Nuggets Race to the Third Seed

The third seed is in sight, after a terrible start to the season when it looked iffy that the Nuggets would even make the playoffs, they are only 2 games behind the Clippers and 1.5 behind the current third seed Memphis. They also have the tie breaker over both of those teams.

The Clippers are far from the team that they were in December when they won 17 straight. They have still been good, but they have not stepped up to the elite level. They still have a fairly easy schedule with a lot of home games and their away games are against easy teams. The Nuggets need them to lose a couple of games they shouldn't in order to catch them without the race going down to the wire.

Memphis's schedule is a little bit tougher with a lot of away games in touch places to play. When they traded away Rudy Gay I thought they would be lucky to make they playoffs, I was wrong. They have still been a top team, but they lack a go to scorer. The Nuggets should have no problem catching them and taking home court advantage in the first round.

They play the Grizzlies one more and it is in Denver. This should be a win. I have the Nuggets losing at least 3 games, maybe four to six. If they only lose 3 they will finish with 57 wins which should be more than enough to lock down the three seed. If they lose 6 they are likely stuck with the 4th seed and would play Memphis in the first round. 

How Ty Lawson Has Become a Borderline Star

From the start of the season until the start of the new year it did not look like Ty Lawson was worth a dime of the extension he received. He was shooting around 40% and not averaging anywhere near his point total from last season. Most people thought the money got to his head and he was not playing as hard as he could. Then the calendar flipped and so did Ty's play. In 2013 he has become a new player averaging 20+ points and 7+ assists since the new year started. Four Syllables can be attributed to his transformation "Mid-Range Jumper." He has added this shot consistently to his arsenal and he does not have to be shooting square to the basket to make it. He has made it made it fading backwards, left or right and has been able to make them with a hand in his face.

Adding a mid-ranged jumper means that players can no longer play off of him in order to keep him in check. They are starting to realize he has this new ability which means they play him closer which increases the probability of Ty breaking their ankles and still pulling up or just driving right by them and towards the hoop. Ty is ravaging his opponents with his newfound shot.

It is not like Ty did not have this shot before, it may not have been as refined, but George Karl has finally given him the green light to shoot this on a regular basis. This gives Ty all the confidence he needs. His game runs off of confidence and in the past when he had a bad first half it normally meant he would also have a bad second half. That has not been the case this season. In fact, I believe he has played better in the second half when he has a bad first half. We saw this against the Clippers when he only had 2 points in the first half, but came out with 19 in the second.

Ty has scored 20 or more points in 11 out of the last 13 games. This scoring is unprecedented from him considering he was not the type of guy to take over the game. He finally feels comfortable enough to take over a game now since he has his lethal mid-range jumper to fall back on.

Denver Broncos Starter Grades: Defense

Elvis Dumervil

Doom had an alright season. He battled injuries in the beginning, but he finally came up to speed during the middle of the year. His sack numbers would be higher if it was not for Von Miller. He did finish with 11.5. He is still a top pass rusher, but his run defense leaves a lot to be desired.

Grade: B

Justin Bannan

Bannan had a couple of good moments during the season, but for no reason should he be the starting defensive tackle on an NFL team. He has a hard time creating any type of push to stop the run or the pass.

Grade: C

Kevin Vickerson

Big Vick is a decent rotation player, but he was the best defensive tackle on this team. He played well against the run, but as the story goes for these Broncos defensive tackles he created little to no pass rush. He could be a decent #2 option at DT, but when he is your best option you will run into some problems.

Grade: C+

Derrick Wolfe

I was hoping Wolfe would step in a be a starter and he did, but I was expecting him to be a defensive tackle not an end. He played the run well, but when he was moved inside on passing downs he struggled. He had 5 sacks on the year, but a lot of those were coverage sacks or the QB simply ran into him. He needs to improve to become a starter at DT and Ayers proved he was hungry to play end this year.

