Nic Zeman's Sports Blog

Kayvon Webster Draft Analyst

2013-05-17T20:07:00.000-06:00

Many were surprised when the Broncos took cornerback Kayvon Webster in the third round, but Elway and co. had their eye on him. Some criticized the pick because they thought Webster was a sixth round prospect. However, he was surrounded by a completely inept South Florida team. I truly felt sorry for him when I was watching his highlight tapes. He played under three, yes three, different defensive coordinators in his time in college. He will do well when he gets some continuity on the defensive scheme.

One knock is that he is not big a guy. He is only 5-10 and 195 pounds, but he is fast as shown by his 4.41 40. Kayvon also have good cover and ball skills. He is also a return specialist, but since the Broncos have Trindon Holliday, he wont need to return any type of kicks.

He probably wont get much, if any, playing time this season because the Broncos defensive backfield is packed. He will likely get playing time in the future or the Broncos would not have taken him so high in the draft. They will not find out what they have in him right away, but he will provide the team with his play in the near future. When he plays, look for him to be in the dime packages. Champ Bailey is not getting any younger and could retire at any point. At that time, the Broncos will need another corner next to Chris Harris.

Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Finals

2013-05-17T11:02:00.002-06:00

After the Spurs finally disposed of the Warriors, they get to play the Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals. This will be a great grind-it-out series. Both teams don't really play at a fast pace and both play solid defense. San Antonio will have home court advantage, but as we have seen this may not matter to the Grizzlies.

Mike Conley has played very well in the playoffs, but he should be no match for Tony Parker. Parker is too good on offense for Conley to stop him. Parker should be able to dominate this series and I think he will have to if the Spurs want to win this series.

The Grizzlies need Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph to play very well. I assume they will stick Defensive Player of the Year, Gasol, on Tim Duncan while Randolph will have to worry about Tiago Splitter. If Duncan can be held in check and either Gasol or Randolph have a great offensive series, look out for the Grizzlies in the finals.

Manu Ginobli had a terribly bad series against the Warriors. The Warriors don't have a premiere defensive stopper on the wing. The Grizzlies do have one in Tony Allen. Ginobli will have a very hard time scoring whenever Allen is on him. I could also see Allen spending some time on Tony Parker if he starts getting hot.

I think the Grizzlies win this series in 6. The only advantage the Spurs have, besides experience, is Tony Parker. The Grizzlies should be able to steal one in San Antonio and then close it out in the Grind House.

Nuggets Center Situation

2013-05-17T09:48:00.000-06:00

Kosta Koufos started at center for the entire regular season, but he was benched in the playoffs for good reason. Koufos was serviceable during the regular season, he did nothing great and he played good solid defense. Towards the end of the year he fell apart. He was no longer playing good defense and without that he is basically useless. He is not an exceptional rebounder or scorer. He should not be a starter in the league and the Nuggets need to find him a new role.

Javale McGee as oodles of potential, but it does not look as if he will crack into that potential well. The team started playing better in the playoffs when he was the starter, but he still did not get a lot of minutes. He does not have a refined post game and has a hard time scoring on anything except alley oops and dunks. He is not a good defender. He sucks at guarding players in the post, other centers can do what they want. I dont think he will ever be more than a mediocre center. He is a pretty good backup though.

Timofey Mozgov was thought to be the starting center before the season, but for some reason Koufos took over the job and Mozgov ended up being a bench warmer. I like Mozgov, he can shoot and play decent defense. He can make an 18 footer which stretches out the defense. None of the other Nuggets big men are capable of doing this. He is also be a big guy who is good at boxing out. I don't know why he was ostracized, but he should not have been. The Nuggets would have had a better season if Koufos was not starting.

There are no centers that the Nuggets are capable of going after that would be worth the money. They have to improve with what they have. There are three centers that stand out in the draft, Gorgui Dieng, Jeff Whitey, and Lucas Norgueira. I would prefer Dieng because he is the most developed player. He has a decent mid range jumper and plays great defense. Whitey is mostly a shot blocker, but he plays good post defense unlike McGee. Norgueira is more of a a project, but I dont know enough about him to comment further.

The fact of the matter is that the Nuggets need to upgrade at center in the worst way and the best way to do that is through the draft.

Memphis Advances

2013-05-16T10:03:00.000-06:00

The Memphis Grizzlies have advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history. They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in a series of close, fun-filled games. Memphis always seemed to shut down Durant in the 4th quarter and since Westbrook was out, the Thunder did not have anyone else on the team who could create their own shot. This series made it obvious how important Westbrook is to the Thunder.

Not many thought the Grizzlies would be anywhere near the Western Conference Finals after they traded Rudy Gay, but they ended up being a better team without him. Many also thought they wouldn't make it past the first round after going down 0-2 to the Clippers. They ended up winning four straight to take the series. Marc Gasol has been the man for them. He has knocked down some big shots and his patented defense really helped the Grizzlies.

