The Events That Drastically Changed the Course of Denver Nuggets' Season

Because the Denver Nuggets’ only trade took place well before the 2012-13 season started and, until recently, they’d suffered no season-ending injuries, there haven’t been many singular events that have completely redirected the course of their season.

A few things have helped dictate where George Karl’s bunch fits into the postseason picture, however.

They include a couple of injuries, a starter’s arrival and a certain streak.

July 2012: The Schedule

We know the Denver Nuggets run up and down the floor. What we didn’t know prior to last summer was that their schedule would set them up to run back and forth across the country at the beginning of the season.

This isn’t as big an issue for most teams, as the Nuggets boast an NBA-best 35-3 home record.

The 53-24 team started the season by accruing half of its losses in its first 23 games, starting 11-12 after having already played 17 games on the road.

They’re 42-12 (.778) since.

Aug. 9, 2012: The Trade

The only trade that GM Masai Ujiri pulled off regarding the 2012-13 Denver Nuggets roster sent Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala.

It’s also known as the Dwight Howard trade.

As expected, Iguodala improved the Nuggets’ perimeter defense and is working to create a defensive culture for a squad that had a reputation for ignoring that side of the ball.

Feb. 23 to March 23, 2013: The Streak

After the sub-.500 start that accompanied a heaping helping of road games, the Denver Nuggets have rattled off three winning streaks of six games or better. None was more impressive than their 15-game run from Feb. 23 to March 23, which catapulted them into the first-round home-court advantage discussion in the Western Conference.

Now, the Nuggets sit at the No. 3 spot in the West, trailing only the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder by four and three games, respectively.

They again have the conference’s best active winning streak (four games). The New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference have won their last 13.

March 19, 2013: The Injury, Part 1

Ty Lawson has resumed basketball activities following his heel injury, telling the Denver Post that “being patient is not one of [his] strong suits,” regarding the anticipation of his return.

That’s understandable for one of the fastest players in the NBA.

The Denver Nuggets’ leading scorer has played a total of 20 minutes in their last eight games, going 1-of-7 from the field against the San Antonio Spurs on March 29. His absence has forced Denver to lean more on guys like Andre Miller (32.4 minutes per game in his last eight games; 26.2 on the season) and rookie Evan Fournier (17.2; 9.3) to man the backcourt.

It’s not an ideal situation for the 37-year-old Miller to be force-fed more minutes as the season draws to a close, but Fournier, 20, has blossomed with the added exposure.

He’s averaging 14.3 points (on 55.3-percent shooting), three dimes and two steals in 21.0 minutes per game over his last four.

April 4, 2013: The Injury, Part 2

The Nuggets have been able to flex their depth muscles with regard to the loss of point guard Ty Lawson as they await his return.

Danilo Gallinari won’t be coming back this season, though. The man who was the Denver Nuggets’ leading scorer for much of the season suffered a torn ACL on April 4 against the Dallas Mavericks.

His wasn’t Denver's first season-ending injury. Point guard Julyan Stone suffered a knee injury in March, but he only appeared in four games as a sophomore.

Fortunately for the Nuggets, who have been regarded as the NBA’s deepest team by TNT analyst Charles Barkley, is perhaps best equipped to deal with the loss of a small forward. Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer are both 12-point-per-game scorers this season with experience starting and playing 30-plus minutes in the not-too-distant past.

Chandler played 34.5 minutes and scored 16.4 points per game as a member of the New York Knicks in 2010-11. Brewer played 30.3 and scored 13 a night for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009-10.

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