Nuggets' Nation in Limbo Due to Lockout

This summer was supposed to be a time when the Denver Nuggets could build off of the positive momentum that came from the team's undeniable success after the Carmelo Anthony trade. While many skeptics might instead deem it re-building, the fact remains that the current roster seems at the very least capable of making the playoffs for an astounding ninth straight season despite the recent shakeup in personnel. That is not even considering the fact that the team actually has the financial flexibility to add significant help through free agency. After what appeared to be a successful draft and a dynamic late-season run in the spring, the Nuggets prospects were looking up.

Then the buzzkill known as the NBA lockout decided to mess with the psyches of basketball fans by posing the possibility of a lost season altogether, or what will likely be at least a shortened season with little time for a young team to build chemistry or cohesion during the season, much less during training camps or preseason. Coach George Karl's squad could certainly use practice time, really, any time to mesh as a group, even if it means playing video games or chumming it up at the local tattoo parlor.

Nuggets free agents Wilson Chandler, Kenyon Martin, and J.R. Smith have all opted to play the upcoming season in The People's Republic of China. The Chinese Basketball Association is different from the other international basketball leagues that current players are flocking to because it is not allowing players to opt out of their contracts and come back to the NBA if a season is salvaged.

While there was a general likelihood that Martin and Smith might not have re-signed with Denver, Chandler was a restricted free-agent and seemed destined to be wearing Nuggets powder blue for the foreseeable future. The talented young swingman didn't show a lot to fans in the Pepsi Center last season, particularly in the playoffs, but he is only getting better and his defensive effort alone is enough to create significant playing time in an offense heavy system.

Nobody can blame these players for wanting to play the game they love for millions of dollars overseas, and it is actually a good thing for young players to develop their games in a competitive setting. Nuggets players Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, and Timofey Mozgov are all bringing their talents across the Atlantic, although without the hubbub of a cable television special a la The Decision. They should be encouraged to play somewhere at this point in their careers, but all three would be quick to jump back to play for the Nuggets if the NBA decides to get itself together for the 2011-2012 season. Nevertheless, the fortunes of the Denver Nuggets have and will be seriously impacted by the work stoppage, and one can only hope that something happens in labor negotiations sooner than later. A summer of excitement has gradually become a time of chaos and havoc in the Mile-High city.