Does Structure Matter More Than Talent Now? | Lessons from the Knicks, Thunder and Spurs
The Denver Nuggets are enjoying Cancun, soon to be joined by the Avalanche down 0-3 to Las Vegas, and the more I watch the NBA Playoffs the more the truth is made apparent to me. Teams need talent but your best players have to have countermeasures in place to offset the coverages your best offensive players will see and the Spurs, Knicks and Thunder have their own way of doing that. What is Denver’s? Jamal Murray also made All-NBA!
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Murray has been empowered to play with his food for far too long.
The Nuggets can't hold a candle with the teams battling currently at the WCF. Regular season is different. Playoffs are different.
Both matter at the end of the day
I think what we're seeing with OKC and San Antonio might empower NBA Owners. Owners can maximize contracts with 1-2 players only. Build depth then move players that have proved themselves by trading them to teams that have a top 15 Draft Pick. Rinse and Repeat. The days of paying High Salaries to your 3rd, 4th and 5th best players should be over. Those salaries Kill roster depth
TRADE MURRAY
You are right about "structure," and it is more than just personnel, it's about offensive AND defensive systems. The constant DH on the perimeter vs. downhill quickness into the paint has become too predictable. Personnel is a problem because Nugget perimeter guys have slow feet.
Should we trade for a player like shaedon sharp!? From the blazers
We are far, far away from being a contender, and there is no obvious answer as to what we should do. In theory, we are similar to the Knicks, but better offensively and worse defensively. At least in theory, Watson is similar to OG or has that potential, Braun is similar to Josh Hart and we have Gordon and Jokic, which provides a good foundation. Murray is problematic because he has become too slow for our team (and I love him but that's just a fact). He might work well in another system, but we need a quicker, more defensive guard in his place. Cam is great and I love him. So, our main six guys should be a new guard, Braun (assuming he rises to Josh Hart's level next season), Cam, Gordon, Jokic, and Watson. The bench should then be filled with veterans and two or three rookies on minimum contracts. I see no other answer or solution. Even with these changes, we have to pray that Braun can reach Josh Hart's level, Watson can reach at least near OG's level, and AG can stay healthy. That is a lot to ask for.
Murray was great ….but I don't agree that he was clutch this season