George Karl and Andre Miller have been searching for answers all year long
- Denver, CO – Injuries….Inconsistent play….Lack of a go-to guy….A laid back coach….These are all ingredients to describe any team in any sport that fails to excel in any given season. Welcome to the story of the 2012 Denver Nuggets. To explain what has happened this year is confusing and complicated given the kind of talent this roster is equipped with. As of today, the Nuggets would not be playoff bound, as they sit in the 9th spot in the West. With just 15 games left, there is still time to make a post-season push, however the road ahead is not an easy one. But really, is there any reason worth believing that Denver will suddenly click and make this season anything more than an afterthought? Possible, but very doubtful.
After the trade a couple weeks ago that sent Nene to Washington, and JaVale McGee back to Denver, it officially made the Nuggets the youngest team in the NBA. If they fail to make the playoffs, this fact will be a handy crutch that Coach Karl can use to explain why the team didn’t end up playing in May. But instead, shouldn’t George be a lot of the blame if this ends up happening? History tells us that Coach Karl is nothing more than a good regular season coach. He has made the playoffs countless times in his career, with several organizations, but has had hardly any playoff success. Is that what Denver Nuggets fans really want? A decent team each year, but not one that has a legitimate chance at a championship? Not this guy. We have had too many seasons where it’s one playoff round and done. 2012 will be no different, even if we do make the post-season. If we happen to sneak into the 7th or 8th spot in the West, what are the chances Denver knocks off Oklahoma City or San Antonio in a seven game series? One in a million? So you’re tellin me there’s a chance…..ok, it’s not that bad, but still highly unlikely. At the end of this season, unless there is some miraculous playoff run, Coach Karl has to go.
A portion of this mediocre season is definitely due to some things that are out of the Nuggets control. Injuries have hit pretty hard, with Gallinari, Lawson, Miller, and Fernandez all missing some amount of time. As mentioned previously, this team for the most part is exceptionally young. When you have a young team who is trying to learn what eachother does on the fly, and then you trade for another young pup in McGee, it’s bound to produce inconsistent play. The Nuggets have had many moments this year where they look fantastic, defeating some upper echelon teams in the process. However, they have had some real clunkers as well, dropping games to gutter dwellers like the Hornets, Cavaliers, and Raptors. The youth and energy Denver has is exciting at times, but equally frustrating just as often.
The 2012 edition of Nuggets basketball is a fun product to watch. The future is very bright with a deep, talented roster which at times has shown they can compete with anyone in the NBA. This franchise is starving for a championship, however this is not the year that Denver fans will be fed with anything resembling a title run. Have patience, people…..at least it’s better than being a Bobcats fan, isn’t it?
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