Denver Stiffs

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Can't do that

unless they give him max money.

I think 4 years is as good as any

He says he likes it here, so there is no reason to think he wouldn’t want to be resigned 4 years down the road if this extension comes through.

I have a feeling Miller won’t return next year and if he does his contract will be done and that will free up a lot of space for us to resign Lawson.

4 years is OK with me

SD_Nugget_Fan - January 25, 2012 reply

Absolutely do this

10 mil per? Perfect range for Gallo… it will bring him to the age of 27 and right in the middle of his prime… from there he will either prove he’s a max contract player or he will stay where he’s at… i would much rather sign Gallo at this price than see him go to New Jersey for a max contract b/c NJ is pretty much desperate at this point

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

So he's getting essentially the contract Nene had before his current deal

Good deal for the Nuggets. The cap space is being spent rapidly but well. They don’t have any untradeable albatross deals at this point. If the right opportunity comes up, they can quickly move players as needed.

Good deal.

Gallo is good at both ends of the court, young and popular. I good guy to have locked up.

Pusherman - January 25, 2012 reply

I have complete faith in the FO

It seems that everything Masai and Josh have done lately is the best possible thing that could happen for the Nugs. A few fans may be unhappy with AAA and Nene’s extensions (money wise) but I guarantee they would be pissed if we hadn’t signed them. We seem to just be robbing teams left and right and I think all these extensions are fair for all sides.

The good thing about AAA and Nene's contract is

That those players are unlike Eddie Curry when he got a max? Near max contract? And his contract was toxic after awhile when he got incredibly fat and out of shape and stopped trying. Nene and AAA are assets and their production won’t fall off the face of the earth unlike Curry.

Totally agree

I just keep thinking about Rashard Lewis and Arenas. These contracts are no where near that bad and AAA and Nene still have room to grow in my opinion while these other players had definitely peaked. We can easily trade them down the road if we want/need to (although I hope that scenario never even comes up!)

the rashard lewis contract was the odd one

cause it was essentially the team bidding against itself.

i really can’t fault lewis for taking the money they were all but throwing at him.

utahcoyote - January 25, 2012 reply

You can never fault the player

I agree that that was particularly odd situation but of course Lewis is going to take that kind of money, who wouldn’t? The real question is how could an NBA GM offer him that kind of money?! Haha

Huh?

The Magic’s signing of Lewis as a free agent cannot in any way be construed as “the team bidding against itself.” Sure, it was a so-called sign and trade, but that’s just garden variety wheeling and dealing. It was indeed, however, madness. And Otis Smith may still finally get the consequences he deserves, especially since he made another bizarre move with Arenas.

Hochman tweet

Deal is done, league source tells me. Gallinari extends contract w #Nuggets, 4 yrs, $42 mil.

agentargo - January 25, 2012 reply

YES!!!

I'm so happy agentargo I can just Rec your comment

in fact, I’m going to do that. GREEN IT EVERYONE!

Yes Redux!

I knew Gallo was perfectly cool being in Denver.

Also, I voted “Other” above because, unless Gallo collapses, Denver got an absolute steal here. On the open market, next year, however that works I have no clue, Gallo is worth 15 mil. If Gallo progresses as he has been (only 23!), he could be worth 18 – 20 mil.

Gallo is about some crazy thing we call team, family, friends. I know folks like Gallo, not as tall or as good but characterologically (whew! longest word I ever typed) similar. Whta team mates say about gallo is same as what they whisper about him.

When G says its about wins, he really believes it. We are lucky to get Gallo at that price, doesnt destroy our cap and gallo could live OK on 10 mil per.

I'm so happy I'm reccing everyone!

now time for Lawson

Danteslion - January 25, 2012 reply

Lawson's time will come at the end of te 2013 season I believe

We already extended him till 2013-2014 I believe.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/denver.htm

Either Nate or Jeff posted this link

Shows all the details for each contract.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Thanks for the link!

The Nuggets are doing some great things right now. We have almost our entire team locked up for next season as well. We will probably lose Dre, and Rudy and KK might take off on us, but if they accept their qualifying offers and we amnesty Bird then we will still be barely at the CAP FLOOR!!! People around the league are going to start taking note of the special things our FO is doing here. All we need now is a Championship to prove that this is a true recipe for success!

BroncoMike87 - January 25, 2012 reply

Broussard tweeting the same thing!

How do you say fuck yes in Italian?

Italian Stallion Rooster time!

best equivalent, phonetically, accent on 2nd syllable

“Minghya!”

My first language was Italian, really a bastardized version, Sicilian

ol' family recipes coming soon

ever had a Sicilian lemon salad?

Grazi! You bastard! :)

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Don't respond to him ever again

Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

It's a classic blunder

almost as bad as getting into a land war in Asia. Or two of them if you are really stupid.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Phil, TIDBMTIT

I’ll get you guys for this

BTW, “Minghya!” is, if I remember correctly, literally translated as penis. Just so you know.

what is tidbmtit?

kushikun - January 25, 2012 reply

The "abbreviated" handle of the above poster:

“Throw it Down Big Man, Throw it Down!”

I dunno. I just call him Tiddy for short. Eventually it’ll stick and he’ll just go by that.

I second the motion pending Tiddy's approval

Where Gallo comes from

and where I live- Milano – they’d probably say “ciumbia!”. Actually, not many speak Milanese dialect anymore -a shame. A more neutral Italian (rather than regional) expression might be “Gande, cazzo!”

I am fine with “Fuck yes!” in this excellent situation.

E comunque sgiustra, gallo è davvero un grande. Vedo le partite sempre il giorno dopo su NBA TV ma mi diverto un casino lo stesso!

slader - January 26, 2012 reply

Cazzo Si! Translation

italianuggs - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

Hahahaah that's right :)

Or just howl in delight ;-)

ItalianChap - January 25, 2012 reply

OK, OK we are all ecstatic

but we all know that we resigned Gallo not LeBron, right?

granted

but the fact that the FO is making prudent decisions with the space that we have and building around a fairly young core is reason enough to be excited. gallo may not be lebron, but for who the nuggets are as a team and the direction they are trying to go, he is a very important piece.

of course, swmrkev

I’m thrilled too

glad to here it :)

I for one would take one Gallo

over one LeBronche any day

Mwahahah

Isn’t it LeBrouche?

Maybe?

HOLY SHIT WHAT A DEAL!!!!!!!!

MASAI YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD!!!

Yeah I know!

Now I realize that that "We got killed on this deal was just a maneuver. Brilliant, just dang brilliant. Masai might be our MVSomethingOrOther

Aint no thang

That's giant, appropriate though

The caller ID name that pops up when Masai calls other GMs has to be, "Nigerian Nightmare."

Guy should be locked up, he’s robbin’ everyone!

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

And the best thing

was that there were essentially no leaks about this. We weren’t reading all the gory details in every rumor mill for weeks. Just done.

yes, I like the no-drama negotiations

nene, AAA, & Gallo. all quiet

nugz4rollz - January 25, 2012 reply

The NY press was not involved either.

Yeah TIDBMTIT

and didnt have to go thru Denver’s version of “The Summer of Gallo” – Thank Jah!

Gallo was very Durantish in all this, right?

The scammer strikes again

How did he get Rudy and Corey Brewer for ONE 2016 SECOND ROUND pick???

no joke

I know I’m a brewer homer, but I think he could contribute to this team beyond next season. I hope he’s a long-term solution here.

NugNugz - January 25, 2012 reply

he sold me too NugzNugz

sweet deal

does the extension kick in next season? or the 2013/14 season?

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Next season

Gallo’s current deal was to end at the end of this season.

yeah i see that now

i get all confused bc of the qualifying offer.

Great news! Masai GM of the Year!!!!

SD_Nugget_Fan - January 25, 2012 reply

Forza Ill Gallo!! Campionato fino in fondo! amore Gallo

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Good to know you enjoy man love.

as if that was in question :-p

So Say We All

Rudy/Kosta

we can still match any offers they get next season. if Faried/Hamilton can start contributing on rookie contracts, we gonna be looking good from a salary cap perspective.

