In what some in the media are calling Monday Bloody Monday, last night, several NBA players went down with mild to severe injuries in one single night. Including a certain 6'10" Italian who's value to the team will be played out in front of Nuggets fans in the coming weeks.
Last night was a tough one Nuggets fans. The Nuggets were sluggish in the first half, but they seemed to have a certain confidence that they weren't going to lose the game ... that is until Danilo Gallinari went down early in the third quarter to a sprained ankle and a chip fracture in his foot. As Gallo drove the lane (the only Nugget who was bothering to do so) Gallo turned his ankle and, unluckily, Houston Rockets rookie small forward Chandler Parsons stepped on his foot at the same time. In that moment the collective shoulders of both the Nuggets team and Nuggets' fans sagged. It was a deflating moment which came on top of already missing Nene Hilario (ankle strain), Arron Afflalo (Groin), Timofey Mozgov (ankle) and Corey Brewer (father's funeral). You hate making excuses, but that may have been the straw that broke the camels' back for the Nuggets last night.
However, the Nuggets weren't alone in this. Last night Carmelo Anthony went down with a groin injury. Groin strains and hamstring injuries are generally a sign of too much play, and repetition using the same muscle. You could argue that is why AAA struggled so mightily in the back to back to back that the Nuggets just completed. Melo has already suffered from finger, wrist and elbow injuries this season.
The worst of all (career-wise) was old friend Chauncey Billups tearing his Achilles tendon last night. Worse because this is a potentially career-ending injury for the 35 year old CB1. Watching the injury in the highlights, you can see Chauncey go down, untouched, like he was shot. The injuries that happen with no contact always seem to be the worst. Makes me sad for Chauncey. Hopefully he makes a full recovery, but it's hard to see him coming back from this to continue playing.
What does this all mean? Well, we all knew that injuries would pile up with games being so close together. It's hit the Nuggets in a big way, and quite frankly they don't have many options to turn to right now. Wilson Chandler's team may go to the playoffs in China, postponing any potential signing of him untill March. Maybe the Nuggets bite the bullet and make a run at J.R. Smith? The trade Deadline is March 15th (beware the ides of March?) and until then the Nuggets will be without their best scorer and most lethal all-around talent (Gallo) for an extended period of time.
Gut check time folks. Lets see what the Nuggets are made of.
On to the Links
Short-handed Nuggets lose at home to Rockets, Danilo Gallinari injured - Benjamin Hochman, Denver Post
The beginning of the article, describing the fear on Gallo's face as he left Pepsi Center on crutches, is kind of heartbreaking. Here's to a speedy recovery Gallo
Clippers win but also suffer big loss; Chauncey Billups - Broderick Turner, LA Times
In another depressing article, secondary to the Clippers win (who cares?) Chauncey Billups goes down with an achilles tendon tear. Heal up soon CB!
Carmelo Anthony out 1 to 2 weeks with strained groin - Frank Isola, New York Daily News
In an injury that, much like AAA, can be chalked up to the compressed season, Melo will be sitting out 1 to 2 weeks nursing a strained groin. Maybe AAA should have sat out that long?
NBA Cut Day: 45 Players with Non-Guaranteed Contracts Await Fate - Scott Schroeder, SB Nation
In an important day for the NBA, players on non-guaranteed contracts can be cut today. Maybe the Nuggets will be mining this field for some 10 Day Contract help?
Twitter: @jmorton78 https://twitter.com/#!/jmorton78
mortonagency@juno.com
0 recs | 73 comments
Again w The First
We need better luck!
Rockridge1 - February 7, 2012
Chandler?
The one positive is seeing the rookies develop. Maybe, with a few of the uninjured vets, they can still win a few. Let’s see how the end of the season checks out. And then the next two years! We need Chandler for sure, now.
Charles R. Murray - February 7, 2012
With the injuries
And the general grind of the schedule, I would be surprised to see the Nuggets make the 6-8 seed now. Their defense has regressed noticeably, from being way above average to start to dropping back precipitously as the season has worn on.
It’s the same old story with the Nuggets: they are an extremely efficient offensive team when they can run the break and create points in transition, but we all know the playoffs by and large are a half court slugfest. Danilo was showing signs of becoming a player that thrives in both areas of execution, but his inconsistency has underscored the fact that he still has a ways to go.
Denver can still make noise, but it will take a team commitment to playing defense (particularly against the 3), figuring out some half court offense, and executing in crunch time to get anywhere other than a first round exit – if they are lucky – this year.
Colin Neilson - February 7, 2012
Yes
1) If we defend the three
2) If we shoot the three
We win the Title
IF
Rockridge1 - February 7, 2012
three point defense is pretty random
http://www.basketballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=576
I agree it’s time to start making 3s though.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
Getting a hand in someone's face
definitely has an effect on the probability of a shot going in. Wouldn’t you say?
