The Nuggets far exceeded expectations this season. The team ranked not as the squad most likely to scare the snot out of the Lakers, but as the old guard least likely to return to the postseason in the New World.
Chauncey Billups, Nene, Kenyon Martin, Carmelo Anthony, George Karl, Chris Andersen, J.R. Smith and Joe Dumars changed that. The opening week trade for Mr. Big Shot completely transformed the spirit of the team, as did Karl's summer decision to focus on defense, even at the expense of his stars' allegiance. Everything else went right, for the most part.
But the franchise sit has payroll cuts to consummate, and little in the way of burgeoning youth to fill the holes. By trading the promise of cap space (in the convenient form of Allen Iverson) for Billups, the Nuggets trade a minor rebuild for contention. It worked -- the Nuggets were legit contenders. But what now? How can they possibly get better?
Three-point shots often play a critical role in an NBA playoff contest. But in Denver's win over the Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, the threes that were made (and missed) by both teams came at such key moments, that they ended up defining this game.
Video: Billups Inbounds Off Kobe's Back RoundCast: Are the Lakers Now "Screwed?"
In many ways, Game 2 of the Western Conference finals was an exact replica of Game 1. Except in this one, the Nuggets and the Lakers seemed to switch roles, and Denver was the team celebrating a hard-fought, last-second victory as they left the court.
The Nuggets overcame a double-digit deficit early and ended up making the clutch plays down the stretch to get the split in Los Angeles, sending the series back to Denver tied at one game apiece.
The Rotation is a weekly study on the NBA by one of our All-Star voices. In rotation this week is Brett Pollakoff, who talks to Nuggets coach George Karl and some of his players about whether the refs are short-changing Carmelo Anthony.
PHOENIX -- There was a playoff atmosphere at the US Airways Center for Monday night's game between the Suns and the Nuggets, and why not? For Phoenix, who now sits three games out of a playoff spot with just 12 remaining, every game is critical to keeping its slim postseason hopes alive. And the Suns were able to do just that, at least for one more game. In a wild one that went down to the wire, the Suns squeaked out a 118-115 victory over the Nuggets.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
The Denver Nuggets are among the top teams in the West. Their success starts in the locker-room, where everyone gets along and chemistry is good. In this video, after the jump, the team's players share with us some of the nicknames they've given each other, including 730, Quack, Suite 200 and more.
Renaldo Balkman, who is known as "Kool," even shows us his one-of-a-kind tattoo.
Matt Watson: The Pistons finally shook up their core and the Nuggets cashed in on Allen Iverson's expiring contract. We know this deal will give Detroit uber-cap-flexibility the next two summers, but does how does it change their status this year? Can they get back to the Conference Finals, let alone the NBA Finals, with AI replacing Chauncey Billups? Did they make up any ground on the Celtics? Matt Moore: Give me a list of elite scorers in this league. How far does it take to get to Iverson? You're inserting an elite scorer, albeit aging, into a sound defensive squad that's made of committed, professional veterans. When Billups started to falter, the team lacked a guy who could hit the big shots down the stretch. I think Hamilton is or could be that guy, but it never hurts to have more. Is there really any question that Iverson will do whatever is asked of him to get to a championship?
Allen Iverson had until today to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Denver Nuggets, and his agent Leon Rose just confirmed to the Rocky Mountain News that his client will play out his current deal, which will pay him more than $20 million in 2008-09. This was certainly expected -- Iverson has said he wanted to remain all season, and Marcus Camby predicted his teammate would return earlier this week -- but you can never take anything for granted.
Just because Iverson decided against opting out doesn't mean he'll necessarily be playing in Denver next year: his hefty expiring deal is an interesting bargaining chip for teams looking to make a move, and guys like Carmelo Anthony and Camby have also been mentioned in their share of rumors. Plus J.R. Smith, whom AI is essentially blocking from the starting lineup, is a restricted free agent -- while Denver's up-and-down style of play fits his game, he may be able to find a starting gig elsewhere.
Even if the Nuggets can't find a blockbuster to their liking, expect at least a small deal: ESPN's Chad Ford reported a rumor yesterday involving the Grizzlies sending Kyle Lowry and the 28th overall pick to Denver for Linas Kleiza. That deal coud. make sense for both teams, considering Grizzlies' glut of point guards and the fact that Anthony Carter, the Nuggets' starter last year, is now a free agent. Whatever happens, expect the Nuggets to be one of this summer's most active teams.
On the heels of Kenyon Martin's recent suspension for accruing too many flagrant foul points, George Karl is telling the media that he thinks the Nuggets receive biased treatment regarding the judgment of his players and how it pertains to the assessment of flagrant fouls.
"I just think we get picked on," Karl said Friday. "I think there's a harder core judgment to our guys than some other guys ...
... I think it's wrong and (Karl is) shocked," Karl said. "I don't comprehend the decision. ... I feel there's some hypocrisy."
Karl also went on to say the Nuggets were not "an All-American" team and as a result the league penalizes them more heavily than anyone else. The Nuggets, by the way, have 50 technicals on the season thus far, with Carmelo Anthony, Linas Kleiza and K-Mart all registering double digit figures in T's accumulated.
Karl mentioned that he had an "aggressive" chat with Stu Jackson, but also conceded that a lot of his frustration came with not only the timing of the suspension (the playoff race) but the NBA's lack of speed in issuing their decision.
Fact of the matter though, is that two of Martin's flagrants have been reversed one way or the other -- and because the NBA reviewed this on a tape, it's a lot harder to buy into any bias against the Nuggets. If there is any bias whatsoever, it's because K-Mart's preceding actions have led the Jackson and the NBA to believe that flagrant intent is probably there. And for that Martin and the other Nuggets have no one to blame but themselves, or the coach that can't keep them under control.
The Nuggets far exceeded expectations this season. The team ranked not as the squad most likely to scare the snot out of the Lakers, but as the old guard least likely to return to the postseason in the New World.
In many ways, Game 2 of the Western Conference finals was an exact replica of Game 1. Except in this one, the Nuggets and the Lakers seemed to switch roles, and Denver was the team celebrating a hard-fought, last-second victory as they left the court.
PHOENIX -- There was a playoff atmosphere at the US Airways Center for Monday night's game between the Suns and the Nuggets, and why not? For Phoenix, who now sits three games out of a playoff spot with just 12 remaining, every game is critical to keeping its slim postseason hopes alive. And the Suns were able to do just that, at least for one more game. In a wild one that went down to the wire, the Suns squeaked out a 118-115 victory over the Nuggets.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
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