Rudy Walks

same with K2 next season…

Rudy may stay

I heard he likes it here…Dunno about Kosta

someone is going to give Kosta alot of money

Danteslion - January 25, 2012 reply

Simply because he's tall?

He’s shown some flashes, true, but overall his game has career back-up written all over it.

Dude's a Greek Johan Petro

Backup for life

That isn't a fair comparison

Nets fans despise Petro. We all say Mozgov does not know he is 7 feet yet, but Petro doesn’t know his left foot from his right foot.

Kosta is twice the player Petro was.

hahahahahhahaha

great comment about petro

A lot of bad big men in the league

He could start somewhere

kosta, a lot of money?

Whats he going to win the MegaMillionaire Lotto?

Yeah, I don't see K2 getting big bucks, but stranger things have happened.

Yeah, Rudy likes it there

Karl lets him play how he plays, he seems to be gelling well with the team on and off the court and his girl came with him and really seems to like it there also. Ya never know, if he gets offered enough he may just stay. He’s also got a sweet deal with Real Madrid though so will just depend on how he’s feeling at the end of the season. He forced Real Madrid to make it so if he doesn’t go back he won’t have to pay any buyout or anything so I think he just wants to be able to make the best decision, can’t blame him really.

somanluna1 - January 25, 2012 reply

why would Rudy walk?

Unless he goes back to Spain (which I could see happening) this is the one team that has given him the chance to play his game.

NugNugz - January 25, 2012 reply

Rudy likes playing for a player's coach

He can shine with Karl if his strengths fit with the team and its plans. I believe he will come closer here to meeting the expectations surrounding him when he hit the league. Let’s hope.

I am a Rooster Booster for the next 4 year baby!

HOOORAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!

What a steal.

SpencerN - January 25, 2012 reply

No cockup here if I may say so myself...

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

TWSS

It could have been a real STICKY situation...

I was about to post a serious reply

along the order of, Gallo treated negotiations like he treats teammates, you know, lets work together, stronger in unity, etc

then

I realized you were making a Gallo-semen joke. Very nice.

Masai for GM of the year!!!!

How can he not be?

Speaking of extensions and GM's

what’s Masai’s contract looking like? Anyone know?

I know right?

But he should’ve won it last year, and didn’t.

Who won last year?

I don't even remember

I just remember it wasn’t Masai, and my eyes rolled so hard they almost came flying out of my head.

Ouch

Pat Riley WIT DA BIG 3ZZ

Why did Riley win it?

Shouldnt it have been DWade?

zing!

Or Best GM the Nuggets have had!

SD_Nugget_Fan - January 25, 2012 reply

No tweet from Gallo about the signing yet,

but he does have one that is interesting in its vagueness:
Very happy for my brother Timofey…grande timo

Any ideas what that’s all about?

I saw that too. Not sure what that is about … possible inside joke that I feel like we should all be clued in about.

Karl may play him in the 4th quarter?

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Crazy talk

like that would ever happen.

Kevin Love getting 4-years and $63 million ... with an opt out after 3 years.

Gallo 4-years and $42 million … no opt out, from what I’ve read.

Who is our best GIF person? GIF this up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X5H7DhVj8A&feature=related

Dude is a goofball

Did you see one of the related vids?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc7SFSnnwIo&feature=related

Links not working for some reason

zomg my favorite gallo highlight!

kushikun - January 25, 2012 reply

He's really put on some muscle!

love4nuggets - January 25, 2012 reply

Yes that is why I say he is a goofball

If Gallo deserves $42mil

K-Love deserves $63mil, no question.

Agaliarept - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

Very true. Just glad to see Denver got a reasonable deal w/ Gallo.

well yeah, Love gets

way more rebs, points, shoots great and yet, yet, I’m not 100% certain that he’ll impact game in the near future like Gallo does and might.

PS When the Knicks had D Lee, Lee was the Knicks star, had one tremendous year before signing with Warriors, and few Knick fans thought he was better than gallo, and a fan vote showed Gallo to be way more wanted than Lee was.

I like Love, and his stats are really great, but I dont think he’s as good as his stats.

Nice to see Love stay loyal to his team..

as bad as it may be for the Nugs.

margabelle - January 25, 2012 reply

Agree Love deserves it

But put Gallo on the T Wolves and see what happens.

RoxWS2014 - January 25, 2012 reply

Steal!

This day couldn’t get any better. Gallinari extended for an unbelievable price, “The Association” premiering, then Nuggets/Kings.

NuggetsFan99 - January 25, 2012 reply

Hey when is that and what channel?

aLuffabo - January 25, 2012 reply

4PM Mtn time on NBA tv

wait, so AAA is our "designated player"

since he got a 5 year deal? so both Gallo and Ty can only be extended for 4 years.

according to espn article on Kevin Love

each team can have 1 designated player who can be extended to 5 years off of their rookie contract, under the new CBA.

i wonder how much other teams were willing to pay for AAA? its seems like we may have overpaid a bit.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

No

AAA waited for free agency, so he was eligible for 5 years. The 4 year limit is for extensions.

idiot!

thanks again. stupid RFA confuses me.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

And I think

that to give the fifth year on an extension, it has to be for max money. I can’t find the link I had with the new CBA in it.

Glad to see the Nugs building a solid team for the future

TopherYork - January 25, 2012 reply

OMG!!!

I just pooped and peed a little. I was watching the major sports sites for an update on this. The names they were mentioning were Gordon, Love etc. I love how he is STILL not worthy of headlines. Well deserved extension couldn’t have happened to a better person. Denver is with you Gallo!!!!

Hellllllll yeah… Go team go.

Masai is that Man.

aLuffabo - January 25, 2012 reply

Player who gets exponentially better each season

Good attitude, plays hard, coveted by more than half the league, and we signed him at a very reasonable price.

What I like about all our signings is that if none of them work out, I’m sure Masai can move some move these contracts to desperate teams. Magnificent bastard!

This signing also shows me that ILL Will is not coming back.

KevinAwesome - January 25, 2012 reply

I was just thinking that

but I thought the chances of Chandler coming back were slim anyway. The Nuggets made it clear they wanted Gallo to be a featured player from the beginning and Will wants to start

We just need to find some way

to trade Chandler for something, anything. He’s too good to just let walk, but I still don’t know how his RFA rights work when he can only play for us for a month or whatever.

I initially thought that Chandler damaged his value by his disinterested play

in the playoffs last year (seriously…he was BAD) but I think enough time has gone by to where I think the Nuggets will get some value. Not entirely sure how that would work with an unsigned RFA though.

He is defintely valuable

Very few players that are so versatile and also very young. Imagine someone like him on the Lakers this year…he’d be a massive upgrade for them, probably countless other examples. Hell, I’d prefer to keep him if it could be somehow worked out, and would even consider starting him at the 4, but I doubt that will happen…so just get some value for him.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

My personal feeling

Is that Wilson will sign the qualifying offer for this year and after this season he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. I would love for Masai to trade him for a 1st rounder, but I don’t know if he’ll be able to work his magic on this one.

popex_17 - January 25, 2012 reply

Coming into the season so late

I don’t know if that would work to get him to free agency. In the NFL, there is a deadline and if a player isn’t signed by then, he stays restricted the next season. I don’t know if the new CBA has anything like that or not.

that's my basic question

I just don’t know if his China deal screwed him or whether we’ll get some sort of relief. Seems like we should get a benefit somehow.

Speaking of which…anyone else see the CNN thing on JR? He came across looking OK I guess.

Might be easier if the Nuggs could wait until the '12 offseason in what is a fairly weak FA class..

….and then do a S&T over the summer. Sign Chandler to a weak QO and then ride it out. It’s not like the Nuggets offers for Chandler will decrease under that scenario.

since he wont have a letter of clearence from FIBA

until after March 1st(deadline to sign QO) and most likely after the trade deadline we’ll just have him as a restricted free agent. So we either sign him or don’t match his offer from another team.

donwoe - January 25, 2012 reply

Chandler in the rotation?

So the first 3 guys off the bench right now are Andre, Al, and Rudy (and Bird for some reason) – whose minutes do you give to Chandler?
Plus, Chandler is not the guy to improve locker room chemistry….

