Tired Nuggets still missing some pieces

Remember that huge division lead the Denver Nuggets had just a few weeks ago? It seemed too good to be true, right? It was. Yes, there really was a time when Denver had the second-best record in the NBA’s Western Conference, even if that seems like years ago.

After losing their third straight in frustrating fashion at home to the Houston Rockets, the Nuggets appear dead in the water. They look tired, and their lack of depth has become a glaring weakness. Lose Kenyon Martin for a few games, and you’re stuck starting someone named Johan Petro at power forward. Ugg.

Not only is winning the division now seem like a pipe dream, making the play-offs in the ultra competitive NBA Western Conference is no longer a given. If Denver was as good as a lot of us thought they were six weeks ago, then they should still win the Northwest Division. Problem is, a lot of us were fooled into believing that Chauncey Billups was Superman, and that this lack of front court depth could be overcome with Chris Anderson and a cast of cast offs. We were wrong.

Yes, Denver has a favorable schedule from this point forward. But for a team that made its hay earlier in the season by beating the teams they were supposed to beat, that’s not even certain any longer. Recent losses to Indiana, Milwaukee, Chicago and Sacramento look pretty bad right about now. And after the recent performance against good teams like Utah and Houston, there are reasons to be very concerned about the roster as a whole. It’s now very obvious that this team still has significant needs at more than one position that have to be filled before they’re any sort of threat to win any sort of championship.

Start in the paint, where Nene’s brilliant start has given way to sluggish efforts that illustrate how much he needs a quality back up. He looks exhausted. Anderson is a great story, and he’s been a solid contributor. Still, he’s overmatched by the physical post players he goes against. And who in the heck is Petro, and why would he EVER be a starter? I realize he was just keeping the spot warm until Martin came back from a sore back, but geez, is this the best Denver can do at the power forward spot? A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and when he’s on the floor, Petro is as weak a link as you’ll see at this level. He was so overmatched at Utah it was scary. Denver did better rolling out the energetic Renaldo Balkman in that spot. He had 14 rebounds – some tough ones at that – coming off the bench against Utah. He provided something of a spark, and didn’t appear overmatched.

It also looks like fatigue has slowed down Billups recently. After his sensational first half performance in Detroit, where he was given a rousing pre-game introduction and then went off for 34 points, he struggled, too. Billups was just 3-of-13 in a win against Portland, then just 5-17 against Utah and 5-11 against Sacramento. In basketball’s plus/minus stat, Billups was a -14 against the Jazz. Ouch. Chauncey has been a tremendous addition to the Nuggets, and he bounced back with a solid game in the loss to Houston, but he’s not getting any younger, and neither is his back-up Anthony Carter, who has also battled injury. They need a break. Some youthful legs are needed at this position for the future.

Finally, too many on the current roster don’t display much of a basketball IQ. It’s more obvious with Billups is around, because he’s normally displays enough for three players. But how much longer can the Nuggets wait for J R Smith to have the light bulb go on? And are the rumors about Linas Kleiza going to Europe to play next season true? If so, can we help him pack? The more experience Kleiza gets, the more he plays like a ball hogging rookie. He’s never met a shot he didn’t like, hoisting ill advised three pointers and making wild drives to the basket that don’t seem to fit into any offensive set.

There are just too many holes being exposed on this team for anyone to think they’ll be a factor in the upcoming play-offs. Hopefully, the Nuggets brass will look at this year’s team as a step forward in the building process, and not a finished product. Maybe this will be the year the Nuggets finally choose to participate in the NBA Draft! If so, North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and his lunch bucket would be a good addition. His college teammate Ty Lawson wouldn’t be a bad fit as a back-up point guard, either. It too late for anything like that to help for this year, but reinforcements are needed if the Nuggets are ever to take up residence at the heights they only visited this season. 
 

(AP Photo of Nene and Indiana's TJ Ford)