In one of those brilliantly random programing decisions, this weekend NBA TV aired game 5 of the epic first round Playoff matchup between Denver and Seattle in 1994. As I re-watched Mutombo improbably lead a rag-tag group over the powerhouse Sonics, all I could think to myself was the following: There’s no way in hell the 2008 Nuggets could pull off such an upset.
There are many reasons as to why the current version of the Nuggs has next to no shot at doing anything memorable this spring, but the two biggest are the head coach, and his team’s stubborn refusal to play anything resembling defense.
Even when they had a chance to land one of the League’s best (and most confident) defenders, they turned down the deal and say they have no regrets.
“Major change, and major personality change like adding an Artest to a team, is more difficult, more complicated, more confusing … . Sometimes patience is the way you make your team better.”
Can anyone – especially after the last two horrific showings – honestly say that this team is better off as presently constructed?
By the way, the man on the bench while Seattle suffered one of the more incredible meltdowns in NBA Playoff history? Take a wild guess.