Namklak - January 25, 2012 reply

Depending on the team we play

I can see him starting at PF over Moz if we are not playing a team with a C; I can see him obviously taking all of Bird’s minutes and/or all of Brewer’s minutes; I can see him playing…he’s got a lot of potential value.

I think this is exactly it

here is a guy that I was not thrilled about because of the prevailing (and evedently wrong) view that he was a Stojacovic clone, just a tall shooter. But what I’ve seen is a very athletic guy for his size with a taste of every offensive skill you could want and who has already shown improvement. Sort of a 6’10 JR Smith but who plays hard consistently, seems like he wants to improve, and who can actually defend. Great move.

i see a sign and trade in ill wills future

either for a proven big or some draft picks.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

So if I'm reading these cap numbers right...

Going into next season they may have near-max dollars to offer under the cap, with ’Dre’s deal expiring and the potential to amnesty Bird.

Fence - January 25, 2012 reply

If you are looking at the hoopshype table

It’s a little misleading because the table at the bottom doesn’t include the qualifying offers. Depending on the exact structure of Gallo’s deal, Nuggs have about $54 million committed to next year, including bird. $60 million if they tender Rudy and KK. So no max dollars even if they move bird.

It's nice to root for Denver

As an Italian, I’m glad.

I came to know Denver around the Melo trade, last year. It’s a good team to root for, nice people with a friendly attitude, a good, competent management and the whole not-a-star-but-a-wholesome-team stuff is great. Keep on with the good job!

If only it wasn’t so hard to watch matches from Italy… then again, bittorrent goes a long way! ;) Every morning in the office we comment on the results, you have quite a nice following!

I wish I could come to Denver. Ok, in the while, time to buy a Denver jersey! ;-)

ItalianChap - January 25, 2012 reply

you are welcome to comment here any time you want

Denver Stiffs is a great community :)

Welcome to Denver Stiffs!

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

he said "matches"....love it

Lot of soccer fans here too, keep us updated, welcome!

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

Ups sorry...

…still not familiar it seems ;-) what do you say? Games?

ItalianChap - January 25, 2012 reply

Yes, Games

but feel free to say matches all you want.

Professional basketball contests

no just kidding, games is the right Americanized term

yes sir

And it makes more sense to use “futbol” for soccer, rather than the way we refer to football..unfortunately we can’t come up with a better name for our country’s most watched sport.

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

its "games" when we play the Kings

“Matches” when we play the Thunder

Game...

…implys the Kings will compete. That is never a certainty with this group.

implies^

I’m retarded today. (Well all days, but today I’ll admit it.)

Matches implies

there is floppage galore and bad refs IMO…

soooo every game!

So is Mozgov the next guy to get extended?

Maybe that’s what Gallo’s tweet was about?

was wondering that myself

Is that one of the reasons he likes it here so much? Because right now he has European counterparts in Moz Rudy and Kosta? Wondering if the Nuggs should become the Western Hemisphere’s European team and create an enviornment that they can enjoy with some other euro players, instead of being the only european on a team of african americans

They just like floppin' around together

7 footers shooting the 3

Kosta is American with greek roots

If Mozgov is also getting extended Kouf may walk, the Nuggets might as well get something for him.

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

Kouf could stay too because he likes it, never know. Rumor has always had it that Rudy is just finishing his contract in the US so he can go play in Spain

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Kouf grew up in Ohio.

I’ve lived both places. Believe me when I say Colorado > Ohio.

look i know he grew up in ohio, went to ohio state, but he has lots of european ties and played for Greece
ohhhh yes colorado>>>ohio
you can possibly go with colorado>>>most places the United States

Yes and No about the Rudy thing

This season is about whether or not he wants to stay in the NBA or go back … he doesn’t have to go back and play in Spain if he doesn’t want to. He’s playing on the perfect team in the NBA for his particular talents and has a coach that seems to think very highly and value him, which he didn’t have in Portland so much.

somanluna1 - January 25, 2012 reply

wish we could extend Mozgov

about 3 inches and 20 pounds

Smart move by the Nuggets.

I personally don’t think the Nuggets have a real shot at a championship because history has said that teams without a real superstar leading the charge won’t get you a title. On the other hand, Nene, Afflalo and Gallo are on fair value contracts (whatever that exactly means) so rebuilding past these guys is possible if the Nuggets choose to go that way.

Any way you slice this, the Nuggets are in a pretty good position now and for the next few years. If Carmelo Anthony ever grew up, he could have been a part of it. Haha Melo; you done did fucked up and now you gotta live on Broadway ruminating so. Mwahahahaha. I guess it is true what they say: You do get what’s coming to you.

Either way, the biggest news that I’ve taken from this is that A) Josh Kroenke might have wrestled control from Papa and B) George Karl’s voice is the most powerful “basketball” voice in the room at the moment. Whether that’s good or bad? Time will tell on that one. Either way it’s very clear that the biggest winners from the Carmelo Anthony trade are the Nuggets, and that’s the way it should be given how that all went down.

I'm assuming you are a Blazers fan

Well, I’d like to just point out that Gallo is only 23 years old and is already beyond Brandon Roy at this point in time, he has all the tools to be a star in this league.

He is a Kings fan...and actually runs a very good blog of his own

Great insights.

Well as Jeff said....

…I’m a Kings fan so I really have no dog in this fight. Gallo’s tools are excellent, but the question is can he implement often enough at a high enough level to be a star? Because that’s what a NBA star is. (The problem with Tyreke/DeMarcus is neither are consistent enough with their outbursts of “stardom” to be considered a star at this point. Although a numerous amount of King fans would disagree about Cuz.)

Is Gallo that guy? I’m skeptical he is based on his body of work both with his short stay in Denver and his greater time in NYC. Talented? You bet your ass. Build your franchise around for 10 years type of star? Not a chance.

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m not about Gallo. Everytime I hear George Karl talk about the subject, it seems like he’s trying to figure out an amalgam of skills and talents from a variety of players to create a championship team without that 1 player to do so. I think the battle is uphill and has a significantly greater chance of failing than succeeding when you go up against that wrong team (hello OKC), or even Dallas to an extent.

I’ve been wrong before, and will be so again. Denver is a fascinating case study if they can break the superstar/team mode of winning titles. In a lot of ways, it would help make the NBA an already more fascinating league than it is already. Given history and the way it’s unfolded, I doubt this will fall in Denver’s favor.

The problem is the max contract

the best players in the league create 18-22 wins over the course of the season, but they don’t get paid double a 9-11 win player. So building a championship level team is nearly impossible under the cap without a superstar max player, unless you have a ton of productive guys on rookie contracts.

Or just productive guys on your roster.

How expensive they are is merely semantics.

Well I think it matters seeing as LeBron, Dwight, Durant et al represent the best values for the dollar, allowing you to win more with the cap.

I wasn't arguing that.

alright, i don't think we disagree then

it will be interesting to see if the Nuggets can maintain this type of depth with these players getting paid.

I agree.

That will be interesting.

The problem you are not underlying here is

What makes a player “that guy”? Is it a guy who can chuck shots at an alarming rate and average 22-30 points a game? No one doubted that the Nuggets with Carmelo at his best had a pretty decent chance of winning a championship, and Melo was touted as “That guy”. The problem I see is that no one looks at the history of the NBA close enough towards teams that won it all.

Every team that has won an NBA championship had much more than just “That guy”, they had players that were disciplined and almost every team that has won a championship had at the very least, a top 15 defense. Would the Bulls had won 6 championships if you took away Scottie Pippen and added Carmelo Anthony with Michael Jordan? Not a chance in hell. It all boils down to this, and that is that the team who scores more points than the other team is the better team. We have one of the highest efficiency for a defense so far this year while maintaining a team with the best assist ratio’s along with the number one offense.

So you are going to rebuttal with “Melo is not a true superstar” and I’d agree, he isn’t but there are only 2, maybe 3 guys in the league right now who you could give that title to. All of those teams don’t have the depth to win it all though. Is Dirk a superstar? Offensively, yes. Defensively? No. However their team had a crazy amount more depth than the Heat last year in the finals, which is how they won, along with playing smart zone defense and making their perimeter players try to beat them. The Lakers could afford a superstar and a strong deep team because they are the Lakers, and they can afford to go over the luxury because they make more revenue than any team in the league. So when you are a medium market team like the Mavs, you can’t afford a superstar on both sides of the court, but you can form a team with enough depth to win the championship. Don’t look at the big markets in the history of the league that won the finals, that is not a good way to accumulate an accurate assessment on building a team if you are a small or medium market. You look at the entire roster. Look at the Spurs of the early 00’s. They have the smallest market in the NBA and they could not have won the finals with Duncan alone, but a smart coaching staff, a great deep team and a solid defense.

