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No Carmelo Anthony. No problem. The post-Anthony era Denver Nuggets made the playoffs in 2012 to extend their current postseason streak to nine. It is important to note during this ongoing streak that the franchise has advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once (2009). Head coach George Karl has remained adamant from the beginning that the team can go against the grain and win in the modern NBA without an established “superstar.” However, the team did acquire All-Star forward Andre Iguodala in a four-team blockbuster deal this summer. Iguodala boasts thirty-five career playoff games as experience to share with the Nuggets’ youthful core. Barring injury, the Nuggets appear to be locks for their tenth straight playoff appearance.

HOOPSWORLD takes a look at the 2012-13 Denver Nuggets:

Five Guys Think…

It’s really difficult not to love everything that the Denver Nuggets accomplished this offseason. Keeping JaVale McGee and Andre Miller was vital, but then to add Andre Iguodala for pieces that were quite expendable was absolutely brilliant. They really came on strong at the end of last season and they should only continue to make strides this season. No, there is not a clear-cut superstar on this team, but the pieces fit together perfectly. They are going to win a lot of game by virtue of being incredibly fast, dedicated defensively, and having strong chemistry. While they aren’t true title contenders, nobody in the Western Conference is going to look forward to drawing them in the playoffs.

2nd Place – Northwest Division

– Yannis Koutroupis
 

This should be a big year for the Denver Nuggets, who wasted no time rebuilding in the wake of Carmelo Anthony’s departure. All the pieces they got back from New York in that deal helped considerably, and now that JaVale McGee will be holding down the middle for the foreseeable future the Nuggets look like a team that should have home court advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs. The sky appears to be the limit for Kenneth Faried, and the Nuggets are deep at every position. They may not be as good as the Oklahoma City Thunder, but no one else in the division can touch them

2nd Place – Northwest Division

– Bill Ingram
 

The Denver Nuggets are an intriguing team with a lot of talent. They’re one of the deepest squads in the league, with multiple starting-caliber players at just about every position. Entering this offseason, Denver was already considered a team to watch because of how well they played last season. Now, after adding Andre Iguodala to that group, the Nuggets are even scarier. Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri has done an outstanding job assembling this roster and putting Denver in position to contend.

2nd Place – Northwest Division

– Alex Kennedy

 
This is perhaps the best-looking team not to feature a superstar since the 2004 Detroit Pistons team that won the Larry O’Brien trophy. Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, and JaVale McGee all are firmly implanted into that second tier of NBA players just below the perennial All-Stars, and Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, and Wilson Chandler aren’t far off, either. Rookie Quincy Miller was a steal in the second round, and role guys like Corey Brewer, Andre Miller, and Timofey Mozgov round out a very well-rounded group of players coached by one of the best ever in George Karl. Of all the smaller-market teams that lost a superstar over the last few years—Denver, Utah, Toronto, Cleveland, and now Orlando—the Nuggets are by far in the best shape, and GM Masai Ujiri has a lot to do with that.

2nd Place – Northwest Division

– Joel Brigham
 

The Denver Nuggets are young, athletic and most importantly extremely talented. The Nuggets will give opponents trouble on a nightly basis defensively with Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried, Andre Iguodala and JaVale McGee each capable of causing havoc in their own unique way. Denver can beat any team in the NBA on any given night, but the question of whether the unit can knock off the league’s elite in a seven game series is the one Nuggets’ faithful want answered. The team is hoping Iguodala, a first time All-Star in 2012, thrives in the more up tempo Western Conference. If he does, the Nuggets are poised to make a little noise.

2nd Place – Northwest Division

– Lang Greene

Top Of The List

Top Offensive Player: Ty Lawson led the Nuggets in scoring in 2012 from the point guard position averaging 16.4 points on 49 percent shooting, but the team is stocked with a few guys who can also fill up the offensive box score sheet. Lawson scored over twenty points in 21 contests in 2012 and averaged 19 points per game during the last month of the regular season on 53 percent shooting from the field (46 percent from three-point range). Despite Lawson’s offensive growth you still can expect the Nuggets on most nights implementing a score by committee approach with Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler each capable of scoring in volume.

Top Defensive Player: The Nuggets are positioned to give opponents absolute fits on the defensive end this season with JaVale McGee, Kenneth Faried, Ty Lawson and Corey Brewer harassing opponents nightly. But the best defender on the team is All-Star forward Andre Iguodala who is one of the game’s best perimeter lockdown defenders. Since entering the league in 2005 Iguodala has yet to average less than 1.5 steals per game in any season.

Top Playmaker: Ty Lawson has significantly improved his assists totals each season since entering the league in 2010 and this trend should be no different in 2012-13 as he continues to mature into his role as the team’s unquestioned floor general. Lawson’s quickness allows him to penetrate into the lane seemingly at will and cause havoc for opponents. The former University of North Carolina standout finished the 2012 campaign with twelve games of 10 or more assists.

Top Clutch Player: New arrival Andre Iguodala will be counted on to provide the Nuggets with clutch play more than any other member currently on the roster. Iguodala’s clutch role won’t be to simply score in late game situations; the veteran forward will be asked to also be a calming influence to his younger teammates both on and off the floor, while also making the right basketball play in pivotal moments. Iguodala has played in 35 career playoff games which makes him the elder statesman on the team when it comes to playing when the games matter the most.

