Have the Nuggets found their "1/2 a body"?

We'll start with the good news. The Denver Nuggets might have found a big man to give them some size and help them compete with the Lakers for Western Conference dominance. The best news, they didn't have to spend anything to get him, as he was on their roster the entire time. Kenyon Martin missed the Nuggets game last  night and was replaced in the lineup by 7'0 Johan Petro. The team put Petro at center and moved Nene to power forward to give them some size in the post. Honestly, Petro didn't look too bad. He managed 6 points, 2 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. Not bad for a guy who spends most of his time riding the pine. So have the Nuggets found the "half a body" that George Karl has been clamoring for? It is possible. Petro is not going to get 10 rebounds every  night but he provides some size and can certainly do some good things. He is a little slow footed on the defensive end, but against Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, the Nuggets wouldn't need him to be the fastest guy on the court.

Nuggets fans should hope that George Karl begins to give Petro more minutes leading up to the playoffs, especially with the starting lineup. Give him some confidence and let him establish some rhythm.

Now on to some bad news...

It is being widely rumored and speculated that the Nuggets will be without their "glue guy" Kenyon Martin for the remainder of the season and possibly through the playoffs. Numerous sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, are saying that the "knee tendonitis" that has sidelined Martin recently is possibly a tear of his patellar tendon. It is expected that Martin will soon be meeting with doctors and specialists to determine the severity of his latest injury and the amount of time he could potentially miss.

This is the worst possibility for the Nuggets, who failed to acquire front court help and size at the NBA trade deadline. Kenyon Martin is the driving force behind the Nuggets defensive effort. He is the "quarterback" on the defensive side of the court there is a noticable difference from when he is on the court to when he is not. While Kenyon was considered a cancer for some of his Nuggets tenure, the last two years have signaled a change in his attitude. He has gone from being a bad seed to being an emotional leader. Though his play may never equal the huge salary he is receiving, he is finally playing like the guy that Kiki Vandeweghe thought he was getting. A Denver Nuggets team without Martin means another year of finishing without a championship. Nuggets fans should hope and pray that this latest set back is just a temporary problem. That in the near future they will see #4 back on the court, grabbing rebounds and slamming in put backs.