The model for our team reflects the working model of every medium sized market that has won a championship.

So where is Tim Duncan on the Nuggets roster?

Duncan came into the league at around 21 years old and tore it up right away.

Gallo is still just 23 years old and could be a franchise player … time will tell.

What Duncan did...

….is usually what happens with almost every superstar in the league. They rip it up right away.

I agree with you there for sure. It’s more rare for guys like Jermaine O’Neal and Tracy McGrady to find success a couple years into the league. But with Gallo’s back injury and changing teams, he’s still finding his way. He may not be a super-duper star, but there is no reason to think he can’t help lead the Nuggets to a title. Team over a star has always won out … even MJ’s team had significant role players.

But a driven super star always helps. Key word: driven. Teams need guys who WANT it.

Team over a star has always won out….

Really? Since when.

Since every NBA title pretty much ever.

Isn’t it said that the better TEAM wins out in a seven game series? If if the best team has the best player on it, the TEAM is still the best. Take last year … Dallas was the better team over Miami. Team over a star studded team.

If you wanna get crazy with things (just a funny footnote): Kobe Bryant didn’t average over 20 ppg until his 4th season in the league … Gallo could be same story! hahahaha

Miami punted the tittle away...

..and Dallas did just enough to win it. It’s not like Dallas really took it from Miami. It was Miami’s ring to lose and Miami lost it. Pure and simple.

Still, the best team won! haha

Uh.....

….no the best team lost. The smarter more committed team won.

Then wouldn't being smarter and more committed be the thing that made you better?

Not necessarily no.

How so? They won the 7-game series. They proved it.

When you have less talent...

….it’s not the same thing. I respect what Dallas did, think a lot less of LeBron (which was admittedly little to begin with), and find it amusing as hell there are still plenty of people willing to forgive LeBron for an unforgivable transgression IMO.

I hear you for sure. I’ll always be of the opinion that you can win a basketball game with less talent if the players you have know how to maximize each other’s skill sets.

Totally not on the NBA level, but I’ve played in pickup games where we were supposed to be getting killed by teams that tore everyone up, but somehow we did the little things and just killed the will of the talent.

Talent is definitely different when it is coupled with mental toughness though. I don’t think LeBron really knows how to respond when the going gets rough. Maybe he’s learning, but when Denver blew a rested Miami team out of the water this season … it again showed me that a team can overcome a lot if they know how to play the right way.

I would like what you say to be true...

….because it would make the NBA championship picture more interesting. But, again, I’ve not found it to be true. Only if a clown like LeBrouche is at the helm of the USS Choke Job.

The problem is in a 7 game series, and without isolated incidents like last year’s Finals, I have not found it to be true.

Yep, it's isolated for underdog teams to win it, but I gotta keep believing!

Now there's change I can believe in Nate.

Good luck tonight.

Always good to play the Kings and get pookey around these parts.

Should be a good game. Denver has struggled in SacTown…

agreed on all points

Fun talking with Pookey today.

And last year there was a pre-trade loss in Sacto that practically had us all jumping out the window.

I did jump, broke both my arms...

…typed with my toes for 1/4 of the season!

While I appriciate your insight

Pookey, and you seem like you have a pretty good knowledge of basketball, you really need to take the star glasses off.

i feel that's slightly disrespectful to dallas and how well they played in the finals

Fair enough.

It’s not so much an anti-Dallas point as they were tougher and more intelligent about doing what they did to be on top at the end. They simply pushed Miami, more accurately LeBron, to be something he has never been. Dallas knew Miami would smoke them if LeBron could be what he typically is. But, in those moments, LeBron James is not reliable or driven enough. It’s not a failure of talent for LeBron; it’s a failure of attitude.

And proof that Dallas had the better game plan and executed what they needed to do better, thus being the better and best team last season.

i agree with the attitude

and that it probably cost the heat the championship. for the nuggets, i don’t necessarily see a championship in the next 2 or 3 years. playoff wins? yes. perhaps a finals berth? maybe. but i think people are excited about the gallo signing because it shows that the team is headed in the right direction. if (and it’s a fairly large if at this point) someone like gallo were to step up and become a dirk like player (who, btw, only scored in the low 20s until his 7th year in the league), the team that will be built around him in the next 4-6 years could compete for a championship year in and year out

I would be excited about the Gallo signing.

He’s quite the player even if he’s not a superstar. Not a damn thing wrong with that.

If this wasn't true then LeBron would have multiple titles wouldn't he?

If LeBron was reliable...

…and could be counted to push his teams with significant amounts of drive, then yes that would be true.

But his jersey sales can't win him a title alone. He needs his team to improve along with him.

LeBron failed to push Miami to the title.

The opportunity was there for Miami and LeBron failed to grab the moment. As did Wade, but he was hurt and is unfortunately too unreliable because of that injury reason. Also, because Wade lets LeBron dictate the direction of the Heat far too often. Like Game 2 for instance.

I hear what you’re saying and I agree with you. But I also think a team like the Nuggets could have similar success as Dallas did, but with a different team. There is no reason to think the Nuggets couldn’t get to the Finals and do the things necessary to win it all. I could also see the Nuggets continuing to never make the finals, but I choose to look at the glass half full.

And to believe the refs would call a good series in the playoffs … all the way though.

The refs don't make that much of a difference.

But I understand why so many feel that way.

The ref comment was more of a joke than anything, although I do think NBA officiating is atrocious at times.

The more important part of my post was that the Nuggets could compete for a title if things break the right way in the future. Hell, I’m a homer, maybe even this season????

I think the NBA is by far & away the toughest league in the world to officiate.

It’s not even close. Nowhere else do you have in tremendous shape men who can barely keep up with world class athletes. It’s like asking a midget to jump it up with Ty Lawson. Who wins that matchup?

I’m frankly amazed there isn’t more mistakes than there are given how few world class athletes end up ref’ing.

The NCAA has significantly worse officiating IMO. Like, it’s not even close. Not even close to being close to being close to being close if close is being close but not really close far away.

So NCAA is not even ....... close?

ha. Yes, it’s tough to call and replay cannot enter into the equation IMO as that would just kill games.

I actually think Duncan is under-rated

I’d call him a once-every-twenty-years player, if he hadn’t come on the scene exactly when Jordan departed.

Duncan and Shaq basically owned the league from 99-07. Shaq by virtue of his ridiculous size, Duncan by his incredible basketball playing.

duncan's size didn't hurt matters either.

Timmy D or Kobe are the best players to grace the NBA since MJ left.

oh sure

But I mean, Duncan and Shaq are roughly the same height, right? But Shaq had what, 50-60 pounds on him?

Shaq is taller by a couple of inches...

….but yeah the weight and ridiculous athleticism Shaq was what the difference really was.

athleticism

I’m going to show my true colors as a rabid Laker hater with these next couple of arguments:

1. Shaq wasn’t really that athletic. He was just athletic for a man his size. He mostly succeeded by virtue of being enormous, and being able to move better than you’d expect for such a hulk.

2. Kobe doesn’t deserve to be compared to MJ, and I don’t care of MJ says otherwise. MJ never had the kind of front line around him that Kobe did, unless someone can convince me that the 3-Headed Monster was as good as Gasol & Bynum.

2 things

I said best player SINCE MJ. I didn’t say either guy was in MJ’s class as player because neither are.

Now, Jordan played with significant amounts of talent. Scottie Pippen to name 1. He’s not just a 1st Ballot Hall of Famer. Pippen was the best perimeter defender the NBA has ever seen. I’ll repeat: Pippen was the best perimeter defender the NBA has ever seen when he was in his prime. That is not role player also-ran material. Especially when that same ridiculously elite defender is capable of getting 25 a night and running your offense.

