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Denver Nuggets: Finishing On A Positive Note

By Kevin C Keller

Apr 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) dunks the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Sacre (50) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 119-101. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) dunks the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Sacre (50) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 119-101. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Nuggets 2014-15 NBA season has stunk. A team poised to compete for a Western Conference playoff spot didn’t live up to expectations, and Nuggets fans everywhere are dismayed with a team that appears to be headed in the wrong direction.

The end of the season has provided a glimmer of hope. The Nuggets have certainly improved since Brian Shaw was dismissed as head coach on March 3. Immediately after Shaw’s dismissal, Melvin Hunt was named the interim head coach, and the Nuggets looked like a brand new team.

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Unfortunately, that spark has faded, and the Nuggets now have a winning percentage worse than .500 with Melvin Hunt as the head coach (9-10) since Melvin Hunt became the primary play caller.

At least after Wednesday night’s win against the Lakers, we have the small consolation prize of beating the Los Angeles Lakers three out of four games this season! Right, guys … ? Right!?

As much as I’ll always take a win over the Lakers, it’s still surprising the Nuggets have done enough to win the season series against any NBA team this season. They’ve struggled offensively, they’ve struggled defensively as they give up 104 points a game on average, and only three other NBA teams are allowing their opponents to score more. And they’ve struggled to mesh as teammates and find good chemistry across the board.

There were reports that jealousy around Kenneth Faried‘s contract extension was causing tension in the locker room this season.

Apr 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Melvin Hunt reacts during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 119-101. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Melvin Hunt reacts during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 119-101. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

The tension was viable on the floor, and the fans have noticed. The Pepsi Center hasn’t looked looked this empty since the early 2000s, and with the fans’ dismay, the Colorado Avalanche have returned to dominate the winter sports discussion in the Mile High City (when we aren’t talking about our beloved Broncos, of course).

No matter how you look at it, the Nuggets failed to accomplish almost every goal they set out to achieve this season. They’ve missed the playoff race, they’ve failed to add a star to the roster, they’ve failed to increase fan attendance/interest, and their certainly not getting to the elusive second round of the Western Conference playoffs – a feat they’ve only managed to accomplish TWICE since 1993!!!

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    • So, I guess we should be used to it, eh, friends? I guess this is why it still feels great to beat the Lakers in the regular season series, and I guess this is part of life as a Nuggets fan.

    Similar to last year, the best we Nuggets fans can hope for now is a strong finish to the end of the season, and the scheduling gods have given the Nuggets the chance to do just that.

    The Nuggets have four games remaining, but three against Western Conference playoff teams. They play at home against Dallas and Sacramento, and finish on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors. The only back-to-back is when the Nuggets play the Kings and Clippers.

    Four games, and three against opponents the Nuggets want to be playing with in late April. If the Nuggets can use the momentum they gained in the Lakers win (where Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried combined to score 56 points), the team can finish with a winning record while Melvin Hunt was a head coach.

    Winning three of four would make it hard for the Nuggets brass to shy away from Melvin Hunt as official head coach, and it would give us all reason to hope for a much better 2015-16 season.

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