As the Denver Nuggets prepare to take on the Houston Rockets Friday night at Pepsi Center let’s reflect on the wild week and a successful January.
The Denver Nuggets finished January with a 12-4 record. Another best in a season that seems to have limitless firsts for this Nuggets squad. At 35-15, they have eclipsedCarmelo Anthony‘s 34-16 record in both 08-09 and 09-10 for the best 50 game start in Denver’s NBA history.
It hasn’t been without its share of drama, including improbable comebacks and unsung heroes.
We’ve seenWill Bartonstart to get his legs back though he’s shot poorly. The same can be said forGary Harriswho can’t seem to shake the injury bug. Harris hit two big three-point shots in the fourth quarter in New Orleans to give Denver an opportunity to win.
With Barton and Harris rounding into form andPaul Millsapfully engaged and healthy we turn to the rumored mid-February debut ofIsaiah Thomas. There are those that feel that with the emergence ofMonte Morris, Thomas is an expendable asset. As we’ll touch on later, that notion is folly, considering the dropoff the Nuggets have seen with the absence ofJamal Murray. Add in a bit of a regression from Morris and Thomas’ veteran presence and the notion of dumping IT becomes more and more absurd.
That’s the game, these days, propose outrageous Denver moves as clickbait, I guess.Anthony Davis, for example is a wonderful talent, one of the top players in the NBA. He does not fit what Denver has spent four years building and trading half of our depth for him would essentially put the second seed in the West into rebuild mode. Davis’ gifted scoring would be wasted on a Nuggets team that has no problem scoring the basketball and the clash withNikola Jokicwould not be worth it.
The Nuggets have a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run this season. It mirrors the Golden State Warriors 2013 rise, leading to their 2014 title. Denver will not win the title this season. Not only are the Warriors flexing, Denver has shown repeatedly that they are not ready to take on Houston in a series.
There’s not much tinkering that’s going to make a difference for the Nuggets. The trade assets people propose are better than the targets they are being traded for.Malik Beasleyfor example is already as good asJimmy Butlerand is younger. Barton,Juancho HernangomezandTorrey Craigare more valuable to the Nuggets thanOtto Porterwould be.Jamal Murrayis better thanKemba Walker. On and on, we’ll let the analytics guys work all this out, their brains are wired for it, so it makes sense.
With that, let’s take a look at what we’ve learned this week.
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