Then there was Horace Grant at the PF spot who made the Bulls a sparkingly ridiculous team. Fun fact about Jordan: Never was a 500 team with the Bulls without either Grant or Pippen on the team.

Then there was the Worm (aka Dennis Rodman) who was also a Hall of Fame player. Other than Shaq, which Hall of Fame player has Kobe played with?

Nice points about those Bulls teams, totally agree.

While Bynum and Pau may not make the HOF, they have surely been elite periods for the runs the Lakers have had. Just their rebounding and defensive prowess alone totally give the Lakers something that no other team in the league really had.

Pau is arguable and fair.

Bynum certainly not as he’s been way too injured for far too long to ever be considered elite. Anybody that would rather have Bynum over Marc Gasol for the long term is smoking something fierce IMO.

I guess the next thing I'd want to research

would be the team payroll for the Bulls during those seasons, and where they ranked in the league, vs. the ridiculously high, top-of-the-league-by-far payroll of the Lakers. Fine and well about Pippen, Grant, Rodman, but I still say Jordan never had any All Star 7-footers and that’s a big difference.

I just hate Kobe Bryant more than any other professional athlete and don’t want to give him any credit, basically.

Go here. Have fun. Bender has salary data going back to 85-86 so you should be good on that front.

thanks, that did have the relevant info

Bulls had the highest payroll in the league for their last 2 championship years, 97 & 98. For their first championship in ’91, they had the 23rd highest payroll in the league. In my view, those number support my point. Jordan already had 4 rings by the time his team hit the top of that chart.

& Odom!

yeah, him too

Great point

I mean, size isn’t everything, Garrett Siler made Kosta look like a dwarf in the pre-season game, Siler is HUGE but unlike Shaq when he was in his prime, his quickness is less deceiving like a Alligator snapping its prey and more like a sloth running away from a bird of prey.

You failed to see where I was getting at

Our team is young. The potential for all stars is there. Gallo and Lawson have the ability for the 1-2 punch, but unlike Westbrook and Durant, they don’t need to score a lot of points because the depth of the Nuggets is a lot higher than the Thunder.

Then you look at the defense. AAA? Very good defender. Gallo? Very good defender. Lawson? Great at stealing the ball and playing the passing lane. Nene? One of the best big men defenders in the NBA. Mozgov? He is a 7’1 Russian.

So you see, there is enough offense and defense to go around. It isn’t about having a superstar, but having enough offense and defense to win the title. It isn’t about one guy, it is about all of the guys on the court. That is how you win championships.

The NBA is not the NFL.

Thanks for the declarative statement.

Anytime.

It’s one of my best things.

But all the Tebow talk here......

true Pookey

but the Denver model hasnt failed often because very few teams have ever been 10 deep. The non star laden teams that failed were never 10 deep.

We could win it all but the odds are against us. If we dont win, the strategy was still good.

the problem is Denver won’t be able to stay 10 deep after these extensions kick in. Probably ride another year or so, but Andre and Rudy will probably leave, Big Al’s productivity will drop off, etc… and without cap space or a lot of tradeable guys it will be hard to replace them.

That is when the talent we have will dilute a bit

and Gallo and Lawson will elevate their game a bit to absorb the talent. That I believe is the plan.

yeah 100%

I also think a lot of Hamilton and Faried as prospects, also maybe either JR or Chandler can be had back at a reasonable rate for additional production on the wings.

If nothing else...

…it will allow Denver to transition away from the Melo-dipshit era.

Dirk is a superstar, or if not a superstar he is definitely a top 10 player in the NBA. Every team that wins the title doesn’t just have a superstar, they always have good supporting casts. So the fact that Dirk/Duncan couldn’t have won the title alone doesn’t really change the importance of a superstar. Most championship teams have a superstar and a good supporting cast. Only the Pistons in recent memory have won the title without at least a top 10 player.

. So the fact that Dirk/Duncan couldn’t have won the title alone doesn’t really change the importance of a superstar. Most championship teams have a superstar and a good supporting cast. Only the Pistons in recent memory have won the title without at least a top 10 player.

Precisely.

Could anyone explain to me

how a team thats built for, and performs well, in the regular season is not also poised to win in the post season?

I bet that there is a very high correlation between regular season success and championships.

We seem to be very good, not great. Why cant that translate into the post season?

The Sonics under Karl...

…got bounced in the 1st round a bunch of times. The 1 time they didn’t get bounced in the 1st round? 1996 when they made the Finals. And a big reason the Sonics made it past the Kings was that Mitch Richmond got hurt or the Kings might have stole that series from the Sonics as well. A lot of people thought Seattle was on their way to choke city that year.

GK's Sonics losing in the 1st round? I never remember that happening

J/K LOL

Part of Stiffs' reluctance to

see a correlation comes from the past 8 years (barring one) where we had great regular seasons, and did poo-diddly in the playoffs. Hopefully this team will turn around that trend.

yeah but Denver was dominated by a player

who was talented but not LeBron talented. Better to have tamped down Melo a bit and built up rest of team

I want Gallo to be the 08-09 Melo

22 PPG, 7 trips to the line a game. We don’t need a player to score more than 22 points a game with this roster.

However, unlike 08-09 Melo, and all versions of Melo, Gallo plays extremely good defense and his game is miles above Melo in every aspect of the game.

Yeah, me too

Look I know its an anomaly but is it all a coincidence that THE biggest margin of a Knick win in Melo era was yesterday when Knicks thumped Bobcats, Melo went for 1 point but played well otherwise?

And, Melo will never make any all star teams by taking a dozen shots and keeping the ball moving even when it doesnt lead to an assist, and deflecting passes, taking a charge etc but darn if you cant help a team by playing like that.

Hey, if melo did all that, well he’d be gallo and other players would elevate and the Knicks would be better.

I never said anything like that, I believe more than most anyone else that the playoffs are more like the regular season than typically let on. I think the Nuggets can do well in the playoffs. That said, the problem with the Nuggets model is it will just be hard to keep so many above-average to very good players together for a number of years.

Honestly, the real difference between the regular season and playoffs

is that you cant get lucky in the regular season. You cant get lucky over a full season. But you can have a bad or good week and lose or win a series that doesnt go as expected.

Also, in a short series, little nicks, bad calls and other fairly random event have tremendous impact on how a series goes. In regular season, you have time and opportunity to be what you really are.

also matchups matter in the playoffs, like Orlando might have done well against the Heat but ran into Jason Collins (AKA the Dwight Stopper) and lost in the first round.

yep that too

and its tough to build a team based on all the conceivable playoff match ups. So, best to just build the best team possible.

I don't know how to answer your question in the general sense

but my fear is that this Nuggets team specifically could perform well in the regular season but not be poised to win in the postseason because of horrible half-court offense. And also inconsistent effort on defense.

for sure

Nuggets have weaknesses but even the vaunted Heat have weakness, such as, well, LeBrons confidence in 4th quarters. Thats a pretty big one

Pat Riley will get smart and send LBJ to a hypnotist

Agree Mostly

There are two Championship Models. The Superstar model and the Balanced Depth Team model. Like you said smaller markets like Denver and Detroit are wise to go the depth model. Chauancey and Isaiah’s pistons won Championships with depth model. That’s what were doing with the Nuggets.

wasn't Isaiah considered a superstar surrounded by superior talent?

No Isiah Thomas was a great player

But not a Sstar. Surely the depth model requires good players across the roster and on the bench. One advantage of the depth model is the Train keeps rolling even when guys get hurt.

not to nitpick or anything

but I think Dallas is actually a pretty big market. Not as glamorous as some of the other big markets in the NBA, but a big market nonetheless. They had the 2nd-highest payroll in the league last season; I assumed that they could afford that because of their market size.

...and a deep pocket owner willing to spend

we had (still have) that type of owner

deep pockets don’t always deliver. Maybe it was a combination of Kiki and money but our Melo/Kenyon/Iverson Nuggets were playoff fodder.

Dallas is the 4th biggest market in the US.

There is no way it’s ever considered a smaller or even mid size market at this point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_United_States_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas

Boy,

Never would have guessed Denver is behind Phoenix and Seattle. Very useful, thanks

newsman35 - January 25, 2012 reply

Look, if Denver doesnt break the mold of Star Needed to win Title

doesnt prove to me that its not a viable alternative to Star wins Title mold.