RoxWS2014 - February 7, 2012
yeah I would tend to agree with that
but teams haven’t really shown a consistent ability to keep opponent 3 point percentage down year after year. But I also see some lazy rotations by these Nuggets.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
Fair assesment
I think our over-aggressiveness in trying to cause turnovers in the half-court defense makes for difficult-to-impossible transitions, and easy 3 pt shots
RoxWS2014 - February 7, 2012
I don't think it is in our case
our defensive philosophy is to trap on every screen, even against scrub ballhandlers, to try and force turnovers. Any PG who has scouted the nuggets for 10 seconds knows all he has to do is wait for the double and kick it out to the doubler’s man for a wide open 3.
Maybe if we get torched with the 3-ball enough GK will change it up…wait what am I saying?
Rainbow skyline - February 7, 2012
They could go back
to switching every screen. You know, the good old days of Ty Lawson guarding the other teams center in the post.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
they need to take the 3pt shots at better times
often too early in shot clock with no one in any position to board, or when clinging to a small lead. the stop, wait, and pop 3’s don’t seem to work for them, better are the ones that are set up off screens or when they are in motion.
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
indeed
seems like a lot of 3’s get heaved up in desperation because nobody can figure out any other shot to try.
“Random offense” sure can look ugly on the bad nights.
ParkHillNative - February 7, 2012
plus being tired
but having no legs doesn’t help 3’s go in, maybe a shorter run backcourt on defense??
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
CB's achilles tear is bummer news.
That just sucks for CB.
Maybe it’s the dimethyltryptamine, but I keep having these visions where the Nugs fire GK and get Chauncey here as coach.
Waddaya say, CB? Bury the hatchet with the Nugs organization and come back as coach!
Ski Bum - February 7, 2012
I Think CB Would Make A Great Coach
But I don’t he would work w our guys after they traded him twice.
Rockridge1 - February 7, 2012
i wonder if he'd reconsider now
even chauncey admitted he was surprised by the support and reception of the denver fans 1.5 weeks ago. he loves denver and he knows the fans love him. maybe that would tip him over into considering the Nuggets.
The flipside is that we know Chuancy loves winning, and w/ a weak coach like VDN but with a talented roster on the Clips, he could play a major coaching role into leading them to a playoffs.
nugz4rollz - February 7, 2012
Hochman tweets
SDcat09 - February 7, 2012
they say the chip was from a prior injury so it is being treated as an ankle sprain.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
That is good news
Reading that a piece of bone was ripped off by a tendon or ligament was very scary.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
That is interesting
Where’d you hear this? Not that I don’t believe you – but that is good news.
RoxWS2014 - February 7, 2012
http://www.rotowire.com/Danilo-Gallinari-googid151140-spnba.htm
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
this is relatively good news
doesn’t help us in this tough February, but could’ve been worse
nugz4rollz - February 7, 2012
Indeed
SDcat09 - February 7, 2012
aaa back tomorrow
nene questionable. I hope they are not rushing nene.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
Jeff tweets
which concurs with the comment above from atomiccafe
SDcat09 - February 7, 2012
hollinger says in his chat j.r.’s most likely destination is NY. Will they petition the league to allow them to use three balls?
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
But seriously
That would be awful
RoxWS2014 - February 7, 2012
It's as if players
have no consideration for what system best fits their skill set
RoxWS2014 - February 7, 2012
well they can pay him more i guess.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
They are...limited, for lack of a better word
at the guard position…..BUT JEREMY LIN’S GONNA BE THEIR ANSWER!!!!
Trust me: Amare wasn’t enough, Melo made them worse, no better with Chandler, but Lin’s the REAL DEAL
RoxWS2014 - February 7, 2012
WILSON!
Sign that man ASAP and do whatever it takes to get him back stateside, best option right now barring a trade. Don’t see anyone off the street that would give any significant help.
Sad for Chauncey, tore my Achilles 3 yrs ago play football in the park, tough experience, but different for a pro athlete of course. If he has the will power to come back, he could do it, but would it be worth it to him?
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
jealous sigh
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/07/SPJT1N3LVO.DTL
If only the Nugs had been in the lottery that year.
ParkHillNative - February 7, 2012
makes it easier when your franchise is competently run.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
or when Durant falls in your lap when the Blazers didn't know they were drafting the second coming of Sam Bowie
epic fail pt. 2
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
oh I meant it’s easier for Durant to commit to OKC rather than LeBron to the steaming garbage pile in Cleveland.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
the way LeBron did it was wrong but I don't blame him for wanting a change
have you actually BEEN to Cleveland? he grew up there, played 7 yrs for the Cavs, and wanted a change. He should have been more honest with Cleveland and given them the opportunity to get some value for him, but he did put that team on the map and made the franchise and Dan Gilbert millions, lest we forget. The NBA is not indentured servitude, these guys are lucky to get one chance to play where they want, if he had a choice I doubt he would’ve wanted to be chosen by the Cavs in the first place but since it was home he didn’t complain about it. Imagine what would have happened if Denver would have got the #1 pick that year.
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
there’s no way they were going to trade him with what? The best record in the East? If they win the Championship that year he might not leave.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
might not...but what did they add to that team that could've helped win anything?
