Denver
Nuggets

Nuggets Team Report

Updated: May 27, 2012 05:32 EST

The Nuggets might have fewer changes than any NBA team this offseason.

The Nuggets have 12 of their 15 players under contract for next season, and two of their three free agents are restricted. The Nuggets believe their young team played well enough in 2011-12 that they can bring back most of the same cast.

The Nuggets went 38-28 in the regular season, but their record undoubtedly would have been much better had they not had rash of injuries in the middle of the campaign. Once the team was mostly healthy, they won 11 of their last 15 games and then, as the West No. 6 seed, took the No. 3 Lakers to a Game 7 in the first round before losing the series 4-3.

Denver's primary players for next season are point guard Ty Lawson and forwards Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried, all under contract for next season and all 24 or younger. Also back next season will be forward Wilson Chandler, who signed a long-term deal in March after returning from playing in China but ended up being lost for the last month of the season due to a hip injury.

The Nuggets' restricted free agents are center JaVale McGee, who had some impressive games after being acquired in March from Washington, and swingman Rudy Fernandez. The Nuggets have vowed to retain McGee, although it's possible they could let Fernandez go due to the great depth they have on the perimeter. Fernandez was lost for the season's final 1-1/2 months due to a back injury.

Denver's only unrestricted free agent is backup point guard Andre Miller, who might leave in order to join a team that is closer to a championship. If that is the case, after re-signing McGee, the Nuggets' other major source of offseason business would be to find another backup behind Lawson.

"As an organization and staff, you're excited because you don't think there will be many changes," said Nuggets coach George Karl.

All in all, the Nuggets have recovered well from February 2011, when agreed to appease star forward Carmelo Anthony, who had asked to be traded. Still, the Nuggets now have gone three straight seasons without winning a playoff series and they have been eliminated in the first round in eight of the past nine years. So there is still much work to do.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT: After falling behind 3-1 in a first-round series to the Lakers, the Nuggets won the next two games. One was in Los Angeles and the other was a 113-96 home rout before a raucous crowd at the Pepsi Center. But the Nuggets eventually fell shortly losing Game 7 96-87 in Los Angeles.

TURNING POINT: The Nuggets lost at lowly Toronto on March 28 to fall to 27-24 and it looked as if they might miss the playoffs. However, the Nuggets got things going and won 11 of their final 15 games to earn the West's No. 6 seed. A key reason was the Nuggets getting healthy after a rash of injuries and there also was a determination not to use the youth of the team as an excuse.

--Point guard Ty Lawson took another big step this season for the Nuggets. The good news for the team is Lawson wants to sign a contract extension this summer.

Lawson, who just completed his third season, can sign a deal between July and the end of October that would kick in for the 2013-14 season. If he doesn't re-sign then, he would become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2013.

"It's definitely a goal," Lawson said of being extended this summer. "I want to be here long-term."

Lawson led the Nuggets in scoring with a 16.4 average and also averaged 6.6 assists.

--Nuggets backup point guard Andre Miller had a solid season. But that doesn't necessarily mean he will return to Denver.

"I'll keep my options open," said Miller, 36, a 13-year veteran who is the Nuggets' only unrestricted free agent. "At this point in my career, if I'm going to be a backup, I'm going to be a backup on a championship-caliber team. Obviously, this team is a good team that's going to get to the playoffs, but the thing is if they are committed to getting to that next level to compete for that championship."

Miller had been a starter throughout his career until this season, and wasn't thrilled initially to be backing up Ty Lawson. Miller, though, eventually got more comfortable in the role.

Nuggets coach George Karl hopes for a return for Miller, whom he calls one of the 10 best point guards in NBA history. Even though he was a reserve, Miller led the Nuggets with a 6.7 assists average while averaging a career-low 9.7 points.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "There is a growth process that definitely went on in the last two months of the season. It was very obvious that the guys had a great energy early on, we kind of stumbled around for six weeks and then regrouped." -- Nuggets coach George Karl, whose team got off to a good start and finished well but had problems in the middle of the season.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Point guard Ty Lawson averaged a team-high 16.4 points and 6.6 assists. He turned into more of a leader, and really raised his game when he averaged 19.0 points in the playoffs. Lawson could be an All-Star next season.

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Forward Danilo Gallinari was being looked at as a player who might break out and become an All-Star this season. Instead, his scoring average fell from 15.6 to 14.6. Injuries had something to do with it, though. Ankle and thumb problems led to Gallinari missing 23 games.

BIGGEST NEEDS: The Nuggets need to re-sign restricted free agent JaVale McGee, and install him as their center of the future. McGee mostly came off the bench after being acquired March 15 from Washington, but he emerged by the playoffs as Denver's best center among Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos, who often started ahead of McGee. If the Nuggets lose free-agent Andre Miller, they will need to acquire a point guard to back up Ty Lawson.

FREE AGENT FOCUS: Center JaVale McGee is restricted and likely will be re-signed since the Nuggets want him back and can match any offer. Swingman Rudy Fernandez is restricted and might not return since the Nuggets have plenty of depth on the perimeter and he was lost for the season in March due to back surgery. Point guard Andre Miller is unrestricted and might not return in order to join a team closer to being a contender. But the Nuggets might be able to convince Miller to stay.

PLAYER NOTES:

--F Kenneth Faried barely played at the start of the season after being taken with the No. 22 pick in last June's draft. But injuries led Faried to finally get his chance. He made the most of it, averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. Faried was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for April and is expected to be named to either the first or second All-Rookie team.

--F Danilo Gallinari vows to use a disastrous Game 7 showing against the Lakers as motivation for next season. Gallinari shot 1-of-9 for three points and had three turnovers and ended the game on the bench as the Nuggets lost 96-87 to be eliminated from the playoffs. "I don't want to have that happen again in my future career," said Gallinari, who had problems sleeping in the nights after the game. "I'm going to keep it as motivation."

--C Chris Andersen has his Nuggets future in doubt. Andersen, who was a deep reserve by the end of the season, has two years on his contract worth more than $9 million. The Nuggets might look to trade him or he could be an amnesty victim. Andersen appeared in just 32 regular-season games and didn't play a minute during the postseason.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--F Wilson Chandler (left hip labral tear) was ruled out for the season April 18 and underwent surgery. He's expected to be fully recovered by training camp.

--G Rudy Fernandez (back surgery) was ruled out for the season March 22 and then had his surgery. While Fernandez is expected to be ready for training camp, he's a restricted free agent this summer and it's unsure whether he'll return to the Nuggets.