In these comments, do not look for the usual huge amount of detail and proof that you see in the ordinary releases here at Nuggets 1. Some of this is more like everyday conversation than like top quality sports writing. On the other hand, some of the comments do include some detailed reasoning and proof that I pride myself on in the primary reports I release.
______________________________________________
APRIL 2008 FORUM COMMENTARY ON THE NUGGETS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THEIR MISTAKES
The following comments were being made while the Nuggets were being blown out by the Lakers 4 games to zero in the 2008 playoffs.
_____________________________________________
Someone who knows what he is talking about said:
The reason why Camby was caught off of Gasol so many times had nothing to do with what kind of man defender he is. Kobe beat Marting off the dribble a few times and dished it off when Camby came to help, Odom got offensive rebounds or drove it in, and did the same thing. LUKE WALTON burned Kleiza and Melo a couple times and dished it to Gasol. The nuggets team defense is terrible. Camby is the anchor but they need to keep martin down low with him, and pray that 1 perimeter player is capable of playing a good defensive game. Smith needs to keep coming off the bench and scoring, Najera just needs to do his thing, and Carter needs to be put on the IR. I think Karl will make some adjustments to the Triangle and their defense should be better next game with a much better result.
My response was:
I cosign most of this. And yes, one of the reasons you can't put Martin out on Kobe is because Melo is hardly at all improved on defending from prior years, and we all know how good he was in prior years, lol. If you think Carmelo Anthony is going to all of a sudden become a lock down paint defender just because you have decided to have Martin guard Bryant, then sorry, it won't work out for you. Camby needs help for his reasons and Melo needs help for his reasons. And those two need more help than is available from Najera and Kleiza. Against the best teams such as the Lakers, the Nuggets defense with no Nene is little more than a house of cards. Remove the Martin card and the whole thing comes tumbling down.
______________________________________________
"The Obstinate and Annoying One," also known as "The Mouse":
The Nuggets lost by 14 point on the road in the playoffs against a team that has completely destroyed them this season. There was nothing controversial about Karl's decision and the Nuggets didn't get destroyed defensively. As ugly as game 1 was, it was an improvement for the Nuggets against the Lakers so of course it was worth it.
I don't want to the Nuggets lose by 30+ points, which is what will happen if the Nuggets used your suggestion.
The response of "The Cat" (me):
If the Nuggets had used most or all of my improvements, they would not be playing the Lakers right now. They would definitely have home court advantage, and they would be playing, most likely, the Jazz, the Suns, or the Rockets. The Lakers would come in the semifinals or even the Western Conference Finals. How do I know this? I don't know it as a total 100% certainty, true, but it is extremely likely, based on many dozens of hours of proving my points and seeing them proven out in real games as the season has unfolded.
____________________________________________
The following are comments made during game 2 of the Lakers 4 games to zero sweep of the Nuggets:
Well, well, well, well. lol. The pretending is put aside and AI starts at PG and Carter does not start. Naturally, the Nuggets are off to a far better start than in game 1.
I'd say "another river has been crossed in the quest for the ring," but I figure Karl will go back to starting Carter again before the series is out. So I won't say it.
______________________________________________
Oh no, now we have to worry that Karl will give to Carter many of Smith's minutes.
______________________________________________
But Karl is always operating from deep in the hole. He partially corrects one of his mistakes, but now he has a new mistake going that he will stubbornly refuse to correct even if the Nuggets lose 4 games to 0, namely, having Martin guard Kobe Bryant. Tonight Bryant is already 5/7 while being guarded by Martin. Yeah right, just because Martin is quick and has good instincts, you put him on Bryant. You put a PF on a guard. Yeah right George, anything you say. You have won plenty of championships doing it your way, so you must be right.
______________________________________________
Does Pau Gasol come from the ghetto? I doubt it.
______________________________________________
Well, Kobe Bryant can't be stopped but the Nuggets nevertheless are even after one quarter, due to the much better starting lineup and due to AI hitting a few shots. The Nuggets have a better chance of winning a game against the Lakers if they DON'T get overly paranoid about Bryant. The Nuggets have all kinds of offensive weapons with which they can keep up with Kobe Bryant, so to get overly paranoid about Bryant, (and putting Martin on Bryant means the Nuggets are overly paranoid), is stupid.
______________________________________________
A rare sighting of Nene early in the 2nd quarter.
______________________________________________
Wow, GK has called 2 timeouts at precisely the right time as of early in the 2nd quarter, amazing. Could it be that he actually thinks the Nuggets can win this game? Probably not.
____________________________________________
The Nuggets 3-point game is non-existent, Carmelo Anthony is not getting the ball enough, and the Nuggets are in a scoring drought. (Yes, all of those 3 are connected to some extent.) Also, what else is new?
____________________________________________
On the one hand the Nuggets can't possibly beat the Lakers in a series without Nene. On the other hand, it's typical of the snake bitten Nuggets franchise that Nene finally plays in game 2 of the playoffs, after missing most of the season. Nene is the kind of player who gets a lot better with a lot of playing time, precisely what he didn't get this year. So for the Nuggets, it seems that the good news is never enough to make up for all the damage from the bad news.
___________________________________________
Derek Fisher is not a high scoring PG. So Kobe Bryant could safely be contained by Iverson and Smith working in tandem to do that. Or Yakhouba Diawara and Iverson. Or Yak and Smith. Martin alone doesn't do it, sorry.
___________________________________________
A rare sighting of Martin stopping Gasol at the hoop, about 1/2 way through the 2nd quarter.
___________________________________________
Linas Kleiza fights to stop the Laker offensive rebounding train, nice work.
__________________________________________
Damn, as soon as I say that, Kleiza hurts his elbow at the offensive end on a drive. Kleiza has clearly come correct to play in the playoffs for the first time ever.
