posted October 31, 2006 at 18:32 EST in NBA Articles

The Denver Nuggets undoubtedly have a genuine superstar in Carmelo – and one that is still improving at that. However, I think the rest of the Nuggets roster, barring a few choice veterans, could use a makeover of nearly epic proportions – ad doesn’t have nearly enough firepower – or depth – to compete in the high-octane western conference. Here is my preview on the Nuggets for 2006-07:

Point Guard

I don’t know why someone is always ripping starting point guard Andre Miller because he really is a solid player. However, if it were up to me, I’d start the Nuggets diminutive backup and second most explosive scorer, Earl Boykins, in a heartbeat, but hey, that’s just me. At any rate, the Nuggets have two reliable point guards that are certainly not the root of the Nuggets’ most pressing problems.

Shooting Guard

Speaking of problems, this position has been at the very core of what’s ailing the Nuggets. However, Denver went out and acquired the talented, but the heretofore underachieving, J.R. Smith from the Chicago Bulls who is certainly worth a look. Whether he is the answer the Nuggets have been looking for remains to be seen, but hey, it’s worth a shot at the very least. If Smith isn’t the answer, the Nuggets will turn to backup Julius Hodge, another athletic young player who may or may not be ready for prime time. Point blank, this is still a huge question mark for the Nuggets and one they had better answer in a hurry.

Small Forward

Anthony, already a gifted offensive player when he entered the league three years ago, has develop other facets of his game and is quickly becoming a complete player worthy of every accolade that comes his way. Unfortunately, until Anthony gets some more competent help on offense, he will continually face double and triple teams. The Nuggets may have found themselves a solid backup in second-year man, Linas Kleiza, but make no mistake, this is Anthony’s team for the foreseeable future.

 

Power Forward

This position could actually be a strength for the Nuggets, who have four very good players at this position, although Kenyon Martin does have some serious head case issues at times. It looks like the Nuggets may start the talented, but oft-injured Nene with Martin backing him up and one of my favorite players in the entire league, Eduardo Najera, coming off the bench to provide his usual burst if effervescent energy. Former first round pick, Joe Smith is also a solid, if not outstanding player capable of providing solid minutes off the bench.

Center

I think Marcus Camby is a fine player who gives you his best effort when he’s out on the court, which, unfortunately for the Nuggets, is always a questionable situation at best. When Camby is healthy, he’s a shot-blocking and rebounding machine who can also score when necessary. However, the problem is that Camby always seems to get hurt. In this case, I’m sure Denver will move Nene over from his natural power forward position because backup Jamal Sampson certainly isn’t ready just yet – although he does have a huge upside.

Prognosis:

The Nuggets won the mediocre northwest division with a 44-38 record last season, and to be honest about it, I don’t see them improving that much this season. They should once again, win a little over 50 percent of their games and find their way into the playoffs before getting eliminated by one of the stronger teams in the west. Anything more than that is just icing on the cake.

Bet on the Nuggets to win the Northwest Division in the BetUS.com Sportsbook!

Eric Williams is a syndicated columnist and can be heard every Wednesday at 2:15pm EST on www.BetUSradio.com. You can contact Eric at eklass66@yahoo.com.

See this section tomorrow for our continued look at every NBA team.