Memphis making it this far without a superstar is good for all teams without one, especially if the Spurs make it too. Memphis is proving that small market teams without a superstar can still survive and dominate in the playoffs. I think a lot of the credit has to go to head coach Lionel Hollins. After the Gay trade, he got this team to play team ball. They did not have to worry about another player taking all the shots and dominating the ball for an entire possession.

Team ball has one out so far, lets hope it can continue. I think the Grizzlies will make it to the Finals where they will beat the Indiana Pacers, yep thats right you heard me, the Pacers.

Go small market teams go!

Nuggets Power Forward Situation

2013-05-15T21:27:00.000-06:00

Kenneth Faried improved from his rookie season, but he really needs to work on his defense. He is already undersized, but when you couple that with mediocre defensive play, it is a recipe for disaster. With that said, he greatly improved his offensive game, even showing some new post up moves. He is still an energizer on the floor going where ever the ball is. He is a good rebounder, but I would like to see him work to get better position. Overall he just needs to improve, if he continues to do that he will be a great asset to have.

After Faried, the Nuggets dont really have much behind him. They signed Anthony Randolph to a two year contract, but he did not do much this season and was not part of the regular rotation. He looked like the same Anthony Randolph of years past, taking bad shots and dribbling the ball way too much. There is no way the front office can look at him as a piece for the future. He is just a regular bench player.

Landing Carl Landry would be my dream scenario. Landry plays tough physical defense, he is also a good rebounder. However, his best attribute is his ability to score from anywhere inside 18 feet. The Nuggets need this badly. He also hits his free throws which no Nuggets big man can do. Landry would come off of the bench, but he would still get a lot of minutes.

Other than Landry, there is not another Power Forward that I am enamored with. David West could be an option, but he is older. I think the Nuggets like Faried as their starter going forward, but they need to shore up the bench behind him.

Montee Ball Draft Analyst

2013-05-15T09:18:00.001-06:00

Some were surprised when the Broncos decided to take Wisconsin star Montee Ball over Eddie Lacy, but I was not. First, I did not want Lacy, he was out of shape for his pro day which is never a good sign. Ball brings so much more to the field too, he is fast, agile and he has good strength for his size. He ran for 1900 and 1800 yards in his last two years at Wisconsin and he was also a top Heisman vote getter two years ago. He also has a nose for the the end zone, scoring 33 and 22 TD's in his his two years.

The Broncos needed someone like him, when McGahee went down, they did not have anyone who could run the ball consistently. They also did not have anyone who was good in short yardage situations. Ball is also a decent back to have in on 3rd downs, he is a decent pass blocker and he can catch the ball well.

I am willing to bet that Ball makes it into the starting lineup on day one. There is really no one to compete against him. McGahee is 32 and he could be cut. Moreno could also be cut and Hillman has not shown me anything to make me believe he can be a starting running back. Ball will alleviate some of the stress that was put on Manning and the passing offense. He will be able to get a decent amount of yards on first down, which was something the Broncos had trouble with all season.

Another one of his upsides is the fact that he does not fumble. Unlike McGahee and Moreno, he holds onto the ball. The Broncos gave away too many opportunities because of fumbles. If Ball is getting the lion share of the carries, that should not be a problem.

Ball will benefit from not having to face a lot of players in the box because Manning is too much of a threat to defenses. I expect him to average around 4.5 YPC for 1000+ yards and 8+ TD's.

Broncos Interested in Charles Woodson

2013-05-14T19:42:00.000-06:00

The Broncos have reportedly flown out safety/corner Charles Woodson for a visit. I for one am hoping they sign him as quick as they can. Woodson is still a top flight ball hawk who could come in during nickel and dime situations. He would cause QB's to think twice about throwing it deep or over the middle because they would be risking an interception. He could come in for Adams, who is poor in pass coverage and shore up one of the Broncos weak spots last season.

With Woodson and Champ in the defensive backfield, QB's would be facing two of the best ball hawkers of all time. Woodson would make an already good pass defense into a great pass defense.

Woodson would also be valuable in terms of his experience. He could teach young safeties such as Rahim Moore and Quinton Carter how to defend better against the pass. Moore would be impacted the most because he could lose playing time now, but his future would only get brighter.

The Broncos should bring him in for around 2 years 4 million dollars. I think this would be a fair deal considering his age.

Nuggets Small Forwards

2013-05-14T19:21:00.000-06:00

Nuggets starter Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL late in the season and there is a possibility that he may not be back until December. When he comes back he is still the obvious starter, but he needs to continue to improve. He has a decent three point shot, but, in my opinion, he takes too many. He also like to try to play ISO a lot which normally ends very badly. He plays his best when Ty Lawson is on the floor and does not create his own shot.

Wilson Chandler did and excellent job backing him up when he was healthy. He played even better when Gallo went down and he got more minutes he played great. However, he played terrible in the playoffs and could not buy a shot to save his life. He will continue to be a good backup, but I can envision a scenario where Denver decides to trade him. He is an attractive prospect who can score on his own and he plays good defense. However, I have a hard tim envisioning what Denver would be able to get in return.

