Would Ron-Ron Have Saved the Nuggets?
In one of those brilliantly random programing decisions, this weekend NBA TV aired game 5 of the epic first round Playoff matchup between Denver and Seattle in 1994. As I re-watched Mutombo improbably lead a rag-tag group over the powerhouse Sonics, all I could think to myself was the following: There’s no way in hell the 2008 Nuggets could pull off such an upset.
There are many reasons as to why the current version of the Nuggs has next to no shot at doing anything memorable this spring, but the two biggest are the head coach, and his team’s stubborn refusal to play anything resembling defense.
Even when they had a chance to land one of the League’s best (and most confident) defenders, they turned down the deal and say they have no regrets.
“Major change, and major personality change like adding an Artest to a team, is more difficult, more complicated, more confusing … . Sometimes patience is the way you make your team better.”
Can anyone - especially after the last two horrific showings - honestly say that this team is better off as presently constructed?
By the way, the man on the bench while Seattle suffered one of the more incredible meltdowns in NBA Playoff history? Take a wild guess.
32 Responses to “Would Ron-Ron Have Saved the Nuggets?”
Apr.7 at 3:09 pm
Ken says:
Doubt it.
Apr.7 at 3:15 pm
niQ says:
i don’t understand how a team with camby can suck at defense.
Apr.7 at 3:58 pm
k.o. says:
ooo ooooo , george karl?
Apr.7 at 3:58 pm
John E. Sanford says:
Even if Denver would have made the trade for Artest, George Karl would have figured out a way to screw it up.
Apr.7 at 4:03 pm
Rudy says:
At least Kobe Karl is good.
Apr.7 at 4:10 pm
Kevin Wilson says:
A team with chemistry issues, that looks like they just met before every game, and then you add Ron Artest? Good luck with that.
Apr.7 at 4:12 pm
Spaceship Jay says:
The Denver Nuggets play NBA Jam defense. If the block or steal isn’t pretty looking, it’s not happening
Apr.7 at 4:18 pm
Jer Boi says:
nuggs dont have chemistry issues..the knicks have chemistry issues..nuggets take way too many days off and choose when to play d instead of playing it for 48+ minutes..and its not like the sonics didnt play well last night…37 8 and 9 for durant..25 and 10 for green…
Apr.7 at 4:35 pm
Drew says:
The team would be better off with Ron Ron, but that doesn’t mean they should have made the trade. If he starts, he would push Iverson to the point. With rotations, he could play the two guard or small forward part of the time, when Melo or AI are on the bench. The team would be better, but I don’t think they would be so much better that they would be contending for the best team in the West. To do that, they need a pass-first point guard who can play D. This happens to be a good draft for that. To get Ron Ron, they would have to give up their #1 pick, plus Kleisa. I don’t think it was worth it.
Apr.7 at 4:42 pm
what says:
Who would want the best perimeter defender in the league when you can have Linas Kleiza, that all-world prospect that he is.
Apr.7 at 5:06 pm
Jason says:
At first I said “no” to the Artest trade, just because Denver already has enough personalities on their team and as good as Ron Ron is…he also can be a ticking time bomb. But now, i’m starting to think otherwise. Like John E. Standford said, even if they did get Ron, Karl would figure out a way to screw it up. That team needs a new Coach with a new concept, period. Untill they get that, they will stay stagnet. That team is entirely too versitile for Karl to be making the mistakes he makes, real talk. If he was responsible for stopping the Artest trade, then he should be fired for that alone. Denver has parts that fit, its about putting them together properly, which is Karls job…and he failed miserably..there is no reason why that team shouldn’t be sitting on top of the West right now…oh yeah there is…Coach Karl!
Apr.7 at 5:07 pm
Jolst says:
It’s easy to point out mistakes on Karl. I don’t see why he’s a bad head coach and all. Sometimes it just look like that all players on the team play for theirselves, not for the team. With AI and Melo running the offensive that’s no problem, but defense is another story. It’s not easy for Karl to make a brilliant defensive team out of it when some players are not cooperating.
Apr.7 at 5:33 pm
John E. Sanford says:
It’s a coach’s job to get the most of his players. Obviously Karl isn’t getting that done. The team doesn’t respond to him, so it’s time for a change.
Apr.7 at 5:54 pm
iLL wiLL says:
Camby is a great defender, yes. However, he excels as a help defender, not a very good one on one defender. As much as it pains me to type this, AI is the problem. This team needs a REAL point guard who will run the team and defend.
Apr.7 at 5:58 pm
MK Petrik says:
They have too much and produce very little, guys need to go (ie,
JR Smith, Kenyon Martin for a solid PG)
Apr.7 at 6:03 pm
Bubba Chuck says:
The answer 2 ur question: He wouldve made us better but he wouldnt have saved us bcuz theres nothing 2 save us from.
