We at least have a chance to fix what has been broken for the last eight years. If anyone thinks it was going to get better with what we had, you are just letting your fan emotions get the best of you. We needed a change and I for one am glad Kiki had the guts to do the job he was hired for.

I say this after being a fan since my first basketball game watching Julies Key, Ralph Simpson and Byron Beck and the boys playing in front of 2,400 fans in the Denver Coliseum. If you have to ask when was that, you don’t really know Nuggets basketball.

So, while I still agree it was a necessary move - things still could have turned out a lot differently this year, with the current team - including those guys now in Dallas.

We have quite the debate going on this trade, and I take the position that Kiki is having to deal with mistakes not only made by Issel, but by Bernie Bickerstaff as well. I think Bernie is the man who really sent this franchise into a spiral back in the mid 90’s, and then Issel threw as much $$ at the problem in an effort to find a quick solution (ie. Cory Alexander, Nick Van Exit, and Tariq, as you have mentioned). Just unloading Nick and Tariq Wahad has to be a step in the right direction. I never liked Nick…I just didn’t buy his act from day one and I kept telling my friends he would turn into a major headache. And Tariq? I wasn’t too thrilled by his "I just play for the money" comment and the fact he was one handsomely paid bench player. But losing Raef and Avery probably won’t help anything either.

I’m sure some of the logic was that the Nugs weren’t going to sign Raef anyway, and looking back in the Nugs history with Mutombo and Dice, that pessimistic approach seems consistent with bad roster moves of the past.

Then there’s the talk that the Nugs hope they can use Dice as bait to lure Kidd to Denver in 2003. I’d have to say its more likely that Kidd lures Dice to the Nets. It seems that the Nuggets are slowly taking the "NBA Black Hole" tag from the Clippers and unless they make some significant moves to keep Dice happy. Players don’t want to come here, and Kiki needs to do something to change that image.

I don’t think its as far off as some people think though. It seems that people in Denver really want to embrace this franchise again, but there just isn’t the incentive right now. This is the same town that still ranks near the top of MLB attendance after all of the Rockies moves the last half decade. Kiki has a window of opportunity, but if he makes some mistakes, the Nugs might permanently replace the Clippers as far as negative image.

Jeremy - it is a small world. You are right on with your comments, and I’m sorry you had to be right about Nick also. If Kiki can manage to keep McDyess happy, he may have a shot at turning this thing around. McDyess does have a legit shot at enticing Kidd, if he still believes in the Nuggets. Who would choose living in NJ over Colorado? Hey, I’ve lived in both states and that’s an easy one! Kiki did some subtle things right with the trade by discussing it with Antonio both before and after, something Issel did not do with trades like Keon Clark. That kind of approach helps Antonio realize what he truly means to the future of this franchise. But, if Antonio doesn’t want to stay with the Nuggets, we definitely are looking at replacing the Clippers as bottom dwellers for the next few years, as another fan commented. The only bright side is that the Clippers have finally shown that you can rise out of that rut with new young talent thru LOTS of draft picks.

To Joe, I would mention that 8th place in the West is still a pretty darn good team these days, and I would also mention that the 8th seed did land us one game away from the Conference finals, but I think I need to let that 8 year old memory go and focus on the here and now. Let’s hope Kiki burns the midnight oil and scours some talent out of this summers draft. A little luck with the ping-pong balls might help us land Jason Williams too, my #1 pick for our dire point guard needs.