Corey Brewer is likely not going to be on the team next season, which makes it even harder to trade Chandler. Brewer played awesome all year, but he too took a terrible fall in the playoffs. He played great defense all year and was a great fit for this running team. He did have a tendency to take too many shots which resulted in a low field goal percentage. He will find a team to be on next season and I am sure they will be happy with the result.

Quincy Miller never got any meaningful playing time and when he was on the court it was either really good or really bad. He does have potential. He is a decent shooter and his length can bother players on the defensive end. It is possible that he could get some playing time early next season due to Gallo's injury.

With Gallo out for the beginning of the year and Brewer likely to leave in free agency, they Nuggets will be thin at this position. Iguodala could be able to fill in and he might start at this position if Karl would like Chandler to come off of the bench. This part of the lineup might be the weak link until Gallo comes back from his torn ACL, but they will have to make due.

Andrew Wiggins Chooses Kansas

2013-05-14T12:41:00.002-06:00

Here is another story of a player wasting a year of his career in college. Wiggins would likely have been the number one pick in the 2012 NBA draft because of his athletic ability and potential. He will be a great scorer in the NBA once he has done his time in college.

Kansas is likely now the favorite to win it all. Them and Kentucky will be the top two teams on everyones boards to begin the season.

This is another glaring example of why the NBA's declaration rules should be changed. I say that one should be able to declare for the draft after their senior year in high school, but if they dont they have to stay in college for two years, This would reduce on the amount of players such as Wiggins who waste their time in college.

2013 Fantasy Football QB Rankings

2013-05-14T12:18:00.002-06:00

1. Drew Brees- Brees has been a top QB for some time. He has a lot of talent around him too. Marques Colston is a really good receiver and Jimmy Graham is one of the best tight ends in the league. Compound that with the fact that their running game is one of the worst in the league. They also traded away Chris Ivory who was their best back. Brees will find a way to put up 22 PPG with normal league settings. Sean Peyton coming back will only help him
Projected Points: 22 Per game

2. Arron Rodgers- Armed with a new deal, Rodgers should continue to dominate fantasy football. He lost Greg Jennings, but he was not around much last season and he has other weapons. The only reason he is not number one is because the Packers picked up Eddie Lacy. Rodgers has never had a back this good and the Packers offense should be able to use him.
Projected Points: 21

3. Robert Griffin III- He was the number one QB for some time last season until he got injured and could not do things he normally does. He should be back for the first game next season and I expect him to make noise. He will be most effective later in the season when he gets his legs back.
Projected Points: 20.5

4. Cam Newton- I am not a fan of Cam Newton and I dont think he is a franchise QB, but he is one hell of a fantasy football player. Even when he has bad games he racks up the points which should bring joy to the faces of his owners.
Project Points 20.3

5. Peyton Manning- Manning has a new weapon in Wes Welker. He will continue to produce at a high level especially with Welker, Thomas and Decker as his weapons. I think the Broncos passing offense may be almost unstoppable this season. Another year with Thomas and Decker will only improve their chemistry.
Projected Points: 19.5

6. Tom Brady- Brady may have some trouble without Welker, but he wont drop off that much. Brady will continue to pass a lot, but I think he will be less efficient. With all of this considered, he is still a top option at QB.
Projected Points: 19.5

7. Matt Stafford- Stafford had a really bad season last year, but I think he will have a nice bounce back year. He always has Calvin Johnson to throw to. His biggest problem last season was not throwing touchdowns, but I think those will come back to a respectable level.
Projected Points: 19

8. Andrew Luck- Luck was simply amazing last season with his passing ability, but he also was able to run some too which is always helpful for QBs. I dont think he will throw as many interceptions which will be nice for owners. He could also end up being a top 3 QB by the end of the year due to a lack of a running game.
Projected Points: 18.5

9. Matt Ryan- Ryan had a great season last year because Michael Turner could not run. He will continue to be a great option at QB because of his weapons, but I envision a more run oriented offense like years past.
Projected Points: 18

10. Russell Wilson- Wilson tied a record for most passing TD's by a rookie last year. His only knock is that Marshawn Lynch is one of the best running backs in the league so they will continue to feed him. He adds to his value because of his ability to run although he is more of a passing QB.
Projected Points: 17.5

11. Michael Vick- Vick comes with some risk due to his injury history, but I think he will be a force in Chip Kelly's offense.
Projected Points: 18 with injury risk

12. Eli Manning- Manning had a really down year last year, but he is surrounded by too much talent to have another bad season. Look for him to have a nice rebound season
Project Points: 16.5

13. Tony Romo- I cant be the only one who thinks Romo will have a down season after inking that humongous contract in the offseason.
Projected Points : 16

