Denver Nuggets Off-Season Plans (Part 2)

As the 2013 NBA Off-Season is slowly coming to an end, it is now time to recap what the Denver Nuggets were able (not) to do. First I want to recap how the Nuggets did on the suggestions I gave in my "Denver Nuggets Off-Season Plans (Part 1)".

1.  Offer Andre Iguodala the exact same contract that Ty Lawson received last offseason.
Result: Let's call it a wash. The Nuggets didn't offer Iggy an absurd amount of money, but he left anyways. Can I mention that I feel completely betrayed he left for the Warriors? What a joke...

2a. Trade for a "star player".
Result: Mmm. Nope. Didn't listen.

2b. Trade Kenneth Faried for that star.
Result: Seems like the Nuggets are surrounding the team around Faried now. 

3. Pursue Kyle Korver like he is LeBron James.
Result: Hahahahahahahahaha... Nope.

4. Look for a new back-up point guard.
Result: Nate freaking Robinson. I don't even know what to say.

5. Demote Kosta Koufos.
Result: Kinda? Koufos was traded on draft night for Darrell Arthur. Another 6'9 power forward. *sigh*

So taking into account that new Denver GM Tim Connolly could not have gone more opposite of what I had suggested for the Nuggets, it's now time to assess what has happened. But before I begin I'm just going to be honest. I believe that with the roster currently assembled, the Nuggets will ALWAYS be a 6-8 seed team in the playoffs never amounting to anything great for at least the next five years. 

Coaching Change

Brian Shaw: It was only a matter of time before one team gave Phil Jackson's apprentice, Brian Shaw, a chance at a head coaching job. Now the Nuggets new coach has to back up all the talk with performance. Coach Shaw is someone who is interested in player development which should excite Denver fans. George Karl NEVER gave rookies or young players a chance to make a name for themselves, except Kenneth Faried. Here's to hoping that either Jordan Hamilton, Evan Fournier or Quincy Miller have a breakout year under the tutelage of Brian Shaw. 

Some happy individuals. I'm not. Not at all.

He also seems to be focused on creating a more half-court offensive mindset in Denver which is something that has been lacking for... well, ever. Although I think it is important to change the offensive culture in Denver I don't believe that the Nuggets currently have the personnel to do so. I mean, can anyone see JaVale McGee posting up at all?

Also, I fear that Denver is just a stepping stone for Shaw who has had a longtime home in Los Angeles. Call me crazy but I think most coaches would prefer LA over Denver. And I think Los Angeles just wasn't ready to give a rookie coach the reigns in the mess that is the Lakers at this moment. I can't see Shaw being in Denver for over his current 3-year contract. 
Grade: B+

Draft/Draft Night Trade Acquisitions

Erick Green: The Nuggets traded the Draft's tallest player in Rudy Gobert (7'2) for Erick Green, the NCAA's leading scorer last season (25.0 ppg). Green is an intriguing player but his limited size (6'3) and lack of a passing game will make him a role player at best. But his scoring ability is something to be excited about. Still, giving up all that size in Gobert really is a head-scratcher.
Grade: C+

Darrell Arthur: Denver also traded beloved big man Kosta Koufos on Draft Night. Although it stung to see Koufos go, it seems that it is finally time to see what JaVale McGee is capable to do as a starter. But what Denver got in return for the former starting center isn't something to be overly joyful about. Darrell Arthur is a 6'9 power forward who is not overly proficient at anything. He is an above average defender, average offensive player and a below average rebounder. His stats last season looked like this: 6.1 ppg/2.9 rpg/0.451FG% in 16.4 minutes per game.  It seems that size is not important to Denver.
Grade: C-

Joffrey Lauvergne: Who? All I thought of when I heard his name was:

All I do is rage when I see this face...

And this did not make me happy.
Grade: I have no idea.

Free Agency

JJ Hickson: It has become completely obvious that Denver thinks small-ball is the way to go after signing Kenneth Faried 2.0 as their first big Off-Season acquisition. JJ Hickson was nothing short of solid last season for the Portland Trailblazers averaging a double-double per game (12.7 ppg and 10.4 rpg). But he is still a 6'9 center. There is no getting around that fact. He is an absolute source of energy, the ball seems to always bounce his way and he is good for three to five highlight dunks per year. Sound familiar?

