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Denver Nuggets: Takeaways from Philadelphia

By Michael Longhofer

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 26: Referee, J.T. Orr smiles during the Denver Nuggets game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 26, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 26: Referee, J.T. Orr smiles during the Denver Nuggets game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 26, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – JUNE 27: Denver Nuggets 2017 draft pick Trey Lyles addresses the media on June 27, 2017 in Denver, Colorado at Pepsi Center. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JUNE 27: Denver Nuggets 2017 draft pick Trey Lyles addresses the media on June 27, 2017 in Denver, Colorado at Pepsi Center. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /

This will not be a plea for the Nuggets to tank, consider tanking or take any course of action that could be construed as intentionally losing.

First, I want to point out that the caption for the above photo names Trey Lyles as a Nuggets 2017 draft pick.  He is not.  The Nuggets acquired Lyles from Utah for draft pick Donovan Mitchell.

What I do want to point out is that the Philadelphia 76ers seem to have alternated with the Timberwolves for the first pick in the draft for what seems like 15 years.

They have drafted, recently, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, Jhalil Okafor and Elfrid Payton.  That Sixers team currently sits fourth in the Eastern Conference.  If their position holds, as seems likely, it will be their first trip to the postseason since 2012.

As we saw firsthand last night the Sixers are a talented team with several young pieces that could round into a consistent playoff team.

The thing is, does anyone view the Sixers as a threat to win championships any time soon?  Embiid had a solid night with 20 points and 13 rebounds.  Fultz had 10 in a return from a shoulder injury that had kept him out for 68 games.  Simmons had seven points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.  Okafor is struggling in Brooklyn and Payton is in Phoenix.

Even with consecutive high picks, the Sixers have only marginally improved their championship odds.

Transitioning to the Nuggets, the case is that the team is full up on young talent.  Exploring solutions through the draft just further delays the time of the Nuggets relevance.

What would benefit the team more is to use potential picks in sign-and-trade scenarios this summer.  Adding a veteran, scoring wing makes an immediate impact on the Nuggets.  Dumping a couple of our PF/C players makes sense.

It all needs to work together to continue the progression the team has displayed over the last three years.

So, while a quick playoff bow out doesn’t seem particularly appealing for Denver, neither does another project.

This off season will be among the most important in team history, how they finish the season will have a lot to do with how that plays out.

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