Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

[Warlock95]

Down 3-2 and you still got the ring? Kinda like the Lakers' FLUKE championship this year...

Fixed.

Oh, shut up. You're bitter your Rockets didn't make the playoffs.

I'm not exactly a Laker fan, but it's over. They won. You can't argue with that.

[Axel The Great]

The Rockets are smart. They know they'd get swept in the playoffs, so they don't waste their energy trying to go for that eighth seed.

[megarover]

It obvious Earl is the Finals MVP after a game 7 like that. Congrats on another championship.

[Kenny]

Amazing series, and title won on the road.
Congrats on 6th

Thanks Valdis, it was an amazing one to play and it seems fitting that it went to 7 games.

Second three-peat? Quite amazing. I know what it's like to win 1, but 2 must be very fulfilling. Congrats.

Thanks Phil89, you and Axel have definitely helped me lift my game with how great your dynasties are. Repeating the 3-peat is something I was really looking forward to doing from the first one, so it's very satisfying

Congratulations! It seems only appropriate that the series would go to seven games, certainly a nail biter. Nice to see Smith well and truly get the monkey off his back as far as his past playoff struggles are concerned and conclude the season with a huge game to clinch the title. Looking forward to the wrap-up coverage and whatever you decide to do moving forward.

Thanks Andrew, this playoffs series is definitely my favourite at this point of time and it makes me want to continue. I know on ps3, one of the achievements you can unlock is winning 10 championships over the 25 year dynasty, so that's something I hope to go for in future seasons. I want the rings to be seperated a little though so I don't have a Boston-like dominance over the league. So I guess the decision is whether or not to go for the 4th or play a sim-intervention style season. I don't want to leave it completely in the hands of the engine though.

Congrats on the second three-peat! Still amazed on how much you put effort and commitment to this, looking forward to the next season!

Thanks Justine, I guess when it comes down to it, I'm writing about a team I love and that makes it easy for me to commit to. That and I've found a writing style that seems rather effortless to me. I think with my other failed threads, I've either had a team that I wasn't passionate about or I had a layout that just completely perplexed me. This dynasty has the best of both worlds for me

Hell of a series, nice job sealing the win with JR

Thanks Houndy, this whole season has been a blast. To think I actually had thoughts of trading J.R. while he was struggling mid-season... yikes! So glad I kept him on board though, if he hasn't been my favourite player in this so far, he's definitely in the top 5.

Down 3-2 and you still got the ring? Kinda like the Lakers' championship this year...

FOUR-PEAT!

Down 3-2 and you still got the ring? Kinda like the Lakers' FLUKE championship this year...

Fixed.

Oh, shut up. You're bitter your Rockets didn't make the playoffs.

I'm not exactly a Laker fan, but it's over. They won. You can't argue with that.

The Rockets are smart. They know they'd get swept in the playoffs, so they don't waste their energy trying to go for that eighth seed.

Now now, play nice you two. We all know that the only championship that the Lakers won that you can argue with was when they beat the Kings in the WCF

Congrats on the three-peat. I would've expected a much tighter Game 7, the Wizards didn't seem to give much effort there. Great to see Earl step up and silence doubters who didn't think he was a good playoff performer. (me ) It's funny how both teams won more games on the road, and to come down to win from 3-2 is a huge accomplishment, especially when you didn't have homecourt advantage. Looking forward to what's next.

Thanks Axel, I think the Wizards played hard, they just didn't hit shots as regularly as they did previously. Winning on the road is always satisfying, particularly since I lost a huge chunk of road games this year thanks to simulation. It'll take me a few days to decide how I'm going to do this next season, but before then I have a few more posts to do before I wrap up this season.

Huge job man, congratulations Did Earl win Finals MVP? Hope so.

Thanks Thierry, and yes he did win it. I think anyone who scores 30 points per game on the championship team is a lock... atleast in NBA Live land.

It obvious Earl is the Finals MVP after a game 7 like that. Congrats on another championship.