Why, because there are only about 2 teams a year that are run on the Denver model while roughly half the league is run on the Star Model so the Star model is way more likely to win out, so I’m not impressed if we lose or if a Star team wins.

And, I’m not exactly a Marxist/Conspiratorist but much of whats blathered on about need or Stars seem to be market and ESPN driven. The issue is really complicated regardless of what “experts” try to convey.

I think you can blame David Stern for the star driven model.

When he took over as commissioner, the NBA was a moribund, dying league without many prospects for recovery. Stern made the move to market the “star” players rather than specific teams. This proved to be immensely successful, mainly due to the power of Bird/Magic. It did, however, lead to the state of affairs we have today, where rather than, say, “tonight we have a great game between the heat and the knicks,” we get, “LeBron and the Heat roll into NY to due battle with ’Melo and the Knicks.” The teams are secondary.

agreed Russ

but we as intelligent fans should respect the need to have pretty stars while understanding what really wins games and titles. Blake is a wonderfully marketable player, entertaining as could be but he is not as great as Boring Bankshot Duncan.

You might still get more eyeballs if the decrepitating Lakers play but Denver looks, for now, to be the better team. WE bloggers know the deal regardless of what ESPN, Cowherd, Skip and others blare.

An ancillary point of my post,

which I didn’t explicitly make, is that if the Nuggets were to make it to the finals, or – dare I say – win it all, you can bet that they would be marketed next year as something like “Gallo and the Nuggets/Ty and the Denver Nuggets,” etc. The NBA is a star driven league, and the powers that be will not allow a team that has great success to exist without a superstar.

absolutely

Heck, even if Ty or Gallo just stepped up their play a notch I think you’d still get Player driven headlines. That sells. Individual players sell seats and products.

Werent we all interested in the LeBron James saga.

But as knowledgeable fans we could look at that for what it is, the red sizzle that sells the gray steak.

In all fairness a couple different whistles and the Kings

could have been a second recent example of Championship team without a true superstar.

I mean C-Web had the tools and all but if you are handed the ball off to Bibby with the game on the line, you can’t really be that Jordan/Hakeem/Wade/Kobe level. That team was built with very good players across the board (Peja, Vlade, Bibby, C-Webber, Christie) and should have knocked off the Lakers. Sometimes its more a bad break that a structural inability.

Frontrange - January 25, 2012 reply

yes

the reality of how titleists win is very complicated. The cliche that you need x number of players on y level to win is just a short cut to understanding

I’ll tell you what though. There is a pretty good formula that predicts winners. Here it is. ready?

You need many very good players to win a title. No kidding huh? Thats why we shelled out for Nene, Ty, gallo. Thats why the staff is working with Moz. Thats why Big Al practices shot after shot.

Nu superstars? We have a Hall of famer on our team dude

sure it’s the mascot but point still stands!

Awesome. LOL

thing about living on Broadway, as I did in some collegiate years,

When things are good, its Broadway shows. When things arent so good, its side streets with the stench of Chinese restaurant garbage.

Hope things are goin good Pook

You goin to be in the Denver game thread tonight?

wallywagon11 - January 25, 2012 reply

by the way

did this website go through a name change because I swore the name of the blog had something to do with mining.

wallywagon11 - January 25, 2012 reply

Yes

Used to be pick-ax and roll and then it merged with another fan site to become Denver Stiffs, an ode to Doug Moe or something.

Nope.

comment of the day from a Knicks fan on posting and toasting

heard Gallo signed an extension with Colorado Rockies

were we hoping to sign him next year?

That's too freaking funny. And sad...

He could probably be one of their 65 pitchers

No kidding

#acquirealltheyoungarms

idiots....they think nothing exists between the Northeast and LA

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

i mean east coast

Because their snowbirds go to Florida also

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

good deal

any contract given to a guy after a short period of production higher than his career averages is going to be a bit of a risk, but there’s nothing in Gallo’s peripherals that indicate he’s doing anything too unsustainable. And if he stays at 20+ PER, 10m a year is a huge steal. Otherwise it’s just a pretty fair deal if he comes down toward 17-18 PER.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

Quick (and possibly stupid) question . . .

. . . Do these 4 years start next year or does he have one year remaining before the 4 years start?

NugfaninSA - January 25, 2012 reply

starts next year.

Thanks

NugfaninSA - January 25, 2012 reply

I can't remember a time when the Nuggets were this good AND had tradeable assets:

(not packaged together)
Wilson Chandler
Melo’s exception
Felton’s exception
Possilbly (Im not saying we should) Andre Miller

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

The Melo exception

is down to $4.6 million according to ESPN. Used in the trades this offseason.

I saw that, but regardless can still be used (granted not for very much)

wow

Hardest part is to decide is how much to use this year. Chandler and any expiring exception this year I would think. Unless you could get a servicable backup PG not named AC or as old as Dre, need to keep him. Plus we can amnesty Bird next year for more room in the 2012 free agent class.

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

Amnestying bird is an option but you can bet that no team will place a bid higher than

one hundred thousand, meaning we would still be responsible for the remainder of his horrid contract. As far as I know that is how it works. Correct me if I am wrong.

sorry meaning we would be responsible for the remainder of the money for that year.

They would need to pay him the money but it wouldn't count against the cap

or so I believe. For a billionaire like Stan he is probably not too worried about the Nugs paying off Bird’s deal.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 25, 2012 reply

I don't get all the bird hate

just as I didn’t get all the Al hate. His contract has two more seasons at $4.5 and $4.8. Well below the NBA average. I get that he isn’t a great player, but as a third string center, what more do you want? As I said with Al before the season, you only amnesty a guy if it frees you up to make a specific move. You don’t amnesty just to amnesty.

i agree with that

Except I wouldn’t compare Al who provides much more to the team more consistently to Bird who’s athleticism is diminishing and is a borderline liability on defense. Its just an option they have if necessary, just like the way Coach Karl is using him as a player ;)

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

I agree 100%

I keep throwing this out there

I am actually inclined to think that Stan would be too stingy to amnesty anyone, for this exact reason. “Amnesty Bird? Forget that — if I’m shelling out for his salary, he’d damn well better be on the roster. I’m not paying him to play for somebody else!”

Just a guess, though.

Unless you are getting a true blue without a doubt superstar...

…the amnesty clause isn’t really that helpful.

why pay for head fakes?

Why pay the same and not get headfakes? : )

I just don't like birds game.

Never have

he turned into a more colorful version of Ryan Bowen

Without the hustle but a little more athletic and fading fast. I have noticed he’s shot the ball outside of 5ft and is hitting a higher % of FT’s, I will give him that, and say he is good for 5 min or less every 1st, 2nd, and 3rd qtr and only in the 4th if Nus are up or down 15+ pts.

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

nice.

Still, I don’t think I will ever be sold on Bird. He has always been a liability in my eyes.

I would think that you'd have to at least post the vet. minimum

but no one would want birdman for two years

donwoe - January 25, 2012 reply

The problem for us will be continuing success while remaining under the cap.

This means we will HAVE to rely on rookies sooner or later. You know how GK is with that!

Viva L'Italia!!

This was a no brainer. Gallo is just entering his prime and still improving his game. He’s worth the dough. As a player he’s the complete bowl of pasta.

and I'm having lasagna for lunch - perfect timing!

Namklak - January 25, 2012 reply

Buon Appetito

Ty tweet:

congrats to my bro @gallinari8888 ..got him locked in.. #blueandyellow

Love It

One great thing about this years squad is everybody likes each other.

Japheth:the.other.kind.of.asian. - January 25, 2012 reply

wonder if AAA is in on this lovefest. been very quiet this year

newsman35 - January 25, 2012 reply

get an AAA twitter decoder ring

Perfect and fair deal

This news just made my day. Gallo, though not yet a “NBA Superstar”, has the potential to be one. Just because the common basketball fan has heard of OJ Mayo since he was 14 years old, doesn’t exactly transfer to NBA star status. It is earned by being a leader on his team going deep in the playoffs, period. This Gallo deal has a lot of upside. We didn’t know who Nowitzki, Parker, Ginobili, etc were before their playoff appearances.

timoptic - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

Gallo=Ginobili

He will be a greater impact playa in the playoffs and make a name for himself.

