Key Questions For The Remainder Of The Nuggets Season

With only 11 games remaining in the Denver Nuggets 2014-2015 season, this seems like a good time to analyze what we will see for the remainder of the season and what these games, and their results, mean for the Nuggets going forward.

The Nuggets come into tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic with a 26-44 record and they sit in 13th place in the Western Conference. For a season that seemed to have so much promise, with a number of the Nuggets key players returning from injury, this has been a hugely disappointing season to say the least.

Can the Nuggets, in their last 12 games, find a glimmer of hope that next season will not be another of underachievement and disappointment, or will the season end with a feeling that the future does not look bright. I have a few observations on what to look for, positive and negative, in the remaining games of this lost Nuggets season.

Mar 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Melvin Hunt against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Nuggets defeated the Pelicans 118-111 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Will the team play well enough to give interim head coach Melvin Hunt a legitimate shot at being the Nuggets head coach on a permanent basis?

The key to Hunt being given a true chance at the permanent head coaching position has almost already been determined. The players obviously like playing for Hunt, as the energy level and effort they have given since Hunt took over is blatantly noticeable. With no regard for the actual record in the games that Hunt has coached, the team has shown a different attitude and if nothing else, has played extremely hard for the long-time NBA assistant coach.

The Nuggets have said that Hunt will be one of the first candidates to interview for the head coaching position and he should be. The team has been much more fun to watch and they have been competitive in virtually every game since Hunt took over. I think Hunt’s chances to be the Nuggets permanent head coach are slim, mostly because the team may look to make a splash on this decision due to the disaster of their previous head coaching hire.

Mar 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton (5) reacts after scoring against New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham (44) during the overtime of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Nuggets defeated the Pelicans 118-111 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Will the Nuggets see enough good things from their young players to determine that they are a part of the team’s future?

The Nuggets young players, including center Yusu Nurkic, guards Erick Green and Gary Harris, and the newly acquired guard Will Barton, need to use these last 12 games to make a statement that they want to be a part of the Nuggets future, and that they are worthy of that opportunity.

Barton has been a breath of fresh air since he was acquired from Portland, for Arron Afflalo at the trade deadline. His athleticism and raw ability are a joy to watch. He has flaws in his game that look like they could easily be corrected with a good offseason and some familiarity with the rest of the Nuggets players.

Nurkic has shown signs of being a very legitimate NBA Center. He has a skill set that is beyond his 19 years, but he also has a tendency to get into foul trouble, which is something the team (and Nurkic) will have to work on in the offseason.

Harris has shown that he has defensive ability for the NBA game. He will need to work on the offensive side of the ball to be a more complete player, but this guy can cover any guard in the league with his instincts and quickness. Green, on the other hand has shown he can be a decent offensive player, but he has limitations on the defensive end of the floor. With an entire offseason to better learn and understand the NBA game, Green could be a more than serviceable NBA player.

Mar 19, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Denver Nuggets forward

Kenneth Faried

(35) dunks against Houston Rockets guard

Corey Brewer

(33) in the second half at Toyota Center. Rockets won 118 to 108. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

What is the Nuggets Ownership and Management’s plan?

For the last couple of seasons, the Nuggets have looked like a team that had no idea who they wanted to be. The intent when Shaw was hired was to mold the team to be a better in the Playoffs, with a more “Playoff-style” offense and attitude. The problem with that plan was, you have to MAKE the playoffs to determine if this sytem change has worked.

Playing in the Mile High City is different than anywhere else in the NBA, due to the advantage of playing at altitude. To change the style of play that has been successful over the last 30 years didn’t make whole lot of sense. The Nuggets, historically, have had one of the best home-court advantages in the league because they ran teams into the ground. The slow-down style that was mostly employed by Shaw proved it did not work for this team — in this town.

This is one reason I think Hunt deserves a real shot at the head coaching position. He has been here for five years, and he has seen what the up-tempo game can do to opponents coming into Pepsi Center on a nightly basis. On top of this, the current roster is built to run the faster style of play, with athletic players like Kenneth Faried, Wilson Chandler, Ty Lawson and Will Barton.

The front office should re-evaluate the direction they want to go and stick to what has worked in Denver since the days of Larry Brown and Doug Moe.

Mar 7, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard

Ty Lawson

(3) drives to the basket past Houston Rockets guard

Patrick Beverley

(2) during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Do the Nuggets look like a team that gives the fans hope for the future? Or do they look like a rudderless ship with no direction?

The last 10 games have given everyone hope that with the right plan (and right coach), the current roster has playoff-caliber ability. Will the Nuggets do the soul-searching needed to make that observation as well?

We can only hope that the Nuggets brass has been watching the change in this team since Hunt took over, and they determine that the old way is the best way. They will put a coach in place that runs the type of scheme that will give the Nuggets back their extreme home-court advantage, and get them back to being a playoff contender, and then in the future see where that leads.

It will be an interesting final 11 games of the season and I am anxious to see what the team does in the offseason to get this team back to being one of the better teams in the Western Conference.

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