Great news Nugget fans, your team is just 4.5 games out of first place in the Western
Conference. Now for the bad news. Currently, Denver is 12 games over .500 and looking
at the playoffs from the outside. Yes, your beloved Nuggets are in 9th place out west.
Future GM of the year Mitch Kupchak stole Pau Gasol. Steve Kerr rolled the dice on
Shaq. Mark Cuban is determined to land Jason Kidd.

Carmelo Anthony has the best mid range jumper in the game, however the Nuggets
brass have failed to surround him with the talent to get out of the first round. Carmelo
needs shooters and they traded for Allen Iverson. Based on Iverson's reputation he
was a scorer by shot volume. His last partial season in Philadelphia he shot 41% from
the field. During the 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 seasons Iverson failed to shoot over the
40% mark on the year.If that isn't chucker territory then I don't know what is. To
Iverson's credit he has worked hard to be a team player and blend in with his
teammates in Denver. Iverson's field goal percentage has risen, and his shot attempts
have dropped. However, when watching the Nuggets it appears on occasion that the
superstars don't gel well together. I don't think playground rules should apply in the
NBA. You shot last time now it is my turn. That is not what I call an offense. George
Karl doesn't have any quality offensive schemes besides the fast break and relying on
his stars. On the other end the Nuggets struggle defensively as well giving up 104
points per game.

The rumor floating around the league is that the Nuggets plan to pick up Ron Artest
before the deadline. I say right team, wrong player. The Nuggets can only get Ron
Artest by mortgaging the Nugget's future players. There are multiple players involved
in the trade rumors, but the concept is Eddie Najera plus Linas Kleiza for Ron Artest.
Why trade for a franchise killer when another King is having a career year. John
Salmons has been the one bright spot for the Kings all season long. Sacramento is
headed in a rebuilding direction with a 23 win record. The Kings are set at shooting
guard with Kevin Martin which makes John Salmons very expendable. Salmons was
signed to replace Bonzi Wells when the Kings believed they where heading in the right direction. The Kings can make a deal with the Nuggets to erase Salmon's contract from
their books. The Nugget's brass need to take a hard look at John Salmons. With Anthony Carter (5'11) and Allen Iverson (6'0) in the Nuggets backcourt, stars like Kobe Bryant
(6'6) and Manu Ginobili (6'6) can dominate either guard in the playoffs offensively. Lets
take a look at John Salmon's (6'6) statistics as a starter for the Kings this year.

17.9 Points Per Game
3.6 Assists Per Game
4.8 Rebounds Per Game
1.5 Steals Per Game
0.4 Blocks Per Game
51% Field Goal Percentage
42% 3 Point Field Goal Percentage
82% Free Throw Percentage
38 Minutes Per Game

Not a bad deal for the Nuggets right? The offical trade I suggest is Eddie Najera for
John Salmons and Justin Williams. There are other trade options that could be
available for Denver. For instance, Michael Redd and Charlie Bell for Nene, Najera,
and JR Smith works.The Nuggets could also go after Vince Carter. However, George
Karl seems to want to play Iverson off the ball. Trading for a shooting guard would
force Iverson to run the point. Salmons has quality ball handling skills, so he could
see some time as a point guard. The only issue is the relationship between Iverson
and Salmons back in Philadelphia. Will Iverson welcome being reunited with
Salmons? Both are different players now at diferent points in their career. Denver can
make a splash before the deadline without mortgaging their future.If the budget
becomes an issue with Stan Kroenke he may not be willing to make a deal.Trust me
Stan has the money, and the Nuggets aren't guaranteed to make the playoffs without
a deadline deal.