http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4714 Recent articles about J.R. Smith en-us So the Nuggets just traded away thier MVP Marcus Camby. Don't take this the wrong way; I know Camby is not the best player on the Denver Nuggets. However, I do know that he was the heart and soul of that team and in many ways was their Most Valuable Player. So now what? Marcus Camby was just traded for the right to swap second round picks in next years draft. Excuse me? I know this article is a little late and maybe just a tad bit out dated but I've got some ideas for what the Nuggets may do in the future now that they have some slight wiggle room when it comes to the cap. The Nuggets also received a ten million dollar luxery tax exception in this trade. Although this does not get the Nuggets below the salary cap, it does allow them more flexibility to re-sign J.R. Smith this summer. That is the first move in a long line of moves the Nuggets need to make. After this season, the Nuggets will most likely let Allen Iverson walk. This is perfect. I love Allen Iverson, but the experiment has not worked. With A.I. gone, the Nuggets will then have about thirty million dollars to throw around at free agents and have more leverage when making trades. So the time isn't now for the Denver Nuggets. The time is in the future. We must be patient Denver fans. Let us go over what the Nuggets could possibly put together next summer in free agency. In the summer of 2009, as I said before, A.I. will be leaving us. That gives us thirty million dollars in cap room. We have J.R. Smith locked up now, and we are now signing Linas Kleiza to a multi-year deal. Stop there. Remember, we must be patient. Next season (2008-2009) will not be our year. After Iverson leaves, we could use a new face in the backcourt. That face could very well come in next years draft, where it is possible that we could have two first round picks (as long as Charlotte is not in the lottery - pray the Bobcats are a playoff team next year!). First priority in the draft is a point guard. I have three in mind now; Ty Lawson (University of North Carolina), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse University) and Darrin Collison (UCLA). All three would be great additions to the Nuggets backcourt and all three would likely see playing time early and often. Next is a big. I don't know as of now what next years draft will hold as far as bigs in the draft, but that is a hole we can fill next year. Re-signing Kleiza to a long-term deal is our next priority. Third; get rid of Karl. If it does not happen during the season, he needs to be gone after next season. I don't know what the future holds, but as of now Avery Johnson is still out there. Johnson is a fiery coach who demands respect from his young players and can turn around the Nuggets defense. Those are three things a once fiery Karl no longer has the ability to bring out in himself or his team. Ok, now we're done. We have a solid team now that may make the NBA Playoffs in the Western Conference. Here's the starting line-up: 1 - Ty Lawson (Or one of the other two) 2 - J.R. Smith 3 - Carmelo Anthony 4 - Kenyon Martin 5 - Nene. With a new coach, a solid point and Kleiza coming off the bench, its possible that this team will make the playoffs. Now comes the real fun. The Summer of 2010, aka the "Summer of LeBron." Guess what? That seven year, $93 million deal that Kenyon Martin inked years ago is now gone! Last year we re-signed Linas Kleiza and added a few rookies to the roster. That didn't exactly break the bank. With thirty million dollars to play with last year (minus the money we paid Kleiza and the rookies) plus all the bank we'll be making off of losing Kenyon Martin, we will now have a ton of money to play with to lure LeBron into town. Isn't this fun?! Here's a possible startig line-up for 2010 - 1 -Ty Lawson - 2 J.R. Smith - 3 LeBron James 4 - Carmelo Anthony 5 - Nene. Wow!!!! Now that's a team! We'd still have Kleiza off the bench too! I know Carmelo is a little undersized at the four but ask anybody in the league and they'll tell you that he is one of the most deceivingly strong players in the league. Not to mention he can jump just as well, if not better than, most of the other fours in the league and he is quicker than most fours in the league as well. Oh yeah, and he also plays the four for Team USA during the summer. And I believe he often plays his best while playing that position for Team USA. Now don't get too excited by this news quite yet. LeBron is obviously interested in New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) and he is obviously going to be lured by other teams. One phone call might go something like this: (Dwyane Wade) "I got this kid down her in South Beach named Michael Beasley. He's pretty good. What do you say to coming down here and playing with me and this young stud? We can win a championship together." (LeBron) "You know what D-Wade, that doesn't sound too bad to me!" End of conversation. I haven't done much research when it comes to this so I don't know if Miami will even have enough mulah to do that, but I'm just saying. It's very possible. So with that, here is a list of other NBA stars available as unrestricted free agents in the "Summer of LeBron": Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd. I'll say it again: Wow!!!! I can't wait to see what the future holds for the Denver Nuggets. God knows there are endless possibilities out there. Now all we can do as fans is sit back, relax and pray for the best. Go Charlotte Bobcats! Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:04:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293576 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293576 Here are the 7 myths Nuggets fans shouldn't buy into in the post-Camby world. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:18:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291478 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291478 It's officially official... James Posey's reign as Celtic hero has come to end over an additional year on his contract. As the Green Nation tries to gather our thoughts and pick up the shattered pieces, we're left wonder what Danny's Plan B is (hoping that he has a Plan B). Frankly, I'm not thrilled with trying to repeat without Posey, but there are other options out there (although none of them carry the same clout as Big Game James). Let's look at some possibilities: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:16:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291310 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291310 Breaking down the Nuggets Las Vegas Summer League Roster. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:29:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287817 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287817 You know you've made a fair deal is when both parties think they got screwed. It's that time of year again. Restricted free agents from the class of 2004 (Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Josh Smith, etc.) are being wooed by teams that are hoping to make them an offer that their current team won't match. Likewise, players from the class of 2005 (Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Andrew Bogut, etc.) can negotiate extensions with their respective teams that will keep them off the free agent market for the foreseeable future. These negotiations are a battle of will and expectations. The player's job (via his agent) is usually to squeeze as much money out of the team as he can. The team's job is to sign the player to a contract that is a good value for the team. Naturally, the player's camp brings up all the positives about the player while the franchise has to balance this with the player's negatives to try to convince the agent (or the player) that they aren't worth what they're asking. Teams that repeatedly bow to players' demands are sure to find themselves in salary cap hell before too long. So in an effort to predict a market value for these players, I am going to take a look at their total value – performance (John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating), age and potential – and try to come up with a yearly salary that fits with what other players of their caliber are making. I'll list comparable players and their average salaries over the spans of their current contracts. Let's start with the class of 2004. These players are free to sign offer sheets from other teams, but their current team can (and usally do) match those offers. These are players that unsuccessfully negotiated extensions last summer, and since many NBA teams are reluctant to extend an offer to a restricted free agent, most of these players are likely to play out the final year of their rookie contract and become unrestricted free agents next summer. Dwight Howard, Devin Harris, Al Jefferson and Kevin Martin took care of their extensions last year, while Beno Udrih just recently re-signed with the Kings. Here are the other big names, in their original draft order… (Read the rest after the jump.) Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:40:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286609 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286609 Here are some reasonably priced free agents that the Nuggets will miss out on since they've overspent on the rest of their roster. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:57:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284840 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284840 The NBA free agency period starts on Tuesday, and we know who will be available this summer. Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette have opted out of the final years of their respective contracts and have become free agents. Shawn Marion, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal decided not to opt out. Below is a list of the top 10 unrestricted and top 10 restricted free agents based on total value, which means I'll take into account each player's production, age, upside and estimated asking price. Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team that makes them an offer. Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets from other teams, but their current team has the right to match that offer, which is usually the case. (See the lists after the jump.) Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:10:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284280 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284280 The only trade by the Denver Nuggets was acquiring Sonny Weems, which puzzles me because, I see him as just another J.R. Smith. So I have thought of several ways Denver can still snag a first round drafted player; how? Through free agency or trades. www.rawsportsblog.com Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:46:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283858 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283858 Spurs' Big man talks about getting married this summer and about how J.R. the troublemaker might fit in with the boy scout Spurs. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:29:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281893 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281893 Taking a historical view of what the Denver Nuggets are up against with the 20th pick and solutions for a successful outcome. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:04:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281591 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281591 Comparing active ex-Nugget players to the current Nuggets roster and asking: who would win? Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:04:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278632 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278632 The best nba dunks happend this past few years check it out i put some music in it to Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:16:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275183 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275183 With the 2008 NBA Draft steadily approaching (June 26), The Denver Nuggets will be drafting only one player from college that will hopefully affect their future in a positive way. The question is, Who will that be? www.rawsportsblog.com Wed, 28 May 2008 08:14:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271661 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271661 After one and a half years with the Denver Nuggets and consecutive first round fallouts, Allen Iverson has now officially become eye candy around the league. Iverson averaged 26.4 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 2 SPG in the regular season and is third All Time based on points per game average. www.rawsportsblog.com Wed, 07 May 2008 21:32:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264571 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264571 No question about it, MVP Kobe Bryant is the best shooting guard and the best player in the NBA. He averaged 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.5 SPG, while leading his team to clinch the top seed in the West. He's one of the most explosive players in the league, and if you want the ball in anyone's hands in the 4th quarter, it's in his. Player (Current Team/Former Team) PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, BPG * = Best in Category (R) = Rookie Steals 1+ Shown 1. Kobe Bryant (LAL) 28.3*, 6.3, 5.4, 1.5, 1.2 BPG (Playoffs) 2. Allen Iverson (DEN) 26.4, 3, 7.1*, 2* 3. Tracy McGrady (HOU) 21.6, 5.1, 5.9, 1 4. Dwyane Wade (MIA) 24.6, 4.2, 6.9 1.7 5. Joe Johnson (ATL) 21.7, 4.5, 5.8, 1 6. Vince Carter (NJN) 21.3, 6, 5.1, 1.2 7. Jason Richardson (CHA) 21.8, 5.4, 3.1, 1.4 8. Manu Ginobili (SAS) 19.5, 4.8, 4.5, 1.5 9. Michael Redd (MIL) 22.7, 4.3, 3.4 10. Ray Allen (BOS) 17.4, 3.7, 3.1 11. Kevin Martin (SAC) 23.7, 4.5, 2.1, 1 12. Brandon Roy (POR) 19.1, 4.7, 5.8, 1.1 13. Monta Ellis (GSW) 20.2, 5, 3.9, 1.5 14. Rip Hamilton (DET) 17.3, 3.3, 4.2, 1 15. (R) Kevin Durant (SEA) 20.3, 4.4, 2.4, 1, 0.9 BPG* 16. Mike Miller (MEM) 16.4, 6.7*, 3.4 17. Leandro Barbosa (PHX) 15.6, 2.8, 2.6 18. Ben Gordon (CHI) 18.6, 3.1, 3 19. Jason Terry (DAL) 15.5, 2.5, 3.2, 1.1 20. Raja Bell (PHX) 11.9, 3.7, 2.2 21. Randy Foye (MIN) 13.1, 3.3, 4.2 22. Rashad McCants (MIN) 14.9, 2.7, 2.2 23. Cuttino Mobley (LAC) 12.8, 3.6, 2.6, 1 24. DeShawn Stevenson (WAS) 11.2, 3.9, 3.1 25. Larry Hughes (CHI/CLE) 12.2, 3.4, 2.7, 1.5 26. Anthony Parker (TOR) 11.4, 4.1, 2.2, 1 27. Ronnie Brewer (UTA) 12, 2.9, 1.8, 1.7 28. J.R. Smith (DEN) 12.3, 2.1, 1.7 29. Wally Szczerbiak (CLE/SEA) 11.5, 2.9, 1.4 30.. Willie Green (PHI) 12.4, 2.5, 2 Just Missed It Juan Carlos Navarro 10.9, 2.6, 2.2 Michael Finley 10.1, 3.1, 1.4 Jerry Stackhouse 10.7, 2.3, 2.5 Wed, 07 May 2008 13:21:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264312 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264312