Old Pangs Time

The holidays are just about over and it’s time to get serious again. No more snacking on cookies or putting things off, whence this delayed article. The Nuggets didn’t really get to have any kind of a relaxing Christmas. They played a game on the 25th and another on the 26th losing both and receiving no gifts from the refs. Without Melo for the past four games the Nuggies had had a hard time manufacturing points and hutzpah. It was looking pretty bleak in Melo’s absence, and I came closer than I have all season to pushing the panic button.

Luckily they have survived the latest losing streak to come out with a two game winning streak and improve to five games over fifty percent. Somehow with everything that has gone on during the first half of the Nuggets’ season, I just can’t bring myself to profess the doom so many others are attesting to. Without their star, the Nuggets are a worse team. Still, they are not the worst team in the division, let alone the league. Unlike the Cavaliers and LeBron James, the Nuggets don’t operate with Anthony as their leader and distributor. Carmelo is more akin to the best role player on the team. He scores the most points, is our go-to guy in the clutch, and is the face of the franchise. If Melo isn’t there it is much harder to put a finger on the identity of the team. Yet, in the end, the Nuggets can win without him and have plenty of other players to provide points and plays. Chauncey Billups is the team’s real leader and he does a good job at it when he can back up his words with his play. Earl Smith Jr is fast becoming a bonafide, consistent threat on the floor capable of good defense and rebounding. Nene has been the most aggressive I have ever seen him. Ty Lawson is the future of the Nuggets and is capable of becoming one of the top three point guards in the West.

It comes down to this. With the Nuggets finally, just about healthy and all together, the team owes it to themselves and the fans to try and play as well as they can for the next month before moving Carmelo. If Denver can put together another lengthy win streak and see exactly how they stack up presently versus what they could get for Melo in a trade, it may make more sense to end the season with him and try for another playoff run. Who knows? If they could make it to the conference finals or even the championship maybe Melo would stick around and other players would want to join. Sometimes leaving things up to destiny can create the best outcomes. The Nuggets have done better than any of the experts had predicted up to this point and maybe the New Year will bring new possibilities.

So here’s to the New Year and a new future for the Nuggets. Whatever it ends up being, I’m sure it will be interesting and certainly not the end of excitement in Denver. LET’S GO NEW POSSIBILITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nuggets Feel at Home for the Holidays in the Pepsi Center

After an uninspiring road trip, the Nuggets have returned to the Pepsi Center for a three game homestand. While there is no question that injuries and illnesses have definitely taken a toll, it has become commonplace for Denver to look like a different team when playing in other team's arenas.

Carmelo and crew defeated the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night upon their return from an East Coast road swing that saw the Nuggets lose three out of four. Melo's scoring led the way with Ty Lawson's speed and general intangibles complementing the small forward. It may only be a matter of time before we check the internet or get a text message from a friend informing us that Carmelo has been traded, therefore this is the perfect opportunity to relish his talents and reflect on what he has meant to this team.

While attending the Nuggets game in Boston this past week, I learned that Melo would not be playing due to soreness in his knee. Without Melo, Denver looked lost offensively and seemed to have nowhere to turn in many situations. The win against Orlando solidified Melo's offensive importance and versatility in my mind, and simultaneously made me cringe to think about what life might be like post-Melo. With trade rumors always swirling about, it is hard not to assume that Melo will be playing in a different uniform in the near future, and the Nuggets should not be blamed for wanting to get something for him rather than lose him to free agency.

Alas, Denver will have to figure out a way to reformulate its offensive dynamic sans Carmelo Anthony if he is traded, and it seems that a heavy dose of Ty Lawson and a fast-paced, fastbreak offense will certainly be a key component. While K-Mart and Birdman won't provide a huge boost offensively, they certainly will help with offensive boards when they get back from their respective injuries. The Nuggets will also be receiving at least one player if they do execute a trade this season, and hopefully that player could provide Denver with a new offensive threat.

It won't seem the same without Melo, though. Denver seems like home for him, and the Nuggets have gradually been formulated into a solid team that contends for the playoffs yearly. The main thing that has helped the Nuggets through all of Melo's years here is their ability to be dominant at home. . .even when he has been injured or ill. It seems like the Nuggets might still be able to rack up the wins without Melo in the Pepsi Center, the real question would be their ability to do the same on the road.

