Arron Afflalo News

Heading into the 2011-12 season the Denver Nuggets were a mystery waiting to be solved.

It makes little sense for a young team to add an old gunslinger such as Ray Allen, the 36-year-old Boston guard due to be an unrestricted free agent.

The Nuggets ' three-pronged plan for the summer is to redo Ty Lawson's deal, sign restricted free agent JaVale McGee and keep veteran point guard Andre Miller in Denver.

Well, it's over. A lockout-shortened offseason, followed by 66 torturous, compressed games, clawing into the playoffs, only to be sent fishing in the first round - again.

In Roundball Mining Company's first postseason reflection piece we'll be taking a look at the evolution of the Denver Nuggets over the last year and examine what we've learned about the team throughout the process.

The Denver Nuggets are one-and-done in the NBA playoffs again. Only this ouster has a much different feel.

Game 7 loser Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl reacts during the second half in Game 7 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, center, grapples for the ball with Denver Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo, left, and forward Kenneth Faried during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA first-round playoff basketball game, Tuesday, May 8, 2012, in Los Angeles.

This is George Karl's team. That's not a title thing -- coach -- either. The Nuggets are George Karl in so many ways that there is no way to miss the connection in personality and play.

In Game 5 of his 2012 first-round NBA playoff series against the Denver Nuggets , Kobe Bryant exploded for 43 points.

Denver Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo never seriously strays from the calm cool that has become his trademark persona during his NBA career.

Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1. Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1.

Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee gets hit by Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol in game 5 of the first round of the NBA playoffs Tuesday at Staples Center.

A woman who was described as "disoriented" walked onto the court while the Los Angeles Lakers were playing the Denver Nuggets in a playoff game Sunday night at the Pepsi Center and was quickly whisked away.

The lawyer for an heiress whose money is at the heart of criminal charges against John Edwards is to retake the witness stand at the former presidential candidate's corruption trial.

It was more than just an odd sequence of plays to end the game, it was a sad end to a tough, physical game.

Nuggets coach George Karl sports a Kentucky Derby outfit during a news conference at the Pepsi Center on Saturday.

Undefendable. That's how George Karl described it, with a George Karl colloquial concoction, a perfect description of something that would normally take, like, 17 real words to describe.

Apr 29, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets shooting guard Arron Afflalo and Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried react to a foul call during game one of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center.

Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari will have to be huge if the Nuggets want to win Friday.