Nuggets move Nate Robinson as team continues to clean house

By Brandon C. Williams | Jan 13, 2015

Jan 3, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Nate Robinson (5) during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

The Denver Nuggets‘ “Everyone Must Go” fire sale continued on Tuesday, as they traded popular point guard Nate Robinson in exchange for point guard Jameer Nelson.

Remember the adage about how you can’t identify the players without a scorecard? Funny, right?

Yet in Denver, the saying continues to hold true, as the Nuggets keep moving players in order to achieve something very few basketball insiders know. The latest to be sent from the Rocky Mountains is fan-favorite point guard Nate Robinson, who heads to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Jameer Nelson and an unused copy of the old Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs video game.

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(OK, maybe not the video game. Still, wasn’t that a cool game to play for those of us who remember it?)

Robinson gets a homecoming of sorts, as he played 81 games with the Celtics from 2010-11. Thing is, you may not have much time to enjoy his return to Boston, as it is reported that the Celts will buy him out, which will make the former Slam Dunk champion a free agent.

At age 30 and coming off an ACL injury, Robinson remained popular in Denver, but his production has tailed off this season. He is shooting just under 35 percent from the field while averaging just under 14 minutes per contest. Even if the Celtics keep him on the roster, it’s unlikely that Robinson would significant playing time for a Boston team in the midst of rebuilding.

Nelson is on his third team this season, having started the campaign with the Mavericks before being a spare part thrown into the Rajon Rondo trade. His shot couldn’t hit snow in the middle of downtown Boston, as he’s shooting a “even a blind squirrel can find a nut” 22 percent from the field since joining the Celtics.

Any thoughts of the Nuggets making a run at the Western Conference playoffs should be dashed by all at this point. Timofey Mozgov was traded to the Cavaliers last week, while swingman Wilson Chandler and shooting guard Aaron Affalo are both front and center when it comes to being moved next.

With guard Randy Foye, forward Danilo Gallinari and center JaVale McGee all out for the long haul, Nuggets fans can take comfort with the fact that their team with no true star nor direction toward the future is at least entertaining. Denver averages 106.5 points per game (third-best in the NBA) while allowing 102.4 per night (20th). So sit back and enjoy the role of playoff spoiler while also embracing the dawn of the Jusuf Nurkic Era.

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