed from a high quality but fragile grape unique to his European heritage, but experience and injuries have increased his playmaking just enough to ease up on his knee's and give his career a chance to ripen fully.  What we will never know is if he is one driving play away from needing another year on the shelf.

If Gallo has finished the worst of his career hampering injuries, then Denver instantly becomes a team to consider on another level.  Our ability to match any teams size, speed of play, and half court execution makes this Nuggets fan increasingly intrigued for our future.  Cities like Denver will always depend on a touch from above to secure the John Elway's or Patrick Roy's that bring parades to town. Parade's are fun, but they breed entitled fans who become anxious for victory, and anxious fans can be worse than the homeless wino who would rather gobble up volumes of the cheap stuff rather than hold out for a championship variety. Has Danilo finally matured into that championship variety or is there a crack in the barrel turning this wine to vinegar?

Maybe the Nuggets still believe in Gallo or maybe they have no choice but to bring him back even if the plan is to get out of wine making altogether. Gallo's 40 point performance (career best) against Orlando instantly forces the Nuggets brass to reconsider their search for championship grapes since Gallo could already be that select variety we hoped he'd become. Whether the Nuggets are posturing for free agency, the draft or standing pat can not be ascertained by their current push to 'sort of' win basketball games.

The team and coaches are clearly playing hard enough to win games. In fact, several scores have tilted heavily for Denver under coach Hunt, yet this organization remains confusingly disjointed in the takeaway messages that fans are forced to derive from the front office silence. Direct messages from above are not exactly how they do business since some of the players have verbalized their confusion while staring into the eyes of healthy teammates on the bench who would have helped them avoid a couple of recent losses.

I WAS EXCITED!

If the players are confused just like the fans, that's all I needed to hear to join those who are questioning the resting recipe employed by the Nuggets of late.  I'm still really excited that we did it and won a game in double overtime- and that we did it again and almost beat the number two team in the West- but I am scratching my head in excitement.  I can't tell if we are gonna stand pat  since whoever is in charge is not talking- which I believe means the heat is still on someone in the front office too. Even the indirect message from this team is too cloudy to know if our excitement will change once we discover who's in charge and where they are trying to go.   Should I connect to certain players on this team or accept that any one of them could be traded to help Denver take the next step to improve? Is Gallo truly a fine wine or just a fancy vinegar?  Does Ty Lawson drink too much wine for Denver to endure the bitter flavor he keeps causing? Is Jusuf Nurkic getting aged too fast?


In the fine art of championship wine making, you need a perfect chemistry of quality grapes or it might be necessary to dump the whole tank and try again.  Are the Nuggets comprised of championship grapes or should we be tanking and searching for something better? Will we ever know if this current recipe has championship potential if we don't have the patience to let it mature?

I think I need a drink.

Denver Nuggets Management Need Hunt To Stave Off Circling Sharks

The writing might have been on the wall from way back when mild mannered Andre Miller fell out of love with Brian Shaw so quickly. Kenneth Faried was soon to follow.

What Brian Shaw clearly brought to the Nuggets was a wealth of knowledge of how to play any style that you need to play to win in the NBA.  What he didn't bring was Melvin Hunt who was a key carry over from the George Karl era.  My keen eyes noticed back then how vocal Hunt was, writing that the team would not recognize its new leader with a more vocal leader stuck in the fold. The fact that Hunt remains intact after two coaches speaks to an impeccable reputation and/or an organization that made his presence a non-negotiable for Brian Shaw.

Failed coach or bad fit?

Was Melvin ready when George left or
did Brian add the missing piece?

 Shaw brought a lot of knowledge to the city of Denver. What he did not bring was the capacity to sell his knowledge to a generation of players that need to be sold on the head coach. Hunt was here before most of the current players so he has witnessed which sales pitch works on which players and has earned credibility from this team. If Melvin Hunt is blessed to be made into the permanent coach of the Denver Nuggets, he will have both George Karl and Brian Shaw to credit (which he already has done).  Karl taught Hunt the Mile High game which the team displays at times, while Shaw brought the Eastern style with a twist of Phil Jackson on the side that seems to be the style that the team continues to employ despite Shaw's exit.  Nonetheless, if X's and O's were enough, we would have kept the last two coaches.  Hunt's real asset seems to be his God-given ability to connect with people and the divine timing that might allow him to unleash his gifts just when they've ripened.

