Category: Denver Nuggets Blog

Nuggets blog – Denver Nuggets blog. A great Nuggets news blog

Nuggets have lost 6 of last 7 games

The Denver Nuggets through Tuesday’s games are 10-7, which puts them in the thick of a very tight and crowded set of good Western conference teams. But they’ve been in a general slump lately, and have some things to work out. Here’s the Denver Post on the situation:

The Nuggets have lost two in a row and six of seven heading into Wednesday night’s against the Timberwolves, who recently upended their core by trading Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia. Denver’s defense, ranked as the NBA’s best prior to their slump, is down to seventh overall, and their poor late-game execution has been exposed. They are now a team searching for an identity.

“We’re probably not a team that is 9-1 every 10 games, and I know we’re not a team that’s 1-6 in the last seven games,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said at the team’s shootaround here Wednesday. “The answer is somewhere in between. We’re trying to find out who we are.”

They had some of those answers over the final seven games last season, when they reeled off six consecutive, high-pressure wins before dropping the final game 112-106 to Minnesota. Harris and Paul Millsap said they can glean confidence from that stretch to end the season.

Next up for the Nuggets are are matchups with the Timberwolves tonight, the Magic Friday and the Thunder Saturday.

Denver Nuggets hire Sue Bird

The Denver Nuggets have added current WNBA Champion Sue Bird to their front office staff as a Basketball Operations Associate.

“We are very excited to have Sue join our organization,” said Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly. “Her resume certainly speaks for itself and as a still active player she will offer an extremely unique perspective.”

Bird recently wrapped up her 16th season in the WNBA which saw her earn her 11th All-Star bid and third WNBA Championship, all with the Seattle Storm. The New York native attended the University of Connecticut where she won two National Championships before being selected first overall by Seattle in the 2002 WNBA Draft. Bird was named to the WNBA All-Decade team in 2006, has been All-WNBA First Team five times and All-WNBA Second Team three times and currently ranks first in the WNBA in career games (508), first in career minutes played (16,173), first in assists (2,831), third in points (6,154), third in made three-pointers (855) and fifth in steals (652).

“I’m really excited to join the Denver Nuggets organization. I’m thankful for the opportunity and look forward to learning from some of the best,” said Bird.

Nuggets fall to Lakers for first loss of season

The Nuggets are off to a great start this season, but their first loss came courtesy of a LeBron James triple-double fueled Lakers squad. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

The Nuggets were up 106-98 with 6:11 left in the game before the Lakers closed on a 23-8 run. LeBron James’ triple-double helped, as did Lonzo Ball’s clutch step-back 3-pointer, but give Lance Stephenson credit. He had a personal run of eight straight, including back-to-back 3-pointers that energized the Staples Center crowd with Kobe Bryant sitting courtside.

“Six minutes is a lifetime on the road with a guy like LeBron James,” Nuggets coach Mike Malone said.

Veteran Paul Millsap, who struggled from the floor with just six points, put the onus on the Nuggets.

“Something we haven’t been all year, got a little rattled, little rattled down the stretch. Forced a few shots. We didn’t stay poised like we normally do,” he said…

Monte Morris finished with a career-high 20 points, seven assists and three steals as the third Nugget to notch at least 20 points (Nikola Jokic 24, Jamal Murray 22).

— Full article

Denver Nuggets begin new NBA season 4-0

It’s never wise to jump to any wild conclusions based on a few games at the start of a new season. But it’s certainly fair to recognize who has come out of the gate playing well and who hasn’t. The Nuggets and Raptors have both begun the season 4-0. Here’s the Denver Post discussing the former:

Whereas last year Tuesday’s game – sandwiched between Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers – would have been rife for a letdown, the Nuggets never trailed and trounced the Kings 126-112.

At 4-0, it’s their best start since the 2009-10 season, when they began 5-0. Though the defense snapped its franchise streak of holding opponents to under 100 points, the dormant offense came alive.

The Nuggets were up 112-87 with just over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and cruised from there. It was a dominant performance on the offensive end – more like last season’s Nuggets than this year’s version, which entered Tuesday with the league’s best defense. The Nuggets pounded the paint with 72 points and found their mark with a season-high 11 3-pointers.

Eight players, including four of five starters finished with double-digit nights, and Denver’s bench produced for the second consecutive game. Perhaps most encouraging was that Jamal Murray, who has been battling nagging ankle injuries, had 14 of his team-high 19 in the third quarter and found his offensive rhythm. Murray knocked down two 3-pointers without hesitation after his 0-of-9 shooting performance in Sunday’s win over Golden State.

— Full article

Will Barton out after surgery

Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton has undergone surgery to repair core and hip muscle injuries. The procedure was performed by Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia, PA.

Barton’s status will be re-evaluated in six weeks.

According to the Denver Post, “Nuggets coach Mike Malone said Torrey Craig, Juan Hernangomez and Trey Lyles were the most likely candidates to fill Barton’s minutes for the time being.”

The Nuggets are off to a 3-0 start this NBA season. they came extremely close to making the playoffs last year and look excellent early on. It’s a shame they’ll be without Barton for a while.

Nuggets and head coach Michael Malone agree to contract extension

The Denver Nuggets and Head Coach Michael Malone have agreed to a contract extension, Vice Chairman of KSE Josh Kroenke and President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Malone led the Nuggets to a 46-36 record in 2017-18, their best overall record since 2013. Since Malone took over prior to the 2015-16 season, the Nuggets have improved on their win total by a total of 16 wins (+3 after first season, +7 after second and +6 after third), making Denver one of three teams in the NBA to increase their win total in each of the last three seasons (Minnesota and Boston).

