In the wake of our disappointing loss to Memphis, George Karl's attitude and coaching have taken most of the blame here for this humiliation. I have heard those of you who say Karl is not on the floor and now I am listening. Karl or no Karl, this team's effort and energy in the face of adversity is pathetic. Its time to start questioning who wants to win and call out those who are reluctant to step up in our time of need.
It's unbelievable how quiet we have been about the slump Arron Afflalo has gotten into. HE HAS NOT SCORED IN DOUBLE FIGURES FOR NINE STRAIGHT GAMES. During the whole month of December, 11 games in total - he has been to the free throw line all of three times, and only made two. His three point shooting has dipped from 46% to 40% currently.
That's only the tip of the iceberg when you take a look at advanced stats. According to 82games, Denver is only getting out-produced at the SG and PF position. At the Power Forward position, you can chalk it up to Kenyon's injuries and our lack of depth when it comes to big men. However, the production we lack at PF is less than half of that we are giving up at SG, and that is with JR Smith and Chauncey Billups backing up AA. It's totally unacceptable. Afflalo is no longer the third or fourth-string guy in Detroit. He is the starter for the Denver Nuggets. There's nothing in any statistic anywhere that suggests this guy is a starting caliber shooting guard in the NBA. I wish I could paint you a prettier picture, but this the ugly truth and it's fucking sickening.
I was stoked as shit when we got this guy, I thought he would give us everything Dahntay did and more. Afflalo is struggling mightily to find a role even as a starter. He does not foul when he should and when he does it is a bad foul. The defense is lacking, the offense is nonexistent and when key playmakers are out Afflalo is even more of a non-factor. With Chauncey Billups' offense missing, I had high hopes for Arron Afflalo's production. What I got was pretty much my worst nightmare.
I still believe in Arron, I know he can bounce back. Whatever success we can have this year depends greatly on him. I just don't know how much longer we can afford starting him playing like this. As bad as JR Smith can be, JR'S WORST GAMES HAVE BEEN ABOUT WHAT AFFLALO AVERAGES. And that is with similar minutes. Afflalo is not as bad as he has been playing lately, not by a longshot. My question to you is - how long do we keep JR on the bench in spite of it? You guys already know what I think about JR starting, I have been stating it ad nauseum since last season. In my mind there is no valid excuse anymore - it's time to start JR or trade him.