Denver officially has two Kenneth Farieds and this is not necessarily a good thing. An undersized athlete can only get an NBA team so far. But constantly going to battle with shorter less physical players is an equation for failure. Part of me feels that Hickson will surprise me and show me that energy and hustle is greater than height. For now, I can only wish for that. But taking into account that his contract is only for around $5 million per year, he's not an expensive risk.

Denver's top acquisitions. Hickson (left) and Foye (right)

Grade: B-

Randy Foye: I actually am excited for the acquisition of sharp-shooter Randy Foye. He can handle the ball on occasion and knows his role on the floor: shoot 3's. This is something that Denver sorely missed last season, so adding Foye doesn't hurt. The former Utah guard averaged 10.8 ppg while shooting .410 beyond the 3-point arch for the 2012/2013 season. Those are solid numbers. This may be the move that proves to be most worthwhile for Denver. But Foye is by no means a shutdown defender and doesn't seem to have a huge passing prowess.
Grade: B

Nate Robinson: The newest addition to the Denver Nuggets comes in the shape of a 5'9 lighting rod known as Nate. After a one-year stint with the Chicago Bulls where Robinson thrived under the coaching of Tom Thibodeau, Nate is now taking his talents to the Rocky Mountains. This move means a couple things for Denver fans.

Can Nate thrive in Denver?

1. Andre Miller is now officially done with the Nuggets.
2. DENVER DOES NOT CARE ABOUT SIZE OR DISCIPLINE!

Nate Robinson is short. Wow, I know. News Flash. But he also has no sense of a good shot. Every
shot is a good shot for Nate "The Great". I know how dynamic he was at times for the Bulls. I lived in Chicago for the past year. I witnessed the amazing playoff stretch he had which included the 23-point 4th quarter performance against the Brooklyn Nets. I also believe Robinson had a very under-the-radar regular season averaging 13.1 ppg and 4.4 apg. But he is the definition of streaky and has a highly flammable attitude. Part of me worries how a rookie coach will be able to handle that. Let's fill in the blank people: Nate Robinson + JaVale McGee = _____________.
Grade: D+

Denver has compiled a roster of small high energy players. After new coach Brian Shaw mentioned that his offense will be centered around the half-court, the front office then went to acquire a team made for the fast break.

Height is also a huge concern for Denver. Here are some alarming numbers:

Average PG height: 5'10 (at best)
Average PF height: 6'8.5
Not to mention a 6'9 center (JJ Hickson)

It'll be interesting to see how this weird misfit group will work together next year under a first-year coach. But part of me worries this off-season has set Denver back several years.

Overall Grade: C- (Just below average... aka Not... Good... Enough...)

The Best of the Worst: NL West Edition

Wow, here it is folks! My first ever MLB post. I have avoided writing anything about the MLB because I feel completely inadequate writing about baseball but we'll see how this goes!

The NL West, as a collective whole, has been nothing short of lackluster this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants hold a combined 0.480 winning percentage at about the halfway point of the season. When trying to describe this division, the word mediocre comes to mind.

But nonetheless, I would like to examine each NL West team with great scrutiny. Or something like that. And predict what I see for the future.

Arizona Diamondbacks (50-45)

Current Position: 1st Place
End of Season Position: 2nd Place

Let's all take a moment to acknowledge the lone plus-.500 NL West team. That's right ladies and gentleman, to earn 1st place in this train-wreck of a division all you have to do is be five games above even. To contextualize this record, the Diamondbacks would be good for 5th in the AL East. But hey that's not their fault!

Arizona has been the definition of average all season long. But they've been consistently average. At one point the team was nine games above .500 (34-25) but have since experienced a slow-and-steady decline to the dreaded .500 mark.

Bottom Line: The Diamondbacks are currently ranked 16th in batting average, 14th in on-base percentage and 26th in homeruns. Average to below average run support. They also are 10th in ERA and 13th in WHIP. Almost every category you find the Diamondbacks right around the middle of the pack. They deserve credit for being consistent, but they simply won't be able to hold 1st place being this average.

