Five Ways the Denver Nuggets Can Salvage Their Season

Feb 22, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) and Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) watch their team from the bench during action against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

By all accounts, the Denver Nuggets 2014-15 season is a failure. The team came into the season shouldering playoff expectations, and instead of finding a way to make noise in the crowded Western Conference, the Nuggets have stumbled, crumbled and nearly fallen apart. Ty Lawson, the closest thing this team has to a star, has run afoul of the law and, despite posting solid numbers, has failed to emerge as the leader this team desperately needs. Kenneth Faried has transformed from a high-energy weapon on the verge of stardom to an overpaid, undersized power forward who might be in danger of permanently losing his spot in the starting lineup. The offseason acquisition of Arron Afflalo was a failed experiment that did nothing but net the team a first round pick. JaVale McGee, the once promising athletic center, was sent packing to Philadelphia for basically nothing in exchange. And the chorus of Nuggets fans calling for the team to fire Brian Shaw grows louder by the day.

It doesn’t matter in which direction you look, things are pretty dire in Denver.

But that doesn’t mean the rest of the season has to be a total waste. Despite having basically zero chance of clawing their way back into the playoff hunt, there are still opportunities for the Nuggets to finish this season on a high note and set themselves up for success in the offseason.

Here, then, are five ways the Denver Nuggets can salvage their season.

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