Dec 1, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson (3) and point guard Nate Robinson (10) relax during a timeout in the fourth quarter of a game against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. Denver won the game 112-98. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
4. Health is Wealth
To say that injuries were the main reason why the Nuggets faltered in their 2013-14 campaign is an understatement. Those string of injuries cost the Nuggets their season.
Three ACL injuries hit the Denver Nuggets last season. First it wasDanilo Gallinari, then it wasNate Robinson, and finallyJ.J. Hickson.
And it didn’t end there! Star point guardTy Lawsonmissed 20 games due to a number of injuries, while center Javale McGee played just five games due to a stress fracture in his left tibia. Imagine how much production the Nuggets missed with those five key contributors out of action.
Gallinari was the key loss as the Italian Hit Man averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and made 1.9 three-pointers per game during the 2012-13 season. Robinson was a double-digit scorer off the bench, while Hickson led the team in rebounds last season. Not to mention that McGee was the team’s starting center and is one of the most athletic big men in the league today.
With these five men back, plus their new acquisitions, the Nuggets are possibly a 10 deep team. Even though they may not equal the Spurs’ depth, they have the potential to score 110 points per game and rival theClippers as the highest scoring team in the NBA.
Remember that a healthy Nuggets team won a franchise best 57 games during the 2012-13 season with the same core and players. Having all of them healthy this season gives Mile High fanatics a lot of optimism and excitement.
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