Denver Nuggets: Tim Connelly’s Vision Continues To Take Shape
Na na na na, na na na na, hey, hey, hey, gooooooodbye….. Timofey Mozgov.
Yes, the Denver Nuggets traded their starting center to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, and in exchange the Nuggets are two first-round draft picks richer. Plus, general manager Tim Connelly got closer to fulfilling his vision for the Nuggets in the process.
That vision is hard to see, as the Nuggets are currently in the NBA’s “no man’s land.” At 15-20 so far this season, the team isn’t good enough to compete for a championship, but they aren’t bad enough to get a franchise-changing draft pick either.
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The team will most likely finish with a similar record than what they had last year 36-46, and it will appear that things haven’t changed for better or worse when this season is over — no matter the trade.
Building a roster takes time though, and Connelly’s vision is starting to take fruition for the Denver Nuggets. The second-year general manager is proving to be far more adept than what ESPN stated when they bashed him and the Nuggets earlier this season. Between his trades and draft picks this season, the Nuggets have moved closer to full rebuild.
For example, with the Mozgov trade, Connelly added two first-round draft picks to the Nuggets arsenal that if aren’t used for drafting, can be used for an additional trade to change this mediocre roster. Either way, it was a win for Denver — especially considering how long Cleveland was fighting to grab Mozgov for a single pick.
The two new draft picks for the Nuggets mean that Connelly wants to start building a fresh, youthful and defensive minded Nuggets roster to compliment Brian Shaw‘s true coaching style. Connelly is slowing dismantling George Karl‘s team to help build up Brian Shaw’s.
Yes, it is going to be tough because as Nuggets fans we’ve been patient for more than 50 years, but we will be better in the long run from dismantling the current roster so the Nuggets can avoid more 36-46 seasons.
We have reason to believe this latest trade will be beneficial for the Nuggets because Connelly’s shown a keen eye for young talent already. His last two draft picks have already worked out well for the Nuggets. Jusuf Nurkic, our new starting center, has the highest player efficiency rating of all rookies at 18.97. He’s a future all star.
Plus, even though Gary Harris hasn’t been spectacular with averages of 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds a game, he’s shown plenty of potential through his 13-point, -three-rebound, two-assist, two-steal game against Indiana and through the Nuggets’ dunk of the season so far:
Pulling the trigger on the Mozgov trade is allowing the Nuggets to rebuild without playing like the 76ers. The Nuggets continue to compile young talent through the draft (or through an additional trade the picks allow them to pull off), and for the full rebuilding process to begin.
Connelly is no longer building on top of the Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGee foundation that George Karl built, but instead breaking it down in favor of a new core in Lawson, Kenneth Faried, and Nurkic. Shedding Mozgov also clears the Nuggets frontcourt that was filled by too many big men — which in turn was limiting Nurkic’s minutes and development.
It’s not time to stop yet, and Connelly knows it. The general manager still has plenty of assets to help start a new youthful and defensive minded Nuggets era. Even if a few more losses come from these moves, it’s exciting for me as a Nuggets fan to know the team’s ceiling is no longer behind them, but with the new moves — the ceiling is now starting to be in front of them.