999 and Counting

It could happen tonight. GK may get his thousandth win and the Nuggets would get their second eight game winning streak since last January. At that point in the year, the Nuggets were second in the West and looking like they could make another run at the Western Conference Finals. Then K-Mart’s knee went out and Karl was diagnosed with cancer. Bummer. Anyway, I think it’s time to take up where we left off and get back to one of those top spots in the West. This could also help convince our resident superstar to take another look at his team and imagine winning multiple chamionships right here.

In order to accomplish these dreams the Nuggets must overcome a tendency for selfish play on the road and more injuries to their top energy guy, the Birdman. As he was just getting the wind beneath his wings he was cut down from below and broke his tail feather. I feel this is actually more disappointing than some are making it out to be. Chris Andersen was helping the Nuggets to have fun out there again and was providing valuable time off the bench. Without him, the slumping Harrington will need to step it up and give the Nuggets some great defense and inside scoring.

Al Harrington truly is the key to a great Nuggets season. He was the team’s biggest pick up in the summer and when he gets it going he adds a dimension Denver hasn’t seen before. Karl said in an interview a month ago, he felt having a shooting power forward is an asset a lot of other championship teams have (think Lamar Odom, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan… sort of). With Harrington’s ability to space the floor and go inside, the Nuggets are harder to predict. Couple that with Melo’s scoring, Nene’s renewed vigor, a focused J.R. Smith, and a much improved Arron Afflalo and you have a very dangerous squad.

So here’s to the Nuggets and hopefully a thousandth win for George Karl. It would be a nice early Christmas gift for GK and one well deserved. After fighting and winning yet another battle with cancer, it is the least his team could do to go out in Charlotte and hustle their butts off. GO GET 1000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Only Thing to Fear is No Contract Extension

It might just be me, but it feels like the Nuggets have a little momentum and good vibe to them. I’m not just talking about the recent winning streak either. They won one at the buzzer courtesy of Melo, they finished out one against a Phoenix team intent on spoiling the vibe for the Nuggets sans Melo, and Karl is on pace to get his one thousandth win before Christmas.

Beyond all this, however, is the attitude carried by all the Nuggets right now. Everyone is speaking in the press like the season has true purpose and of a desire to get better. Kenyon Martin even recently expressed his desire to come back earlier than he thought possible. This is certainly a difference from the interview earlier this season in which he said he had no desire to rush his return as he had no contract extension offered to him yet.

My theory is the Nuggets front office strategy of keeping people out of the know and on their toes is actually paying off in terms of team effort. J.R. Smith is in a contract year as are Chauncey, Afflalo, Martin, and some of the other bench players. Fear is a great motivator. Even George Karl is no stranger right now to the tension and a looming career decision. Everyone is playing for something more than pride and wins. Security is a tough thing to grasp in this life for most people and with things in this country as unsure as ever it only seems appropriate our sports stars should feel the grip of unease as well.

It is only right for guys like Martin to understand the organization’s position with the team’s future considering Melo’s situation, the impending CBA, and his history of injuries. It is time for the players to earn their salaries and get some wins with extra effort and selflessness.

On a lighter note, it certainly helps to have your guys come back from injury with renewed senses of competition flowing through their veins. The Birdman has returned and none too soon. Without his presence the Nuggets just seemed a little flat. He injects the crowd with frenzy and the floor with energy. His always freshly inked body screams Nuggets. Though I believe his abandoned style of play gets him in trouble sometimes, specifically when going for blocks and leaving the other side of the rim to opposing players, it inspires other Nuggets to lay themselves on the line a bit more.

In conclusion, I feel these Nuggets are on the verge of great things. The vibe is just right. They must take it one game at time, continuing tonight with the Milwaukee Bucks. This is a team that beat the Nuggets both times last year and though they are not doing well, so far, are completely capable of upsetting Denver on its home floor. Let’s keep up the intensity and keep winning games we are supposed to win. THIS IS ONE HELL OF A VIBE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Nuggets Roller Coaster...of Love

The Nuggets have taken us on this roller coaster ride before. We’ve barfed when the ride was over (see: embarrassing loss to the Indiana Pacers) and we’ve gotten back in the front seat and giddily screamed as we rolled over the highest peak (see: triumphant victory over the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers). This week isn’t the first ride Denver faithful have been taken on, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Unfortunately, the Nuggets are adept at playing down to their competition, and the loss to the Pacers highlights a continuing trend that has made the David and Goliath cliché get old fast. Perhaps it had something to do with injuries. Maybe it had something to do with playing on the road. Possibly it was playing four games in five days. Excuses are always made for losses, but reasons are never clear for the Nuggets' propensity to let opposing players like Mike Dunleavy Jr. look like classy stars and not this: http://drunkathlete.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/mike-dunleavy-indiana-pacers-9-drunk-pictures1.jpg. There there, Mike, there there.

