Five Ways the Denver Nuggets Can Salvage Their Season

Feb 9, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) and forward Kenneth Faried (35) during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

4. Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried Need to Erase Any Doubts About Their Commitment to Denver

Lawson and Faried are the faces of the Denver Nuggets organization, for better or worse. They are the most identifiable players to casual fans and fans outside of Denver, and when they are engaged and focused, they are arguable the two best players on the team.

But I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say they haven’t lived up to their top billing this season. For all his statistical success on the court, Lawson’s had trouble off the court, including an arrest and a missed practice coming out of the All-Star break. And while he’s played well this season, there have been several games where Shaw has had to openly criticize him afterwards for not thinking “shoot first.” He’s in a tough spot where the Nuggets need him to score AND distribute the ball, and that’s a lot to ask. But if he ever wants to be considered a top point guard in this league, he has to show he can do both at a high level. I don’t think there’s a specific instance that you can point to that shows definitive proof that Lawson’s relationship with Shaw is horrible, but I think all the signs are there — Shaw’s criticism, the trade rumors that surrounded Lawson ahead of the deadline, Ty’s seeming lack of focus and maturity off the court — that indicate all is not well between Lawson and his bosses.

The unfortunate regression of Faried has been widely discussed on this site, especially in recent days as his play has fallen off a cliff over the last four games. This has been a tremendously disappointing season for him, and while fans were led to believe that whatever problems he had with Shaw were left in the trash bin of last season, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that Faried and Shaw still aren’t seeing eye-to-eye.

I know it sounds ridiculous to advocate for the Nuggets to part ways with two of their best players, but I think they need to use the rest of this season to re-connect with Lawson and Faried, and find out if their hearts and minds are committed to being Denver Nuggets. If they are, fantastic. Let’s let bygones be bygones and focus on the future. But if they can’t commit 100% — whether Shaw is the coach next year or not — then I think Connelly owes it to the organization and fans to make the difficult decision to find landing spots for both players and start working potential trades when the 2015 Draft rolls around.

I can live with either outcome, but if Lawson and Faried are here next year and it’s obvious they aren’t fully on board, then this season will be a complete and unmitigated disaster.

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