The truth has set them free from misconceptions and delusion.
Don’t bother pretending Nuggets. The Los Angeles Clippers have revealed your problems.
It was never just the coach and general manager. It is the players. And the bench. The Nuggets, even if they escape the first round, are not good enough.
Entering Game 4, they should be embarrassed. If not quit, they looked mentally checked out in Game 3, playing the victim, the weight of injuries and dysfunction swallowing their season.
This has become a miserable matchup. The Nuggets need to be on the Autobahn. And this series is being played in a school zone.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and assistant Jeff Van Gundy are outclassing interim coach David Adelman. They determined after the opener that even if they let Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray score, no one else could beat them.
Their theory is correct, showing how playoff basketball is a flat-out different sport than the regular season.
Here is how bad things have gone. The Nuggets have three transition points in their past seven quarters. That is unthinkable for a team that lives off fastbreaks, that relishes turning games into a pop-a-shot.
Worse, the Nuggets reserves remain ghosts in uniform. They were outscored 31-6. Adelman talked Friday about switching rotations, using different people to jumpstart the offense. But what played out in Game 3 was symbolic of the regular season, of what is wrong with this team and why Aaron Gordon (his calf is not hurting again), Michael Porter Jr. (his left shoulder is killing him) or Jamal Murray (his max contract kicks in next season) must be traded this offseason.
This roster demands reconstruction. The NBA has evolved since Denver won its title. It is impossible to contend for a championship when they don’t shoot a lot of 3s and cannot defend behind the arc. Mix in a lack of physicality, and here we are.
The Nuggets, whether they win another game in this series or not, have been exposed. And that is the simple truth.
On the Rox: Criticism of the current Rockies is not piling on the rock pile. They boast the fourth worst winning percentage since their inception in 1993 at 38%. Their road average is the lowest of all-time at .238. It is obvious the Rockies need a fresh set of eyes across the board with a new team president, manager, scouts and general manager, knowing there will not be a change in ownership.
Power outage: The idea of the Avs getting only seven shots in six power plays in a Game 3 loss to the Stars is unacceptable. Putting Gabe Landeskog on the unit should help. The Avs are not winning this series without dramatic improvement in man advantages.
Sanders’ slide: Shedeur Sanders’ slide is the result of evaluation and projection. NFL scouts viewed him as an undersized, athletically limited, average-armed prospect who processes well. That is closer to Brock Purdy, apparently, than Cam Ward. Sanders did not help himself by bombing at least one team interview. Everything matters this time of year. And some of his actions created the impression that he will have difficulty playing for someone besides his father. Sanders can prove everyone wrong. But this was not how he wanted to begin his pro career, climbing straight uphill.
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The post Renck & File: Clippers reveal truth about Nuggets. Bench stinks. Trades needed. appeared first on Denver Post