Nov 23, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) gets a hand slap from guard Rodney Hood (5) in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Saturday’s loss to the Jazz has put the Denver Nuggets organization under further fan scrutiny, and calls for new line-ups and rotations suggest that a change is needed.
The direction of this team is more or less up in the air, but a new path may be laid out for the Denver Nuggets sooner than later.
Gordon Hayward had a career-high for points in a quarter, scoring 21 in the third quarter of Saturday’s match-up with Denver. Hayward ended with 32, and with another big-name player showing their dominance against this Denver team, one has to assume that stars are getting excited to play against the Nuggets.
It is important to note that key young players Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris were once again absent from Denver’s rotations with injuries. But even upon their return, the Nuggets will still have a lot of work to do if this season is to turn around. Frankly, they’ll have more work to do than can be done if the team continues to play as they have lately.
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The Nuggets great struggle seems to be maintaining composure, as a team, for the entirety of games. This was the case again Saturday, as the Nuggets went into halftime down by just two points, and then got steamrolled in the 3rd, being outscored 33 to 16. They bounced back in the fourth, behind Will Barton and Wilson Chandler, who dropped 20 points each, but were ultimately unable to recover from Hayward’s 3rd quarter performance.
After being decimated by another star, Denver’s wide-spread talent is starting to look like their Achilles heel. Where Utah had one simple job in the third quarter (feeding Hayward), the Nuggets were on more of a wild goose chase, trying desperately to find a player or line-up that could slow Hayward, or at least answer him offensively. This struggle, to create and sustain momentum as a team with focus and flow, has many fans calling for big changes. Some want to see new starting 5’s, others want their rotations to change, and most are ready to talk trades.
Nov 22, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (R) and forward Kenneth Faried (L) before the game against the Chicago Bulls at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The fans have spoken, and “change” is the word.
Saturday’s loss to the Jazz has given us this one major takeaway above all else. Within this consensus, that change is in order, the idea of just what that change should be has been met with a wide range of suggestions.
Ultimately, this suggests a fan-base that shares one common trait, disappointment. For obvious reasons, this disappointment comes as no surprise, and when it comes to the organization of this dissatisfaction, three major camps emerge.
These three major camps will cover the vast majority of Nuggets fans and how they feel towards the remainder of the season. So, choose, fan, what can camp are you apart of?
Be sure to let us know your camp in the comments.
Nov 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) reacts after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 105-91. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Camp #1: The Murray Lovers
Perhaps the most popular complaint among all Nuggets fan is the low usage of rookie guard Jamal Murray. With the injury setbacks that the Nuggets have faced, and last season’s precedent of giving Emmanuel Mudiay heavy minutes as a rookie, a vocal crowd has shown confusion and irritation with Jamal Murray’s court time staying in the teens.
Some fans want to see Murray start alongside Emmanuel Mudiay, devoting the rest of the season towards their development as a back-court duo. Others are less rash, and simply want to see Murray have a more prominent bench role, and to be given more of a focus in the second unit’s offense.
In either respect, with the Nuggets being so dedicated o their young core, it does seem baffling that Jamal Murray continues to see low minute totals night after night.
There is no denying that the rookie has a lot of talent, and many already see all-star potential in Murray, backed in theory by his earning of this season’s first Western Conference Rookie of the Month award. Playing Murray more often might not help this team get more wins, but his development as a player is starting to seem like the larger priority, at least from fans’ perspectives. And after all, teams exist for their fans right?
Even if an increased role for the rookie meant more losses, the consensus is that it would be better to lose by Murray’s side.
Nov 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 118-114. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Camp #2: The Re-Structure from Within(ers)
While increasing the role of Jamal Murray is the only concern for some, this potential change is just one small part of a larger internal reform for others.
Fans that are especially frustrated have called for new faces in Denver’s coaching staff, but the more common view is that finding and utilizing a new starting 5, and any inherent rotational changes, could help turn this team around, and keep alive hopes of reaching the playoffs.
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Like those in camp Murray, an bigger role for the rookie seems like a unanimous desire, as some have expressed that Murray ought to be the team’s sixth man. Higher on the list of players to give a bigger role to is Wilson Chandler. At the very least, these fans want to see Chandler maintain his role as the biggest bench-force in the NBA. For the more aggressive minded, a call for Chandler to enter the starting 5 has more or less erupted. With a versatile size and skill-set, Chandler is capable of playing some SG and even PF as well as his usual SF. With Will Barton’s success as the Nugget’s bench scorer last season, sacrificing Chandler’s presence from the second unit would not cost much.
Some want Chandler to completely replace Gallinari, some want to see Chandler starting alongside Gallo, and others say that he should stay as Denver’s 6th man. In the amidst this division, a general consensus to re-structure the team’s game-plan around feeding Chandler is apparent, unless you think that Chandler ought to be traded, in which case you belong to camp #3.
Feb 23, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) talks with forward Danilo Gallinari (8) in the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Camp #3: Trade Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
“Consolidation of talent” is a phrase that continues to pop up among Nuggets fans as the losses pile up. After seeing the Jazz dismantle the Nuggets through their own successful “consolidation of talent” (Gordon Hayward) made this potential urgency feel all the more pressing.
Fans in this state of mind are pushing for trades. Their progressive target, whether immediate or long-term, remains to be seen, but on the whole, a few common names have come up when fans have spoken up about desires for trades. Leading this pack were Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Faried has long been the topic of trade-talk for Nuggets fans, although his nearly unmatched efforts in rebounding and shot -blocking have made the Manimal more valuable now to the Nuggets than ever before. Still, the point of this camp’s mentality is to sacrifice many weapons for one big gun, making Faried’s current “vitality” (can one be “vital” if a team is failing?) more or less mute.
Gallinari was the leader of this Nuggets team last season, and his inclusion in this grouping was surprising at first, but after some thought, it makes sense. Again, the whole point is to acquire one big gun, and giving up bigger name players, like Gallinari, would be a necessity in the process. Gallo is arguably the most talented player on the Nuggets roster, and in the search of a new top-dog, losing Galinari seems inevitable. In this camp, this seems to be a completely accepted consequence, as most are fixed on dealing a package of Faried and Gallinari.
Jusuf Nurkic is another popular name in Nuggets trade talk as of late, probably due to the young center’s inconsistency, potential, and unfortunately inevitable impediment on the progression of fellow Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. His inconsistency is an issue for the Nuggets right now, as he is especially struggling to defend the paint with regularity. Nurkic HAS shown a huge offensive upside though, as his post moves and surprising size-to-swiftness ratio should give plenty of teams enough reason to have some interest in his potential acquisition. If he was traded, then the Nuggets would be able to fully commit the center position to Nikola Jokic, a seemingly welcome concept in this camp.
In the end, as fans attempt to proactively guide their frustration, one has to hope for something new in this Nuggets organization. Simpy waiting for things to suddenly improve is starting to seem like a useless investment. As the trade deadline approaches, fans may want to hold their breath.
The direction of this team is more or less up in the air, but a new path may be laid out for the Denver Nuggets sooner than later.
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