JR15 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

If all Gallo becomes is Manu

I will be ecstatic. Manu is a total pitbull, is incredibly well-rounded, better than his stats, smart, loved by teammates. Gallo = Manu. I fervently hope so.

Great news!

Haven’t been this excited about the Nuggets ever! Not even when Dikembe and crew knocked off the Sonics or when Melo and crew pushed the Lakers. Love this team!

Alaskan4Fat - January 25, 2012 reply

How good is this signing for team confidence and chemistry?

I mean, we’ve got a solidifying core that is young, fast, skilled, unselfish and locked in.

They’ll be together for a few years. Add a piece or two, develop a present player or 2, I takes me chances.

absolutely helps

Also will help this team attract free agents or extend young guys in the future knowing team will take care of guys who work hard, buy into a more team concept, and play defense in addition to the fans having your back if you give the effort. I think they need to stand pat with this group given the lockout shortened/compacted season unless injuries or an offer they can’t refuse factors in.

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

I hope it does, but I would hate to bring in a player that stops the ball movement

all for namesake.

agreed....has to be the right fit for this team

We don’t need a “Tebow” around here so we have change everything to fit his “strengths” when ultimately only covering up weaknesses.

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Drafting Melo was milestone and Turning point for the Franchise, but trading him was the best deal ever made in Nuggets history

How spoiled are we!

Imagine the uproar if we didnt make the playoffs, It seems like just yesterday we were praying, crying, screaming for a berth. All I can say is it feels fantastic to be on this side of the fence year after year.

Me too

Which is why I’m glad we didn’t blow this team up in the hopes of getting lucky in the lottery.

I have a snaking suspicion this team will look different after the trade deadline.

Great deal.

The potential of Gallo justifies the deal. If he and Ty continue their rate of development, the Nuggets will have a very interesting future :)

thuggets - January 25, 2012 reply

An OKCesk

future at that

i wouldnt go that far...

because both Westbrick and in particular Durant have already shown consistently that they can be be players who can carry a team. But i am sure that we can compete with them with our core, especially with the big money now being tied up in Westbrook and KD.

thuggets - January 25, 2012 reply

I think Ty

is very close to Westbrooks status and ability… obviously Durant has a few steps on Gallo but its a work in procsess.. the fact that Nene is better than Ibaka, and our depth is much better than OKC’s helps

I agree with you there about Nene and the depth...

I hope everything works out as Masai plans it, then i am sure that we will make some noise in the playoffs, if not this year then surely next.

thuggets - January 25, 2012 reply

Westbrick also struggled to find a good rhythm his rookie year

Ty’s development was delayed by coming off the bench. We should see his ascension in relevancy this year. If he is not an all-star this year he will surely be one next year.
I imagine one Nugget will be an all-star this year, I hope it is not Karl though, I hope Gallo, or Ty gets the nod.
Nene has a small chance, but I like that he is undervalued, just makes us that much better under the radar.

How I see the management working

I think we are going to start trading people before the deadline. Players are continually getting hurt, and playoff bound teams are going to get desperate to patch up their holes. Enter: The Denver Nuggets.

If Masai was able to make the Melo deal, turn Felton into Miller and Hamilton, and a 2nd rounder into Fernandez and Brewer, I see him making more deals in the future to build a deep team around our core four through the draft – it already happened in the last draft. In fact, even the core four have movable contracts.

The only reason I believe this is that I don’t think the Nuggets would win a championship with their team as is. I’m sure Masai knows this, and wants to follow an OKC/Spurs model. And if he pulls it off, people will have to start calling the process of rebuilding the Denver/Masai model.

Typing from my iPhone in a hurry. Hope that made sense. LOL

KevinAwesome - January 25, 2012 reply

So what players

do you think massai needs to bring in?

Try to make splashes through the draft was my point

I think it’s going to happen.

KevinAwesome - January 25, 2012 reply

YYYYYYYYYYYYUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPP

ohhhhh

yea possibly but GK is the last coach you want when you build a team through the draft

Well he did play Ty

Granted, there were some ties there. But sooner or later, the talent will be undeniable and he will concede. (tongue in cheek)

ifhe doesn't stunt their growth first

LaimbeersGuardianAngel - January 25, 2012 reply

I for one

am pissed. Gallo is worth a good $647,893,786 – $647,893,792. Actually on a second thought this is great because now I can bitch about Gallo not getting enough shots AND being underpaid!

don't know if this hurts or helps the Nuggs

The nuggets are currently valued at #21 on Forbes list of NBA teams they are in the negative for operating income. Good? Bad?

Wins will help the operating income.

It's fine

the Pepsi Center makes money outside of the Avs and Nuggets

UFC 135 probably helped a bit...

Though it would be great if the Nuggets got even half of the love the Broncos gets

Then we would be a “higher” market team. Alas people like watching people get concussions/ ripping each other’s limbs off like barbaric gladiators over watching poetry in motion.

I really wish Colorado fans supported our team like the Broncos

People in Boston support all of their teams equally, hell even the Bruins get a good amount of love. I mean, hey yea… Boston has to do something besides burning books but it stands to reason that Colorado should get behind our Nuggets fans at least as much as the Broncos.

We are the Best of Denver!

The epitome of will
The anatomy of grit
The flow of natural wonder
A grouped creature that that paints the canvas of hardwood
only to one day be called a masterpiece.

this city has an unhealthy obsession with the Broncos.

If even a fraction of that was transfered to a brilliant product like the Nuggets, no question we would be regarded with grandeur.

Broncos put Denver on the map

And have multiple championship game appearances and trophies, that means everything. As much as much as I love the Nuggets as my second most favorite team in all of sports, they don’t hold a candle to the Broncos in this town and won’t until they at least get to the Finals at least once.

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

Even if the Nuggets win 10X in a row

I still think this will be Bronco town.
The only way it will change is if the Nuggets get really white. It is true, CO would rather support a Tebow over a black Ty Lawson leading a bball team. Maybe Gallo/ Fernandez will help attract fans (and I am sure Ujiri/ Josh thought about it when they were retooling the Nuggets). Ever wonder why Birdman, who is even more tatted than KMart & JR, doesn’t get Thug image and is a fan favorite when he sucks in reality?
Ever wonder why Dallas, Indiana, and Utah had so many white dudes/ white dudes as their main player? They have to cater to their demographic.
Part of the reason I think Melo left, and also part of the reason I don’t expect JR or KMart to be close to back.
If the Nuggets continue their current influx of white dudes, I think bball will be gain popularity in Colorado. Kinda sad, but true.

Interesting

But I think you are seeing this all wrong.

I mean, you are right about this being a Bronco town, always and forever. I mean, NFL is wickedly popular. But the racial aspect is a bit convoluted.

I mean, I’m pretty sure the color of a players skin is the last thing a General Manager is thinking about when trying to improve the team. Except maybe Larry Bird in Indiana.

I don't know how to even comprehend this statement.

It has nothing to do with color and everything to do with image. Elway was well deserved with his near god like worship. It has nothing to do with color and I will prove it to you. Ever hear of Joe Sackic, Foresberg, Patrick Roy. Of coarse you have because they brought us our other professional championships, but they are in no way as herald as John Elway. It is about the sport, Football which is regarded and viewed at a much higher rate than basketball. Also People follow Tebow because he is so polarizing, and was soooooooo sooooooo popular in college. The day Basketball becomes as popular as Football is the day the Nuggets are on the same page as the Broncos.

I continue to be perplexed with your racializing

Don’t know if you saw my comments on same a few weeks back. I discussed the history of Jews in professional basketball and tossed in some relevant links. I don’t have time to do the subject justice today, but I remain uneasy with your regular insertion of race into these discussions, especially when they reinforce stereotypes that aren’t borne out by careful analysis.

its also interesting you say Utah and Indiana

If you think about it who were their most Popular Basketball Athletes in their respective histories, Utah: Malone. Indiana: Reggie.

