Latest news with #Nuggets
Otago Daily Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Rams show Nuggets no mercy
What does hope look like when it has been shredded in a blender? Well, like the long faces that headed into home dressing rooms at the Edgar Centre last night. The Otago Nuggets trailed the Canterbury Rams 55-29 at the break. The game was over. Or was it? Of course it was over. It was a clash between the best team in the National Basketball League and easily the worst and that was very, very obvious. The 113-59 final score was a painfully honest reflection of the gulf in class between the traditional rivals. The 54-point loss was the heaviest defeat in their history. Their previous largest losing margin was a 47-point shellacking by the Southland Sharks in 2013. Australian guard Sean Macdonald top-scored with 27 points and CJ Penha added 19 from the bench. Jonathan Janssen was the best of the Nuggets players. He posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. There were early troubling signs. Rams guard Taylor Britt got free passage along the baseline for a basket. Someone dropped off their defensive assignment and he was not the last. Macdonald drilled a couple of early three-pointers and the Rams took an 8-0 lead. Janssen finally got the Nuggets on the board with a putback and Jaylen Sebree landed a triple. Other than that it was painful to watch for the home fans. The Nuggets made a series of bumbling efforts close to the hoop and some complete misreads on defence. Where is the exit? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Rams claimed twice as many rebounds and posted almost three times as many points in a lopsided 27-10 opening period. Macdonald stuck another three for the two-time defending champions early in the second quarter. Walter Brown grabbed an offensive board and popped it in. That was too easy. So was the cut Macdonald made to the cup for another bucket moments later. Maybe the fire alarm will go off now? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Nuggets rallied towards the end of the half but still trailed by 26 points. The third quarter was sloppy. The Rams lacked some of the urgency they displayed earlier and the Nuggets were able to disrupt their pattern more successfully. Max Darling drilled late back-to-back threes to stretch the margin to 38 points with 10 minutes remaining, though. Make it stop. Cannot be the only one thinking that. The game carried on, of course. The Rams spent a chunk of the fourth quarter taunting Sebree and he promptly fouled out of the game. Call that a win for the visitors. Darling brought up 100 for the Rams with a lay-up. The Rams beat the Nuggets 42-36 in the Rapid League game.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Struggling Nuggets face brutal test against Rams
Cue the Mission Impossible theme. The Otago Nuggets host the Canterbury Rams at the Edgar Centre tonight. The Rams have set the benchmark in the NBL again this season. They are chasing a third consecutive title, while the Nuggets are just hoping to snap a lengthy losing streak. They are teams at either end of the competition standings. Keep your $5 in your pocket if you are planning on backing a roughie. That said, the Nuggets pressed the Rams into overtime in Christchurch in April. And despite their lowly position, they have been competitive in most matches. Well, up to a certain point. They tend to fade at the back end of games. No-one is more aware of their shortcomings than coach Mike Kelly. He could do with a little more X-factor on the roster and a third import. But there is no cavalry coming. He has to squeeze every last drop of talent from the personnel he does have. That will be the challenge tonight. Patrick Freeman and Michael Ruske return to bolster the bench, and players like Caleb Smiler, Mac Stodart and Christian Martin have been getting more opportunities at the elite level. "While we haven't had results in the NBL with wins, and that is frustrating, I have to remind myself that we are trying to get better every day and these young guys are doing exactly that," Kelly said. "Christian Martin, Mac Stodart and all of these guys who have not played a lot of NBL minutes have been a real key part for us to be competitive in every game we've played. "I think the continued improvement and development of these young guys has kind of been the [defining character] of the season." That said, a win would be good. The Nuggets have dropped 12 in a row. "I don't see it as us being down on confidence, but rather down on players. "With the guys that we've got here, we have to be able to execute almost perfectly to be in every game. "We have to play really tight basketball for each other and I think we've done that to a certain extent to keep ourselves in with a shot. "We've managed to do that in every one of these games, so that has been gratifying. "We've continued to work, continued to stay competitive. "I really do believe in the process and not just the results. "As much as I want the results, I think we are doing it the right way. "And we want to continue that against the Rams, who we had a phenomenal game against at their house. "They are a really talented team that is well-coached and plays super hard." NBL Dunedin, 7pm Otago Nuggets: Jonathan Janssen, Matthew Bardsley, Don Carey jun, Josh Aitcheson, Jaylen Sebree, Darcy Knox, Caleb Smiler, Patrick Freeman, Michael Ruske, Mac Stodart, Christian Martin, Liam Boomer. Canterbury Rams (possible): Taylor Britt, Walter Brown, Sean McDonald, Kyle Bowen, Tohi Smith-Milner, Max Darling, CJ Penha jun, Tamatoa Isaac, Tawhiri Cate, Mana Martin, Ihaka Cate, Tony Worthington.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Nuggets handed heaviest loss in franchise history
