Lakers 53 Nuggets 46 at the Half The root of inconsistency is imbalance(s), and the Nuggets are sadly unbalanced on offense in the first half. Coach Karl's inferiority complex is on full display as he advises the Nuggets to attack the rim over and over and over again. But to be most successful, you need a balance between inside attacking and outside shooting. Carmelo Anthony acts more like Shaquille O'Neal than like Carmelo Anthony by trying to make contested layups from point blank range, which he fails miserably at. The Nuggets are facing elimination, for all practical purposes, and the home crowd so far has not been able to get to see Anthony's trademark and traditional midrange jumper. This is all so very sad. At least the Nuggets are 4/8 from downtown though, just barely enough to keep them in this game. Karl reportedly also ordered that the Nuggets pass the ball around more than in game 2, when they barely passed it around at all, but they have been unwilling or incapable of responding. Iverson started at PG in a tacit admission by Karl that his regular season lineup was more incorrect than correct, but now Iverson is playing as if he is still assigned to the 2-guard, with just 2 assists. The Nuggets are playing as if they don't know what a point guard is, and they completely lack any reliable playmaking capability. It seems that the Nuggets can't win even when they make a move in the right direction. At least the overall number of assists is up some from the horrible game 2, the Nuggets have 11 assists and the Lakers 16 at the half. Nene made a short, more or less token 5 minute appearance in the first half. Najera did at least as well as Martin guarding Bryant, and cost the Nuggets less easy inside scoring from Gasol/Odom while he was guarding Kobe than while Martin was guarding him. Kobe Bryant (6 assists) and Jordan Farmar (2 assists) provided the Lakers' playmaking identity and resulting efficiency in the first half. The overall Laker assist advantage is 16-11. Nuggets from the field are 18/46 or 39.1%. Lakers from the field are 20/42 or 47.6%. There were 8 Nuggets turnovers and 6 Lakers turnovers.
Lakers 14 Nuggets 5 in first 4 1/2 minutes of the third. Lakers are overloading the interior and shutting down the Nuggets because the Nuggets are hardly trying to do anything from outside.
A frustrated Kenyon Martin, who lost the ball to Derek Fisher in the paint, gets his 4th foul half way through the third when he elbows Fisher to the floor. He was lucky not to get a flagrant.
8-0 run for the Nuggets as they go to the zone and the Lakers are not able to immediately adjust. Jackson lumbers off his perch and calls the t/o. 69-59 Lakers 4:39 left in the 3rd.
End of the 3rd: Lakers 83 Nuggets 64 = ROUT The Nuggets offense is too flimsy to be able to overcome the Lakers defense. Which team blundered there way out of contention worse: the Suns or the Nuggets? If the Suns and Nuggets had maximized instead of minimizing their chances, they could have met in the Western Conference Final this year.
Announcers are claiming the Nuggets did not have enough intensity. How intense can you be if you suspect you have not been given the correct instructions on how to beat the Lakers? The Nuggets look like a bunch of frightened animals out there in all honesty. To say they are lacking in confidence and real belief that they could beat the Lakers would be an understatement.
The Lakers were only the 7th best defense this year adjusted for pace and the complete collapse of the Nuggets offense in this game was not due entirely or even mostly to the Lakers defense. The Nuggets have enough weapons to do well against the 7th best defense, but to say they didn't use their weapons well would be an understatement. The depths to which Carmelo Anthony has sunk in this game are truly amazing and disturbing to say the least. Anthony has clearly been negatively affected by the sum total of the management of the Nuggets this year. He followed instructions, and ended up with nothing to show for it. AI gets benched, but was he benched mostly for not distributing the ball properly? Most likely not, because most likely he was not directed to get a minimum number of assists despite getting the start at PG.
In a little glimpse of what could have made for a different series, Nene was 2/2 and played well defensively in 11 1/2 minutes.
There have been three routs/near routs so far. If there is a fourth, then I believe I am correct in claiming that the average NBA owner/front office combination would relieve GK of his duties, allowing him to coach another team next year based on his marathon resume, or get him to retire, whichever he prefers. If the Nuggets lose big again in game 4, and GK comes back for yet another year of miseries, it would prove that the Nuggets are not yet a full scale, totally serious NBA franchise.
Okay, so the Nuggets got swept in the first round by the Lakers. I couldn't watch the fourth game, but at least the score this time didn't look like a routing. Hell, even the last year's performance against the Spurs looked better IMO. Overall, it's just sad if you're looking at this team how many good individual players they have in their roster, but still they're playing with the wrong priorities and don't form a good enough unit. I'm wondering for how long the Nuggets owner(s) and managment will afford all this luxery tax despite having no success at all.