I definitely made some sweeping generalizing statements

I still think it is true for the general public of Colorado, definitely not you guys. I am also talking about the the conservative stereotypical cowboys in Gunnison or Durango. I worked in Durango and some people didn’t even know we had a bball team, but for sure knew about the Broncos.
I know there are plenty of black guys in the NFL, but the main guy you hear about is the quarterback. I am not sure about the #, but there are definitely more white QBs, than black ones.
I think bigger metropolitan areas like bball cuz the demographic suits it. Part of the reason is there are more non-whites in the area. But I always heard thug for the longest time associated with the Nuggets. Part of it may be true, and part of it is inherent unconscious racism. Why not call it rowdy youths? I never remember Jason Williams being called a Thug when he did similar things like the JRs of the world?
I will admit racism isn’t the only issue, but it is there. Oh well, thats how it will be. Differences between individuals will always make people pre-judge no matter how much they try to consciously suppress it.

Reggie had his issues in Indiana . . .

Didn’t he have his house burned down?

ESPN did a 30-30 on Miller’s experiences before he became so popular.

Frontrange - January 25, 2012 reply

Denver was ridiculously obsessed with the Broncos long before they were any good

If memory serves, they had some incredibly long string of sold-out home games that extended way back to before Craig Morton donned the orange #7 jersey and led them to Super Bowl XII.

There’s an old story from the early 70’s or so, the Broncos were playing a regular season game and it ended in a tie, nobody scored in the overtime period. Afterwards, the coach (John Ralston, I think it was) said in the press conference “Well, half a loaf is better than none.”

Broncos fans were incensed that he didn’t care more about winning, and the next morning he looked out his front window and saw his front lawn piled high with half loaves of bread that people had tossed there in the middle of the night.

Denver’s not a basketball town, it’s not even a sports town. It’s a Broncos town. Frankly, that’s one of the reasons I don’t live there anymore.

I remember visiting my parents for Xmas in December 2010. The Nuggets were winning more than they lost, and the “Melo Drama” was in full swing. The Broncos were finishing up their season at 4-12. Oh, but Tim Tebow this and Tim Tebow that! He was on the front page of the paper practically every day I was there, for a solid week, and the Nuggets? I had to dig to like page 7 of the sports section if I wanted to read anything about them.

It’s a Broncos town, always has been. Glad there are enough Nuggets fans to keep the team going, at least.

The poor Rockies.

Artimus Mangilord - January 26, 2012 reply

love that half loaf story

The coach was Lou Saban. What a classic story, I laugh every time I think about it. I might be embellishing, but I think it was the end of the regular season and the Broncos needed the win to get into the playoffs, making the decision to go for a tie all the more stupid.

would love to see gallo come out and have a monster game tonight

If dre leaves

Is there any possible way we could get billups or nash as backup pg?

crreid4444 - January 25, 2012 reply

NO

Billups does not want a backup role. He would retire if traded here.

yay!

Glad the Nuggets locked up this young, exciting player whose been nothing but sunshine and daisies.

Wonder when he will find a nice Colorado gal to get married to? I’m sure Nene’s wife knows some gals at the church or something. Or he can go to The Church and meet someone.

yeah a club is a great place to find marraige material

The exception rather than the rule ;)

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

also better to get married after 25

Regardless of how much money you make

jd80229 - January 25, 2012 via mobile reply

You are thinking about this way more than I am

Truth be told: I’m totally against the idea of marriage, especially if I am a good-looking tall Italian multimillionaire.

Thats how Melo met LaLa

It's important to have players that want to be here

Gallo didn’t have to sign. He made a Choice which says he likes Denver and he believes in this Team. He played in the big city, but he wants to stay. With good players signed other good players want to be here for the winning environment.

The only thing left to do is CAPITALIZE...on the time we have this core intact

YES! Roostah boostahs are we all!

Wish I had time to read more of your comments of elation here. Sewing up Gallo was critical to the Nuggets’ immediate future as a team that can compete NOW even while fine-tuning the organization’s savvy and brilliant retooling. And now it’s DONE!!!

One piece away! What’s that piece? A hard-nosed scrapper who can score when only a rugged guy with serious fundamentals can guarantee you a bucket; when your offense has run up against a brick wall, either of its own making or due to smart, tough defense. Think Paul Millsap, though I’m not advocating for him in particular.

Masai Ujiri deserves FLOWERS! GO NUGGETS!!!!!!!

Oh so you can take the time to post but not read

I am disappoint…

I am kidding too

Back for a sec

Understand you’re just joshing me, but I did read a TON of these comments, I promise! I’m juggling a bunch of projects, and I couldn’t read through everything here like I LOVE to do. You Stiffs are one fine bunch. So nice to see everybody thrilled and chanting kudos in harmony and near unanimity!

I feel like we should anoint him

a knighthood in The Perpetual Order of Non-Stiffness…..

but somehow that sounds bad

"Masai Ujiri knighted, joins Denver Stiffs PONS"

But Cat, PONS is the perfect order for our brilliant, brainy Masai!

“The pons serves as a communications and coordination center between the two hemispheres of the brain.”

That man most certainly got him one burnin’ pons!

Heh. Who knew!

I like inventing new fun things.

Possibly Faried???

Faried can easily be that guy. Obviously not this year, but he can definitely develop into that role. And don’t count out Mozzie either.

Look for Faried

to make HUGE steps in the next 2 years. The guy is definitely part of our future plans

JBnuggs - January 25, 2012 reply

I'm hopeful

Yet we’ve been prepped to see Faried as mostly a defensive contributor, right? Moz could be Mr. Silky—you gotta love those lovely, arcing short jumpers—but I’m not sure he’ll turn into that guy who grinds out baskets in crunch time.

A combo of those two make the grind it out guy

Still think Faried will be a pest on the offensive boards. And I think our weakest thing is not being able to get more Orebounds, so Faried should really help in that category.

JR15, were you ever right about Faried and offensive rebounds

Tonight’s game against the Kings was evidence aplenty. My only concern is that I cannot for the life of me see the trampoline he has on the floor.

LongWindedHank - January 26, 2012 reply

Super pumped we got a deal done!

No more fear of some bottom feeding team throwing crazy $$$ at him this summer. 10 mil per year is PERFECT for Gallo, and he could end up being under paid if he continues to improve at the rate he already is. The kid is only 23!!

JBnuggs - January 25, 2012 reply

Benjamin Hochman really is the second coming of Mr. Kotter

Needs to shave that 70's porn stache.......

5baker5 - January 25, 2012 reply

Oh hell no...it's outstanding

Something I just realized

Not that it’ll happen, but now it’s a possibility.

If the Nuggets amnesty Al Harrington (hear me out) and Kouf/possibly Rudy. They can sign a MAX next year. Not that they should, but there is one that they should really go after if he’s not locked up….

Dwight Howard.

Ty Lawson
Arron Afflalo
Gallo
Nene
Dwight

Julyan Stone
Rudy Fernandez
Kenneth Faried
Birdman
Timofey Mosgov

That could realistically be their lineup next year if Denver plays it’s cards right. Plus they have NYK’s 2014 (lotto imo) pick and their own. Now I know Dwight’s camp wants to go somewhere more marketable, but I could see him heading to a team with stability and potential.

/dreaming…..but still.

rxmart2 - January 25, 2012 reply

You can only amnesty one player anyways...

they’ll use it on bird next year… dre will be gone… hopefully we can sign rudy..

Gallo told the media that he really liked the city and it was a easy decision to make!

5baker5 - January 25, 2012 reply

Denver is not on the list of teams Dwight Howard said he wants to join, and Al Harrington has been one of our better players this season. If Al was playing like he was last year maybe, but he’s been to good to cut loose for nothing.

GHill33 - January 25, 2012 reply

Couldn't we amnesty Bird

and keep Al? Can’t believe I just said that. I love the Bird.

love4nuggets - January 25, 2012 reply

sorry meant to say

amnesty Al Harrington and not QO Kouf/Rudy.

rxmart2 - January 25, 2012 reply

Nuggets resing kofous 9 mil 3 years!

5baker5 - January 25, 2012 reply

i see a lot of swearing on posting and toasting about il gallo being signed

i think they thought they could get him back on the cheap after he became a FA

http://yfrog.com/nzuvqgxj

Pic of Gallo signing his extension