Grade: B-

Von Miller

What can you say about this dude? He is simply amazing. He had 18 sacks on the season and just dominated his opponents. What really impressed me was how much is rush defense improved. He was all over the place making tackles and he even did well in coverage (1 int). He will only get better and better over the years and that is very scary for any team in the league

Grade: A

Keith Brooking

Brooking was a nice veteran fill in. He was the Peyton Manning of the defense, calling the shots and lining up players correctly. However, he was just so old that he could not keep up with most players and was a liability once the play started.

Grade: C+

Wesley Woodyard

Woodyard had a great year and was not even considered for the Pro Bowl. He finished with 117 total tackles, 5.5 sacks 3 interceptions 1 forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He solidified himself as the starting WLB on this team.

Grade: A

Chris Harris

Harris was great this year, he had 3 interceptions, 2 of which he returned for TD's, and 12 pass defensed. Harris is always around the ball and it seemed that QB's feared to throw to him. He shut down Anquan Boldin twice and held his own opposite of Champ where most corners fail.

Grade: A-

Mike Adams

Adams was ok. He was a liability in pass coverage, but he was a decent run stopper. I have been used to Brian Dawkins the past couple of years so maybe I was expecting more from Adams than I should have. I think the Broncos may take a safety to push him or they might think Carter is a good option once he recovers from his injuries.

Grade: C+

Rahim Moore

The play against the Ravens aside, Moore made great strides from his rookie season. For one he actually tackled players. He needs to work on his coverage more, but he is a natural ball hawk so once he gets a feel for the speed of the game he will be up there in the top safety talk.

Grade: B

Champ Bailey

Although he was abused by Torrey Smith in the playoffs, he is still one of the best corners in the league. He has not lost that much of a step and can still lock down a lot of receivers in this league.

Grade: B+

Denver Broncos Stater Grades: Offense

Peyton Manning

He had is best year statistically throwing for 4,659 yards 37 TD's and 11 Interceptions. He lead this team to their best record since 2005 at 13-3. He is the reason the team was able to secure the top seed in the AFC. Even after the neck surgeries he still looked like a top 5 QB and although he lost some arm strength he was still able to outsmart defenses with his football knowledge.

Grade: A

Willis McGahee

 He only played 10 games, but still rushed for 731 yards at a 4.4 YPC clip and he ran for 4 TD's however, he coughed the ball up 5 times. His fumbling issues were a problem they altered games such as the Patriots game where the Broncos tried to make a comeback, but he fumbled the ball, ending the comeback bid. It is hard to successful when your running back turns it over so often. Moreno out-shined Willis when he got the chance rushing for just over 500 yards in his 6 starts and also having 4 rushing TD's to only 1 fumble.

Grade: C+

Demaryious Thomas

Thomas showed everyone what he was capable of in the second half of last season and in the playoffs. With Manning at the helm things only got better. He caught 94 balls for 1,434 yards for 10 TD's. Thomas dominated opponents and made a name for himself as a potential top 5 wide receiver. Some only thought he could be a deep threat in the NFL, but he showed he could be a good possession receiver too. Early in the year he struggled with dropped balls and fumbles, but he got over his fumblitis fairly quick. His dropped balls persisted, but they became less and less of a factor as the season wore on.

Grade: A-

Eric Decker

Decker played well in the second option role, he finished with 85 receptions 1,064 yards and a surprising 13 TD's. He was the Broncos best receiver in the red zone, he knew how to find the open spot and make a target for Manning. He had some problems with dropped balls during the middle of the season, but he seemed to overcome that part of his game as the year went on.

Grade: B+

Jacob Tamme

Tamme did not do as well as some though he would considering he played for Manning before and that developed a good rapport during the 2010 season. Tamme only finished with 52 receptions 555 yards and 2 TD's. Joel Dreessen seemed to take over more and more of the Tight End duties since he was a better blocker and a decent receiver. Dreessen was more effective in the red zone catching 5 TD's. Tamme needs to step it up or he may lose his starting job next season.