Denver Nugget fans appreciate victories just like the next team, but we are savvy enough to recognize teams with the potential to win it all just as much as we recognize teams that probably are only suited for regular season success.  We've seen much more of the latter lately, but championships are not foreign to the Mile High city and neither are championship teams.  We know one when we see it, and Peyton Manning should kick himself in the butt if he leaves Denver without getting that second ring that  John Elway has tried to spoon feed him.

As for Hunt's prospect of keeping the Nuggets head coach job?  It is hard to tell with Denver management who let go of a GM of the year in Masai Ujiri, coach of the year in George Karl and a rising coach of the future in Brian Shaw who couldn't force unprofessional players to stop it.  Hoping that Nuggets brass will get it right this time is optimistic given the recent track record. Hunt deserves a chance to finish Shaw's transition, and he deserves the commitment from management to reap the benefits if he gets it done- but that is rarely how the story tends to go.  Usually two or three coaches handle the fix of a team and some big name comes along to try and take them over the top.

No player has been more vocal about
his dislike of Shaw than Faried.

That's the way big cities write the story, but the Mile High is just  tall, not necessarily big.  John Elway might have made us famous, but strangers still think Coloradoan's ride horses to go skiing.  Elway brought success to Denver by the luck of shunning the Baltimore Colts for a horse of a different kind.  Small town legends typically have to come through draft or luck, and the Nuggets have yet to ride either path towards the ultimate crown.  Will Kenneth Faried become a piece of that draft puzzle for Denver? Have we stopped waiting for Ty Lawson?  What if Jusuf Nurkic carries this team to the precipice? Does this dismal season position Denver for the draft pick that finally sends them over the top?  Most importantly, will Melvin Hunt be the coach to save the team from blowing up this plan (and staff) and starting all over from scratch?

Jusuf Nurkic is the Nugget to watch.

So far, Hunt appears to be smart enough to call the right plays and wise enough to insert the right guys without pissing off  and losing half of the team as a result. In last nights 30 point victory over the similarly hapless Knicks, Hunt had players begging him to leave other teammates in the game who either needed time or deserved it from their quality of performance. When introducing himself after Shaw's firing, Hunt described his number one trait as giving a professional effort at all times.  He will need to squeeze his fingerprint of professionalism on each of his underachievers who've struggled to keep a professional focus throughout the course of this challenging season.   Fortunately GM Tim Connelly uncovered a couple of lunch bucket guys in Joffrey Lauvergne and Will Barton, players who have a chance to stick simply because they give the non-stop effort that Denver fans appreciate.

Lauvergne is a capable backup with a fire in his belly.

Denver fans expect a lot, but we certainly recognize and appreciate the look of progress. Despite a stellar record, Denver is the city that complained all season long over the play of Peyton Manning and the Broncos because fans recognized star wars numbers that wouldn't translate into playoff success without proper balance.  Denver is also the place that demanded a change from the Nuggets by making them play to an empty stadium, and then ran back to the stadium when the back up coach gave us a glimmer of hope in the players, in the playing method and in the front office overseeing it all.

Hunt's success could salvage the reputation of everybody responsible for this debacle.  Some of them are counting on Hunt to keep the firing limited to Shaw alone because the sharks of the Denver sports scene are circling around the court and the  management offices at Pepsi Center.

In Hindsight, Stephen Curry Might Be NBA's Greatest Current Player

In hindsight, it might have been Stephen Curry that got George Karl, Brian Shaw and even Mark Jackson fired. He might be working on coach number four if Steve Kerr doesn't accept that this guy is not Steve Kerr- a dead eye shooter from NBA past.  Stephen Curry is not even Klay Thompson, another dead eye shooter who probably should have gotten the ball during last nights Globetrotter expedition that is burning up the airwaves and seemingly burning at the patience of Curry's coaches.

Did Curry's support of former coach Mark Jackson
put him at odds with management?

If you watch the video of the miraculous play, it is easy to see the impressive display of talent that Curry puts forth. What takes a little closer inspection is the expressions on the face of both the head coach and his main assistant, as well as the hand of #23,teammate Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.  On this play, Green and Thompson trail behind the Andrew Bogut pick (and roll) that freed Curry up so that Thompson can get an easier shot than Curry's, and Green can get the alternate play if defenders cheat out towards Thompson.