While playing in Denver has made the Nuggets nearly invincible in recent years, it is frustrating that it appears to be a different team when donning the baby blue road jerseys (maybe they need to wear the dark blue alternate road uniforms more). Nevertheless, a Nuggets fan cannot help but be ecstatic after a gutsy come-from-behind win against the undefeated Lakers on national television.

After losing to Kobe and crew in the playoffs two years ago, it was apparent that the Nuggets had a good core of players that could get a boost from key additions. While the front office hasn’t added a plethora of big men to contend with the Lakers since then, it was great to see the contributions of the acquisitions we have made during that span, notably Ty Lawson, Al Harrington, Gary Forbes, and Arron Afflalo.

The NBA season has many ups and downs for any squad, but the Nuggets have been making every couple weeks feel like a ride on the Twister at Elitch’s for years now. The right centripetal force could give Denver the turnaround they need against the NBA’s bottom-feeders.

Head Shaking

Nuggets, Nuggets, Nuggets…… what to do with thee? You thrill me, you chill me. You win, you lose, you win, again. If only Melo weren’t so good. I wouldn’t have that sense of impending doom or simply disappointment hanging over my head all day. I suppose for now I’ll just enjoy his presence and the improved abilities of the other active players. Yet, two players keep me at wit’s end and preclude me from settling into a dull, blissful ignorance.

After almost two weeks of the NBA season it is clear to see the Nuggets will continue to have their ups and downs and drama per the usual. What would the Nuggets be if not “interesting”? As usual, J.R. Smith is causing headaches and Nene is bitching out. Both of these players have never reached their full potential. J.R. is constantly trying to live out some sort of Michael Jordan fantasy on the court while in real life looking more like some lost toddler trying in vain to be like Mike. After another “great camp”, our perpetual child has reverted back to his old ways. It is at least nice to see Karl taking more of a hard line stance on his behavior. J.R. is getting less playing time and I’m very happy about it. My man Arron Afflalo is playing much better and deserves to get starter’s minutes. You might think Young Rich would be worried about his status in the NBA being he is in a contract year, but he is a knucklehead who has never been given a dose of reality by those around him he might actually listen to. I’m sorry, I just wish J.R. would come to and be the player we all know he can be. I’ll shut up about him and go on to my other head scratcher, Nene.

Nene is a god fearing and center fearing Brazilian who doesn’t feel the need to compete at the appropriate level for his team on a nightly basis. Now I understand the tendency for a giant to be gentle, but if you can only bring yourself to pass, don’t accept an NBA contact for millions of dollars which could be used much more effectively on someone willing to bang inside. I wonder if the Kroenkes are all too aware of their personnel problems like Nene and are secretly hoping Melo leaves so they can blow up the team and get rid of guys like Nene and J.R. just to stop pulling their hair out in the box seats. Now don’t get me wrong, Nene does have flashes of dominance and true contribution. Against Houston he pulled down twelve rebounds and achieved double digit scoring. Still, he seems to have good games against Yao Ming, possibly because Yao is not a dominant personality either. Anyway, I hate Nene, just kidding, maybe.

So, if the Nuggets can overcome nonexistent and detrimental players, massive injury trouble, and a superstar understandably ready to bolt somewhere a little more sane and grandiose, they should be fine. I guess all I can hope for in the immediate future is for my Nugs to return the favor for my Hated Mavs. Until then……………….. BE AGGRESSIVE! BE, BE AGGRESSIVE! B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! BE AGGRESSIVE!

Nuggets Still Lacking in the Frontcourt

Nuggets followers know that the team’s lack of size has contributed to their playoff exits in the last couple of years. Last night’s home court loss to the Dallas Mavericks highlighted the same glaring need on the squad, and that need still needs to be addressed.