Thanks megarover, Smith did win the award in the end. He now has all three in his trophy cabinet

[Kenny]

The 2019 NBA Champions
Denver Nuggets

The Starters

| Andrew Bogut | Borislav Perko | Kevin Durant | J.R. Smith | Brandon Jennings

The Bench


| Taylor MacKenzie | Robin Lopez | Patrick Mills | Ed Reed | George Power | Chris Andersen | Dennis Da Conceicao |

IR

| Jrue Holiday | Crispin Erwin | Basil Richter |

Finals MVP
J.R. Smith



30.7ppg 1.9rpg 1.3spg

Team Record

Regular Season: 53-29
Playoffs: 16-7

[Houndy]

Now it's the challenge of resigning Earl

[Bucket]

Nice anniversary team, I love it.
And Jennings, he have a time to make it

[Andrew]

If you've got the enthusiasm to play through another season before going back to simming a bit, I say definitely try for a four-peat and get a step closer to that achievement/trophy.

[Axel The Great]

Great to see my man Billups as a starter. There's no question he's in the top 3 players in TNL. If I remember correctly, you did retire his jersey number, right?

I'm pretty surprised Shaq wasn't in, but then again, you basically just had his corpse. Excellent All-TNL team there.

[megarover]

Now that I think about it 7 of the 12 players on the All-TNL team was on that this championship squad. Maybe this is the greatest Denver team of all time?

[Kenny]

Now it's the challenge of resigning Earl

Indeed, but after having a series like that, the Denver management would pretty much be at his mercy you'd think.

Nice anniversary team, I love it.
And Jennings, he have a time to make it

He was a big omission but who knows, he still has time to make the 20th anniversary team

If you've got the enthusiasm to play through another season before going back to simming a bit, I say definitely try for a four-peat and get a step closer to that achievement/trophy.

I'm thinking of using the sim intervention feature and have 12 minute simulated quarters. That way the stats could be more on parity to where the NBA really is and if I intervene, I could still play a good 12 minutes (which is almost half a game for me right now). I suppose I'm just partial to getting my seasons done quickly now as work, television, gigs and other video games take up a good chunk of my time. Hell, Duke Nukem Forever is coming out in May *knock on wood*.

Great to see my man Billups as a starter. There's no question he's in the top 3 players in TNL. If I remember correctly, you did retire his jersey number, right?

I'm pretty surprised Shaq wasn't in, but then again, you basically just had his corpse. Excellent All-TNL team there.

The only thing that pissed me off about the Melo trade in real life was that Billups was put in the deal against his will. Losing him was the bigger tragedy to Denver basketball in my opinion because he played there in high school and college. I kept him on for so long because of that and I also think he's been one of the best in this dynasty. As for retiring his jersey, I didn't do it officially yet, but it's pretty much been implied that his number 1 won't be worn by anyone else.

Shaq received a lot of votes, but Bogut just beat him to it by the most narrow margin. But yeah, by pure popularity, it's strange he didn't get into the 12. I figured having the IR was a good "honorable mention" for those who were close.

Now that I think about it 7 of the 12 players on the All-TNL team was on that this championship squad. Maybe this is the greatest Denver team of all time?

The season before this one went 73-9, so I'd dare say that squad was better but the 2019 championship squad would be right up there as well.

[Kenny]

10th Anniversary Team: Writer's Choice

Everybody did a great job voting for an excellent Reader's Choice team and now it's my turn. Here's my 10th Anniversary Team:

The Starters

Centre: Chris Andersen



Chris Andersen saw everything that happened with this squad and was integral for their many years of success. He was the interior enforcer on the defensive end and an iconic figure of the dynasty team.

Forward: Ty Maximilian



Kevin Durant was a tempting pick, but I had to go with the guy who came from obscurity to become the cult figure of TNL. Ty did nothing in half measures and was arguably the most explosive scorer in Denver's history. His tenure with the Nuggets was cut short, but now he's tearing apart the Euroleague.

Forward: Carmelo Anthony



Melo was the guy who turned this team from a lottery chance to a perenial playoff seed. Carmelo made scoring look easy in his time with the Nuggets and was the face of the side since his first year. Trading him was the most difficult decision I made.

Guard: J.R. Smith



Whether you call him J.R. or Earl, there is one term that everyone can agree on calling him; a superstar. J.R. Smith is the only player in this dynasty to win an All-Star MVP, a regular season MVP and a Finals MVP. Deciding who's the best between him and Carmelo is a coin toss, but you wouldn't be run out of town if you sided with Earl.

