Calvin Booth became Calvin Bluff. Again.
For the second straight trade deadline, the Nuggets remained idle. Booth, the general manager, said the plan was to go big or go home. They did nothing, and we are supposed to believe this is a good thing?
Stop the nonsense.
Booth insists the Nuggets can contend for a title as comprised. Same goes for Nikola Jokic. Who’s going to tell them that hope is not a strategy? Did they solicit advice from the Rockies?
Yes, the Nuggets will be fine if no one gets hurt and no one gets gassed. Does that seem likely given Aaron Gordon’s balky calf, Jamal Murray’s necessary rest maintenance, Peyton Watson’s knee issue and Jokic’s career high in minutes logged?
Thursday, former Warriors GM Bob Myers lamented on ESPN that the Nuggets did not add a piece to assist Jokic. He pointed out the obvious: Denver remains too vulnerable.
In a vacuum, it is easy to see Booth’s reasoning. The problem is the moves Booth made to create roster flexibility left him with no room to maneuver. Citing the apron, he let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave. Then he used the assets created by his opening on misguided moves and a dumb contract while the perimeter defense deteriorates before our eyes.
Backup center Dario Saric is a waste of the mid-level exception. Booth also shipped off Reggie Jackson — the right move — but attached three second-round picks to dump his salary (100% the wrong move). And, of course, there is Zeke Nnaji’s $32 million contract that makes him usually unplayable and always untradeable. As a result, the Nuggets missed on players like Chris Boucher, Jonas Valančiūnas and Terance Mann.
The Nuggets needed help. Instead, Booth leaned on hope. And we all know how this movie ends.
Don’t Pour a Kupp: The Broncos need a veteran receiver to pair with Courtland Sutton. Frankly, his age suggests they should move on, but is it not worth stunting Bo Nix’s development by ditching his favorite target. What about adding Cooper Kupp? No thanks. The Rams will trade him, but the Broncos cannot risk draft picks for a declining player with injury concerns. Coach Sean Payton has no history of paying top dollar in free agency for wideouts, so more than likely he will add draft competition for Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin.
No Hall Pass for Eli: The Manning family has become connected to Colorado because of Peyton. And it won’t be long before we are watching his son Marshall throwing dimes in high school. But let’s be fair: The Hall of Fame committee got it right by not voting Eli in on the first ballot. He was eliminated in the cut to 10 finalists. Manning owns a .500 record (117-117), zero All-Pro honors and led the league in interceptions three times. Translation: Two magical Super Bowl wins cannot overshadow those numbers. Manning will eventually get in, but he must wait.
Fine Whine: Part of the issue with Super Bowl LIX is that neither team is particularly appealing to the general audience. My favorite shirt seen on Bourbon Street? “No one likes us and we don’t care.” It was worn by an Eagles fan. I would have assumed it was made for the whiny Chiefs.
MAIL TIME
Let’s get a popular movement going to re-sign Mikko as a free agent to right the huge wrong of dumping the fourth highest point getter in the league! That’s huge and irreplaceable!
Pat Thompson, email
There is no way to finesse the Avs trading Mikko Rantanen. It hurts. Rantanen has every right to want $14 million a season, though he indicated he was willing to take less. I understand why the Avs can’t make him their highest-paid player. But it feels like they miscalculated. It would have made more sense to trade him before the season and net a bigger return than pull the rug out in-season. The Avs are a good team, but they will miss Moose in the playoffs. As for a reunion, I don’t see it because his salary demands are unlikely to change.