14. Andy Dalton- Dalton has improved in each of his first 2 years and should continue to do the same with AJ Green to throw to. Green is a top receiver and Dalton an co. should continue to find ways to get him the ball.
Projected Points: 16

15. Sam Bradford- He hasnt quite turned into the player most had hoped, but he has a new weapon in Tayvon Austin who can take any play to the house.
Projected Points: 15.5

16. Josh Freeman- He is in a make or break year. He has a nice weapon in Vincent Jackson, but he needs to work on his short and mid range accuracy.
Projected Points: 15

17. Ben Roethlisberger- He comes with risk and he is without his favorite target, but for some odd reason I think think he will have an OK season.
Projected Points: 14.5

18. Matt Schaub- Schaub has Arian Foster to work with, but he is a really good passer who makes the most of his opportunities.
Projected Points: 14.5

19. Jay Cutler- He has Marshall, but he needs to reign in his interceptions for him to be a legitimate starting fantasy QB.
Projected Points:14

20. Ryan Tannehill- He improved throughout the year and they brought in Wallace. However, I doubt Wallace resembles anything he did while he was in Pittsburg.
Projected Points: 13

Sylvester Williams Draft Analyst

2013-05-13T18:25:00.001-06:00

With their first pick in the 2013 NFL draft the Broncos drafted Sylvester Williams, a defensive tackle out of North Carolina. The Broncos have really needed a defensive tackle for the longest time and they finally filled this glaring need. Vickerson has played well and they picked up Terrance Knighton in free agency, but they needed some starter material and they found it.

Williams can penetrate on passing downs and he is a good run stopper as well. He battle injuries last season, but those are now behind him. He will be an immediate starter, I think him and Knighton will start, with Wolfe slipping inside on passing downs, much like last season. One thing a lot of draft analysts say about mid to late round picks is that they add depth, but the acquisition of Williams will add depth because it pushes Vickerson to the backup role. Mitch Unrein, who was a starter for a good portion of last season, will also provide depth. He will be a more capable player in a backup role.

Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil should have had way more sacks than they did last season, but since there was zero interior pass rush, quarterbacks were able to step up in the pocket and avoid them. Williams' pass rushing ability should nullify that some. He will make it difficult for the quarterback to step up and hopefully he will be able to get some sacks himself.

Williams should turn out to be a grade "A" pick, but there is always the possibility that he wont turn out. I am looking forward to seeing him in a Broncos jersey next season. Hopefully he will be wrecking havoc on opposing offensive lines and rushers.

Nuggets "Shooting" Guard Situation

2013-05-13T18:02:00.000-06:00

Last offseason the Nuggets traded away Arron Afflalo, who recently signed an extension, for Andre Iguodala. Iguodala brought many thing to the team this year and was a key cog in their regular season run, but his contract has expired. He is going to be looking for 12 million a year, but are the Nuggets willing to pay him that much for someone who is not a good shooter? He does other things really well like passing, rebounding and he plays great defense. Some other teams will give him a look, but I think he ends up on the Nuggets.

Evan Fournier played very well when given the minutes. He is a developing shooter who plays very smart basketball. He will get more playing time this year due to Corey Brewers likely departure. I love his game and think he can contribute positively to this team. I also like his prospects as a backup point guard. He will mesh better with Lawson than Miller does.

Jordan Hamilton came into the league with a lot of potential, but he has yet to crack into the lineup. He was surpassed by Fournier during the season. He played great in summer league and he looked poised to make some noise, however he never materialized. I think the coaches and front office have given up on him, but I would like to see him have some success even if it is not in Denver.

The best course of action would be to resign Iguodala as the starter and have Fournier backing up both him and Lawson. Igoudala should improve from last season because he will have more time to mesh. Fournier will continue to improve and could surprise many people who don't know much about him. If Iguodala is not resigned, the Nuggets could run into some trouble. I think Fournier would be a capable starter, but it is tough to see if he would have a capable backup. Hamilton would have to step into a much larger role.

Marc Gasol, Iguodala snubbed from First Team All Defense

2013-05-13T12:17:00.001-06:00

There were 6 players voted into the NBA 1st team all defense team due to a tie between Jokim Noah and Tyson Chandler. Both of these players are really good and I have no problem with either of them receiving this award. However, I have a serious problem with the Defensive player of the year not getting the award. Marc Gasol was dominant all year, but casual fans and apparently the coaches to do see this because he did not have a lot of blocks. A player can be a really good on ball defender without getting 3 blocks a game. How Gasol did not make it, we may never know.

Continuing on from the blocks discussion, how the hell did Ibaka make it. Apparently because of blocks. However, just like not getting blocks does not make a player a bad defender, getting a lot of blocks does not make you a good one. Ibaka is not a good defender, he does not play good defense on his man and since he goes for a lot of blocks his player gets a lot of easy layups and dunks off of passes. In no way should Ibaka be first team all defense, this award going to him is a disgrace to all other legitimate defenders.

