The Nuggets desperately want to be upwardly mobile and get out of the first round of the playoffs.
The thud of losing to the San Antonio Spurs last week was distasteful, but within the organization it was quickly replaced by optimistic talk of moving up next year. The next step will be more difficult than just getting into the playoffs and quickly being eliminated, which has happened four years running.
To get out of the first round, the Nuggets need to go from a team with a number of wins in the mid-40s, as they were this season with 45, to a 55-win team that gets a high seed and home-court advantage.
In each of the past five seasons, 55 victories has assured a team of a top-four seed. It would have been more than enough to win the Northwest Division in each of the three seasons since its inception.
The blueprint for putting the Nuggets in that position isn’t complicated. It starts with having less turmoil within the organization. It might be the only thing that stands between mediocrity and joining the elite.
“I think we have great players, and as long as we stay together I think we are very close to getting past that first-round nightmare that we’ve been having,” forward Eduardo Najera said.
“But we’ve got to stay together and definitely have a better year in the regular season, with no brawls and no trades hopefully, and I can almost guarantee that we will be so much better next year.”
In each of the past three seasons, the Nuggets have had ongoing drama during the regular season, from the firing of coaches to unrest among players to the fight in New York this past season that cost the services of Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith for 15 and 10 games, respectively.
Outside of lingering conditioning issues, this past season’s training camp was a good one. But the trades of guards Andre Miller and Earl Boykins and the additions of Allen Iverson and Steve Blake, coupled with suspensions and injuries, disrupted team chemistry. It took the better part of the second half of the season to work it out.
“We’ve got to get everyone on the same page, which training camp and a whole season will do that,” said Blake, who might not be back. “Figure out what’s going to be our best defenses and offenses. That’s what you got to build on.”
Iverson echoed the same sentiments after the Game 5 loss to San Antonio.
Stability needed
Coach George Karl said he had to scrap the running offense and many of the complementary defensive sets he installed in training camp by season’s end because of myriad roster changes.
“We became a more NBA- typical team,” Karl said.
Stability starts with an intact roster that has a full training camp together.
“I don’t believe in putting anything together during the season,” Anthony said. “We had a great training camp last year. We started off good. We played well at the beginning of the season. No, we didn’t go 20-0, but we were playing good, and we were starting to click.”
And Anthony was playing the best basketball of his career before getting suspended.
The return of forward Kenyon Martin is seen inside the Nuggets organization as one explanation as to how they plan to jump to the 50- to 55-win mark. At his best, Martin, who is rehabbing from a second microfracture knee surgery, adds ferocity, intensity, rebounding, shot-blocking and additional frontcourt offense.
“He had a little giggle in glee about how well we played at the end and how he wants to be a part of it,” Karl said. “I know he wants to be back on the court. I think we want to work with him and get him to a place where he doesn’t have any health problems in the basketball business.”
According to Najera, sharpening the on-court details will help elevate the Nuggets.
“Being more professional, having the right attitude and just caring about the intangibles,” Najera said. “Being on time on defense, being in the right spot at the right time, just like the Spurs. They do it all the time. Rebounding, defending, passing the ball, sharing the ball, all those little things will make a big difference.
“We definitely have the talent to win a championship, but not until we become really great at those little things. Then we’ll get through that first round.”
Immediately after the series against San Antonio, Karl expressed a roster need for more bench help.
“We probably didn’t have enough pieces,” he said.
He backed off a day later, saying it required further evaluation, but the Spurs exposed the Nuggets’ need for a reliable shooter. The Nuggets ranked 28th in 3-point percentage in the regular season, and shot 31 percent from beyond the arc during the playoffs.
Money matters loom
Rex Chapman, vice president of player personnel, is among those in the Nuggets’ front office who has cash concerns to balance with adding the necessary talent to keep the team competitive. He is optimistic about the direction the team is headed but doesn’t know if ownership will pay a luxury tax to keep it all together.
Owner Stan Kroenke could not be reached for comment.
“We like our roster,” Chapman said. “Obviously, we will look to improve if we are able.”
Said Blake: “I think we have a lot of really good players, really good pieces, and then you add a Kenyon Martin to the roster next year. I think next year is going to be more exciting than it was at the end of the season this year.”
Karl agrees.
“Every year I’ve sat here being optimistic,” he said. “It was a spirit of optimism. I sit here now being real. I think we’re a real team now. I think we really got the foundation and the pillars to move forward.”
Staff writer Marc J. Spears contributed to this report.
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
