The picture above single handedly sums up what has been a season to forget for the Denver Nuggets. Where have these struggles come from? The Nuggets are stacked with depth at every position, which is something you can never have enough of in a league that is over-reliant on star power that has an 82 game schedule.There is certainly no lack of a leader, as Ty Lawson has long ago assumed that role and has been as good as ever coming off a season in which he played just 62 games.So, with that having been said, why are the Nuggets struggling?
Kenneth Faried just isn't there yet
After an extremely optimistic showing at the FIBA World Cup, big things were expected of Faried. After all, if he could dominate the world's best foreigners, he could also handle NBA defense. That, unfortunately, has not been the case, as the Manimal has averaged just 12 points on a career low 50 % shooting. His rebounding numbers have actually gone down, as have his steals and blocks. If anything, the Nuggets front office are probably banging their heads against a wall, asking themselves why the heck they gave him that enormous contract extension. Faried can't possibly continue to be as bad as he has been so far, but until he starts playing all star caliber basketball, expect the Nuggets to continue losing.
Javale who?
So much for Javale McGee having a breakout season. Every year we say he'll be better, and every year he can't stay long enough to do so. McGee's production have been close to invisible, as he has averaged a putrid 5.4 points per game to go along with 2.4 rebounds. The rebounding numbers seem decent for a role player until you consider Javale's 7 foot , 270 pound frame. Gagging yet? Wait until you hear that he hasn't recorded a single assist in 8 games this season. The Nuggets have actually been better with him off the court this season, which is not surprising once you set eye upon his horrifying 7.5 player impact estimate. This is yet another bad season in a career that has been nothing but a string of Shaq'tin a fool appearances. At this point, the Nuggets are much better off waiving McGee and giving much deserved playing time to some of its younger players.
The Other Guys
When looking at the rest of the Nuggets, you can make the argument that they have been just as disappointing as Faried and McGee. Timofey Mozgov has contributed, but at a horrible 7.7 player impact estimate. Danilo Galinari has made free throws at an incredible 95% clip, but has done so while converting on less then 30 % of his shots. Wilson Chandler has had a hellish 6.2 player impact estimate.Unless the supporting cast picks up some of the slack Ty Lawson currently carries on his shoulders, don't expect anything better than 30 wins from this years Nuggets. If they do, the playoffs aren't out of question yet.
Kenneth Faried just isn't there yet
After an extremely optimistic showing at the FIBA World Cup, big things were expected of Faried. After all, if he could dominate the world's best foreigners, he could also handle NBA defense. That, unfortunately, has not been the case, as the Manimal has averaged just 12 points on a career low 50 % shooting. His rebounding numbers have actually gone down, as have his steals and blocks. If anything, the Nuggets front office are probably banging their heads against a wall, asking themselves why the heck they gave him that enormous contract extension. Faried can't possibly continue to be as bad as he has been so far, but until he starts playing all star caliber basketball, expect the Nuggets to continue losing.
Javale who?
So much for Javale McGee having a breakout season. Every year we say he'll be better, and every year he can't stay long enough to do so. McGee's production have been close to invisible, as he has averaged a putrid 5.4 points per game to go along with 2.4 rebounds. The rebounding numbers seem decent for a role player until you consider Javale's 7 foot , 270 pound frame. Gagging yet? Wait until you hear that he hasn't recorded a single assist in 8 games this season. The Nuggets have actually been better with him off the court this season, which is not surprising once you set eye upon his horrifying 7.5 player impact estimate. This is yet another bad season in a career that has been nothing but a string of Shaq'tin a fool appearances. At this point, the Nuggets are much better off waiving McGee and giving much deserved playing time to some of its younger players.
The Other Guys
When looking at the rest of the Nuggets, you can make the argument that they have been just as disappointing as Faried and McGee. Timofey Mozgov has contributed, but at a horrible 7.7 player impact estimate. Danilo Galinari has made free throws at an incredible 95% clip, but has done so while converting on less then 30 % of his shots. Wilson Chandler has had a hellish 6.2 player impact estimate.Unless the supporting cast picks up some of the slack Ty Lawson currently carries on his shoulders, don't expect anything better than 30 wins from this years Nuggets. If they do, the playoffs aren't out of question yet.