Andre Iguodala was also snubbed from, not only first team all defense, but from second team as well. He continually shut down his man all season and made the Nuggets defense so much better, but he gets no love. I really do not understand this and I don't think I could put any faith into these awards anymore.

Nuggets Point Guards

2013-05-12T22:03:00.001-06:00

Ty Lawson is obviously the starting Point Guard on this Nuggets team. He improved in every way during the season. He started off slow, but when 2013 rolled around he turned into a brand new player. He was aggressive in finding his shot and he was finally making them. He averaged around 18 per in the new year on around 48% shooting. If you look at the splits after the all star break he was even better. He finished the season with 16.7 points per and 6.9 assists, but he upped his averages to 21.3 and 8 in the playoffs, mostly because the entire team around him seemed inept at doing anything right He will be the starting point guard again next season and I am giddy about the possibilities.

Andre Miller needs to go somewhere, preferably off of the team. He has to be one of the most selfish players in the league. He makes Kobe Bryant look like Rajon Rondo. He is a terrible player who shoots poorly from the field and make really bad passes at really bad times. For some reason George rode him late in games when he should have been sitting on the bench. I have no idea what exactly he brings to the team, but if he did not play a single game in the Golden State series the Nuggets would have won. I just hope he finds himself on someone else's roster and becomes their selfish problem. When George played Lawson and Miller together it was a disaster. Miller always dominated the ball which put Lawson in an uncomfortable position and made him useless since he never got the ball. Lawson is not a shooting guard and he definitely cannot guard one considering he is 5-11.

Julyan Stone played OK when he got the minutes. In the games he did play, from what I saw, he plays good hard defense. He is not a good shooter or scorer for that matter, but his passing is above average and his length can cause problems for opposing point guards. I would like to see him get more minutes next season, but that will not happen if Miller is not gone. However, he would have to come off of the court when Lawson comes on because neither of them are capable of playing shooting guard.

My dream scenario would be Fournier taking over the point guard duties when Lawson is not on the floor. He has the smarts and the passing ability to do this. He is also not a ball hog. When Lawson comes back in Fournier could slide into the shooting guard position, leaving Lawson with the sole ball handling duties. I think this would maximize the teams productivity and it would also help Lawson realize his potential. I seriously think if he was the primary ball handler he could average 19-20 points per game and 8 assists, but we will never know until Miller is gone.

Grading the Broncos 2010 Draft Class

2013-05-12T20:25:00.000-06:00

I like to grade draft classes after 3 years of play because you get a good feeling of where career paths are going by then.

1st round: WR Demaryius Thomas: Thomas was basically injured for one and a half seasons and many were already calling him a bust. However, when he came off of the PUP list in 2011 he exploded onto the scene. Even with Tebow at QB he was still making defenders look silly especially in the Minnesota game. He capped off the year with an unbelievable 200 yard performance against the Steelers. In 2012, when Manning came to town, he solidified himself as a top wide receiver in the league. He had 94 catches for 1400 yards and 10 TD's. Look for him to continue his success for many years.

Grade: A

1st Round: QB Tim Tebow: Lets be honest, Tebow's time in Denver was terribly mismanaged. He should have started the entire 2011 season, but Fox was stubborn and went with Orton who failed miserably. When he finally played he lead the team to a 7-4 record down the stretch to lead the team to the playoffs and their first playoff win since 2005. I will always remember the Steelers game and how great Tebow threw the ball when he finally got the chance. However, his time in Denver was cut short with the arrival of Peyton Manning.

Grade: Incomplete

2nd Round: OG Zane Beadles: Beadles has been a starter since he was drafted. After a rocky start to his career he has improved every season. He still needs to improve as a pass blocker, but he is a really good run blocker and should open up many holes in the future. The acquisition rose many suspicions that Beadles would lose his job, but I think Vasquez will battle Kuper for the starting spot.

Grade: B

3rd Round: C JD Walton: I dont know how to say this without being mean, but Walton has been terrible. I dont understand, but he just has not reached his potential. He misses on many assignments and he was outplayed by Koppen when he was injured. I dont know why the team did not draft a center in the draft, but I hope Manning is OK giving orders to a mediocre center.

Grade: C-

3rd Round: WR Eric Decker: Decker has been a good receiver since he was drafted. He is adept at finding the end zone, finishing with 13 TD's last season. He also had 85 catches for 1064 yards. With the addition of Welker, I suspect him being the 3rd option on offense, but he will still be a major contributor. He has problems with drops sometimes, but that can be remedied with more concentration.

Grade: B+

5th Round: CB Perrish Cox: Everyone knew this pick was a gamble because of his off the field problems. That came to fruition with his involvement in a rape case. He was kicked off the team, but now plays for the 49ers. He was a decent corner, but with the emergence of other corners on the team, he would not have been more than a 4th corner back.

Grade: D

There were no other draft picks in the draft that are on the team anymore. Eric Olson, Syd'quan Thompson and Jammie Kirlew were all drafted, but none made a significant impact. No undrafted free agent panned out in the long run either.

