The Denver Nuggets Are Like...

Disclaimer: It's a shame that I have to provide a disclaimer in these modern times, but I in no way mean the following to be offensive. I do not intend to diminish the terror and atrocity of suicide or 'Russian Roulette', but the idea is used for reasons purely metaphorical and rhetorical. Perhaps I've used them in poor taste, and if you believe that to be the case, feel free to voice your opinion in the comments or send me an email.

I'm not really sure how fans of the Nuggets haven't been driven absolutely nuts by the season at hand. The entire team is both captivating and infuriating; impossible to defend and impossible to watch. They have two of the top five scorers, a great help-side shot blocker, killer athletes, an assortment of solid role players...and yet every time they play you still feel like they have a 1/6 chance of being their own worst enemy.

But what is that 1/6? Is it the urge to score at all times? The resulting lack of desire on defense during critical stretches? The knowledge that they should be blowing out almost every team in the league, but aren't? The problem is certainly not physical, as a healthy Nuggets team on paper is as good as any in the L. But mentally, in terms of court savvy and that terribly undefinable basketball IQ, this team just seems lacking.

Allen Iverson is a tremendously talented player, and I do realize I'm not revolutionary in typing that. For better or worse, the team has taken on his personality since his arrival in Denver. His first game with the Nuggets had A.I. throwing lob after lob to Carmelo, connecting on one out of what I remember to be somewhere in the ballpark of eight attempts at the feat. He's a showman, a warrior, a talent, a scorer. Iverson gets steals, but doesn't play good defense. He's the size of a point guard, but doesn't run an offense and can't seem to be the focal point of one that achieves playoff success against solid competition. He's had his share of success: a finals appearance, an MVP, his fair share of all-star appearances, first and second team All-NBA accolades. Yet Iverson may always be remembered as a player that is impossible to build a successful franchise around. He sells jerseys and tickets but can't quite put a team over the top. I don't want to say he's not a winner, because that's ridiculous and trite. But something about the guy's style of play and leadership doesn't facilitate winning an NBA championship, simple as that.

I see more of the same in Carmelo Anthony. Maybe it's because neither plays great defense even though they could, maybe it's because both can be immature even though they shouldn't, or maybe it's because both play for George Karl and...well, what more need be said. Melo was talented enough to dominate the NCAA tourney and pull Syracuse to the national championship, but is it possible he'll be left out of the NBA championship circle? Surely it's too early in his career to write him off entirely, but I can't say I'd be at all surprised to see him pull off an Iverson career - accolades, all-star games, scoring titles, making the playoffs, and not much more. The controversy around his off-court troubles surely replicate criticism of Iverson, and word is he's not the most coachable player on the planet.

There is definitely some success in this method -- the remaining 5/6 of the time, spirits will seem high, victories will be had, and there will be feelings of contentment and relief. The question is, as that inevitable time approaches, what will become of this Nuggets franchise? And equally important, how and why is it that what was once 'Carmelo's team' has suddenly and unknowingly become 'Iverson's team'?

The answer to that question is one that every reader hates: I don't know. But hell, no one does. George Karl doesn't know, Allen Iverson doesn't know, David Stern doesn't know, and your favorite sports analysts don't know. Followers of sports have talked about teams killing themselves for ages, a sort of explanation of the self-induced implosion that destroys a capable and superior team when their post-season lives are at stake. Still, few things compare to the potential for success at such a high risk - the Nuggets show us these flashes of wonder, or sometimes even the steadiness of being a winning team, but also show us a much darker side, one that makes you wonder how such great potential, athleticism, and skill is "wasted" because of stupid mistakes, defensive lapses, and cockiness. As a team, you can achieve success at a fairly high rate for long enough playing that way. But when everything revolves around shooting and the players' heads aren't where they should be, it won't matter who the Nuggets play in the first round because neither the Lakers, nor the Hornets, nor the Spurs will beat them. It will be the same story with these same Nuggets: they will inevitably beat themselves.


Edit: Is it possible that I internet jinxed Carmelo Anthony? For those not in the know, he was arrested for a DUI early this morning.