Overrated Jamison? Over the hill Shaq? 6th man at best Mo Williams? Hell, LeBron got them to the Finals earlier with a worse team and this was the best they could come up with, no thanks.
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
oh yeah I agree Ferry etc. did a horrible job
just saying you can’t trade the best player in the NBA when you have a shot at winning it all. Whenever someone says the Cleveland FO did such a great job I always link this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q87IZngnKiY
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
"indentured servitude"
I don’t think getting paid tens of millions of dollars per year to play basketball in Cleveland or Denver qualifies as “indentured servitude.”
ParkHillNative - February 7, 2012
he made the Cavs more than he collected
and is within his rights to choose where he wanted to go after fulfiling his contract, he just should have handled the situation better but was under no obligation to stay.
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
I can't really argue that, much as I'd like to
I just think that when terms like “indentured servitude” start getting thrown around for guys who are getting paid tens of millions of dollars to play a silly game, maybe a little perspective is in order.
ParkHillNative - February 7, 2012
I'll sign up for that type of servitude
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
Completely different circumstances
What he did is no different than all the other guys they listed. He signed the first extension with his original team. Same as Melo. Same as Lebron. Same as Howard. Same as Paul. He’ll be doing the same thing in a few years if they haven’t won a title.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
especially if Westprick doesn't grow up and is still on the team
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
difference
My understanding is that KD has no opt-out clause for the last year of his extension, unlike Melo.
And he says he wants to model himself after Tim Duncan by sticking with the same team his whole career.
I dunno, maybe you’re right, maybe he does end up moving on, but at the moment I can’t help but feel like “How come our lottery prize ended up being a selfish, under-achieving prima-donna who bolted for the big market? Why couldn’t we land the guy with the great, relatively humble attitude?”
ParkHillNative - February 7, 2012
It would also be cool if Melo had been as good at basketball as Durant.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
Given the option
Would you reverse the trade and take Melo back tomorrow?
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
hell no
I just wish the Nugs had ended up with Durant instead
ParkHillNative - February 7, 2012
because he knew the Nuggets weren't "all in" to get the pieces they needed to get to the next level
and that Coach Karl was not the guy to lead him there…in his mind
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
It's a very interesting case study to see what the Nuggets would have done if they kept Melo
no one knows for sure
Jeffrey Morton - February 7, 2012
yeah because you have factor all that happened before Melodrama officially started
- Warketien/Chapman fiasco
- Signing Al Harrington, barely a notable FA signing at the time when a lot of better players were available
- Coach Karl’s relationship with JR
- Nuggets poor draft record (Ty Lawson the only exception)
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
the draft record was the result of having no picks due to the terrible Kenyon trade.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
not just that
AI trade blew picks also, and they guys we did pick were terrible. Julius Hodge? Ricky Sanchez? Axel (Foley) Herville? Linas Kleiza who we thought was worth more than the player formerly known as Ron Artest?
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
Exactly
the Kmart trade is what cost the team a championship window.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
may as weII throw in skita instead of stat, karI not showin up for the pIayoffs and bein cIueIess.
tradin camby away, and not havin anyone who can reb. we drafted a guy who they figured karI may actuaIIy pIay in ty, and traded away those picks for saIary dumps.
Rys - February 7, 2012
Who was better than Harrington
that was available on the day he signed, and signed for the midlevel or less? There wasn’t anyone. They made offers to other guys, and they signed with other teams.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
guys available before
not like we could’ve got them but at least make an offer
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
They did make offers to guys
they chose other teams. No one wanted to sign with the Melodrama nuggets.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
LeBron or Bosh would have killed for supporting pieces like Nene, close to prime Billups, J.R. and Kenyon Martin.
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
Silver lining to a knee injury
Just got me out of unloading 4,000 pounds of pad from a semi. Nope, still rather be uninjured.
ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - February 7, 2012
Masai
I believe he needs to make a move
TheMozgovCocktail - February 7, 2012
not just player movement wise either
he needs to get a veteran assistant with head coach experience on the bench, someone that Coach Karl can bounce ideas off of, get different opinions, and could counter his decisions without looking insubordinate. too many yes men on the bench as assistants right now.
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
Karl
He needs to go IMO. He won’t get a veteran assistant head coach because he likes to run the show. That’s why he has a bunch of yes men like Welch and Iske
TheMozgovCocktail - February 7, 2012
I believe
Karl has a say in who is assistants are
TheMozgovCocktail - February 7, 2012
Interesting
Clippers waive Solomon Jones. Possibly making room for JR?
TheMozgovCocktail - February 7, 2012
they can only offer him the min, but I'm sure they'll try
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
It's believed
That JR prefers to sign with the Clippers or Knicks
TheMozgovCocktail - February 7, 2012
knicks can offer more money I bet he goes there
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
we can pay him more money that that. a Iot more.
Rys - February 7, 2012
yeah only if the Nuggets want to do that. that seems dubious
atomiccafe - February 7, 2012
good thing they had a bunch of PG's after losing CB
jd80229 - February 7, 2012
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