Most people here thought they'd be the worst team in the West. If the playoffs started today, they'd be the 8th seed. So what's the deal, experts? Are the Nuggets for real?
The record required for 8th seed is a joke at the moment , they won 11 and lost 14. And also,they are built like crap, they have like 7 or 8 mature guys playing minutes even though they won't be the future of the the team. Faucking Will Barton tho... 14.6 ppg + 6 rpg in 28 minutes... Neil messed up on that one.
Okay, I'm going to attempt a serious answer. I think the Nuggs are a lot like us in that they have a bunch of solid young players. Their best player is Gallinari, and he's finally healthy and playing very well. They've got an excellent coach, and he's made bold moves like recognizing that JJ Hickson's stats are fool's gold (as Donovan appears to have done with Kanter) and he's focusing on the young guys like Will. Getting rid of Ty Lawson seems to have improved the lockerroom as well (did you see when the Nuggets beat the Rockets a couple of days ago how Lawson played under 20 mins and I think scored zero points? Painful.) Also Faried seems to have returned to his rookie-year form. For a while there he was becoming JJ Hickson II, but he's a positive +/- force. I like 'em. They haven't got the foundation that either Minny or Utah have, but they're very Phoenix Suns-ish. Plus they'll always have a unique homecourt advantage. I don't see them making the playoffs, but this year's West is weird. Memphis could drop. The Mavs could drop. Even Houston could drop.
Finishing 8th and getting lambasted by the Warriors does not, in any way, shape, or form, make a team "real."