Player to Watch: Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

Los Angeles Dodgers (47-47)

Current Position: 2nd Place
End of Season Position: 1st Place

On June 19th the LA Dodgers were a dismal 29-40, but have since gone on an impressive 18-7 stretch (yay math!). The arrival of the freakazoid Yasiel Puig has been an absolute breath of fresh air in such a boring division. The man has been an absolute force to be reckoned with, batting .391 with 8 homers and 19 RBI's to match in his first 38 MLB games. But the player lost in Puigmania has been shortstop Hanley Ramirez who has batted .386 with 8 homeruns and 25 RBI's in 39 games since returning from the disabled list.

Puig has been nothing short of amazing so far

It's clear the Dodgers have the most raw talent of any team in the NL West, and quite possibly the National League as a whole. But inconsistent play has been an issue for LA all season long.

Bottom Line: LA has run into its fair share of injuries and on-the-field struggles, but the team with a bottomless bank account seems to be putting it together for the 2nd half. Along with the arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers have put themselves in solid position to win the soft NL West.

Player to Watch: Yasiel Puig, OF... duh.

Colorado Rockies (46-50)

Current Position: 3rd Place
End of Season Position: 4th Place

The Blake Street Bombers have been a pleasant surprise. After finishing an embarrassing 64-92 last season, the Rockies currently are only four games under .500. Taking into account that this squad really didn't improve at all over the off-season, it's been great to see a group of players really buy into new manager Walt Weiss and succeed in every definition of the word based on previous expectations.

The Rockies have been a pleasant surprise.

What is most surprising is that along with the expected offensive firepower that comes with the Coors Field territory, the pitching has also been solid. Starters Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin and Tyler Chatwood have combined for a 23-12 record and a 3.17 ERA. The trio also averages about 6 innings pitched per outing. I haven't even mentioned the outstanding season Rox Reliever Rex Brothers has
had.

Bottom Line: I just listed all the great and positive things the Rockies have accomplished thus far, but still have them finishing 4th. I just don't trust the pitching yet. I wish I did but I don't. The Rockies have to prove their worth in the consistency department because All-Stars Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer can't pick up that load. Until then, the Rockies stay under .500. But there are definitely things Colorado can be excited for.

Player to Watch: Tyler Chatwood, SP


San Francisco Giants (43-51)

Current Position: 4th Place
End of Season Position: 3rd Place

This has been a weird season for the Giants. The team batting power is as absent as always. Holding the 28th spot in HRs. But their pitching has been strangely below average as well. San Fran. is currently ranked 20th in team ERA and 16th in WHIP. A team that has always boasted a stout pitching staff has experienced underwhelming play from former ace Tim Lincecum (never mind the no-no he just threw).

What is more worrisome is that Matt Cain has been absolutely below-average with an alarming 5.06 ERA and a 5-6 record through 19 starts. For a team that often struggles to give pitchers run-support, the pitching has not been spectacular. It seems that the ace torch has been passed to 23-year-old Madison Baumgarner (10-5, 3.02 ERA).

Bottom Line: The pitching has been bad and the batting has been average, but there is something about the Giants and late season pushes. What the Rockies have not proved (consistency), the Giants have

Will the Giants celebrate again in October? Not likely.

proven twice over the last three seasons. I see veteran leadership and timely play bumping this team to the middle-of-the-pack region in the MLB by October.

Player to Watch: Matt Cain, SP

San Diego Padres (42-54)

Current Position: 5th Place
End of Season Position: 5th Place

The Padres have just been all-around bad. There is no way going around that. Here are some rankings for you.

Batting: 23rd in batting average, 23rd in on-base percentage, 25th in slugging percentage.
Pitching: 25th in ERA, 27th in WHIP, 27th in opponent batting average.

In other words: yikes.

Bottom Line: I don't want to add insult to injury but it really seems like the 2010 season where San Diego finished 90-72, one game behind the wildcard position, was the last time the Padres will have a chance to be in the playoffs for a long time. When your batting order headlines a man batting .229 (Chase Headley), something is wrong.

Player to Watch: Eric Stults, SP

Vlog #1: Denver Nuggets Off Season Free Agents

Hey everyone!

Here is a new idea I wanted to tinker with a little bit! It is a vlog about sports. Just interested to see how it works! Thanks so much for you viewership and support!