Grade: C

Ryan Clady

There is a reason Clady will be receiving the franchise tag and hopefully a long term deal this offseason. He has done an excellent job of projecting Manning's blindside and he deserves all of the money he will receive. He does lack a little in the run blocking department, but he is not that bad.

Grade: A-

Zane Beadles

In my eyes, this was Beadles best year yet. He needs to improve as a pass blocker, but his run blocking was phenomenal. He looked great always getting guys out of the way and moving onto the second level. In order to thrive in a Peyton Manning run offense he needs to improve his passing blocking, but I saw improvement from last year until this one so lets hope he can keep that up.

Grade: B

Dan Koppen

Koppen replaced Walton early in the season due to injury. Koppen was exactly what this offensive line needed, a veteran presence, since they were also without Kuper. Koppen did an excellent job calling out who to block and seemed to mesh well with Manning. I hope he can keep his starting job when Manning comes back.

Grade: B+

Manny Ramirez

He was just awful. Could not pass block to save his life and he is a mediocre run blocker. He was the weak link on this line the whole season. Since Kuper cant seem to stay healthy, I would not be surprised if the Broncos drafted a backup guard that could spot start when someone is injured. If the Broncos have to go with Manny any longer it could prove to be deadly.

Grade: D

Orlando Franklin

What an improvement this guy made as a pass blocker from year one to year two. He was head and shoulders above what he did in his rookie year. His feet seemed to move a little quicker. This is not to say he still cant make major improvements in the pass blocking arena, but if he improves this year like he did last he could be one of the top tackles in the league.

Grade: B+

Who Are the Broncos Looking at in the Draft?

The Broncos could go many different directions with their picks in the 2013 NFL draft.

They need a middle linebacker assuming Nate Irving does not make the jump to starter. I liked what I saw from Irving last season, when he received playing time he looked like a capable starter. I think they would most likely they would take a middle linebacker in the middle rounds in order to have a competition with Irving. I would like to see them take a look a Jon Bostic in the 4th round. They could also go Kevin Reddick from UNC in rounds 2 or 3.

As has been they story over many drafts the Broncos desperately need a Defensive Tackle that can push the pocket and stop the run. The front office cannot continue to put this off any longer. If they are able to snag someone who can push the pocket, that helps Doom and Miller because QB's will not be able to step up and avoid them. I counted numerous sacks that were missed last season because of no inside pressure. I would like them to take a look at John Jenkins from Georgia, Kawaan Short from Purdue or Sylvester Williams from UNC in the first round. In the middle rounds they should look at Brandon Williams from Missouri Southern.

Corner is also going to be an issue in the future. I personally hope the Broncos trade for Revis, but there is a strong possibility that will not happen. Tony Carter came through last season, but his is a free agent and can go anywhere he wants and possibly start. Chris Harris was phenomenal last season, he is just all over the place and around the ball. He also proved he could play opposite of champ, but I think his more natural spot is in the nickel. Champ is getting old and although he played well last season, sans Baltimore, nobody knows how long his strong play will keep up. The Broncos could consider Desmond Trufant from Washington or Xavier Rhodes from FSU in the first round. In the middle rounds they could take David Amerson from North Carolina State, B.W Webb from William and Mary.

Willis McGahee is old and coming off a a knee surgery. Moreno is a good runner, but has a hard time carrying the load. Ronnie Hillman is fast, but too small to be the feature back as he has trouble running between the tackles. Eddie Lacy could be an option in the first round, he is the most well rounded back in the class. He runs with power, but is also pretty quick and elusive. My personal favorite would be Mike Gilislee from Florida. He carried the load last season for the Gators and decimated top teams such as LSU and FSU. He is fast and quick, but also runs with a purpose and wont back down from a hit. Stepfan Taylor would also be a good addition, He was the workhorse for Stanford and his running style would mesh will with Hillmans.