Nenê is an integral part of the Nuggets’ frontcourt, or it could certainly be said, the only part of the frontcourt. The Birdman and K-Mart and their respective nicknames will be sitting out due to injuries for much of the first portion of the season. The problem is not only that they are injured, but that Nuggets’ brass (or in this case tin) failed to adequately fill out the roster with proven post players, especially in the event that Nenê, who has had his fair share of ailments himself, must sit out because of an injury as well.

Alas, Nenê did have to miss last night’s contest due to a groin strain, and the Nuggets had to start rookie Gary Forbes and newcomer Sheldon Williams at the power forward and center positions. While both players played admirably, neither has gained the experience necessary to bump butts down low with the likes of Tyson Chandler or Brendan Haywood with consistently positive results. Al Harrington also played well, but his game is more suited to the perimeter than down low despite his size.

The moral of this story is that the Nuggets are in big trouble if the trio of Nenê, Birdman Andersen, and Kenyon Martin do not get healthy by 2011. Even so, the three couldn’t contend with an unremarkable Utah Jazz squad in the playoffs last year, so who’s to say that they would be able to suddenly handle the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers without an experienced addition. We’ve all heard/read this story before, but when the issue is brought to the forefront this early in the season, it becomes apparent that some kind of a move will eventually need to be made.

Nuggets Fandom 2010-2011 Season Preview

Welcome to Nuggets Fandom’s 2010-2011 season preview! While a certain someone by the name of Carmelo Anthony has been dominating headlines in Denver (with good reason), we recognize that there is indeed a chance that number 15 may be on the team for a large portion of the season. It would be unprofessional of this site (oh wait, we aren’t professionals. Oh well) to not mention Melo’s possible departure as the biggest issue facing the franchise in the long term, however of more immediate concern to many fans are the team’s prospects for the upcoming season.

Nuggets fans know what players like Carmelo, Chauncey, Nenê, and K-Mart bring to the team, therefore this preview will focus on how so-called complimentary players are the real bread and butter of a successful franchise. Players that are often considered role players may be the most important factor in taking the Nuggets from another first round playoff exit (or possibly no playoffs at all) to a contender in the Western Conference. Power forward Shelden Williams has been named a starter while Kenyon Martin recovers from yet another knee injury. Williams will idealistically bolster the Nuggets’ frontcourt with his tenacity on defense against bigger foes and his ability to crash the boards, two aspects of Denver’s game that have been notoriously weak, especially come playoff time.

Starting shooting guard Arron Afflalo has been working hard in the summer, which isn’t unusual for the high-energy defensive specialist. Afflalo offers the luxury of a one-on-one shutdown defender who can guard the likes of Kobe Bryant and other star guards in the league without always having to bring double teams. He can play as physical as he wants without having to worry about foul trouble with J.R. Smith ready and willing to jack 3’s on the bench.

Backup point guard Ty Lawson will be an integral piece of the puzzle throughout the season. He has improved his shot after already surprising many last year with his ability to make an open three-pointer. He will get more minutes this upcoming year while allowing Chauncey Billups to rest more minutes to save his legs for the playoffs. Lawson is quite possibly the quickest player in the NBA and his ability to distribute and finish on the fast break is paramount to the Nuggets and their up-tempo style of play, a style that still needs to be utilized when the opportunities present themselves. Williams, Afflalo, and Lawson all have one important thing in common: hustle.

The addition of Al Harrington will give the Nuggets another consistent scorer after Melo and Chauncey. It seemed that Denver only played well down the stretch last year when at least one of the two stars had big scoring nights. While J.R. Smith and Nenê can certainly be offensive threats, the consistency factor was lacking for both players in different ways. Harrington will be able to spread the floor with his outside shooting ability. With Anthony, Billups, Smith, Harrington, Afflalo, and Lawson, the Nuggets are starting to look like a team that could seriously light it up from behind the arc. Harrington could also be an asset on the opposite side of the floor if he can return to the defensive-mindedness he demonstrated when he came into the league with the Indiana Pacers.

J.R. Smith and Chris “Birdman” Andersen will be important energy players coming off the bench for George Karl’s Nuggets this year, and both can step up their performances on a night-in night-out basis to spread the workload more evenly throughout all of the players during the year. Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter will seldom be utilized when players are not injured or in foul trouble, but both can bring defense and something new to the table as well.

The Nuggets are a team that has tremendous depth that could and should be viewed as their main calling card in discussions regarding their status as a championship caliber franchise. While there are certainly all-star caliber players on the roster, it is the full squad that, if gelling and playing with solid chemistry, could certainly quiet their critics in the 2011 playoffs.

