Andre Iguodala’s homecoming isn’t what he thought it would be, besides the chorus of thundering boos every time he touched the ball, his offensive presence was lackluster; Denver fail to the 76ers to the tune of 84-75.
Can I just say I have seen a slew of ugly games, but this one was just U-G-L-Y with the horrible shooting from both sides, but Philadelphia’s defense was a beautiful thing.
They were able to clog the paint and limit Denver’s uptempo run-and-dish system which made it seem like Denver was a rec center league versus the professional team that they are. Denver was outscored in three quarters, before certain offensive weapons clicked — mainly Ty Lawson — and Philly went 1-for-11 as Denver went on a 14-3 run, but Philadelphia’s defense proved too much for the young team.
Of course, there are moans from the Nuggets fanbase blaming the entire loss on Head Coach George Karl; yes that’s right the botched three-pointers, lack of defensive urgency, the abysmal free throw shooting is certainly Karl’s fault. Afterall, George Karl is the reason for Sandy, the storm that ravaged the East Coast. Heck, he’s the reason your dog died and why you lost your job. George Karl is the worst, man.
Of course, that last paragraph is 110% snark, but George Karl is to blame for some of the minutes given to some of the players, such as 32 minutes for Andre Miller which was too much, although I’m very grateful for his 8 points and shot creation during the first half. Also, the 27 minutes for Corey Brewer — despite his 8 points and 6 rebounds — his five turnovers were hideous. I would have much rather seen Jordan Hamilton get more burn in the 4th when his offensive line was more productive with less turnovers.
Also, Coach Karl isn’t going to stop playing small ball, so if that’s your main excuse every game, you may want to find a new one.
The one shinning moment was Ty Lawson’s sense of urgency during the middle of the 4th quarter — he ended with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals on 0 turnovers — but you could contend this with the notion of “Too little, too late”
Denver had a low scoring first half, mixed with a low scoring third quarter which is why it’s no surprise they did lose. They couldn’t buy a basket; Philadelphia was the better team and Spencer Hawes excelled with a line of 16 points on 11 shots, 12 rebounds, and five blocks. Who predicted that production going into the game? That’s right, nobody.
Philly stifled Denver’s offense by being situated in the paint, which led to Denver’s hideous jumpers — YUCK! — and without Gallinari, a consistent rhythm from downtown. They seemed to not be mentally prepared for the game either, and Iguodala’s hideous offensive (lack of) production didn’t help matters.
Yes, George Karl played Evan Fournier — questionable — in a 4th quarter lineup in which he should have played his go-to guys, but you have to ask yourself, Nuggets fans, when 85% of your lineup is playing horribly, should he take a chance or no? If George Karl had not used Fournier and lost by 15, would I be hearing “he should have played the French guy” ……..
Can’t have it both ways, can you.
This was a team loss: botch George Karl rotations, fumbled minutes, horrible offense, and abysmal shooting, but it’s easily correctable.
This team — with the new additions — has a 10-game learning curve with me, it can only get better from that stinker of a performance.