In the background of Curry's dazzling show, you can see Green pointing vigorously towards Thompson who is sliding into an open three-point attempt. Obviously, Curry can't see Green pointing from behind, but Curry knows the play just like everyone else on the team. The shot was for Thompson, and Curry took it upon himself to finish instead.  Every coach has these kind of, no, no, no- yes moments on the basketball court, but Kerr, and assistant coach Alvin Gentry, appear to be frustrated to high heavens with the kind of play we've come to know Curry for. Gentry doesn't even smile after the shot although Kerr gives a concession smile for the camera.

In hindsight, a lot of people thought Thompson could beat Curry in the All-Star weekend three-point shooting contest and in the role of leadership of the Golden State Warriors after coach Mark Jackson was fired from the team.  Had Thompson been competing with any other shooter he probably would have won, but on this night, Curry was shooting to make a statement.  Last night, Curry might have been making a similar statement when he didn't pass to Thompson, but who knows and who cares? Great players always make great plays even if they don't prove to be great team plays- but who cares about teamwork when watching sports highlights.  Sadly, Steve "pass me the ball Mike" Kerr and his high level assistant coach Al Gentry care, and it might just cost them a job. If they can't learn to comfortably digest spicy Curry, the Warriors will be forced to find a coach who has a palate for the flavor.

Stephen Curry is widely debated as the MVP of the league and potentially the best player as well.  The debate typically swings against him on the fact that jump shooters are never given such acclaim because no team has ever claimed a championship on the strength of the jump shot. Mark Jackson was totally at peace with the exploits of this legendary talent because he himself grew up in the streets of New York where somebody like Stephen Curry is not so miraculous a sight.  Even in the crazy streets of the Bay area where Golden State resides, there are guys who do the stuff of Steph', but very few ever make it to the NBA mostly because ain't no coach got time for all of that. Mark Jackson did have time and patience for Curry, and Warrior ownership didn't like it, but  secretly blamed Jackson's lack of acquiring a top assistant coach as the reason for his firing.

Every coach designs a system that they intend to win championships with.  Until you perfect a coaches system, they never feel comfortable with the teams prospects.  Steve Kerr has done a quality job in step one of hiring a top assistant and improving the Warrior's prospect of winning the crown, but Golden State is widely seen as the best regular season team who will likely shoot themselves right out of contention when it comes down to it.  Every time Curry jacks up another ill-advised shot during a game, Kerr hears echoes of doubt ringing in his hear from all of those people who expect Curry's heroics to be the death of the Warriors.  This list includes the Warrior management team.

In hindsight, despite his late fade in the playoffs two years ago, Curry was already too heroic for George Karl and the Nuggets to have a real chance at beating his team, but non-Warrior fans were the last to discover it.  Had Karl beaten Golden State and then lost in the next round, he would still be in Denver and the Nuggets would not have forced a big named rookie coach to try to replace Karl. Denver's preseason playoff declaration, minimal roster moves and intriguing rookie acquisitions proves that the Nuggets brass expected Brian Shaw to both win and to transition Karl's former team, all while learning to be a head coach.  In hindsight, top assistant Melvin Hunt probably could have been the easiest route towards keeping the best of George Karl while also trying the kind of tweaks that even Karl would have had to implement (i.e., playing young players more). Early coaching rumors in Denver included Hunt's name, but his lack of name recognition would have appeared to be a major reach for the Nuggets, whose firing of Karl was mostly a reaction to the unexplained exploits of  one of the games best players, Stephen Curry.

Over my many years of coaching, I have learned to suggest passes to my players, but to also shut up and root for the ball whenever they choose to throw it at the rim. If I don't like a shot, my alternative suggestion always comes via a quiet whisper in the ear of the player who shot it, because the biggest challenge in the game of basketball is developing the kind of players who never fear failure.  In other words, courageous athletes are not as plentiful as one might expect.  Even the greatest of the greats have those moments when they would rather defer to other players down the stretch of close games instead of being the one to take and miss the shot themselves (sorry Lebron).  Curry is far from that player, and in the grand scheme of basketball karma, he is clearly the kind of player you would rather have on your team since there is no technique to stop supreme confidence.