Stupid Preseason

The Nuggets’ preseason is always a time of not knowing. Usually it is just because Altitude never bothers to broadcast any of the games. This year though, it has more to do with injuries and the waiting game for the impending Melo trade.

Now while Melo is almost certainly headed elsewhere, I’m still holding out hope he will change his mind. As it looks right now, the best teams in the West are respectively and as follows: The Lakers, The Nuggets, The Spurs, The Thunder, and surprisingly The Clippers now that Griffin is finally healthy.
Other used to be powerhouses The Jazz and The Suns have lost key players. The Trailblazers are still too injured to get on track. The Grizzlies are simply never going to be good enough.
Meanwhile The East has grown in stature over the last two years and this season should prove to see the records of the playoff teams for both sides to be the closest to equal it has been in a long time. If Melo feels he would be better suited to head eastward, he is greatly mistaken. An opportunity like LeBron James and Chris Bosh had is not going to materialize. I found it interesting he might be so willingly to be traded to a team like The Nets. Is it really worth it to him to play out his days in a larger market, but a bleaker future? The trade would have given away their second best player to The Bobcats in Devin Harris. Melo, Lopez, and Favors a team doesn’t make.
Therefore I prognosticate after the first couple months of the season, Melo might see just how well the Nuggets are doing and change his mind about leaving for browner pastures.

As for the injuries, I find these to be the greater dilemmas. With Kenyon Martin only possibly recovering from his knee injury, the Bird Man only possibly returning shortly after the season starts, and newly acquired Al Harrington only possibly healing from a torn plantar fascia, there is a bit too much still up in the air for my liking. Martin is publicly disaffected with the lack of contract extension coming his way. Does this mean we will see a lazy Kenyon or an ultra motivated one? We shall see. Chris Andersen is still happy with his contract and even has some new, cool tattoos, but will we see the Bird of two years ago or last season? Al Harrington could be a huge addition for the Nuggets in both the scoring and defensive departments, but I’m not so sure this injury will only take two weeks to heal. The plantar fasciaitis he is ailing from has sidelined other NBA players for much longer stints and is a hard injury to treat. Maybe he could use some extra cellular matrix in his wound (look it up).

If these problems become non-factors, the Nuggets are in for a great season. Afflallo is going to be great this year due to his work ethic. JR Smith is supposedly the most focused he has ever been. Ty Lawson is going to be bottled lightning on the court. Sheldon Williams should impress more than most might give him credit for. Melo and the other guys could get a dose of reality which might just change some attitudes and build a little momentum. HERE’S TO THE SEASON OF UNKNOWNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No Carmelo, No Problem?

Call me crazy, but over the course of the last three months as I have come to terms with Carmelo’s possible, impending departure, I have come to the conclusion we could be better off without him.

Now just hear me out. Before I go on to the reasons for my logic, Carmelo Anthony was the reason I became a Nuggets fan. He was a revelation when he joined the team and made Denver relevant again. I always liked Carmelo despite some of his ups and downs. I saw him as a somewhat grounded, everyman in the NBA. Someone from the real hood, who had to work and win a championship with Syracuse to get noticed. I liked to imagine, in my wildest dreams, if I were an NBA player my style would be something akin to his. A face up to the basket guy who relished contact on the way to the rim with a killer jumper.

Still, this brings me to the point of this article. There have always been a few things about Melo’s play that leave something to be desired. For instance, he may score a lot, but it tends to be inefficient. Consisting of much one on one play, this philosophy affects the rest of the team and causes the Nuggets to fall into a “me first” offense. Secondly, though he has stepped up his rebounding over the years, he stills lags behind many other small forwards in the league. Thirdly, his defense is still suspect. He improved the most he has last season, but he often was either too lax or too intense. You could tell ten seconds before he was called for the foul that it would be coming. Last but not least, once Carmelo is in scoring mode, you can bet he is not going to defer to another player who might be open when three players collapse to the rim to stop his attempt. Sure he goes to the line more often than almost any player in the league, but sometimes the game calls for discretion. Rewarding teammates encourages good feelings and trust. It also breaks down the defense, so eventually even Carmelo scores more easily.

