Coming out of the all-star break, the Nuggets are a mess. An embarrassing (sorry, Peyton) mess. Injuries alone don’t explain or excuse it. This is starting to be remindful of the Rockies, or the Broncos under the reign of Josh McDaniels.

You’re left shaking your head and wondering: Do they know what they’re doing?

The saving grace for the Nuggets has been the preoccupation locally with the Broncos’ Super Bowl run — and even the angst and postmortems after their flop — that diverted attention.

The Nuggets’ issues go to competence and leadership. We’re not seeing much of it, not on the floor, not from Brian Shaw and the coaching staff, not from general manager Tim Connelly and the front office, and not from ownership — the same ownership that was so adroit in hiring the right people and providing support, but mostly staying out of the way during the Avalanche turnaround.

I’ve been accused of fixating on the Andre Miller fiasco the past six weeks. Guilty. But that’s better than ignoring it or waving off his absence as addition by subtraction because he’s a 37-year-old point guard who pounds the ball too much in the backcourt. Or saying what the heck, this team is already caught in the NBA’s no-man’s land — no playoffs, yet long odds against landing a high first-round pick (whether Denver’s own or the New York Knicks’ choice) — so play the “kids,” even out of position, and beseech the lottery gods.

The Miller situation has been farcical. There was the game-night argument, the two-game suspension that was immediately rescinded, then the agreement that Miller would stay away from the team. It has come off as if both sides had a tacit understanding that they had enough on each other to make this even messier if the mud-slinging began, so all would maintain silence.

But that’s old news. Now, it’s not really about Miller. More important, the Miller fiasco is symptomatic and ominous.

Do they know what they’re doing?

When Ty Lawson missed four of the past six games with, first, a shoulder injury, and now with a broken rib, the Nuggets tried getting by with zero natural point guards. Zero. Making $5 million and taking up one of the maximum 15 guaranteed contract roster spots, Miller has been working out and waiting for a trade.

Miller should have been told this long ago, but it’s imperative that he’s told now. Be at practice Monday at 5 p.m., when the Nuggets reconvene from the break, or the team will find a way not to pay him.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a case of Shaw and the Nuggets coaxing or “accepting” him back, or demanding that he return. Shaw has said that he can coach anyone who wants to play “right,” and that short of personal conduct or words that cross the line to threatening someone, nothing can be taken personally.

Miller, offended by an imminent DNP line on the box score and a diminished role as Shaw tightened his rotation, lashed out. He needs to stop acting like a baby.

No matter what was said that New Year’s night in heated moments that also apparently included at least one other player getting involved in what seemed to become a mini-revolt, the rift should be mendable. Or, it should be at least mendable enough that all can at least acknowledge the obligations of professionalism and the really awful things a guy has to do to collect $5 million a year.

If Miller agrees to return, playing him now isn’t a concession that he “won.” It’s an acknowledgment that circumstances have changed. And, it’s the right thing to do.

Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com