What Kerr is guilty of on this play is not rooting for the ball and disrupting the karma of his own player.  No player, even an over shooting hot-dog, plans to miss when they attempt a shot.  Their best hope is the same as every fan of the team, so coaches who forget to support the intentions of their own players eventually come to a moment of decision.  Is it going to be the players way or mine? Rick Carlisle had this moment with newly acquired Rajon Rondo and Kerr will soon have his with Curry if he doesn't have an attitude adjustment.  In the NBA, these are the type of struggles that eventually reach the desk of ownership, who will always side with the best player on the planet.  Like it or not, even Warriors management must recognize that they probably have that player in house...and its not Klay Thompson.

Is there anything Stephen Curry can't do on the basketball court?

WHAT TO DO 
WITH STEPH'? 

Schematically, you have to force Curry to shoot the short jump shot and not the floater or the three-point shot.  Mentally, he is of a generation that doesn't understand the short jumper, its lack of artistic flair and its diminished point value, so they don't practice it like we did back in the day.  If you back up in fear of his drive, he will find that deep soft spot in your defense and kill you for the mistake (which is what happened on the amazing play).  If you get too close on his jumper and are forced to chase him down when he drives, then you will watch him loft a soft release right over the top of your embarrassed big man. Either way, your best hope is praying that his shot is not as hot as usual, especially at the end of a game.

In hindsight, your best bet might be a prayer that the Warrior coaches get their way and Steph' gets forced to run the system instead of be the system, because the Warrior coaches are the only people on the planet who look like they don't expect him to make every shot. As fans of basketball, the problem we face with trying so hard to uncover the leagues next best player is that we don't always recognize them until its too obvious to deny anymore.

Postscript:

In hindsight, Russell Westbrook should probably be Batman and Durant his Robin.

Denver Nuggets Can Wound Any Team. Need To Develop Killer Instinct

Until George Karl proves that the Karl system is something that can win a title, then I don't want to hear any more conversation about Mr. 57 wins that can't get another job.

As for the merits of Brian Shaw?

Watching my Denver Nuggets compete and lose against the best and worst of the NBA has made me more convinced than ever that Brian Shaw is the right man for this team.  George Karl was clearly a little better at pushing the button called Ty Lawson, but even Karl depended upon a positive Lawson versus timid Ty and needed the maturity of Andre Miller or Chauncey Billups to offset the immaturity that inevitably becomes Ty Lawson from time to time. Avoiding firing Karl made the Denver Nuggets also avoid the youth movement that had to take place to pave way for our future after Carmelo Anthony. An argument could be made that Karl should have been fired a year earlier so that the transition could have started sooner. With or without Karl, this team would not be competitive if not for the positive impact of coaching.


SquareBiz! Karl could have maneuvered a couple of extra wins by virtue of a faster style and years of end game coaching experience.   Karl would have certainly added a few additional games to his legendary win total, but would he also buy into the front office marketing plan of winning with numbers?  Even Shaw, who tried the plan, has had to virtually abandon it given injuries and sporadic ticket sales- but would Karl be better at finding minutes for rookies and mediocre players returning from injury all at the same time?

Nobody in the world believes Karl could coach kids or cared to risk his career on their ability, especially Karl.  Kenneth Faried needed fan frenzy to force his way into more playing time, and only then did  Karl finally consider the merits of a youth movement- weeks before he was eventually fired. Had George been retained, stupidity and missed freethrows in the next season would have cured Karl of Kenneth quickly.

It has been miserably frustrating to watch my Denver Nuggets compete and lose against good and bad teams alike. But good coaches realize that you have to build upon the positives that you experience and learn from the negatives regardless of the final score.  Every time that I look at the Nuggets from a coaching perspective, I do not see a team with no opportunity to win games or a team that is competing strictly on the talent of the players.  These Nuggets defend, block out, run the floor and get fast breaks points(#7 in the league).  They run plays to absolute perfection and pummel all teams while getting shots EXACTLY where they expect those shots to come from.

And then suddenly they forget their own identity.

Sometimes the Denver Nugget identity shift is caused by tasting that bitter wine we call Galo (Danilo Galinari); who could be good if his legs were good, but they're not, so he's not- other times the shift happens from player/s that fail to step up on defense when teams make their run at the Nuggets.  Bench scoring is suppose to come from Galo (or Chandler when Galo gets right), but JJ Hickson, Dorrell Arthur and now Jameer Nelson have had to carry the back ups while waiting for the wine to ripen.

