I have been reading this blog all year have to say that it is the best source of info for a Nuggets fan anywhere! Just so people will know, I became a Nuggets fan when Denver drafted Melo. Prior to that I had never really followed any NBA team on a regular basis. But as a lifetime fan of college hoops, and a native of Syracuse, NY, I could not help but want to follow his career after he brought us a national title. So for six years now I have been a full time Nuggets Fan. Maybe not as good as a lifer, but not just another bandwagon clown.
OK on to why I decided to post...
While most people who post here seem to agree that Denver needs another big on the roster, everyone appears to think that the answer is in making a some sort of trade for a mid-level player before the deadline next week. However, no one seems to have considered the one option that would keep the current roster (and thus the team's chemistry) in tact and not effect the team's finances in a negative manner. That option is to bring in a D-League player that fits our needs.
Is this a risk as opposed to going after a known commodity? Yes it is. But before anyone dismisses the idea as dumb, useless, etc. I would like to remind everyone that the first player to make the jump from the D-League to the NBA was none other than our own Birdman!
With this in mind, I think it would be really interesting to see the Nuggets call up Lance Allred, the 6'11", 260 lb. Center for the Idaho Stampede (the Nuggets D-League affiliate for this year) and give him a shot. IMHO a player that is really hungry to make the jump has a much greater potential upside and is more likely to put out 110% day in and day out than someone who has been around and has become complacent with just being a serviceable player.
This season Allred is averaging 13.0 points, 9.30 rebounds (2.4 offensive/6.9 defensive), and 1 assist per game. He also has a + 16.00 EFF.
Last season Allred had 45 starts for the Stampede. He averaged 15.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
During the 2007-08 season Allred played in 38 games and averaged 16.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He was also named to the 2008 D-League’s All-Star team.
Allred played at the University of Utah for two seasons then transferred to Weber State University where he averaged 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in his junior year, and led the team with 17.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game as a senior. As a senior Allred was ranked third in the nation in rebounding, trailing only to Utah's Paul Millsap, and Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut.
Soooooo... What do you think?
