With the All-Star break over, the Nuggets shift their focus back to playoff positioning. The question surrounding the Nuggets all year were whether or not they would make a deal to boost their starting lineup. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Nuggets are likely to stand pat.
General Manager
Masai Ujiri and Head Coach George Karl have both said that they are likely to keep their roster how they currently have it. Are they worried that they can’t win without a star player?
“We’re doing alright so far I’d say,” Karl said last week. “It’s not the best player that wins a title, it’s the best team. I feel like we have a great team here that can make a run.”
Nuggets standout forward Kenneth Faried echoes his coaches words.
“I’m comfortable with where we are right now,” said Faried. “Whether we make a move or not, I’m confident we can make a serious run. We have a bunch of players on the team that know their role and don’t bump heads with the coaching staff.”
With their current roster, NBA executives have the Nuggets being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
The Nuggets have had many inquires about big man Timofey Mozgov, but have said they won’t part with the soon to be restricted free agent unless they are blown away by a deal. One of those deals could have been for Boston Celtics’ big man Kevin Garnett, but Garnett has said he would reject a trade to the Nuggets.
The Nuggets have expressed interest in J.J. Redick – a free agent at year’s end – but Redick has expressed interest in re-signing with Orlando when the season concludes.
While the Nuggets may not land a superstar, don’t rule out a smaller dear in which Corey Brewer, Anthony Randolph or Wilson Chandler could be involved.