Guard: Chauncey Billups



As Axel mentioned, if there was a top 3 players category of this dynasty, Chauncey Billups would be there after the first 10 years. He was a guy who demanded the ball in the clutch and barely let his side down. A true leader and a legend in his own right.

The Bench

Kevin Durant



It's a tribute to how great this squad has been that I would name Kevin Durant as the 6-man. His role has changed a lot, going from being the man to being an outstanding complement to J.R. Smith. Whether he wants to stay in that role forever is uncertain, but for now he's doing a great job.

Borislav Perko



If it wasn't for Ty Maximilian, Borislav Perko would not only be a starter on this team, but he would be my favourite generated player. Like Ty, he has great versality and knows when to have a big performance.

Shannon Brown



Admittedly this was a signing due to hype in the real NBA, but Brown proved to be more than just a guy with insane hops. In his time with Denver he transitioned into being a perimeter shooter and was as good as anyone at hitting a three. One part of his game that doesn't get mentioned that often if his defensive play. For a guy who's 6'4, he's pound-for-pound one of the best shot blockers in the game.

Ed Reed



Possibly an ambitious selection, but Ed Reed was huge during the playoffs. He came off the bench and provided Denver with a consistent scoring option. At times, the Nuggets leant on him to carry the scoring load, in one game scoring 38 against the Wizards. Much like Michael Beasley being selected at the number 2 pick, this is a pick about potential.

Andrew Bogut



With a vast array of great backup bigs to choose from, none of them were more important to Denver's success than Bogut. He helped the Nuggets come back from 3-0 down against the Rockets and was instrumental in their 4-0 sweep against San Antonio.

Michael Beasley



In the first 7 years of this dynasty, Michael Beasley was the single most important trade acquisition in TNL. He was the first guy to register a triple-double and helped Denver to their first championship ever. He was only with the squad for 2 seasons, but his impact changed the dynamic of the Nuggets forever.

Taylor MacKenzie



The guy with the greatest rookie season over the past 10 years is now a high energy bench player. MacKenzie is very much an underachiever, but you can't help but love what he brings to the game when he shows up.

IR

Brandon Jennings
Robin Lopez
Grant Hill (I needed atleast one Homer selection )

[The X]

I much prefer writer's choice to reader's choice team

My only change would be to swap Robin Lopez in for Andrew Bogut (not enough tenure sorry )

One thing I did want to query:

Taylor MacKenzie

Taylor MacKenzie

What happened to his goatie?

Congrats on making it this far and I hope you continue for the whole 25 years

[Andrew]

I'm thinking of using the sim intervention feature and have 12 minute simulated quarters. That way the stats could be more on parity to where the NBA really is and if I intervene, I could still play a good 12 minutes (which is almost half a game for me right now). I suppose I'm just partial to getting my seasons done quickly now as work, television, gigs and other video games take up a good chunk of my time. Hell, Duke Nukem Forever is coming out in May *knock on wood*.

Sounds like a good idea to me. I know what you mean about getting through the season and fitting it in with everything else. Of course, it remains to be seen whether they'll end up banning Duke Nukem Forever here in Australia as they did with the new Mortal Kombat. The lack of an R18+ rating and the sensitivity to certain content that really isn't bad enough to warrant higher than MA15+ is appalling, and has been grinding my gears for the past couple of days since I saw the news about MK.

[Lamrock]

Loving the retrospectives. This is truly a special dynasty.

[The X]

Loving the retrospectives. This is truly a special dynasty.

100% agree. This may not have the literary & story brilliance of Sit's ALIB II & III or the gaudy presentation of some, but it's got heart, which for me is why it's so special.

[Kenny]

I much prefer writer's choice to reader's choice team

My only change would be to swap Robin Lopez in for Andrew Bogut (not enough tenure sorry )

One thing I did want to query:

What happened to his goatie?

Congrats on making it this far and I hope you continue for the whole 25 years

I guess Bogut over Lopez was based purely off the playoffs, which I guess is an unfair assessment, but without Bogut I don't think I would have made it past the second round. They could really be interchangable because Lopez has been there for longer and had a pretty good season in 2018-2019.