What does hope look like when it has been shredded in a blender? Well, like the long faces that headed into home dressing rooms at the Edgar Centre tonight. The Otago Nuggets trailed the Canterbury Rams 55-29 at the break. The game was over. Or was it? Of course it was over. It was a clash between the best team in the National Basketball League and easily the worst and that was very, very obvious. The 113-59 final score a painfully honest reflection of the gulf in class between the traditional rivals. The 54-point loss was the heaviest defeat in their history. Their previous largest losing margin was a 47-point shellacking by the Southland Sharks in 2013. Australian guard Sean Macdonald top-scored with 27 points and CJ Penha added 19 from the bench. Jonathan Janssen was the best of the Nuggets players. He posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. There were early troubling signs. Rams guard Taylor Britt got free passage along the baseline for a basket. Someone dropped off their defensive assignment and he was not the last. Macdonald drilled a couple of early three-pointers and the Rams took an 8-0 lead. Janssen finally got the Nuggets on the board with a putback and Jaylen Sebree landed a triple. Other than that it was painful to watch for the home fans. The Nuggets made a series of bumbling efforts close to the hoop and some complete misreads on defence. Where is the exit? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Rams claimed twice as many rebounds and posted almost three times as many points in a lopsided 27-10 opening period. Macdonald stuck another three for the two-time defending champions early in the second quarter. Walter Brown grabbed an offensive board and popped it in. That was too easy. So was the cut Macdonald made to the cup for another bucket moments later. Maybe the fire alarm will go off? Cannot have been the only one thinking that. The Nuggets rallied toward the end of the half but still trailed by 26 points. The third quarter was sloppy. The Rams lacked some of the urgency they displayed earlier and the Nuggets were able to disrupt their pattern more successfully. Max Darling drilled late back-to-back threes to stretch the margin to 38 points with 10 minutes remaining, though. Make it stop. Cannot be the only one thinking that. The game carried on of course. The Rams spent a chunk of the fourth quarter taunting Sebree and he promptly fouled out of the game. Call that a win for the visitors. Darling brought up 100 for the Rams with a lay-up. The Rams beat the Nuggets 42-36 in the Rapid League game.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
The Nuggets still have no GM just 8 days before NBA Draft
The Nuggets still have no GM just 8 days before NBA Draft The NBA Draft is in nine days, the Nuggets do not have a POBO, GM or AGM. — Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) June 17, 2025 At the time of this writing, the Denver Nuggets do not have a general manager. They do not have a president of basketball operations. Heck, after Monday night's news about them parting with long-time executive Tommy Balcetis, they don't have an assistant general manager, either. And guess what? We're only eight days from the 2025 NBA Draft. This is critical even for the draft-pick-less Nuggets, because the draft is traditionally one of the biggest transactional periods in the NBA's calendar. If the Nuggets have anyone competent running the show right now, anyone at all, while Nikola Jokić twists in the wind hoping (praying?) for more depth, they're doing a terrible job of showing it. This is not how I believe anyone rational would characterize taking care of the prime of one of the best players in basketball history. Not at all: In the interest of giving Denver the benefit of the doubt, there could be a reasonable explanation for this bizarre delay. Perhaps the Nuggets are ironing out the finer details with former Golden State Warriors architect Bob Myers, who is currently working the NBA Finals as an analyst for ESPN. That would at least partly explain why they parted ways with Balcetis, as a big fish like Myers would probably want his own preferred front office structure. Maybe they're busy working on a reunion with former team president Tim Connelly, who famously had a passive-aggressive falling out with the Kroenke family before jumping ship to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Someone like the respected Matt Lloyd, who is Connelly's general manager/lieutenant in Minnesota, might also be in the picture. Any of these moves would qualify as taking a much-needed big swing for Denver that likely needs time to orchestrate and finalize. They would justify the wait, as painful as it seems right now. Of course, if we're being less charitable, the Nuggets could just be biding their time before officially promoting interim general manager Ben Tenzer. They could literally be running it back all around with no outside eyes offering a new perspective anywhere. That, in itself, would be a massive, shortsighted disaster centered around wasted time and insular viewpoints. No one knows what team owner Stan Kroenke and vice chairman Josh Kroenke are cooking behind the scenes. The more time goes on, the more it seems like there's nothing meaningful happening at all.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nuggets Make Major Front Office Decision During Offseason
Nuggets Make Major Front Office Decision During Offseason originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Denver Nuggets enter the offseason with some interesting decisions to make regarding both their front office and their roster. Advertisement Denver is coming off a season that saw them be eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season, though they were able to push the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games. This came after the Nuggets made the shocking decision to fire both head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth late in the regular season. Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone congratulates center Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Ball Chenoy-Imagn Images Denver did start off their offseason by removing the interim tag and naming David Adelman as their new head coach, but they have yet to hire a new general manager. One person who was in the running to possibly land their general manager job was assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis, but that changed on Monday. Advertisement According to multiple reports, the Nuggets decided to part ways with Balcetis on Monday in a shocking decision. Balcetis had been with the Nuggets for since 2013 and played a key role in helping build their roster alongside Booth that helped them win a championship in 2023. Despite this, it seems as though Denver was looking for more change in their front office as they have now moved on from both Booth and Balcetis. Because of this, the Nuggets have two key decisions to make heading into the offseason as they first must hire a new general manager to replace Booth and then find a replacement for Balcetis as well. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Jamal Murray (27)© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images So far, Denver has taken their time in finding a new general manager but with the 2025 NBA Draft quickly approaching, a decision could be made sooner rather than later. Advertisement Of course, the Nuggets may make some key changes to their roster this summer as they try to retool it around Nikola Jokic but they first need to hire a new general manager. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
