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KRIEGER: Resisting trade would be best thing

By Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 16, 2008 at 12:24 a.m.

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Step right up for the rumor mill's latest Nuggets-bound malcontent. Sign in, Zach Randolph. Please get in line right behind Ron Artest.

Yeah, the guy behind Jason Kidd.

With the NBA trade deadline looming Thursday, all these rumors reflect an apparent national consensus that the Nuggets, notwithstanding their two starters in Sunday's All-Star Game, need to do something to ensure they'll make the playoffs. Although they enter the break on a pace to win 50 games, they are also in a three-way tie for the West's last two playoff spots.

In retrospect, it's pretty clear they should have re-signed Steve Blake to play point guard instead of Chucky Atkins, who has been injured virtually all season. And they should have found a way to add three-point shooting and perimeter defense to the bench.

It now looks like their frugality over the summer was penny-wise and pound-foolish, particularly if they are looking at taking on yet another enormous contract in a desperate bid to upgrade for the postseason.

It's hard to understand how bringing in another star who needs touches and shots will help on a team that already features two of the league's top scorers, each of whom needs the ball in his hands to play his game.

As you know, I sometimes defer to the younger generation on these matters, since that is the NBA's target demographic. So I asked The Dude, an avid Nuggets fan since they acquired Allen Iverson, whether they need to do something to keep up with the Lakers and Suns, who added Pau Gasol and Shaquille O'Neal in recent trades.

"I don't say this very often, but I am completely and utterly content with the team that the Nuggets have now," The Dude reported by e-mail from college.

"I don't think that (Jason) Kidd would fit in too well as both he and AI need the ball in their hands all the time, and I don't think we need (Ron) Artest because that's one too many strong personalities. The biggest differences I see between this year and last year are K-Mart and Anthony Carter. With them, I think now we have the depth to contend with anybody else."

The current consensus seems to be that the Nuggets need a point guard with a bigger rep and ego than Carter to "orchestrate" the offense. Somebody to come in with a baton and, like Leonard Bernstein, draw beautiful music out of the Nuggets' expensive cast.

I think this is pretty clearly a fallacy. Point guards who orchestrate offenses need the ball in their hands. Teams run their offenses through them. The Nuggets run their offense through Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. They're already required to give up touches to one another. Pretty much the last thing the Nuggets need is a third player who must have the ball in his hands to play his game.

Iverson and Anthony are not catch-and-shoot players. They are one-on-one players who don't start to play until they get the ball. The Nuggets offense is predicated on them ultimately shooting or drawing double-teams and finding the open man. This leaves a minor role for a point guard, which Carter has filled admirably.

Coach George Karl has hinted this year at issues on his team over playing time and touches. Bringing in a point guard to control the ball would only exacerbate those complaints.

This is not to say that building your team around two one-on-one players is a good way to win a championship. But it is the way the Nuggets have chosen, and now they have to play it out.

The Randolph rumor, from the mill at the New York Post, is a more complicated matter. This would add size, which would be responsive to the Gasol and O'Neal moves.

Unfortunately, Randolph is a scorer, not a defender. He would compete for touches and post position with Anthony. To the extent he took minutes from Kenyon Martin, he would help offensively and hurt defensively. He's also not what you would call a character guy. At some point, piling up these big contracts makes you look a little like the Knicks, especially when you're taking one of them off the Knicks' hands.

There are those who think Anthony doesn't get enough touches as it is. Luckily, he and Iverson get along well enough that touches haven't become an issue, at least publicly. But introducing a third ball hog, whether at point guard or up front? That could get ugly.

Given the Gasol and O'Neal trades, and, to a lesser extent, Golden State's addition of Chris Webber and San Antonio's pickup of Damon Stoudamire, there is an understandable tendency to think the Nuggets must make a big move just because everybody else is.

But when you examine the options, there aren't a lot of big moves that make sense from either a business or basketball standpoint.

Nuggets fans can only hope club officials remember these deliberations in the summer, when they have a chance to improve the back end of the roster at much more modest prices.

For now, tempting as one of these big names might be, another player demanding the ball is about the last thing the Nuggets need.

kriegerd@RockyMountainNews.com

Comments

  • February 16, 2008

    7:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    BirdonaWire writes:

    Randolph trade would be horrible!!!! He makes over $13 million a year. Silent Stanley won't do it.

  • February 16, 2008

    9:58 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jeremynix writes:

    I agree with 'The Dude'....We need to be patient and keep this team together. Who cares if Ron Artest is a great defender. Any player on this team could be a great defender if they want to. We've seen the Nuggets defense step up when it has to, they just need to realize that it's not a part time job. I can't stand the thought of getting rid of Kleiza, just to pick up another big contract, because it seems like the en vogue thing to do. we can compete with anybody in the West, we are only 4 1/2 games out of the top seed....Lets ride this thing out and see where it takes us. Does anyone really believe the Nuggets have any chance of winning the Finals this year anyway? Lets enjoy this team we have now that is so fun to watch, and see if we cant improve over the summer in the draft. PLEASE?

  • February 16, 2008

    10:39 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    milehighchef writes:

    It's obvious this team currently doesn't defend at all. Hence the 100 points given up to almost every team in the NBA. For the love, Miami was able to score over 100 pts. on us. Which we barley won theat game. MIAMI are you kidding me. I am not satisfied with just waiting to see what happens with the rest of the season. We need to get someone in here that will defend every night and set an example for the HIGH priced team we have currently. No, I don't think adding another big contract is the answer either. The nuggets rolled the dice in the offseason by not getting any better defensively. And it has hurt, the injuries we have had are not predictable. But we have sat around all season long waiting for these guys to get healthy, and it keeps getting worse. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't make the playoffs. We need to something now, and get a lot better defensivley, if not I'll see you next year.

  • February 16, 2008

    12:48 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Spider writes:

    For once I agree with Dandy Dave. It would be stupid to bring in another high priced player. Especially anyone with ego problems. Not to mention that most trades would include either Kleiza or Najera who have tremendous upsides. The only trade that would make sense to me is one to get rid of J.R. Smith. Especially for someone who can play defense.

  • February 16, 2008

    1:19 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jbowen43 writes:

    This team needs to learn how to play basketball. Having Camby set up at the three point line makes no sense. Screens! We need screens. Defense. Defend against spot up shooters. Take charges. More players need to stop the penetration so we don't always have to sag off of shooters. It's about better coaching. George needs to show some passion and stand up for his players. He needs to communicate better during the game.

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