Team Expert/Cool Guy: The Nugg Doctor, whose real name shall remain anonymous to protect the innocent... plus I didn't get the OK from the good doctor to use his real name. But, anyway, the Nugg Doctor hails from where else, but the The Nugg Doctor blog. Check out the Nuggets diagnosis.
Questions and Answers:
1. Carmelo Anthony improved a lot last season and became one of the top scoring threats in the league. In all likelihood, he'll be double-teamed a lot this season, but without a true perimeter shooter, who does Anthony kick the ball out to? Andre Miller, J.R. Smith and company aren't exactly outside threats that will stretch the defense. Does Anthony even need to throw the ball out or just split defenders?
Anthony will be seeing a lot of double-teams this season, but I feel that the Nuggets have improved their options around the perimeter tremendously this off season. They have added three-point shooters in Yakhouba Diawara and J.R. Smith. Last season, J.R. shot a career high 37% from long distance and provides the Nuggets with a quick slasher who is capable of making teams pay if their rotation is slow. The Nuggets also have the luxury of two big men that can hit the outside shot in Marcus Camby and Joe Smith. Marcus is one of the best shooting centers in the league and is comfortable from as far out as 18 feet. Similarly, Joe Smith is also a threat from anywhere around 16 feet from the basket. These are the guys that are going to have to be ready and able to make teams pay for double-teaming Anthony.
Anthony needs to make smart decisions. When teams send the double-team he needs to be able to recognize where his open teammates are, or make quick decisive moves off the dribble. In my opinion, when teams flash the double-team it is the best idea to move the ball quickly and relocate for better position. By doing this, the Nuggets will be able to get open looks while teams are in defensive rotation. Thus making them think twice about sending the double next time down the floor. After his teammates put pressure on the opposition by stepping up and making plays. Then it becomes much easier for Anthony to truly take over the game one-on-one.
2. How many games will Marcus Camby miss this season? In all seriousness, when Camby takes the floor, he's a dominant player. With the return of Nene from injury last season, does Nene take some heat off of Camby and allow Camby not to get so banged up in the box?
I think that Marcus will miss a total of 15 games this season. Obviously I hope for zero, but realistically evaluating Marcus through history and keeping in mind his age. I expect him to play in the neighborhood of 65-67 games this season.
Lets hope Nene takes some heat off. Marcus was the defensive backbone of the Nuggets last season, and in my opinion, was overlooked for the DPOY award due to injury. He led the league in blocked shots, and if he wasn't out so many games, would have been in third in the league in rebounds per game at twelve. He plays at a very intense level that is hard to sustain without getting nicked up. With the addition of the big bodied Nene, I think that Marcus will be able to play at a more consistently high level of intensity in fewer minutes. Nene will be able to shoulder some of the load and allow Marcus to remain fresh and ready when his minutes are played.
3. Can the Nuggets retake the Northwest title this season? Who are their toughest competitors? Is this team ready to go far in the playoffs?
Absolutely they can win the division again! The Nuggets have done nothing this off season but improve. The losses of Francisco Elson, Rueben Patterson, and Greg Buckner are going to be off-set favorably by the acquisitions of Joe Smith, Yakhouba Diawara, and J.R. Smith. I feel that the Nuggets are a 50-game winning team this season after injuries and chemistry problems late in last season resulted in a 44-38 regular season finish.
The Utah Jazz are the Nuggets toughest competitors in the Northwest division. Andrei Kirilenko dedicated his entire off season to working on his game. He is a player that causes a lot of match-up problems due to his size, athletic ability, and speed. The Jazz also have the division's most underrated player in Mehmet Okur. The four-year veteran is coming off his best season ever after nearly averaging a double-double for the Jazz. The 6'11" Okur raised his scoring average from 12.9 points in 2004-05 six points to finish last year at a pace of 18 a game. He did similar improving in the rebounding department. He raised his average to 9.1 boards a game and is part of the two headed defensive monster in Utah. Why this guy flies so low on the radar is a mystery to me because he is potent on both ends of the floor every night. These aforementioned reasons, the eternally tough coach Jerry Sloan, and the supporting cast of the Jazz are why they pose the greatest threat to the Nuggets in the Northwest division.
Ready to go far? Well, lets just say that they are ready to go farther. The Nuggets are a team that is searching for an identity. They have the talent, the coach, the superstar, and the city of Denver behind them. They know what it takes to make the playoffs from the last three years, but it will be what they have learned from the first round disappointments in those three years that gets them to second round this season So, I guess there's your answer. I feel that this is the year that the Nuggets make it to the second round at least.