Forecasting the Nuggets in 07-08

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Things are finally looking up with the Denver Nuggets. It all started last season when they were able to acquire Allen Iverson (and some other guy) for Andre Miller (and a couple other guys, I think). Their late push during the regular season last year showed a good one-two punch with Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, and if the good chemistry continues, it might be a better year this year for their team. Not only that, Marcus Camby is coming off a great year after winning last season's Defensive Player of the Year award. With George Karl finally stressing defense above everything else this year, you know that there's really something to look forward to with the Nuggets. Carmelo Anthony has personally vowed to improve himself on the defensive end, and we all know he doesn't have any problems shooting the ball on the other end. Allen Iverson doesn't have that problem as well, and with these two one-time scoring leaders last season combining for an offensive barrage, well, the only thing really left is to address their defense, and I'm glad they're doing just that in training camp. They were also lucky enough to nab Chucky Atkins from the free agency. This is one guy who knows when and where to pass, and if you remember how Steve Blake's assists numbers rise last season (really, with players like Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson on your team, how hard can it be to pump up your assist totals?), you'd have a good idea of how good he, an arguably better passer than Blake, is going to be with this team. All he needs to do now is get healthy (he's currently out with a groin injury) and take that starting point guard spot from AI. Another player to look forward to is Kenyon Martin. Two knee microfracture surgeries later, he's looking to bounce back and contribute to his team. Given his frailty, I believe they're going to let Nene play more than him, but don't let that lower your expectations about his contributions for this team. I expect him to do a good job of getting his share of points and rebounds off the bench, and if only he can get that explosiveness (and health, for Pete's sake) back, he's going to be a solid sixth man for the Nuggets. Speaking of Nene, he too has the task of staying healthy. He might not be as frail as Kenyon Martin, but he's had his share of DNPs last season. If he can stay active, he's going to be a great complement to Camby. What else can I say? JR Smith's apparently still a pain and hasn't matured yet, and I can only wonder when the Nuggets are going to ship him out for someone else. Linus Kleiza's seemingly ready to break out this season, but with Anthony and Iverson at the helm of the scoring responsibilities for the team, he might not have the chance of getting his fair share of shots. Overall, the Denver Nuggets should be looking forward to a great season. They're still not among the league's elite, but they're certainly heading into that direction. If I were them, I guess I'd shop around the league for JR Smith takers who would be willing to give me a good shooting guard defensive specialist to replace him.