Best Nugget Point Guards since 1990

Obviously this is gonna be painful, but I'm trying to get hyped for tonight's game against the underwhelming T-Wolves. So here in all it's glory is "the top-5 list:"

#5 Andre Miller - You gotta love a guy who can go out and get you 15 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds on a consistent basis. You gotta be disturbed by the fact that the man has shown no emotion since...well, ever, as far as I can tell.
#4 Jalen Rose - We drafted him, got him going in the right direction, and then ended up trading him to Indiana for Mark Jackson who we gave back to Indiana a year later. Dumb-asses. Under Dan Issel, this guy could have been sweeeeet - he might've been the first guy since the Big O to average a triple double. Now he's marginalia.
#3 Robert Pack - One of the few guys to be signed by the same team three separate times. He struggled as a starter, but off the bench he was clearly the best sixth man in 1994. This guy could fly. He could put up points, assists, and play defense, but only for 17 mintues a game. He was the most exciting Nuggets player in the 1994 playoffs.
#2 Michael Adams - Coolest three-point shooter ever. As a point-guard under Paul "shoot-em-till-you-die" Westhead, Adams averaged one shot every 10 seconds. Well okay, not really, but he jacked up more three-pointers as a PG than anyone else. I styled my own play after his MO: dribble down, shoot a three, repeat. Imitating that funny little leg kick was the only way most kids could even shoot 3-pointers, making him one of the few Nuggets icons of the late 80's/early 90's.
#1 - Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf/Chris Jackson (for those of you who don't know, same player) - If Adams was the coolest 3-point shooter, Abdul-Rauf has to be considered one of the best pure shooters. Ever. At 6'0 and 150 lbs, this guy was AI before AI was cool. I saw him drop 50+ points against several opponents without any help from the refs. He shot something like .950 from the free-throw line, but it was a miracle if he ever got there. A natural 2-guard, Abdul-Rauf was out-of-place at point. But Dan Issel knew how to get the most out of any player, and Abdul-Rauf thrived under Issel's tutelage. He disappeared after leaving Denver (eventually playing in Turkey where being a Muslim didn't cause conflict) and is remembered fondly as the stranger who blew into town, amazed everyone with his ability, and disappeared just as quickly.

Honorable Mentions:
-Mark Jackson - Led the league in assists while playing in Denver. Might have thrived if the team had any talent during his short tenure.
-Nick Van Exel - Another Issel prodigy. His run-and-gun approach was encouraged by Issel and led to ugly wins. Helped the lowly Nuggets win 42 games while teaming with McDyess in the late 90's.
-Earl Boykins - Smallest player in the league, his cult status is based on his ability to change the tempo of a game and create his own shot at 5'5". Shoots first, passes second, and can't defend, but makes his way on to the court late in games because of confidence and leadership ability.

Jazz Deal Nuggets Setback

Last night the Nuggets lost 115-104 to the Utah Jazz. It was a disturbing loss based on how easily Utah scored with Marcus Camby on the bench in street-clothes. The Nuggets had no problem putting up points on the offensive end, but they simply couldn't stop Utah at any point in the game. At one point in the second half Utah made three lay-ups in three straight possessions. K-Mart couldn't stop Utah from scoring inside; Reggie Evans couldn't stop them; Fransisco Elson couldn't stop them; neither could Eduardo Najera in his short stint on the court. The problem is that Utah has no dominant inside player. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur are solid players. Up-and-comer Jarron Collins had a solid night (one friend hopes we pick up Collins as a free-agent this summer and after watching him last night I have to agree). But with Camby out, those three guys looked like potential all-stars.

Where have you gone K-Mart? The Nuggets defense turn their lonely eyes to you. (As well as their check-book.) Didn't the Nuggets pick up K-Mart to compliment Camby in the front-court? He played a mediocre game on both sides of the ball precisely when he should have stepped up to shoulder the load with Camby's absence. And when K-Mart failed to step up (big surprise) someone else should have. After all, that's what champions do when a key player goes down. The Spurs, for example, have been playing through injuries all year yet they rarely get as poor a defensive permormance as the Nuggets turned in last night.