Overall this was a good draft. Tebow revived the franchise and without him I doubt Manning is in a Broncos uniform at the moment. Thomas and Decker are the wide receivers of the future and I think Thomas will continue to establish himself as a top 5 receiver in the league.

Overall Grade: B+

Nuggets Need a Shooter

2013-05-12T19:50:00.000-06:00

Many times in the series against Golden State, Ty Lawson would drive into the lane and look for the kick out to a 3 point shooter, but here is the punch line, there were none. Nobody on the Nuggets could consistently hit their 3 pointers when the Nuggets needed it the most. Yes, they were missing Gallo, but he only shot 37% on the year. Wilson Chandler could not buy a three to save his life after hitting on 41% of his attempts in the regular season. What can the Nuggets do to remedy this problem?

They could work on threes as a team, but that will only get them so far. There are a couple of free agents that they can look at. The number one option should be going after sharpshooter Kyle Korver. For the Hawks last season he shot 45.7% from range and shoots 41% for his career. He comes with downsides however, he cant do much else on the offensive end and he is a liability on defense, as are most other pure shooters. They could also go for Mike Dunleavy. He shot 42% from range last season, but 37% for his career. He is longer than Korver, standing at 6 feet 9 inches.

If Iguodala leaves in free agency I could see the Nuggets pursuing J.J. Reddick. He would come at a higher price than either Korver or Dunleavy, but he can do so much more than them. He averaged 15 points per game with Orlando last season until he was traded to the Bucks where he did not fit at all. He is not strictly a three point shooter which makes him much more valuable. This signing would be a long shot, but it is a possibility if the Nuggets front office deems Igoudala too pricy.

There are also options in the draft, but the past 2 years the Nuggets have drafted two guards/forwards in Fournier and Hamilton. Hamilton is the better shooter, but Fournier will continue to play in front of him because he is a better player and is a decent shooter himself. The Nuggets are also drafting way down at 27. It will be hard for them to find a quality player way down there, who will be able to start right away. They will likely draft a big man anyways.

If the Nuggets can find someone who can shoot the ball they could make some noise, but if they dont they will be in for another disappointing season.

Nuggets Spurs Preview

2013-03-27T08:53:00.001-06:00

The Nuggets are coming off of a horrendous loss to the New Orleans Hornets and are looking to avenge themselves. Hopefully Ty Lawson will be back for this game so I dont have to see too much Andre Miller because if I do I might have to pull my hair out. The Nuggets one the last matchup, but got crushed when they played the Spurs in San Antonio. It is hard to count that game comparably since it was in November and the Nuggets were absolutely awful. The last time they played it was still December, but the Nuggets were starting to turn it on by then.

Tony Parker will face off against his NBA clone, Ty Lawson. They follow similar career paths and Parker had Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli to play with. In the last matchup, Lawson had a terrible game. He had 12 points and 5 assists on 4-15 shooting. I expect him to play better assuming he is back from his injury for this game. Luckily Parker had an equally bad game. He had 13 points and 4 assists on 4-12 shooting. Expect both of these players to play much better in this matchup than the one before.

Iguodala had his type of game the last time these two teams met, he finished with 14 points 9 rebounds and 6 assists to go along with 2 steals and a block. His matchup, Danny Green, is good, but he his not who Iggy needs to worry about. Manu Ginobli will come off the bench and play good minutes. He played 30 minutes in the first matchup and finished with 16 points 6 rebounds 6 assists and 2 steals. He is active and Iggy needs to stay on him and play tight defense the whole time.

Gallo was the star of the show the last time these two met. He iced the game with a cold blooded 3 pointer and finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals. This was during his hot streak and he has since cooled down. However, he was the only offensive player to play well against the Hornets so maybe he has is mojo back. Kawhi Leonard did not play in the last matchup, but he can be a scary player. He defends well and has developed a nice 3 point shot. He also attacks the glass well. Gallo will need to be active and never lose sight of him or else that could spell trouble for Denver.

Kenneth Faried was shown up by Tim Duncan on the defensive end, but he had a superb offensive game. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. When he plays like this the Nuggets are almost certainly going to win. They could use another game like this from him since he has a lot more energy than Tim Duncan at this point in their careers. Tim Duncan has a vintage Tim Duncan game. He had 31 points 18 rebounds 6 assists 2 steals and 5 blocks. He could not be stopped. I suggest the Nuggets put Koufos on him since he is a solid defender and rarely misses rotations.

Kosta Koufos did not have much of an offensive game in this matchup, but he dominated the boards as he finished with 14, 5 of them being offensive boards. Tiago Splitter would be his center matchup, but I would like Faried to stick on Splitter. Splitter had 10 points 4 boards and 3 steals in the last game, but he has shown signs that he has the ability to dominated so whoever guards him better be prepared.

