Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets are at it again, proving that they are pretenders. Fans (and I include myself in this group) fall for it every year and every year they show us the frauds they really are. The latest example is a home loss to the pathetic Washington Wizards. The Nuggets are the masters of losing at home to teams that are the dregs of the NBA. They do it every single season and they do it more than once.
The Nuggets spent all of November and December telling anyone who would listen that the schedule was too tough, the NBA was picking on them and that they would make up for it in January. Well guess what, January is here and they have lost to the Wizards and the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. Those are two of the teams the Nuggets were supposed to get healthy on; instead, they turned into two embarrassing losses. It’s hard to know where to begin or how to explain the issues with the Nuggets but let’s start with this: they have no heart, no will to win and no chance.
The leader of the Nuggets is supposed to be point guard Ty Lawson, but he’s their number-one problem. He’s more up and down then the stock market; when he’s good, he’s very good but when he’s bad, he’s possibly the worst point guard in the league. Lawson got paid and now believes he’s a star – he’s not. He’s an average point guard who thinks he’s Magic Johnson.
The Nuggets made a big trade for Andre Iguodala who was supposed to be the final piece; he’s the final piece of a disaster. I’m sure he’s made one but I haven’t seen Iguodala make an outside shot yet this season. In a sense he fits right in with the Nuggets – a lot of hype but not a lot of substance.
We go one by one through the roster and every single player has their own issues, but they all have one thing in common. They are on a team that will get your hopes up and then destroy them. There’s always an excuse: they lost by 20 to the Oklahoma City Thunder because they were tired, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs because of the refs and so on. Excuses are for losers and that’s the Nuggets.
As for George Karl, the time has come to make a change. He’s not the problem, in my opinion, but you can’t change the players. The Nuggets could bring in Phil Jackson and it would not make a bit of difference. They don’t play together and only play hard when they want to. The Nuggets do two things very well; they lose to terrible teams at home and they lose in the first-round of the playoffs.
Then there are the free-throws, where the Nuggets are terrible. I realize that free-throw shooting in the NBA is atrocious, but the Nuggets have taken it to a new level. If they shoot 50%, it’s reason to throw a parade. If they hit the rim, they congratulate one another. Being a good free throw shooter takes one thing – practice. They are not sexy and they don’t make the Top 10 plays on ESPN, but free throws win or lose games. The Nuggets are more interested in being on the highlights then they are in winning games. Their free throw shooting – or lack of – is only a symptom of the bigger problem.
The Nuggets will make the playoffs. They always do, and then they will get beat in the first round of the playoffs. It’s a rite of spring; the flowers bloom, the weather warms up and the Nuggets lose in the first round. It’s as predictable as the sun rising in the east, it’s going to happen.
I leave you with a few words of warning: the Nuggets will win 8 out of 10 or 9 out of 11 at some point, don’t fall for it. At some point, Karl will tell you that they are coming together, they will fall apart. They will ultimately disappoint you. It’s what they do best.
Follow me on Twitter @Jemorrone7