It's always frustrating when a marginal team like Utah comes in and ends a solid streak in dramatic fashion. The Nuggets were hoping to gain some ground on Utah in the division, yet they came out playing horrendous defense and lost because of it. They also had a chance to gain a game in home-court advantage on Memphis - likely first-round opponent - who lost last night. The loss to Utah turned out to to be a double burn for a team looking to turn the corner. The Nuggets are hoping Carmelo Anthony and a stellar defense will take them past the first-round of the playoffs. Right now, though, playoff success looks to be squarely on Melo's offensive shoulders and Camby's oft-injured defensive ones.

Outside Shooting?

In the midst of the Nuggets impressive streak (with a minor setback against Phoenix), the most looming issue is whether the Nuggets need an outside shooter. Or, as the Nuggets seem to be hoping, is it possible to advance in the playoffs without a legitimate outside presence?

As the season draws to a close the Nuggets are basically set when it comes to the playoff roster. The starting lineup may need a little tinkering here and there - for example, is it really worth it to have K-Mart in the starting lineup when he's such a fractious presence and when Reggie Evans is playing awesome? - but the pieces are in place. And there just isn't a shooter. I love Melo (league MVP anyone?) and Greg Buckner is an amazing defender and teammate, but they just aren't shooters. Neither is Andre Miller, nor is Earl Boykins. The Nuggets don't have that guy who can open up space on the offensive end. Defenses typically grow stingy in the playoffs; offensive floor-space gets limited; without a shooter the Nuggets are walking into a cluser-f*#k on offense.

This will definitely be a problem come playoff time. Whichever team faces the Nuggets in the playoffs will do one thing: throw two and sometimes three defenders at Melo and force other guys to score. In such a situation Andre Miller will easily get 20+ points and Marcus Camby might even put up 20 too. But that's it. No one else on the team is a legitimate offensive threat. Andre Miller and Marcus Camby are not capable of taking over more than one playoff game apiece. Result: first round exit.

That leaves the Nuggets in the same spot they were last year - an exciting team with a lot of potential that never makes it to the second round. With the addition of Evans and Ruben Patterson, the defense is becoming more polished which will keep games close, perhaps closer than some of the blowouts against San Antonio last year. But if the Nuggets face teams like Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix - all of whom have two and sometimes three or four legitimate offensive threats - the Nuggets will lose. I guarantee that one of the three teams mentioned above will represent the West in the Finals because they have good defenses and multi-faceted offenses. Until the Nuggets find a shooter, they'll be trapped in Garnett-land: a dismal place where first-round exits are the norm and lone superstars win nothing.

Forget the Alamo

Tim Duncan wasn't supposed to play more than 15 or 20 minutes. Neither was Tony Parker. Both players were on the court for significant minutes, though, and the Nuggets still dominated the Spurs, winning 104-92. Carmelo Anthony turned in another All-Star performance days after being named player-of-the-month. He scored 32 points, made clutch baskets, and was basically unstoppable. He just might be the best player in the NBA right now.

If you saw the game you probably remember Reggie Evans flopping and drawing a technical foul from Robert Horry. Unless you were at the game, you probably didn't see Reggie spring up after the whistle and get the crowd back in the game. That was the turning point. San Antonio came out after half-time and dominated the first ten minutes of the 3rd quarter. The Nuggets came out lifeless and uninspired. After leading by 14 at half, the Nuggets' lackluster play allowed the Spurs to tie the game in the 3rd. It looked as if the Spurs would keep it close the rest of the way. But then Reggie Evans - the guy who is under-sized for a power-forward, the guy who can't score, the guy who wasn't supposed to help the Nuggets in the stretch run - came out playing like a man possessed. His energy and enthusiasm got the Nuggets back in the game. His rebounding and post-presence befuddled the indomitable Duncan. And, truth be told, his theatrics changed the tempo and got the crowd back in the game. Isn't that what we pay K-Mart, the whiny guy on the bench, millions and millions to do?

It was an inspiring win against the best team in the league. The Nuggets are only 9 games away from winning the division and getting the #3 seed in the playoffs. They're playing their best ball of the season.

Get Ready for the Stretch Run

Despite no outside shooting; despite an injured, bitter malcotent making millions at power forward; despite a brilliant point guard who refuses to lead; and despite some puzzling late-season trades - the Denver Nuggets are primed to win their division and enter the playoffs as a #3 seed.

Wow.

-This blog will analyze the Denver Nuggets during the stretch run as they head to the playoffs. After an amazing 5-2 roadtrip, I am a believer in the brilliance of Carmelo and the chances of the Nuggets to advance past the first-round. Here's to a great ride - Salude!