Players, coaches, front-office personnel. They have tunnel vision, and they should. When you have the capability to win a championship, they would say, nothing less than a championship will do.
Fair enough.
And yet, to me, this Nuggets season presents an interesting question. Is there a level of failure this season that fans are prepared to accept and forgive, given the circumstances? Let’s say the Nuggets lose the first- round series to Utah. Could the season still be shaded as some sort of a success? Or would the Nuggets have to advance further?
This year started with the coach saying: “We might have talked about winning a championship (in the past). I believe this team can win a championship.”
That coach, George Karl, through no fault of his own, is no longer there. Pessimists among us may have predicted Kenyon Martin would miss significant time because of injury. But who foresaw the size and scope of the impact losing both would have? Not many.
Lately, there are positive signs. Martin is back. The Nuggets won Game 1 against the Utah Jazz thanks to fourth-quarter domination. Karl is ghostwriting the game plans as he continues to recover from cancer treatment.
But does any of this now mean anything less than the NBA Finals is a head-shaking step back?
I’m going to say no.
I sat at a restaurant and posed the question to two friends, both of whom are Nuggets fans. Both said the season would still be a disappointment if the Nuggets don’t at least make it to the second round — and play well there. Then, and only then, could a hall pass be given in such a strange season that began with such high hopes.
And the more people I talk to, that seems to be the consensus. The second-round opponent likely would be the Los Angeles Lakers, and most folks, given the circumstances, seem all right with an exit there if it were to happen.
The Nuggets have generally not played the type of basketball that results in a deep playoff run. They spoke of shoring up transition and pick-and-roll defense again Sunday. Both are areas that have dogged them throughout the season. But a beaten-up Jazz team may provide the opportunity for the Nuggets to win a series while working out the kinks.
And if they enter the second round with momentum, they might have a shot. But if that shot falls short, the fire-and-brimstone criticism may have to be put on ice.