Apr.7 at 6:11 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Ron-Ron really saved the Pacers.
Apr.7 at 6:37 pm
Drew says:
Denver is a good team. Ron Ron would make them a better team, but not as good as the top teams in the West. So why make the trade? To make the playoffs and lose in the first round? Then have him leave in the offseason. He is almost certainly going to opt out of his contract and hit the free market. Why trade anything for that?
As for Karl, there is an issue there. It isn’t just the players. He refuses to run a half court offense. It reminds me of when Doug Collins coached the Bulls when MJ was young. They just isolated him and stood on the other side of the court. Then Jackson took over, and they started moving on offense.
Back to the main point. Renting Artest for three months would help Denver make the playoffs, but nothing else. This team needs a plan to get into the elite of the NBA, not a short-term fix to win 4 more games this year.
Apr.7 at 8:42 pm
RV says:
definitely would have, i’ve said before he would make any of the top teams a lock to win it all, he’d motivate these guys on D like no one else can. Ron would beat JR’s ass in a second if he didn’t listen.
Apr.7 at 8:45 pm
Jason says:
iLL wiLL…Iverson does not play the PG position,he plays the SG…so there for placing blame on him for their PG situation is ridiculous. Iverson was brought to Denver to help them contend..key word “help”, he was not brought there to be the Coach, motivational speaker and play every other position out there on the court. People talk about Iversons D, but the fact is Iverson is almost always undersized against his opponents because of the position he plays. He could stand to stay with his man a little more then he does, but other then that, it seems physically impossible for him to gaurd a 6′4 or higher SG, they can just shoot the ball right over him… or body up against a B-Diddy, when AI is only like 165-170 pounds. You try doing that being his size. I’m just saying, theres a reason why he gambles so much on D. Melo on the other hand has the size and weight advantage, he just doesn’t seem commited to D. Which is crazy to me because he has so much potential, but he doesn’t apply himself. I bet you if he had a Coach that was tougher on him he would apply himself even more..him and AI both. In my opinion, Iverson has went to Denver, cut back on his game to try to fit in on that team while still delivering a great season. Everyone on that team either needs to step up or go home. And again, if things don’t pan out then Coach Karl should be the first to go.
Apr.7 at 9:02 pm
tealish says:
Nugget team is ridiculous. George Karl’s coaching is ridiculous. JR Smith is ridiculous. Melo’s D is ridiculous. This team…I’d be happy if they can at least force a game 6 so it’s somewhat of a series.
Apr.7 at 9:15 pm
BC#9 - Brasil says:
artest would do nothing but destroy another franchise
a player is way more than what he is. should have been kicked out of this league a long time ago, but anyway, have to agree with Karl
what a terrible coach. denver has a good group, but not a team, they really need somebody to put them together its unreal to have a team with such a poor defense when you have camby inside and a guard like iverson with so much energy and so many steals put a brain there and the nuggets could go far.
Apr.8 at 12:45 am
TC says:
I agree with Russ, the team has enough egos already and Ron Ron isn’t exactly the glue that can hold the team together. I love AI’s game but I just think they would be better off with Andre and Earl.
Apr.8 at 1:08 am
dma says:
no. artest would have decked iverson for not passing to him so he could take an ill advised 3
Apr.8 at 4:29 am
Jason says:
That team would be a .500 team at best this year in the West with Andre and Earl. Real talk.
Apr.8 at 6:38 am
hursty says:
short answer: yes. He would make them better. meh, retrospective thinking.
Apr.8 at 10:56 am
eyehatedirk says:
Rag Tag? WTF, how can you call Bryant Stith, Robert Pack, LaPhonso Ellis and Mamhoud Abdul-Rauf rag tag!? Unfair assessment!!! Ok, maybe I’m lying………
Apr.8 at 9:50 pm
Jeff says:
iverson does play the point in any case
he is the leader of the team
and melo + camby
ron-ron is saying he is not going to opt out of his contract later this year
he would have most certainly helped th nuggets BIG time
Apr.8 at 11:17 pm
Melvin says:
no! zach randolph would’ve saved them!
Apr.9 at 3:23 am
hursty says:
Fu(k it.
Apr.9 at 5:22 am
Chris Ujma says:
Melo will never win a title. It’s safe to say that every team has a superstar, and we assume that it will be their year ‘one year’. But it won’t, just like Barkley and Ewing, Melo will rack up the stats but never get the ring. Well, unless the L introduces an ‘every team must win at least one’ system, but even then it could take them 29 years
Apr.9 at 8:54 am
hursty says:
so mutombo can wait another 20+ years? sweet.