Nuggets Fire Bzdelik

Last season, the Denver Nuggets improved by 26 games -- the sixth-best turnaround in NBA history -- to reach the playoffs for the first time in nine years. And they didn't just reach the playoffs, they gave Minnesota all it could handle in a five-game first-round series. But then this season starts out a disappointing 13-15. Sure, Voshon Lenard, the team's only outside shooter blew out his Achilles' in the opener. And sure, Kenyon Martin really is just a good, solid player ... not the $86 million franchise stud Kiki Vandeweghe hoped he would be. And sure, Carmelo Anthony continues to make more headlines for being an immature stoner off the court than he does for being an impact player on the court. Injuries have forced the team to use 10 different starting lineups. So no need to panic yet, right? Wrong! The Nuggets fired coach Jeff Bzdelik because he is obviously to blame for Lenard's injury, Martin's lack of superstar impact and Anthony's immaturity. Wasn't this the same guy that got lots of credit for giving the typically pathetic franchise a hardworking, defensive-minded identity? Did he suddenly forget how to coach? Or did the players begin to believe the hype that they were now an elite team (WRONG!) and that they could win games just by showing up and going through the motions (WRONG!). It's most likely the latter. And while Vandeweghe has done a good job as GM of this team, he overpaid for Martin and does not yet have enough talent on this roster to be a force in the Western Conference. Perhaps the Nuggets will respond better to Bzdelik's replacement, Michael Cooper, who at least has the NBA pedigree that seems almost a prerequisite to command the attention and respect of today's NBA players. At least until that inevitable day when they tune Cooper out as well and he - like Bzdelik - pays for it with his job.