Chris, will the Nuggets trade a few players in the next few weeks? They have several players with similar styles and the same type of game.
— Charie, Littleton
Charie: This is a two-part thing: First, the organization is constantly evaluating the players and thinking of ways to improve the team. But that’s no different than any other season. However, as it relates to the Nuggets’ 3-7 start, which is where I think you’re going, it’s much too early to be thinking about a fire sale. But it’s interesting how wins and losses alter the picture. A winning record? The team has good depth. Lose, and the roster is redundant. It’s that fine of a line. If the Nuggets fall completely apart, are languishing at the bottom of the conference and are way out of the playoff race, say, by the end of December, then yes, I think it’s fair to expect at least a couple of roster moves to be made by the trade deadline.
In short, the defense has been bad, especially from our two star big men. The offense is anemic without Ty Lawson in the game, aside from when Randy Foye is running the point. Might JaVale McGee get passed up by the seemingly better Jusuf Nurkic and Nate Robinson be moved to SG? Might we even see Kenneth Faried or McGee traded?
— Jake, Plainview, Texas
Jake: We’re starting to see the rotation settling in. The starters for the foreseeable future are going to be Lawson, Arron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler, Faried and Timofey Mozgov. What happens after that really will be determined on a game-by-game basis. Foye will play, Robinson will, too. If Foye and Robinson are on the court together, Robinson pretty much is the two-guard in that duo. Danilo Gallinari should continue to see more time as he rounds into form and starts playing better. The bigs rotation of J.J. Hickson, McGee and Darrell Arthur will change nightly depending on matchups and who’s playing well on both ends.
Defensively, the Nuggets were good against the Cavaliers and I’d argue that Faried had a solid defensive game against Kevin Love. The intensity has picked up for the Nuggets on that end in the last few games. Now they just need to combine that energy with consistent focus in their rotations.
I hate being the “fire the coach” type of fan, but how much more regression do we need to watch before Brian Shaw is given the hook? Lack of a consistent rotation and some regression has this lifelong fan frustrated. Starting to see why he was always an assistant and not the head guy. Thanks, Chris!
— Ryan, West Des Moines, Iowa
Ryan: Thanks for the question. First thing’s first: Don’t expect Brian Shaw to go anywhere during the season. And I’d also caution against making a final determination on what the Nuggets are after just 10 games. There are still 72 to go. Many, many things can change. Or they may not. But we really don’t know much about what the Nuggets actually are while we’re still in the first full month of play in the NBA. Save for a couple of games where fouls or injuries have altered things, Shaw has settled in on the players he’s going to play the most. See my answer above to Jake for more about that.
How much truth is there to the report that Kenneth Faried’s teammates took exception to his contract extension? Do you think it was a mistake to give him the four-year, $50 million deal.
— Paul, New York, N.Y.
Paul: No, I do not think it was a mistake to pay Faried. He’d earned it. Among other statistical things, he’s been the top win-shares generator for the Nuggets in each of the last three seasons. And the contract is slotted in very well when compared to other power forwards in the league. I had said all along that his extension was likely to be around $12 million per year; it came in a tad higher than that. But it’s a very fair deal for both sides. As far as for what other players think about it, no one who hasn’t asked each and every single one of his teammates could possibly know. What I see in the locker room after games is a player that laughs and jokes and gets along with his teammates.
If we’re going to go down the route where we look at coaching alternatives to Shaw, who would be the best fit for this team?
— Matt, Golden
Matt: We’re not going that route.
After Carmelo Anthony forced his way out and now with the team reeling, I have a hard time seeing any star wanting to come to Denver on his own volition and not through a trade or the draft. Do you think the Nuggets will ever have a shot at ever luring a star player?
— J.D., Smithfield, N.C.
J.D.: The Nuggets will likely never work themselves into a space where they are an annual threat to sign the best players out there each summer, but I think they’ll be able to pick one or two off here and there. Money still talks, and the Nuggets will have a lot of it to spend in two summers from now. Remember the Kenyon Martin contract: an overpayment to be sure, but the money got what was then one of the most coveted free agents at the time to the Mile High City. And with the NBA’s new TV deal set to kick in after next season, there will be more for everyone to spend. Then, there is the winning effect. Nobody wanted to go to Cleveland either until LeBron James got there. Then they did. Others wanted to play with him, and most of all, knew in doing so they have a great chance of winning a title. If the Nuggets are in that position themselves, where one or two players can put them over the top, free agents see that. And it would make a difference. But to a certain extent this is just the reality of the situation in Denver: It’s never going to be easy to lure stars.
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or at
