Nugg Love
Fansided

Nuggets a Total Mess at All Star Break

By Eric Meyer

facebooktwitterreddit

Jan 20, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (34) during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets finished the pre-All Star game half of their season with a spirited win (led by Ty Lawson carrying the entire team on his diminutive back) over the Lakers last night.  But that is not what sticks out to me about the season’s first 3 months.  My take on this portion of the season is that it has been an abject disaster for a lot of reasons.  Just last night Rachel Nichols reported on the TNT National Broadcast that Nuggets Coach Brian Shaw has had to begin taking away his players cell phones in team and pregame meetings due to the players not paying attention to the meeting but to their Twitter accounts.  This is totally unprofessional on both sides.

More from Nuggets News

First, the players not paying attention in meetings is inexcusable.  They are paid to play a game that they love and their work day also consists of preparation for each opponent.  This includes the daily “White Board” or “Film” sessions that are conducted a couple of hours before tip-off.  For the players to be so detached from their job that they resort to looking at their cell phones in meetings that only take an hour or so is ridiculous.

Second, the coach actually admitting this to a national reporter who was definitely going to use this as a story in the broadcast is dumbfounding.  Shaw has already taken to calling out his players on several occasions this season, including saying they are losing on purpose.  This speaks to much greater problems in the Nuggets locker room, front office and coaching staff.  It appears to me that the players don’t like the coach, the coach doesn’t like the players and the front office has no clue what to do, personnel-wise, to repair the situation and salvage the season.

The trade rumors swirling around many of the Nuggets upper tier players can’t be helping matters.  Wilson Chandler, Arron Afflalo, Kenneth Faried, Randy Foye and even Ty Lawson have come up in trade rumors over the last few weeks.  Although they are public figures and should have some thick skin for situations like this, these guys are people too and not knowing where you be playing tomorrow can weigh on a players mind.

JaVale McGee has been a Mega-Bust since signing his huge contract after the 2012 season.  This guy can’t stay healthy long enough for the Nuggets to see that he can achieve his potential or to prove to other teams he is worth a look in a possible trade.

The effort has been weak at times and it is evident in the Nuggets record going into the break.  Losing to the Eastern Conference bottom feeding Celtics at home is just one of many examples one could make of games where it was apparent that the team had no focus in the game.  They have been mostly abysmal in the second game of back to backs (Last nights win at the Lakers may be the one exception) and they have let lesser teams beat them on their home floor.

I have maintained that the core players on this roster are legitimate NBA players and that this team should be competing at the bottom end of the Western Conference playoff standings.  I stand by that observation.  But the talent has not shown up on the floor to the complete and total dysfunction of the entire organization.  Major changes are needed all the way into the front office and they should begin happening during the All Star break.

I am not calling out for the firing of Coach Shaw but I find him hugely culpable for the Nuggets crappy performance this season.  He has alienated his players and now thinks they are trying to lose on purpose to get him fired.  They don’t have to lose on purpose for Shaw to be on the hot seat, he has put himself firmly there on his own.
It will be very interesting to see what happens over the All Star break and what kind, if any, changes are made before the Nuggets return to action against the Milwaukee Bucks on the road on February 20th.

I for one will be paying attention to the noise that emanates from the Pepsi Center locker room and front office of the Denver Nuggets.  This season is lost but I think with the right moves, a total blow up of the roster is not needed.  Maybe just one big move would solve some of the inner locker room animosity.  We shall see….We shall see.

Next: Nuggets Trade Rumors: Afflalo, Foye and Nelson

More from Nugg Love

Home/Nuggets News