The real trick on every night is compiling a combination plate of back ups and starters that can actually secure the win down the stretch.  As it stands, the coach has rolled craps more often than not, but it has little to do with his coaching ability or his worthiness of remaining with this team. Nuggets fans send their message via attendance just like most smart fan bases.  Legitimate critics of Shaw have a legitimate concern about the ability of this coach to develop as fast or faster than the team he's tasked with developing himself. Shaw's growth must continue to outpace his team to remain the leader that we hoped could replace Karl.

Fans of Karl need to start a "hire my coach" campaign to keep the end of his era from being now. Moreover, they should stop using Karl as the primary reason why Shaw was a mistake.

My personal team building efforts could benefit if the Nuggets would suck a little bit more because getting a group rate on bulk tickets has not been as easy as I would hope for a team with the Nuggets record.  For whatever reason, Colorado basketball fans have not abandoned their desire to see if Shaw's team can win games, even if it means they might experience bitter defeats. The trained eye may not always appreciate the outcome, but they recognize the show.  This team can play, and it can play in SEVERAL different ways utilizing several different play options and several different styles of play.  They have not perfected Shaw's style of play, but they have shown glimpses of brilliant basketball that has the front office still maneuvering for wins (see; Jameer Nelson) both this season and in seasons to come. Every other team in a similar position would have scrapped this season while the Denver Nuggets are working to salvage the season- and the coach.

One and a half years into Brian Shaw,
have we seen enough?

If this team had one capable closer it could be in playoff contention.  Without that credible closer the Nuggets will be mostly a nuisance to the entire league throughout the entire season mostly because they have a coach who was that same kind of pest of a player himself.  Brian Shaw is reflecting his nature upon his team with every passing day, and for those who watched Shaw play, that is the most hopeful thing for all Nugget fans.  One serious aspect of the Shaw personality is the quiet ability to get you down and mysteriously slice your jugular vein until you bleed out.  He has taught his team how to wound its victims, but making your victim bleed out with minimal effort takes ninja like precision to perform.

It's not a skill that any team can master overnight.

Brian Shaw Must Overcome Several Obstacles To Overcome Critics

Coaches don't make marketing plans.  Coaches do their best to justify them.  7 games into the season, the Denver Nuggets had only captured one win, but answered a million questions.

Strength In Numbers?  Give us a break.

Number one.  Scrap the stupid marketing plan because the only strength in numbers this season comes from the numbers on Coach Brian Shaw's eye test as he will need the eyesight to see through the forest of options and find the correct 6-8 players on any given night and insure they get proper playing time.  While actually playing legit defense, every NBA team could stand to go 10 deep, so long as those 4-5 backups realize they are serving a unique purpose.  For this rendition of the Denver Nuggets, the 4 totally realize their role, but it's the 6 that can't seem to get it together.

After receiving loss number 7 to the Cleveland Cavaliers- another game that we could have won- I started to realize why the wheels on this car struggled with traction early on.  The 4 are better than the 6.  Watching this team play this season has been an interesting adventure, but watching who doesn't play at the end of games is beyond an adventure, it is a prelude to what every basketball player should respect most about the game of basketball.

The short jump shot has returned in the Nuggets draftee Erick Green

Basketball is not about starting, it is about the players who are on the court to finish the game. Despite the resurgence from the Bird/Magic-MIKE heyday of the 80's and 90's, smart basketball fans still do not stress themselves on the first 3 quarters of an NBA game because these quarter are inconsequential and often played that way. Coaches will start just about anybody with a team uniform, but only certain players will ever be trusted to handle the delicate duties of end game execution.  Alonzo Gee- one of the Denver Nuggets new Fantastic Four- has been closing out games from day one so we will leave his bio until the end.  Jusuf Nurkic, the second of  the noteworthy backups, began the season as the first off of the bench but earned an opportunity to close out a game against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers before Timofey Mosgov, Javale McGee forced him back into hiding.  It may take another injury or a trade before we Nurkic returns to action, but he will return because Nurkic showed some things.

The best player Tom Izzo ever coached?

Nurkic needed the minutes and the opportunity to win the confidence of his coach while the Nuggets needed to figure out exactly what they have invested in as Nurkic is essentially the player who should have been Doug McDermott, the much applauded draft that Denver acquired for the Chicago Bulls.  Rookie guard Erick Green, the third fabulous backup, quickly won the confidence of his coach and should have also closed against the Cavs, but Brian Shaw played it safe by reinserting Aaron Afflalo to finish the game.  Inserting Afflalo to close took the ball out of the hands of a hot player with a solid short jump shot, and it probably cost the Nuggets a win that night.  In the end, it also exposed everyone to the skill set of a couple of strong draft pickups.