So, with everything considered, where could this team go and what would its personality look like? I’ll give you one name for all you Nuggets fans to hang your hat on: Ty Lawson. Yes, Chauncey Billups will most likely be the point guard for the Nuggets for the next two or three seasons, but good ol’ Ty is likely to give him a sprint for his money. After watching Lawson in the NBA summer league I was convinced he will be one of the major stories and possibly a most improved player candidate for the 2010-11 season. Slashing and dashing to the rim, setting up teammates for easy buckets, leading fast breaks with ease, and shooting turn around jumpers from beyond the three (whoa!) I saw the future. Without the promise of Lawson, I might be a bit more shook up about the departure of Melo.

Back to Chauncey though, he is still our point guard and a damn good one at that. In case you missed the FIBA World Championships, Chauncey was the floor leader for a team with an MVP in Kevin Durant (p.s. new nickname for Durant: KD the extra-terrestrial). During times of struggle on offense, Chauncey was the only one capable of slowing down the game and reaching the foul line whenever he wanted.
With two outstanding point guards on the Nuggets, it seems it is time for the culture to change. Why play one on one when you have two very capable assist makers waiting to make the game easier for you. Lawson and Nene already have found some chemistry and we know what Chauncey did for the Pistons. If Melo leaves, it would be important for the Nuggets to find a new identity centered around unselfish play.

The biggest concern of Melo’s departure would be the dip in scoring ability. However, I think the Nuggets have already unwittingly addressed this issue. Al Harrington is more than capable of contributing about two thirds of what Melo would have scored and supplies a much grittier defender.

As long as the Nuggets get a couple good pieces and high draft picks for Melo, I think this will prove to be a boon. It is time for a change and if it is made the right way, the Nuggets could become a real team in a diluted Western Conference. Have faith Nuggets fans.

Carmelo Anthony Traded to Milwaukee Bucks

Ok. Melo wasn’t actually traded to the Bucks. This is the type of news about Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony that has gotten out of hand recently. Initial reporting that Melo wanted out of Denver appears to be speculation fueled by “sources close to the situation”. What does that even mean? Melo once told one of his friends in Baltimore that he liked Madison Square Garden? Does that really warrant weeks worth of speculation?

For Melo’s part, he has only said and done the right things this summer. It seems fairly plausible that Melo for Nuggets brass to iron out its general manager situation before signing a three-year, $65 million dollar contract extension. Fans should not throw in the proverbial towel just yet concerning the All-Star forward. In fact, thee are significant reasons why making a long-term commitment to the Denver organization would be in his best interests.

Reason #1: Melo won’t be able to make as much money if he moves to another team as a free agent next summer. The players and owners are having ongoing discussions about the new collective bargaining agreement that would presumably pay players significantly less if new contracts are signed starting in July . Perhaps Anthony is not all about the Benjamins, but this could certainly entice Melo to sign now. That being said, Melo could make up for the lost dough with increased endorsement opportunities in a larger market like New York City. He could also sign the extension and still be traded in order bypass his worries about the player/owner talks. This brings me to my next reason…

Reason #2: The Nuggets will not trade Melo if they can’t get something legitimate in return as ample compensation for Melo’s talents. Teams with high interest in obtaining Carmelo do not appear to have the pieces in place to gain Denver’s interests. New York reportedly offered Eddy Curry, Danilo Gallinari, and a draft pick, an offer the Nuggets would scoff at. Minnesota traded its franchise player in Kevin Garnett for seven guys a few years ago; the Nuggets would need similar returns for one of the best players in the league. The New Jersey Nets seem to have the best to offer, but only if they were willing to part with center Brook Lopez, a prospect that seems fairly unlikely.

Reason #3: The Nuggets are a good team, and can win with the players they have now. It might even be hard for Nuggets fans to believe after last season’s first round playoff exit, but Denver is still stacked with talent that could match the likes of Western Conference foes like the Lakers. With the addition of Al Harrington, the Nuggets will have no problems scoring and will not have to rely solely on Melo and Chauncey Billups to shoulder the scoring load. Nuggets big men Nene, Kenyon Martin, and Birdman Andersen are a formidable frontcourt, but there appears to be a drop-off after those players that contributed to their playoff demise. Although there seem to be issues in that department, the Nuggets made it within two games of the NBA Finals with the same cast only two seasons ago, and still finished with over 50 wins and a division crown last season. Melo will probably not have similar security in many of the teams he could move to.

