What is Denver doing?

So . . . Denver basically said "Smell you later" to Marcus Camby in a salary dump move. The Clippers get an expensive backstop who can block shots and does not like to play in the paint. If you take a quick look at how they were spending their money you can clearly see that this move was necessary for Denver. The key point is that the Clippers were so under the cap that the Nuggets didn't take anyone back. So in the last few days we've seen the Nuggets give up some of their only defensive guys (It was fun Eduardo, stay in touch!) and get significantly worse on paper. Matt Moore, via the Fanhouse suggests:

"When Nuggets fans hoped for a roster move to shake up a team that was woefully deficient at defense, and downright catastrophic at points in terms of chemistry, this is is probably not what they hoped for. This has to be considered nothing more than a cost cutting measure by the Nuggets, who are scheduled to pay over $13 million in luxury tax for last season. Both teams needed to do something with their rosters. They did something, but it says something very different about the future for both
squads." (Moore, 2008)

So, on the bright side, the Nuggets are avoiding the luxury tax -- and may get a nice pick down the line. Reactions to this move are mixed . . . at . . . best.

I know how I feel about it . . . I don't like it. Sure, it makes a potential Northwest division rival worse in the short term, but I think that there are serious flaws to the cap, and the cap rules. Money is ridiculous. It is a human convention which does not exist in nature; and thus, is not a natural phenomena. Adding to the unnatural-ness of the situation is the fact that it is so important. Stepping away from Aristotle for a bit and focusing on the Nuggets we can clearly see that money is at the root of this problem. As a Jazz fan I feel their pain.

If it wasn't for money then my best years as a Jazz fan would have been watching Mark Eaton getting a defensive board, outletting the ball to John Stockton who runs up the floor and has to make a decision on whether or not to pass to Karl Malone or Dominique Wilkins on the break. That is a reality that was never allowed to exist because the Jazz needed the money so badly that they had to sell their assets. If not for money, then the Jazz would have another jersey retired up in the Melta Center, the number #21 -- and who knows what else would be hanging up there today.

If the object of the league is to try to win the title then this move is downright backwards for the Nuggets. Maybe I have it all wrong, and that the key to success is to stock up young talent and avoid paying older guys money in order to have a shot at the ring. I guess that's why Danny Ainge is such a bad GM then . . .