The Unheralded Player: Quick; name the current Nuggets guard who ranks No. 10 all-time in NBA history in assists. Andre Miller has been one of the most steady floor generals of his era but has rarely received the mainstream recognition for his leadership. Miller recorded eight double-doubles last season despite averaging just 27.4 minutes per contest – his lowest average court time since his rookie campaign in 2000. In fact, the 36-year-old Miller recorded 17 games with ten or more assists last season in his reduced role behind Ty Lawson.

The Best New Addition: The Nuggets dealt underrated guard Arron Afflalo and veteran forward Al Harrington to acquire Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers in the four team summer blockbuster trade headlined by Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. The Nuggets are banking on Iguodala being the missing piece needed to get the franchise past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Iguodala was a first-time All-Star in 2012 and won a gold medal playing with Team USA in the 2012 Olympic Games. Iguodala will thrive in a more up tempo offense after spending the majority of his career being mired in a slew of halfcourt heavy systems which didn’t necessarily fit his strengths offensively.

– Lang Greene

Who We Like

1. George Karl: The veteran coach has compiled a 366-232 (61 percent win rate) regular season record in Denver and has guided the franchise to eight playoff appearances. The knock on Karl’s tenure in Denver up to this point is the fact the team has only advanced past the first round of the postseason once. Nevertheless, Karl has the respect of his players. Ever since the franchise dealt Carmelo Anthony in 2011, Karl consistently maintained the Nuggets would still compete amongst league’s best. No doubt he’s been spot on in terms of regular season success, but now it’s time to win on the big stage without a superstar in the postseason to fully prove his point.

2. Kenneth Faried: You can measure height, vertical leaps and fancy bench pressing numbers during the pre-draft hoopla, but you can’t measure traits such as heart, determination, hustle and tenacity. Faried recorded twelve double-doubles as a rookie in 2012 on his way to averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds on the season. The 6’8 Faried raised his game even higher in the postseason averaging 10.4 points and 10 rebounds while battling the much larger Los Angeles Lakers frontline featuring All-Stars Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Faried is relentless in his approach to the game and plays with a seldom matched energy.

3. Andre Iguodala: The veteran forward carried the Philadelphia 76ers franchise on his shoulders in the post-Allen Iverson era and was rarely appreciated for his efforts. Iguodala is not a high volume scorer or a great outside shooter, but his strength is based on his versatility to play and guard multiple positions and he is one of the best finishers on the break in the game. Since entering the league Iguodala has played on teams geared more toward a slow pace offensively, which didn’t allow his transition skills to be fully displayed. Iguodala should flourish playing alongside the ultra-quick Ty Lawson in Denver.

4. Masai Ujiri: The Nuggets general manager has been unafraid to take personnel risks since taking the helm in 2010. One of Ujiri’s first orders of business on the job was constructing a trade centering on Denver’s longtime franchise player Carmelo Anthony. Ujiri was able to parlay Anthony into Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and rookie Quincy Miller, then landed Corey Brewer for a 2016 second round pick, swapped veteran center Nene for promising young big man JaVale McGee, drafted Kenneth Faried and then acquired All-Star forward Andre Iguodala for Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington. Not bad work at all.

5. Danilo Gallinari: The 6’10 forward is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses due to his ability to strike with amazing accuracy from three-point range for a man his size. The biggest knock on Gallinari so far in his career has been his inability to stay off the injured list. Gallinari is a big-time talent who could finally emerge in a larger capacity if his injury problems remain dormant in 2012-13.

– Lang Greene

Strengths

The Nuggets’ calling card this season will be their athleticism, versatility and defense. Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, JaVale McGee, Kenneth Faried and Corey Brewer should spur the team’s fast break attack from a combination of stifling perimeter defense, steals from aggressively playing the passing lanes, blocked shots and their ability to pound the defensive glass.

– Lang Greene

Weaknesses

When the game is on the line who will be the Nuggets’ go to scorer? Sure there are plenty of guys on the roster who can score, but who takes the big shot in the clutch? Ty Lawson is a dynamic talent capable of rattling off twenty point plus scoring nights, but he’s not a pure scorer in the same realm as Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony amongst others. Andre Iguodala is another option to take the big shot for the Nuggets this season, but he’s been known to struggle within halfcourt sets in late game situations throughout his career. This could prove to be problematic for the club come playoff time.

– Lang Greene

What Needs To Be Said On Opening Day….

There is no doubt that we have the deepest team in the league. With the addition of Andre and Anthony, there will be twelve guys suited up every night that can make a positive impact out on the court for us. But with so many players capable of producing for us in this locker room, ego has to be checked at the door. We have the talent to accomplish big things, but we won’t be able to do it as a bunch of individual looking to get theirs. One game we may the run offense through you while another night may see spending crunch time on the bench cheering on your teammates. I expect that no matter what, we all remember to be professional and understand that what is best for the team will always come first.

– Anthony Macri and Brett Koremenos

The Burning Question

Can the Denver Nuggets truly win big in the playoffs without a superstar?

The Nuggets are undoubtedly stacked with the talent to finish in the top five of the Western Conference standings, but the NBA remains a superstar-powered league and Denver lacks a player for consideration at that level. Head coach George Karl believes the team can eventually pull off an upset make a deep run in the playoffs based on the club’s overall skill, athleticism and the growing chemistry amongst its core. The acquisition of Andre Iguodala this past summer provides the team with its first legitimate All-Star since Carmelo Anthony was dealt to New York. Rising point guard Ty Lawson could also make the jump in 2012-13 and take his game to the next level. Maybe, just maybe Kar,l is on to something with his blueprint. We shall see.

– Lang Greene