A recent report has shown that the Nuggets may have J.R. Smith on the trading block. With a plethora of offensive weapons, Denver could possibly acquire another big man and not have to worry about a decrease in scoring or Smith’s ongoing attitude problems. While Melo is friends with “Young Rich”, I think he is smart enough to see that Smith’s inconsistencies and ego problems being traded for more rebounding and defensive presence could possibly be a good thing (Smith could still be a great benefit to the Nuggets if kept). All of these factors are reasons to believe the Nuggets might keep Melo (or the other way around) for years to come.

Do or Die: The Possible End of Melo and the Nuggets.

Tonight is the night. If another poor effort is put forth by my Nuggets, it is the end. The Jazz have shown great resolve in the face of adversity, while the Nuggets have turned to ripping out each other’s throats. Not only does Denver miss George Karl, they miss whatever it was that brought them together last season after the acquisition of Chauncey Billups.

I haven’t put up anything on the blog for a while. I have been extremely depressed about my team and could feel a major let down ever since the blowout against the Spurs compounded by the blowout by Phoenix. There is a camaraderie lacking within the ranks of the Nuggets. Players like Afflalo, Smith, Nene, and Andersen have been absent and lacked focus in these playoffs, leaving the hard work to Carmelo, Chauncey, and Kenyon.

I especially feel bad for Carmelo. He has played his heart out in every single game and until last game not putting the blame for the losses on anyone in particular. I suppose he still hasn’t done that, but when he called out his team, I’m sure the offenders knew who they were. Beyond my concern for Carmelo’s hard play going unrewarded is my apprehension about his status as a future Nugget. In case anyone has forgotten, the Nuggets were an NBA punch line until Anthony was drafted in 2003. Being on a small market team, Carmelo hasn’t garnered the same attention or endorsement dollars other young stars like Lebron and Dwyane Wade have. If he decides to opt out of the last year of his contract and go to a team like the Knicks, where he has family ties mind you, the Denver franchise would most likely revert to the lower castes of NBA society.

Our other leader and star, Chauncey Billups, has put a certain amount of effort forth, but his lack of court leadership has been apparent. Last season, in his first playoff game with the Nuggets, he nailed 8 of 9 three pointers as if to say, “never fear, Chauncey’s here.” No such performances have arisen in this series. I blame mismanagement of his minutes in the latter half of the season. When he was rested toward the beginning of the season, due in part to a groin strain keeping him out of the line up, his numbers were great. But as the season wore on and he had to take up major minutes due to an injury to Ty Lawson, one could notice his production declining. Long gone are the step in threes and drives to the basket resulting in foul shots. Chauncey is not getting other guys into the game either.

Most of the blame thus far for this series rests with Nene, J.R. Smith, and Arron Afflalo. Arron has put out effort, but has missed almost every three pointer. J.R. Smith has not found any kind of rhythm and thus has suffered as well on the defensive end. Still, it is Nene who has let everyone down the most. The worst big game center in the league, he has bailed himself out time and again. It is very frustrating to see him pass out of the post when he has an open shot or the opportunity to put fouls on Boozer. During the regular season it was his ability to do so and get points and rebounds in the paint which gave the Nuggets a 3-1 series lead. Without his performance, the Nuggets are doomed.

I hope Nene, can grow a pair and understand if there is a Jesus in the sky, the only way he will achieve salvation is to take it to the rack and throw it down in Boozer’s Blue Devil grill. I’m hoping the Nuggets can at least save face and get a win at home tonight. If they don’t it’s not only the end of the season, but maybe the beginning of the end for the franchise.

Fan of Carmelo Anthony in Rhode Island

While the last two games are extremely disheartening and frustrating for Nuggets fans, there is still hope. Indeed, the Nuggets can regain home-court advantage in their first round playoff match-up with the Utah Jazz if they can win on the road on Sunday.


One problem is that the Nuggets don’t exactly have a knack for winning on the road this season, finishing 19-22 in opposing arenas during the regular season. They are the only Western Conference playoff team that finished below .500 on the road, a stat that doesn’t fare well in any arena, much less in EnergySolutions Arena, a venue that the Jazz won 32 out of 41 games this season and one that the Nuggets have struggled to bring their ‘A’ game.