The Spurs have a greta bench that starts with Manu Ginobli, but they also have Patty Mills who can is a good offensive player and Boris Diaw who has been a better player ever since San Antonio picked him up. Stephen Jackson also comes off of their bench and he could drop a lot of points at any time. This is a scary bench to matchup with, but the Nuggets have a good bench of their own. Corey Brewer has not played well the past 2 games, but in his last matchup against the Spurs he had 16 points and 4 rebounds. He needs to provide energy off of the bench and play good defense on the likes of Stephen Jackson in order for the Nuggets to pull this one out. Wilson Chandler was still out when these two teams met, but his shooting and defense will be needed off of the bench. Andre Miller had 8 points 7 assists and 5 boards the last time these two teams met, but im tired of watching his laziness so I wont comment any further. McGee only played 11 minutes in the first matchup, but he had 10 points and 3 blocks. He will have to play better defense if he wants to get more minutes.

This will be a tough one for the Nuggets in San Antonio, but they need to show resilience on the road in order to show they are a legit contender. If they get this win on the road, then people will start considering the fact that Denver could make it out of the west.

Nuggets Streak Ends

2013-03-26T08:09:00.000-06:00

Well, all streaks must come to an end, but I did not want to lose to the Hornets. The Nuggets did not play inspired basketball. Andre Miller is just a lazy piece of garbage who needs to be kicked off this team. He gave absolutely no effort at all when the Nuggets needed it the most. Yes, he has a good game here or there, but the bad outweighs the good.

Wilson chandler did not have a good day on his game back, but he still played tough defense and at least tried to drive to the basket. Gallo played the best game on the team, but it was not enough and he gave a lackadaisical effort on defense.

The whole team did not play well, but it was the lack of effort that I could not stand. Oh and lastly, kick Andre Miller to the curb.

Freeny or Abraham

2013-03-25T15:39:00.000-06:00

Now that Elvis Dumervil is gone, the Broncos can choose between Dwight Freeny and John Abraham if they go with a defensive end in free agency. They could also look for one in the draft, but I think the Broncos front office is leaning towards free agency.

Dwight Freeny had a down year last year, mustering only 5 sacks in 13 starts. He only had 8.5 the year before. He will be 33 years old this season which is ancient for a pass rusher who has not performed well over the past two seasons. I hope the Broncos take a flyer on this signing.

Abraham is older, but more effective. He had 10 sacks in 14 starts last season and 6 forced fumbles. However, he will be 35 next season so he could drop off at any point. I think he would be a more effective signing than Freeny and I would like for the Broncos to make him an offer.

Neither of these guys are better than Dumervil at rushing the passer and they are both much older. Abraham would be the most logical signing, but the long term solution at defensive end for the Broncos is in the draft.

Nuggets Hornets Preview

2013-03-25T10:12:00.001-06:00

The last time these two teams played the Nuggets escaped with the win by pulling away in the fourth quarter. Lawson and Chandler should be back for this game which will be a nice tune up for when they travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs.

Ty Lawson dropped 21 points and 13 assists as he abused the Hornets defense the entire game. I dont expect those type of numbers again since he is coming off of an injury, but I think he could still post respectable numbers. Greivis Vasquez, who has been the biggest surprise this season, had 13 points and 9 assists. You dont have to worry about him scoring too much, but he will drop dimes all day and he crashes the boards well.

Andre Iguodala had 24 points on 10-14 shooting and he also had 6 rebounds 4 assists and 3 steals. He will be charged with shutting down Eric Gordon who is an explosive scorer. He only had 9 points the last time these two teams met, but he only played 25 minutes. Look for him to get more minutes and to shoot more, but it will be tough against Iggy.

Gallo had 18 points 7 boards and 5 assists in the first matchup, but it will be tough for him to replicate that because Al-Farouq Aminu is a very good defensive player and rebounder. He does not do much on the offensive end besides dunk. He is not a reliable jump shooter and will not take a lot of shots throughout this game.

Faried has to try and stop Anthony Davis who is starting to gain steam now that he is healthy. Faried had 13 points and 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in the first matchup. It will be tough for him to score since Davis is bigger and longer, but he will still get his fair share of dunks. Davis had 13 points and 10 rebounds and 3 blocks, but I expect him to post bigger numbers in this matchup since he has grown as a player especially over the last couple of games.

Koufos did not have a great game, only posting 4 points and 5 rebounds, but he held Robin Lopez to only 2 rebounds which is an accomplishment. This won't be a high scoring matchup, but it is an important one on the boards to say the least.

The Nuggets bench performed well in the last game against the Hornets. Brewer had 17 points and 3 steals, sparking the Nuggets like he normally does. I am glad Andre Miller will be regulated back to bench duty, where he does his best work, with Lawson's return. Wilson Chandler had a bad shooting night, 1-5 from the field, but he got to the line a lot, 8 times, and made 7 of them.

The Hornets bench is not great, but they do have Ryan Anderson who is a great stretch 4. He dropped 21 points on the Nuggets the last time the two played. He is there only really good player off of the bench, but Jason Smith is no slouch and is a solid big man.

