The Evolution of the Nuggets

It’s been one month since the Denver Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the New York Knicks, and the Nuggets seem to have found a new source of life and energy in the void that was left behind by Anthony and Billups.

Remember this movie? It was awful.

In short, the Nuggets are evolving, and it has been a beautiful thing to watch.

Looking back at that old Nuggets team, it’s clear now that it had reached a point of stagnation. Each player had his specific role, and they were all expected to function within a clearly defined and rather rigid blueprint. Anthony and Billups were going to run the show, the former by doing his jab-step, jab-step, jab-step, one dribble-jumpshot routine on the majority of the team’s possessions, and the latter by running the occasional pick and roll with Nene while still finding plenty of chances to jack up his fair share of ill-advised “I’m still Mr. Big Shot, dammit!” three pointers. Everyone else was just trying to fit in.

J.R. Smith had to fill his role as “guy who comes in and takes as many shots as possible in an attempt to give George Karl cancer again.”

Arron Afflalo was just going to keep standing in the corner waiting to hit open 3’s while trying to remember how any A’s he has in his name.

Kenyon Martin was going to continue his quest to set the record for most “Get that shit outta here’s!” exclaimed while goaltending in a single season.

Ty Lawson and Nene were going to continue wasting their immense physical gifts as they tried to stay out of Anthony and Billups’ way.

Chris Andersen was going to keep being gross, and Al Harrington was going to keep doing whatever the fuck it is Al Harrington does.

There was no wiggle room on that team, no opportunity for progress. It was what it was.

But now the old system has collapsed with the departure of Anthony and Billups, and there are no longer any roles or hierarchies governing how the team will play. There are just five guys on the court, playing the game as it comes to them.

As a result, each player on the team seems to have entered into a kind of evolutionary phase of their career. They are all doing things on the court that we have never really seen them do before, because…well…they were never really allowed to do those things before.

Smith isn’t just hoisting up as many threes as he possibly can. He’s driving to the rim when the opportunity presents itself. He’s isolating his defender and hitting step back jumpers with ease. He’s even acted as the team’s point guard on a few occasions, throwing beautiful crosscourt passes out of pick and rolls to wide open shooters.

Nene is no longer hesitating as much as he used to when he gets the ball in the post as he has begun to realize that he can face up and use his combination of strength and quickness to get right to the hoop.

Lawson is quickly becoming a complete point guard as he learns to use his speed not just as a way to energize the team, but as a tool with which to run the entire offense.

Three...yeah, it's definitely three.

This evolutionary process has infected the entire team. Everyone is transforming in order to fill in the blank space that was left in the wake of the trade.

The most enjoyable part of this entire process is the fact that it seems to be happening with complete spontaneity. A year ago I could have watched a Nuggets game and at the beginning of each offensive possession I could have told you with almost absolute certainty how that possession would end.

With this new team, however, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen on any given possession, and I don’t really think the players do either. For example, during Monday’s game against the Raptors I watched five different Nuggets players grab a rebound and lead the team down the floor on a fast break in one quarter (My favorite was when Gallilnari did it twice, because he dribbles like that white kid from gym class who can’t really dribble). You could almost see them thinking, “Well, I’m not really sure who I should give the ball to, so fuck it I’m just going to run down the court and try to make something happen.” There’s not any real form to the team because the player themselves aren’t yet fully formed.

That’s what’s so great about watching a team full of players who are in transition, they have no notion of how they should be playing, they just are playing; and the resulting product is something that is undeniably beautiful in its creativity and is incredibly fun to watch.

Yes, watching Carmelo do his thing was always impressive, but it wasn’t always all that entertaining.

My only feeling of regret towards the trade comes from the knowledge that this team can’t remain in its transformative state forever. Someday soon these players who were just liberated from the shadows of Anthony and Billups will begin casting shadows of their own. They’ll figure out precisely who they are and what they’re supposed to do and they’ll stifle the progress of those teammates who haven’t. Such is the nature of evolution.

But for now, I’m going to enjoy the show.