Having a slot receiver is a must for Denver heading forward. Stokely only has one year left in him and that is assuming the Broncos resign him. Decker could move inside in 3 receiver packages, but who would replace him on the outside? Terrence Williams from Baylor would be a nice addition. Cobi Hamilton from Arkansas would also be a nice middle round addition to the receiving core.

Nuggets vs. Clippers Recap

Wow! What can I say about how hot Ty has been lately. He only had 2 points in the first half and if this was old Ty he would have finished with single digit points. New Ty however, is someone who can turn it on whenever he wants and he decided the second half was a good time for that. He finished with 21 points 11 dimes 6 boards and an all important 0 assists. He has averaged 20 points and 7.4 assists in the new year, I know it is hard for Denver to fathom since they built this team without a superstar in mind, but we might have another star on our hands. Andre Iguodala stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points 3 boards and 7 assists, like Ty he has also stepped up his game recently. Even though it does not show up in the box score he abused Chris Paul all night and did not let him get anything easy. Andre has been looking like his 76er's self by stuffing the stat sheet and playing lock down defense. Although his shooting leaves something to be desired I think he scores at a fine rate for this Nuggets team. He hit a nice 3 pointer that started the Nuggets second half run.

Gallo was looking like his pre-injury self in this game. He scored from all over the place which resulted in 20 points and he was also finding passing lanes, finishing with 6 assists. Gallo is an important cog to this team and it has been no coincidence that when he and Ty started playing better, the team has stepped up their game. Kenneth Faried played like his normal energetic self and frustrated Blake Griffin inside to get him off his game. Faried finished with 11 points 10 boards and a surprising 4 blocks, which resulted in his 27th double-double of the season. When Faried plays like this it overshadows the fact that he can be a defensive liability and I would have liked it more if he was on DeAndre Jordan rather than Griffin because Jordan is not that great of a post player. Koufus is one of my least favorite players on the team, it always seems that he misses easy shots and can never catch a ball when thrown to him. However, I would have loved to see more of him this game because I think he could have handled Griffin better than Faried did.

The Nuggets bench was, well the Nuggets bench. They provided energy and some defensive help. Chandler has an especially good, well rounded game, finishing with 12 points 5 assists and 4 rebounds on 5-8 shooting. Chandler was someone who I especially wanted to trade because he seemed like a punk who hated Denver, but he has provided such a spark off the bench or in the starting lineup when Gallo was out. Brewer had a decent game he did normal Brewer like things, such as getting out in transition and bugging players on the defensive end. I am an avid "Start McGee" type of person, but tonight reminded me he still has a lot of room to grow before he can become a solid starter. Aside from 2 highlight blocks he did not do anything tonight, he failed to box out on many occasions and only played 14 minutes. Andre Miller is not a player I want on this team he is selfish in his shot selection and dominates the ball for too long before he decides what to do with it. His stats look nice, but if you actually watch him he hurts this team and whenever he is on the court he slows Ty's progression in becoming a star player.

Overall, this was a great blowout win against a team on a back to back. These are the games they should win.

Nuggets Asserting Themselves at the Top of the Western Conference

The Denver Nuggets are currently 5th in the Western Conference and have a chance to catch the Memphis Grizzlies for the 4th seed. They could also catch the Clippers with some luck and a nice winning streak. Denver is 2-1 against the Thunder and the Grizzlies and they are 1-1 against the Spurs and the Clippers. They play the Clipper tonight at home so that record could change, but they do not have a losing record against the top 4 teams in the Western Conference.

They have been marvelous at home, but it is their 14-19 road record that has been holding them back from becoming a top team. They need to perform better on the road and especially against below average team. As an example look at the Kings game, yes it was a back to back, but they did not perform well and did not pull away until late in the 4th quarter. They should have put this game away in the first half. If they do not improve on the road, especially against below average teams, they will never make the jump into the top teams and will have a tough time becoming a contender. They are almost unbeatable at home so if they improved on the road they could become one of the best teams. They have the chance to catch Memphis and LA, but they need to win road games to become a force in the playoffs.