Kobe Bryant made it very clear during his halftime interview that nobody on the Denver Nugget's roster was able to even attempt to guard him. He is right. Bad knees Kenyon Martin and mental lapse JR Smith (and to slow Kleiza) all are great matchups for Kobe Bryant. Iverson and Anthony Carter are to small to defend Bryant.
The point is there is nothing George Karl can do to get back in this series. The Nuggets became a one and done team once they failed to make a deal before the trade deadline. There are several ways the Nuggets could have attempted to improve their defense. Iverson needed to move to the point guard (which is where they started him last game anyways). This would have allowed the Nuggets to go out and trade for a shooting guard to come in and guard guys like Kobe. Didn't someone write an article about this just before the trade deadline? The Nuggets could have moved Eddie Najera (expiring contract) for John Salmons and Justin Williams. Then instead of starting Kleiza the Nuggets would have been able to start someone at 6'6 who actually could attempt to stay with Bryant.
The Nugget's front office have basically ruined Denver's chances of competing in the playoffs. This is news to them, but it does actually take skill to put together a cohesive roster. The Nuggets have had this problem at the two guard since the Nuggets drafted Carmelo Anthony. Vo Lenard couldn't defend. Greg Buckner could keep defenses honest. The Nuggets have needed a shooting guard ever since Fat Lever left Denver. Wait isn't his son playing professional ball now?
Seriously, it is about time the Nuggets went out and got pieces that fit around Carmelo Anthony. Allen Iverson does not fit around Anthony. Anthony needs to be around shooters. Michael Redd and Rip Hamilton are two guys that would gel well with Anthony. Hopefully the Nuggets move their veterans over the summer and try and rebuild the right way. Otherwise, based on their previous moves, we can expect more of the same.
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Denver Nuggets, NBA, Washington Nationals
Tags: carmelo anthony, denver nuggets, george karl, nba
Comments (1)
Kobe is an amazing individu... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Windows Web Servers | April 27, 2008 9:21 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Kobe is an amazing individual to watch to play basketball. I am always shocked at the extent of his athleticism.
1. Posted by Windows Web Servers | April 27, 2008 9:21 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 27, 2008 21:21