As for the goatee... it's a strange thing that NBA Live 10 does sometimes where they change the generated players looks. Ever since the goatee went though, MacKenzie just hasn't been the same.

Sounds like a good idea to me. I know what you mean about getting through the season and fitting it in with everything else. Of course, it remains to be seen whether they'll end up banning Duke Nukem Forever here in Australia as they did with the new Mortal Kombat. The lack of an R18+ rating and the sensitivity to certain content that really isn't bad enough to warrant higher than MA15+ is appalling, and has been grinding my gears for the past couple of days since I saw the news about MK.

I was thinking more along the lines of it being postponed, but you're right, the lack R18+ could see Duke get banned here. I preordered Mortal Kombat as well and while it wasn't a game that initially was on my radar of things I had to buy, I was really excited about it because I loved the first 3 games (and even Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3). I hear PS3s have no region lock, so I guess an option could always be to ordered it from the states.

Loving the retrospectives. This is truly a special dynasty.

100% agree. This may not have the literary & story brilliance of Sit's ALIB II & III or the gaudy presentation of some, but it's got heart, which for me is why it's so special.

Thanks guys, I guess I just like to keep it simple. The style I use takes little effort to implement and allows me to keep going at the pace of which I have.

[Kenny]

Top Plays of the 2019 NBA Finals

Here are the plays of the 7 game series against the Wizards. In order of my personal favourites:

#10: Just for lulz

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After a big play, Andray Blatche goes up for the celebration... Steven Hunt however is not on the same page.

#9: Vintage T-Mac 2.0

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Taylor MacKenzie beats Duncan O'Farrell on the dribble and finishes with the layup.

#8: Who Said Bigger Means Stronger?

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Borislav Perko backs down former teammate Sam Conners.

#7: Bogut Blocks the Monster

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After being beaten by the pass, Andrew Bogut doesn't give up on the play.

#6: Jennings for 4!

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Brandon Jennings gets fouled on the made 3 point shot... sorry if you thought it was an Antoine Walker play.

#5: Blatche Caught Sleeping

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Crispin Erwin was activated for his hustle, and this play demonstrates it. Big play at the end of the quarter.

#4: Birdman's Power Play

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Birdman passes off to a rampant George Power.

#3: Protecting the Nest

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Birdman features again, this time doing what he does best.

#2: MVP 360

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J.R. Smith pulls off an amazing dunk off the transition

#1: Earl's Dagger

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In game 6, J.R. Smith came up with this Chauncey Billups-style dagger to point Denver up by 6 late in the 4th.

--------------------------

I know it probably seemed cruel to include two plays in which Andray Blatche looks like a noob, but I only had 9 top plays that I saved after 7 games.

This post is the last of the 10th season, which means the off-season and 2019-2020 season are to follow.

[The X]

One thing I did want to query:

What happened to his goatie?

As for the goatee... it's a strange thing that NBA Live 10 does sometimes where they change the generated players looks. Ever since the goatee went though, MacKenzie just hasn't been the same.

Not surprised, he looked a lot better with the goatie

[Kenny]

Retirement News

Birdman Ends Longest Tenure



Chris Andersen decided to call it quits after his 6th successful campaign with the Denver Nuggets. He was the last player to play every single season for the Nuggets during the The Next Level. After being reinstated into the NBA, Andersen spent 11 seasons in Denver, providing them with the defensive presense they were lacking after Marcus Camby was traded to the Clippers.

In the 10 seasons of TNL, Chris Andersen started at the centre position for all but the last season.

Injury Forces Bogut's Retirement



In a surprise announcement, Andrew Bogut decided to retire from the NBA. It was revealed that he was played sparingly in the NBA Finals series because of a chronic elbow problem he sustained during his tenure with the Bucks. Playing a reduced role during the season, Bogut came to prominence with the Nuggets during the Houston series. Towards the end of the playoffs campaign, his elbow got worse and his minutes were reduced once again.

Andrew Bogut all but one season with the Milwaukee Bucks.