The Nuggets are looking to extend their streak to 16 and they have a good chance to do it against the Hornets, especially if Chandler and Lawson are back.

Florida Gulf Coast Become First 15 Seed to Advance to Sweet 16

2013-03-24T20:03:00.000-06:00

Now here comes the Sweet 16 matchup that I knew everyone had on their brackets. Florida Gulf Coast, after manhandling San Diego State and Georgetown, will now play the Florida Gators for their chance to advance to the Elite 8. They straight up handled San Diego State like it was nothing. They pulled away late in the second half and never looked back.

FGCU has a very good team and they became the first 15 seed to ever advance to the Sweet 16. It will be hard for them to beat Florida for a chance to go to the Elite 8. Florida is a much better team than they are with a lot more talent, but cinderella's are hard to be. However, Florida has done it before when they beat George Mason in the Final 4 in 2006.

Look for Florida to run them out of the gym and not give them a chance. The worst thing you can do with a team like FGCU is give them hope that they can stick with you because if they do they will likely pull away for the win.

Elvis Dumervil Signs With Baltimore

2013-03-24T19:55:00.002-06:00

Sounds like Elvis Dumervil has made his decision and he has chose to be a Raven. He accepted a 5 year 35 million dollar offer. Baltimore got a bargain, Doom is one of the top pass rushers in the league and they got him for a very low price. He had his most productive year, 17 sacks, in a 3-4 and now he will go back to playing in one.

It is not clear what the Broncos offer was, but I think the Ravens offered up more money because they did not have to deal with the dead money on their hands.

The Broncos can now sign either Freeny or Abraham. They could also hold out and try to get a top pass rusher in the draft, but that will be tough because they pick 28th. There could only be a few, if any, options left on the table with that draft position.

This does free up more sacks for Von Miller who finished with 18 last season.

Lawson, Chandler Probable for Monday

2013-03-24T11:26:00.001-06:00

Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler both went through a full practice today for Monday's game against the Hornets. They are both now listed as probable for the game which means, barring any setbacks, they are likely to play.

This is good news for the Nuggets because they have not played well without them and they play the Spurs on Wednesday. The Hornets will make for a good tune up game so they can find their games again and they should both be 100% for that game.

Lawson is Important to the Nuggets' Run

2013-03-24T08:12:00.001-06:00

Nuggets star Point Guard Ty Lawson is the best player on the team and it has been obvious these past two games. He has missed the past two games with a bruised heel. Andre Miller has been starting in the games that Lawson has missed and it is obvious that the offense runs like a well-oiled machine when Lawson is playing, but when he isn't, it runs terribly slow and inefficient.

Lawson provides more than what his averages of 16.9 points and 6.9 assists say. He runs the break, something Miller cannot do, and he can be productive when playing off the ball while Miller has to dribble the air out of the ball in order to be effective. Lawson does not always get assists off of the break, but he facilitates it so well. The Nuggets played better when Julyan Stone played rather than Andre Miller. Stone knew how to run the offense and he played really good defense.

The offense has simply looked terrible with Lawson out of the lineup and I think the Nuggets will lose if they play against New Orleans with out him. They will definitely lose if the play the Spurs without him.

If you did not respect what Lawson brought to the team before his injury I am sure there is some respect of his his importance to the Nuggets now.

Nuggets Extend Win Streak to 15

2013-03-23T21:50:00.001-06:00

The Nuggets extended their winning streak to 15 with a 101-95 win over Sacramento. The Nuggets were again without Ty Lawson which meant Andre Miller got the start. Miller did not play well although he did have a nice and 1 to seal the game. He was only 4-12 from the field and shot entirely too much. Without Wilson Chandler, Julyan Stone got some playing time and played very well. He had 5 points to go along with a rebound and an assist. Although I do not care for the +/- stat it has to be noted that he was +10 in 14 minutes of playing time. I really like Stone and think he could be the solution at backup point guard in the future.

Kenneth Faried fell one rebound away from a double double, but he had a good scoring game, 17 points, and he shot well from the field, 7-12. Koufos has a solid game with 13 points and 9 rebounds. He also played decent defense although DeMarcus Cousins did go off with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Cousins is a very talented player, but does not "turn it on" all of the time, but he did today. Corey Brewer only finished with 2 points after setting a career high last night, but he did other things like getting 3 steals, 2 blocks and 4 assists. He will not score every night so it is encouraging to see him stuff the stat sheet.

Gallo seemed to break from his two week slump, notching 19 points and 8 rebounds, but it will be interesting to see what he does when Ty and Chandler come back. I hope he can get on track and find his way back to scoring 17 points per game.

This was a tough win that should have been won by more. It is evident that Andre Miller cannot be a starter on this team and that is why Ty needs to come back as soon as possible. They are also missing consistent scoring off of the bench because of Chandler being gone, but once Ty comes back he can shoulder a bigger role off of the bench.