So one day in late April, I checked in on my blog and noticed a lack of something. Sifting through them, I found pieces on Hedo, the Young Gunz, the Amazing Race, video games, the Olympics, etc. But the one thing that was truly missing was a piece about the franchise - CB4. And yeah, sure, maybe I did that because every other media outlet was beating the whole "Chris Bosh" topic to death; but still.
Like many others, I don't want to take Bosh for granted. And so with the realization that he may be gone very soon, I wanted to dedicate the next 30 days or so to him with my writing and this very blog. After all, this may be my last chance to discuss him on here.
The mission - should you choose to read it - is simple. Everyday, I'll breakdown a different team's outlook in regards to acquiring our franchise player. We'll take a look at how a potential transaction will affect both sides of the spectrum, and whether or not such a move could potentially go down.
Disclaimer: Let's please keep in mind that I'm not majoring in the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement; so if there's a few errors here and there in that regards, please let me know. Thanks!
Previous Piece: The Dallas Mavericks
Today's Piece: The Denver Nuggets
Players of Interests:
Kenyon Martin
J.R. Smith
Chris Andersen
Ty Lawson
Aaron Affalo
If there's one team who can top off the previous team we discussed in regards to disappointments, it would definitely be the Denver Nuggets. Not your typical 4th seed (only 1 game back of 3rd, 2 games back of 2nd, and 4 from the 1st seed), heavy expectations were placed heading into the post-season. They had everything you could want in a team destined to make a strong push for a title. The leadership and ability to hit the clutch shot at point guard with Billups. Length, athleticism, and paint intimidation at the 4 and 5 spots. 3 point shooters and instant offense off the bench. And lastly, a swingman with the ability to take over the game.
So what happened?
Well, they ran into an equally tough and well coached Utah Jazz team. Perhaps the absence of George Karl played a role in it. Or maybe the right fit wasn't there. Personally, I put a lot of blame in their lack of a post presence on the offensive side of the ball.
Here are the scoring averages Denver's bigs put up in the post-season:
Nene: 11.4 pts
Martin: 10.0 pts
Andersen: 4.5 pts
If you compare that to the teams are left in the playoffs, Denver really doesn't have that one big that they can rely on to score when things get really gritty in the playoffs. Phoenix has it with Amare (20.5 pts), the Lakers have it with Gasol (20.2), Boston has it in KG with one leg (17.1), while Cleveland uses a combo of Jamison (16.5) and Shaq (10.5). And then of course there's Orlando who still has Dwight averaging 15 points a game in the playoffs, but also can rely on the biggest army of 3 point shooters in the NBA.
So why not add Chris Bosh to you team folks!
First and foremost, Ty Lawson has to be included in whatever deal could potentially be made. If I'm Bryan Colangelo, I don't make a deal with them unless Lawson is included. This is just my opinion, but if there's one point guard who could have shared the glory and spotlight with Jennings, Evans, and Curry if he had been given a chance, it would be Ty. Playing behind Billups unfortunately means you won't be getting heavy minutes, but every time Chauncey went down, Lawson filled in beautifully. And imagine grouping our Young Gunz with an athletic speedster like this:
Next, one player that has to absolutely be involved is Kenyon Martin. Even though he's as injury prone as you can possibly get these days, it's his expiring contract that will be attractive to the Raptors. Most likely picking up his player option, Martin will turn into a 16.5 million dollar expiring. Even if he doesn't play a single game for the Raps, my mind is racing with what we can do with that amount of money in possible trades.
Other players that come to mind are JR Smith, the Birdman, and Aaron Affalo. Of the 3, Smith and Affalo would probably interest the Raps more. Chris "The Birdman" Andersen would be a decent big off the bench for us, but I don't think the Raps are looking to lock themselves up in expensive long term deals at the moment. Besides, I would rather give the money I'd be spending on Andersen to Amir Johnson.
My Preferred Scenario:
Raptors Trade Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon
Nuggets Trade Kenyon Martin (expiring), Ty Lawson, JR Smith (expiring)
I'm actually really liking this. I'm not sure if it'd be agreed on by both sides or if the trade works financially (should be close though). But it really is perfect for us. We get to dump Jose Calderon's contract on them (which expires only 1 year after Billups and Melo). At the same time, we acquire a gigantic expiring contract, our possible point guard of the future, and an explosive wingman who might flourish with a change of scenery. Meanwhile, Denver heads into the Western Conference War with a Big 3 of Billups/Melo/Bosh.
More Likely Scenario:
Raptors Trade Chris Bosh
Nuggets Trade Kenyon Martin (expiring), Ty Lawson
Still a pretty good return in my eyes. And pretty self explanatory if you read what I wrote above. Yeah, I'd still prefer to dump Jose and pick up JR, but beggars can't be choosers.
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