[The X]

Wtf? Bogut seriously retired? That's gutting. I think he needs to be taken off your 10 year team

to Chris "Birdman" Andersen for staying clean and having a stellar career with the Nuggets. I look forward to the retirement of his jersey number

[Andrew]

Bogut's retirement was a little unexpected, but nice that he got a ring and I like how you worked it into the story. Hats off to the Birdman who had a great run through the course of the Dynasty.

I was thinking more along the lines of it being postponed, but you're right, the lack R18+ could see Duke get banned here. I preordered Mortal Kombat as well and while it wasn't a game that initially was on my radar of things I had to buy, I was really excited about it because I loved the first 3 games (and even Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3). I hear PS3s have no region lock, so I guess an option could always be to ordered it from the states.

360 users could import from the UK but it's been declared a banned item with hefty fines for anyone caught importing it. As good as it looks like it'll be for MK fans, I don't think a video game is worth the risk. Complete and utter foolishness but I don't want to derail the thread by ranting on that any more. Suffice to say, Aussie gamers are getting the short end of the stick.

[Kenny]

Not surprised, he looked a lot better with the goatie

I think he does too. Personally, I'd like to see a mix of the goatee and the long hair.

Wtf? Bogut seriously retired? That's gutting. I think he needs to be taken off your 10 year team

to Chris "Birdman" Andersen for staying clean and having a stellar career with the Nuggets. I look forward to the retirement of his jersey number

It was disappointing to see him retire because he was probably going to start the next season, but I guess it gives me the opportunity to recruit a little more with only 1 centre on the squad at this point. And I stand by my selection

Birdman has been great for this dynasty, so I'll probably retire his jersey. Perhaps retire Chauncey's at the same time; I'll never let anyone else take number 1, but it'd be cool to make it official I suppose.

Bogut's retirement was a little unexpected, but nice that he got a ring and I like how you worked it into the story. Hats off to the Birdman who had a great run through the course of the Dynasty.

I was thinking more along the lines of it being postponed, but you're right, the lack R18+ could see Duke get banned here. I preordered Mortal Kombat as well and while it wasn't a game that initially was on my radar of things I had to buy, I was really excited about it because I loved the first 3 games (and even Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3). I hear PS3s have no region lock, so I guess an option could always be to ordered it from the states.

360 users could import from the UK but it's been declared a banned item with hefty fines for anyone caught importing it. As good as it looks like it'll be for MK fans, I don't think a video game is worth the risk. Complete and utter foolishness but I don't want to derail the thread by ranting on that any more. Suffice to say, Aussie gamers are getting the short end of the stick.

With 1 year left on his contract, I figured an ailment of some kind would be a feasible reason.

And wow, I can't believe mortal kombat is really going to be treated like contraband. Surely it couldn't be anymore violent than the recent Rambo movie...

[Kenny]

Free Agent Re-Signing

Earl Signs For 2



J.R. Smith has capitalised off his outstanding playoffs series by signing a 2 year deal reportly worth 26 million dollars. Smith won the Finals MVP with a post-season average of 30 points per game.

Four More For Pat



Reserved guard Patrick Mills has signed a 4 year contract. It's yet to be seen whether he'll remain with the side due to the log-jam at the point, but his future in the NBA remains safe for atleast another 4 seasons.

Richter's Option Not Picked Up

Injury Reserve Forward Basil Richter's team option was not picked up by the Denver Nuggets and he will head to free agency. He came to Denver in the J.R. Smith trade.

Draft Lottery

Denver get 29th and 59th

As expected, the Denver Nuggets have the second last pick of each round in the 2019 draft. Golden State will have the first overall.

Holiday to be Dealt?



The Denver Nuggets could look to package Jrue Holiday with their second round pick in this year's draft. After being expected to back up Brandon Jennings, the combination of poor shooting and the emergence of Ed Reed saw Jrue Holiday fall out of the rotation. He has another 3 years left on his deal.

[Kenny]

2019 NBA Draft

Pick Number 29: SF Adrian Young (Oregon)
NBA Comparison: Tim Thomas

Age: 25
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 242lbs

Inside: C-
Outside: B
Defense: B-
Teamwork: C-
Athleticism: B-

Footnote

-ESPN have labelled him as a "Questionable Pick"

Pick Number 59

Pick 59 was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with Jrue Holiday for sophomore centre Aaron Watters.