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 Jerry Schemmel is here to speak his mind. As the voice of the Denver Nuggets since 1992, he is allowed to do just that. You've heard him call the colorful play-by-play during Nuggets games on the Altitude Radio Network. You've heard him give his tremendous basketball insight on a variety of shows on Altitude Sports & Entertainment. Now he's taking over Nuggets.com with the stuff that is really picking at his brain. This is Jerry Schemmel's Take On Things . . . so pay attention. NOTE: These are the views of Jerry Schemmel and by no means reflect the views of the Nuggets organization.
Nuggets Have What It Takes to Pull An Upset Apr. 20, 2007 -- Upsets. They happen all the time in sports. Fans of all kinds love them, including Nuggets fans. Maybe especially Nuggets fans. One of the great moments in Nuggets history, perhaps even Denver sports history, was the team’s upset of the Seattle Supersonics in the first round of the playoffs in 1994. And now, 13 years later, Nuggets fans are hoping for a repeat performance. And if it happens, it may well be as monumental as that spring afternoon in Seattle so many years back. As the Nuggets head into the NBA playoffs against the powerful San Antonio Spurs, people around these parts are daring to use that word again. They seem cautious when saying it, but the word upset is on the tongue. And perhaps for good reason. The match up features the very talented but very inconsistent Nuggets against the big, bad defensive-minded giants, the Spurs, who have won two of the last four NBA titles. If the Nuggets are to actually do this, to dare to become the victorious underdogs, they must, in my mind, do a few key things. First, I think the Nuggets have to try to push the tempo. Playoff basketball, we all know, slows down and becomes more of a half court game than in the regular season. But does it have to? If you are built to run, like the Nuggets are, and have had success running, like the Nuggets have, wouldn’t you want to at least try. Don’t you at least attempt to do what you’re best at? San Antonio will slow the Nuggets down – they might be the best in the league at doing just that. But you still have to try. Secondly, the Nuggets have to execute in their half court offense. If the opportunity is there to run, they must do it, but when its not, an unselfish approach must prevail. It’s my opinion that the Nuggets are so much better equipped for effectiveness in the half court than they have been in the last three post-season ventures. Allen Iverson is the reason. In the past, if Carmelo Anthony couldn’t get a decent shot, it was a painful half court offense. Iverson changes that. He can break down the defense in half court sets, getting both himself and teammates easier baskets. Thirdly, the Nuggets need a sustained level of poise. The playoffs present a whole new world of basketball. It’s a completely different game from the regular season. The intensity is so much greater because the stakes are so much higher. Visiting arenas get more hostile. Coaches yell more. Every possession is crucial. Mistakes are magnified. And all that demands great poise. The Nuggets simply have to have it. Tempo, half court execution and poise. In my mind, the key ingredients. Key ingredients that might allow the Nuggets to pull the upset. After all, upsets happen all the time. Or at least every 13 years.
Jerry's Other Takes:
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