Nuggets to sign guard Mateen Cleaves, tinker with lineup

Mateen Cleaves appears ready for a return to the NBA
(image courtesy nba.com)

Cost-effective moves continue for the Denver Nuggets, who appear ready to sign former Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves to a nonguaranteed contract.  Cleaves hasn't played in the NBA since 2005-06 (he averaged 2.7 points in 27 games with Seattle), but like Denver's other off-season acquisitions he comes cheap.  So what is this? An NBA team or Wal-Mart?

Brash moves are a thing of the past for these Nuggets, who will likely start the season with two 30-something point guards who were playing in the D League two years ago.  Chucky Atkins, recovering from knee surgery, will probably miss the first few weeks of the regular season.

Cleaves does have championship pedigree -- he led Michigan State to a national championship in 2000.  In the title game, Cleaves showed tremendous guts coming back into the game after suffering a nasty ankle injury.  He scored 18 points and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

But that was a long time ago.  Cleaves has since bulked up and has apparently improved his shooting stroke (a career 26.7 percent from behind the arc), but he's a long way from contributing to a team vying (praying?) for a playoff run.

I suggested a few potential trade partners to boost the Nuggets backcourt in my Atkins post last week, but I don't expect any big trades until February, when The Answer becomes a big question mark.

Speaking of answers, how about starting your five best guys?  The Nuggets head into training camp this week and for the second year in a row do not have any idea who will start the regular season at point guard. 

Allen Iverson is an all-star in a crucial contract year.  He's going to dominate the ball whether he brings it up or not.  He can't defend bigger two-guards, especially with Anthony Carter in the game.  When the Golden State Warriors were having success playing small ball two seasons ago, their backcourt consisted of Baron Davis and Jason Richardson.  That backcourt was a combined nine inches taller than the tandem of Carter-Iverson. 

The Nuggets should make Allen Iverson the starting point guard and insert J.R. Smith into a starting role at the two-guard spot.  J.R. can aggressively defend bigger shooting guards and is ready to play more minutes.  With Carmelo Anthony at the three, K-Mart (certainly not a discount buy) at the four and Nene as the starting center, the Nuggets have a strong and fast starting lineup with three good shooters. 

Coming off the bench would be the reliable Anthony Carter, Linas Kleiza, Chris Anderson, and Renaldo Balkman.  If any of the bigs get in serious foul trouble, 7-footer Steven Hunter gets a chance to crack the rotation.

That team has a very good chance of making the playoffs.  And as for Mateen Cleaves, I like his chances of making the team.  It will depend on how well he shoots the ball during the preseason, and how healthy the Nuggets are as a team heading into the regular season.