So you’re looking for big-man help for the Nuggets?
I’m not.
If you’re of the opinion that two faulty inbounds plays were the difference between the Nuggets losing to the Los Angeles Lakers last spring or possibly moving on to the NBA Finals, your vote is for “as is” too.
The Nuggets were even with the Lakers on the boards in that playoff series. There is not much to suggest the Nuggets’ roster, as presently constituted, can’t get them to the Finals.
If a big man isn’t necessarily the answer, how can their roster be improved?
First, stabilize the bench. That means getting consistent, positive production from J.R. Smith, who seems to be headed in that direction. Smith’s scoring average (15.2) is fine, but his .332 shooting percentage on 3-pointers has to get to around .400. And his 1-to-1, assist-to-turnover ratio must be at, or very near, 2-to-1.
The bench also has to establish an identity. There is still a helter-skelter, mix-and-match nature to what the Nuggets do when Smith, Ty Lawson, Chris Andersen, Anthony Carter and Joey Graham check into the game. When the reserves get a comfort level and rhythm to what they’re doing, the Nuggets will be that much stronger.
Second, and this is no secret, the Nuggets need to even out their performances. The Nuggets have wins over Cleveland, Orlando, the Lakers and San Antonio, and three victories over Utah, so they have a track record of beating the NBA’s best. That helps come playoff time.
But the Nuggets have lost seven times to teams with losing records. Win four of those, and we would be talking about a 30-10 team and an entirely different set of perceptions.
As for all the talk of adding a big man, the Nuggets are being out-rebounded by an average of only two per game.
When the Nuggets are rebounding the ball is just as important as how many rebounds they’re getting. Reward a good defensive series with a rebound 80 percent of the time, and your success rate rises.
Are the Nuggets perfectly constructed? No. But they might not need to be to win big.
