Denver Nuggets visit old friend Jordan Hamilton vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Both the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans played on Wednesday night, coming away with significantly different results. The Nuggets dominated a Memphis Grizzlies squad decimated by injuries, although Zach Randolph was able to make his return to the court. A late Darrell Arthur block helped the Nuggets to close out a 109-105 victory in Memphis, their first victory of the season over the Grizzlies.

The Pelicans injury riddled team, on the other hand, was no match for the Spurs in San Antonio, playing at full strength as they prepare for the 2016 NBA Playoffs with the Spurs downing New Orleans 100-92. The Pelicans now have the sixth worst record in the league at 27-47 while the Nuggets are four games “back” in the eleventh spot at 32-44.

Similar Records, Different Directions

Much has been written/said about the Nuggets in the post-Carmelo Anthony era regarding the need for a superstar in today’s NBA, but the Pelicans are a lesson in the perils of following the superstar model. Despite the presence on one of the NBA’s singular talents in Anthony Davis, the Pelicans have been unable to make a dent in the talented Western Conference despite lofty expectations.

While a number of late-season injuries have added to the Pelicans’ woes, they have underwhelmed all season long and are a clear example of a top-heavy roster that fails to complement its uniquely talented superstar. While the Nuggets aren’t much higher in the standings, there is a definite sense of optimism around those who have followed the team closely this season, thanks to to talent and effort of a number of young players like Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic.

Garbage Time

With both New Orleans and Denver essentially, if not mathematically, eliminated from this season’s playoffs and with a number of veteran players lost for the season with injuries, there is ample opportunity for players on both teams to prove that they belong in the NBA. For the Nuggets, JaKarr Sampson and Axel Toupane are auditioning for the role of 3 and D wing on next season’s roster and the Pelicans’ recent spate of injuries have allowed for a former Nuggets player to make the case that he belongs.

Jordan Hamilton drew the start in place of the injured Jrue Holiday on Wednesday night in his third appearance of the season for the Pelicans. Hamilton adds size and shooting to New Orleans’ starting lineup and is a player that many Nuggets fans have been pulling for even after being traded to the Houston Rockets, in exchange for one-year-wonder Aaron Brooks. Since his Denver days, Hamilton has spent time with the Rockets, Clippers, the NBDL and in Russia, but made his way back into the NBA after signing a 10-day contract with the Pelicans on March 25th, using a hardship exemption due to numerous injuries to their roster.

Lottery Watch

New Orleans and Denver bookend a number of teams that are currently maneuvering for positions in the mid-lottery in the NBA. They entered the night separated by three games in the standings and ended up with four games in between, so the final few weeks of the season will still determine quite a few ping pong when May’s NBA Draft Lottery rolls around.

If the draft took place today, the Pelicans would be picking sixth, while the Nuggets would be using the Knicks’ selection at eight thanks to their late-game collapse against the Mavericks on Wednesday night. The Nuggets are actually sitting on the eleventh worst record in the league at the moment though, so their final six games will go a long way towards determining their chances of landing a top 3 pick in June’s NBA Draft.

Nuggets of Note

• Alvin Gentry was a rumored target for the Nuggets’ head coaching position this season and has connections to Colorado as he spent 1981-1986 as a graduate assistant for the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
• Before being hired as the Denver Nuggets General Manager, Tim Connelly was the assistant GM under Dell Demps for the New Orleans Hornets starting in 2010.
• Despite the Pelicans late-season struggles, they were able to knock off Carmelo Anthony’s New York Knicks on Monday night, helping the Nuggets draft prospects as they own the right to swap picks with the Knicks in June’s NBA Draft.