Five Mistakes The Denver Nuggets Made This Season

Dec 7, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Andre Miller (24) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Nuggets defeated the Sixers 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Putting Andre Miller in the Freezer

Andre Miller engaged Coach Brian Shaw in a verbal match after a loss to the Sixers late in December and he was suspended for two games due to “conduct detrimental to the team.” The suspension broke Miller’s ironman streak of 239 consecutive games played. Miller played his last game as a Nugget on December 30, 2013.

As early as January 1, teams had already sent feelers about Andre Miller.

Yahoo Sports reported last January 2:

“The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings are intrigued with the possibility of acquiring suspended Denver Nuggets point guard Andre Miller.”

The Warriors were shopping for a back up to Stephen Curry. On the other hand, Sacramento GM Pete D’Allessandro was a former Nuggets executive and toyed with the possibility of having Miller mentor young Isaiah Thomas for the Kings. However, the Nuggets weren’t interested in a trade at that point:

“For now, Denver management is determined to smooth over the acrimony between Miller and Coach Brian Shaw”

Unfortunately that was just the start of things to come. A week later, CBS Sports also reported that the Kings had more than just interest. They made proposals:

“The Kings have offered Marcus Thornton and a future second-round pick as the framework of a deal for Miller, and have presented a package including Jimmer Fredette and a future second as an alternative.”

However there a stalemate ensued, and Andre Miller wasn’t traded until February 20, the final day of the trade deadline. Denver simply put him in a freezer when they could have gotten another point guard much earlier in the season. The Nuggets went 11-12 during that stretch and had to lose even more games to adjust after that trade.