By "everyone" I mean the players who are playing in front of these up and coming stars.  Randy Foye showed up big during the losing stretch, especially given the slow start of Ty Lawson, but he is a strong player that remains a backup at the shooting guard and a double backup at point so long as Nate Robinson remains an unusual Nugget to figure out.

Will Jusuf Nurkic make Nuggets fans forget Doug McDermott?

Robinson could be a good addition to any game at a moment suited for his specialized skills, but playing for any team that needs ball movement or focused leadership is half of the challenge for Robinson, recovering from injuries has been the rest. Early injuries- both physical and perhaps mental- left Ty Lawson as a super no-show, so super backup guard Foye proved long term value, even if it didn't translate into victories.  Injuries and various suspensions  have actually been good for this team because Shaw needed to be able to retain his job by limiting public criticism and not simply justify marketing. No matter how perfectly he is executing the front office expectations, fans of this team are still sore over the firing of George Karl, whose 50 game regular season win standard has cast a shadow over everything considered a defiance to the Karl era.

The next generation of Nuggets don't actually need much skill development, they only need minutes.  Gary Harris and Erick Green already have more offensive courage than Lawson, who has to be constantly reminded to force his will, and his game, upon the competition.  When Lawson is right, he is an extra special player.  When Lawson is wrong- again, he makes the Nuggets coaching staff realize that Nuggets basketball will not work without an engine to drive the car. But does the front office share this assessment?

Aaron Aaflalo could prove to be a positive re-acquisition, but he is not quite as young as he used to be, so his vaunted defense is not aided by youthful legs like the players that are threatening to steal his minutes.  Aaflao's scoring behavior remains limited by an erratic and flat jumper or the hope of a sleeping defense that will let him finish at the rim.  He refuses to shoot the pull-up jumper because his shot is way too flat for consistent success at that range, so driving and passing is the only choice his game offers him. Erick Green plays a lot like coach  Shaw played on offense, with a deadly short jump shot that makes room for every other aspect of his offensive attack. Gary Harris is described by Tom Izzo, his former Michigan State coach, as "the best player he ever coached", and both his offensive and defensive intensity explains why.  Wilson Chandler and Aaron Aaflalo have suddenly started to play better and it seems to have coincided with the unveiling of their potential replacements, Green and Harris.

Coach Shaw could do his best impersonation of Aaron Rogers or LeBron James and tell Denver fans to relax, but without consistency at point guard- and the lingering need to discover if Danilo Galinari will ever live up to the promise- Shaw can't do much relaxing himself.  The miserable starting team consistently gives Shaw justification to sit a couple of those deadbeats at the end of the games in exchange for smarter defenders or more confident players.  Having capable backups has forced the entire team to play smarter, harder and with more confidence which has turned the tide for Denver, but how long can you execute a plan in which your best players are held to the final moments of the game while your starters dig a hole for their backups to fix?

In reality, nothing replaces a hearty appetite and some of the Nuggets simply haven't played hungry for a while.  Alonzo Gee is a journeyman who saw his chance to eat and gobbled up a job for himself. Jusuf Nurkic, Erick Green and Gary Harris are young, hungry and capable of pushing the starters to do number 2 or be number 2.  What concerns me is whether the concerned starters can remain focused on the mission without letting concern for their jobs be the key motivation.  Gee forced Quincy Miller out the door simply because he is hungry and he can defend anybody. Shaw consistently calls on Gee for tough defensive assignments and end game defensive pressure. If the Nuggets are succeeding it is because the heat is on the starters and the newbies are ready to eat.

Hungry players must be fed while the well fed must be reminded of what it means to be hungry. As for the marketing plan?  "Strength In Numbers" sounds like a great marketing plan, but it is likely an advertisement of players whose days in the Nugget uniform will be dictated by how well the coach inspires and markets the talent.

If Shaw can groom the future, groom and prepare the excess cattle for market and actually win enough games to justify his understanding of winning in the NBA, he will have accomplished a lot for Denver and for the future hopes of winning a crown.  If he finally silences the Karl loving critics of his, he will surely be the last man standing, smiling on the stage with the crown in hand.