With Malone at the helm, the Nuggets have become one of the top offensive teams in the NBA. Denver finished the 2017-18 season with the sixth best offensive rating, including being ranked first overall from February 1st through the end of the season. It also marked the second straight season with a top-six rated offense after finishing 20th in 2015-16. The team also set a new franchise record for made three-pointers in a season (940) during the 2017-18 campaign. They ranked sixth in the NBA in made three-pointers per game and seventh in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage. The Nuggets have also finished top-five in assists per game in each of the last two seasons.

Through 247 games as Denver’s head coach, Malone has compiled a record of 120-127 (.486), ranking him fifth in franchise history in wins among head coaches. He holds a career regular season record of 159-194 (.450) over five seasons with Denver and Sacramento.

Nuggets sign DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Emanuel Terry

Nuggets sign DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Emanuel Terry

The Denver Nuggets have signed rookie free agent DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell to a two-way contract and rookie free agent Emanuel Terry to a training camp contract.

Akoon-Purcell, 6-5, 200, most recently appeared in four games for the Nuggets’ Las Vegas Summer League team, averaging 12.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.00 steals in 19.3 minutes per game. Akoon-Purcell went undrafted in 2016 out of Illinois State University and has spent the last two seasons playing for the Bakken Bears of the Danish league.

The Orlando, Florida native averaged 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.65 steals in 49 games (45 starts) for the Bakken Bears in 2017-18. He appeared in 53 games (43 starts) during the 2016-17 campaign, posting averages of 20.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.89 steals while being named both the Danish League MVP and Finals MVP.

Terry, 6-9, 220, also played for the Nuggets’ 2018 Las Vegas Summer League team, appearing in all five games while averaging 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds on .607 shooting from the field in 17.6 minutes per game. The Birmingham, Alabama native went undrafted in 2018 after spending four years at Lincoln Memorial University.

Terry started all 31 games as a senior in 2017-18, averaging 16.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.19 blocks while shooting .711 from the field. He was named the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year as well as earning SAC All-First Team, SAC All-Tournament Team and NABC Division II All-American Team honors that season.

Nuggets sign guard Monte Morris, who was on a two-way deal last season

The Denver Nuggets have signed guard Monte Morris to a multi-year contract.

Morris, 6-3, 180, spent the 2017-18 season on a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. He appeared in 37 games (35 starts) for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the G League, averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 47.2% from the field. Most recently, Morris appeared in four games for the Nuggets 2018 Las Vegas Summer League team, posting averages of 17.5 points, 6.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 28.1 minutes.

The 23-year-old was drafted by Denver with the 51st pick in the 2017 NBA draft after playing four seasons at Iowa State University. Morris appeared in 140 career games (121 starts) for the Cyclones and was named All-Big 12 First Team as a senior in 2017 after setting the NCAA single-season record with a 5.17 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Nuggets sign rookie Thomas Welsh to two-way contract

The Denver Nuggets signed rookie center Thomas Welsh to a two-way contract today.

Welsh, 7-0, 255, appeared in two games for the Nuggets Las Vegas Summer League team, averaging 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 31.3 minutes per game.

Welsh was selected by Denver with the 58th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He played four seasons at UCLA where he averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 53.7% from the field. He was one of five finalists for the 2017-18 Kareem Abdul-Jabar award, given to the nation’s top center, and finished his Bruins career ranked third in career rebounds (1,035), third in blocks (143) and sixth in career double-doubles (37). As a senior the California native posted averages of 12.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.7% from three (45-of-112 3FG) and 82.8% from the free throw line. His 10.8 rebounds per game was UCLA’s highest per game average since David Greenwood in 1977-78.

Nuggets trade Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forwards Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur, along with a protected 2019 first round draft pick and a 2020 second round draft pick, from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Isaiah Whitehead.

According to the New York Post, “the Lin trade erases his $12.5 million expiring deal from the books.”

More from the Post: “Nets get Faried, and his $13.8 million expiring salary, as well as Darrell Arthur to get a 2019 first-round pick (protected 1-through-12) and a 2020 second-rounder.”

“DA is one of the best guys I have ever come across in all my time in the league,” said Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly . “When we traded for him, he and his amazing wife Niecy instantly impacted our community. They have done so much to help those in need, and almost all of it was done with no fanfare. As a player his toughness, ability to guard multiple positions and stretch the floor will be sorely missed. As a person it’s hard to quantify what he has meant to our team. Brooklyn is getting one of the league’s true gentleman.”

“There aren’t many players in the league who play with more energy or passion than Kenneth Faried,” stated Connelly. “To watch him develop as a player and a man in Denver has been a joy to watch. Last season he handled a diminished role like a consummate professional. I’m excited for his next opportunity, but he will certainly be missed.”

Faried (6’8”, 228) averaged 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game over 32 games for the Nuggets during the 2017-18 season. The Newark, N.J., native played seven seasons for Denver, registering averages of 11.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per contest through 441 career games. Selected with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Nuggets, Faried earned All-Rookie First Team honors following his inaugural season. The Morehead State product was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and three-time OVC Defensive Player of the Year.

Arthur (6’9”, 235) played in 19 games for the Nuggets during the 2017-18 season, averaging 2.8 points in 7.4 minutes per contest. The Dallas, Texas, native has posted career averages of 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game in 503 career games over nine NBA seasons with Denver (2013-18) and Memphis (2008-13). Arthur was selected with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by New Orleans. He spent two years at the University of Kansas, where he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as a sophomore and helped lead the Jayhawks to the 2008 National Championship.

Whitehead played in 89 games for Brooklyn over the past two seasons, recording averages of 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.5 minutes per game. He was selected with the 42nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Utah and was acquired by Brooklyn in a draft-night trade.