But that is not the only problem. Another ‘big’ problem is the Nuggets’ inability to defend Jazz big men. It would be one thing if Denver executed a similar defensive strategy as last year’s second-round opponent in Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets played off of Nowitzki and had an interesting and effective strategy to not double-team him in order to focus on keeping the rest of the Dallas players from beating them. If the Nuggets find a way to let Deron Williams be the only big time offensive threat, then they would be sitting in a much better spot. Unfortunately, the Nuggets are making Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, and even Kyrylo Fesenko look like the most formidable front-line in NBA history.

The Nuggets third biggest problem so far in the playoffs, and truthfully throughout much of the year, has been their failure to rebound the ball tenacity and purpose. Although the Jazz only outrebounded the Nuggets by one in Friday night’s contest, they still gave up too many opportunities on the defensive end of the floor and not created enough extra opportunities on offense. Rebounding has been a problem for Denver all year, and they will have to collectively focus on the importance of boards in terms of making stops and creating possessions in order to get a leg up against the Jazz.

There is still hope. If the Nuggets focus on stops, their offense will come and they will have a much better chance of evening the series on Sunday. It would certainly help if the Nuggets big men could bring an offensive presence to the floor the way the Utah big men have throughout the series.

Nuggets Need to Step Up Game Heading into Playoffs

I would first like to apologize for my failure to post anything in such a long time. I don’t like making excuses, but I was busy getting dunked on by Coby Karl and filling K-Mart’s car with buttered popcorn.

Anyways, the coolest team in sports history has had some extreme ups and downs lately, but they still remain in the hunt for the #2 seed in the Western Conference. While that is certainly an important goal to strive towards, it would be much more disappointing if the Nuggets did not win the Northwest Division title over the Utah Jazz. I mean really, do they even allow jazz music in Utah? On another note, it would be in Denver’s best interests to try and avoid the fourth seed and a possible second round match-up with the Lakers.

It seemed as though Ty Lawson’s return from his injury would provide a spark for the Nuggets. However, he has received inconsistent and often sparse playing time since his return. Lawson’s energy and speed off the bench was a huge help for the Nuggets earlier in the season, and there is no reason to think he can’t benefit his team with more minutes. While Anthony Carter has cut down on his turnovers from last year, he does not have the speed or the scoring ability that the Nuggets sometimes need. For whatever reason, the Nuggets haven’t shown the offensive potency we’ve come to know and love.

It will be interesting to see which team the Nuggets are matched up against in the first round. The Portland Trailblazers would seem to be the team the Nuggets match-up the best against. The Spurs, Thunder, or Suns could prove more of a problem. No matter whom they face in the first round, home-court advantage will provide the Nuggets with a distinct advantage. Winning on the road has been an issue for Denver all year long, and it will not get any easier in the playoffs. I mean heck, the opposing fans could have thunder sticks. Thunder Sticks!

The Nuggets need to remember to do what has made them successful in the last couple of years: forcing turnovers that lead to fast-break offense, being productive with starters and bench players, and possibly the most important factor for the Nuggets on the offensive end—getting the ball to Carmelo Anthony (especially when he is feeling it). If Denver can execute these aspects of their game, they can beat anybody on the home or on the road.

Fear and Trembling

The Despair arising from a losing streak stems from a place of helplessness. Kierkegaard referred to the opposite of love not being hate, but despair. He framed it as such, because with hate there is still an aspect of care and a subsequent emotional reaction. Despair is an empty nihilism. Giving up. This is exactly what I have been tempted to do as of late. With the second seed a half game’s reach away, possibly a full one after tonight, it is beginning to feel like that top shelf just inches from your grasp. It might as well be a mile high.

During the last three games, the only positive occurrence has been the return of Ty Lawson in the third quarter of the Boston game. He looked physically ready to go and his defense on Nate Robinson sparked the Nuggets to a J.R. Smith fast break dunk and a small run that culminated in a buzzer beating Swish three pointer. Besides, this small turn of momentum, it has seemed the bad habits of taking off quarters and deferring too much to Carmelo and Chauncey is finally catching up with the Nuggets at the wrong time.

Yet, despair is a harsh overreaction. There is still time to bring Denver back into the battle for the second seed. With games in Toronto, Orlando, and Dallas, respectively, there is still ample opportunity for the Nuggets to show what they are truly made of at their best. Redemption is a funny thing. At its core, there really ought to be no opportunity for it if one is performing their duties and holding themselves equally accountable. Still, making up amply for one’s mistakes can actually create an experience more valuable than never having faltered in the first place. It presents the chance to learn about one’s self and become stronger in conviction. I’ve never liked the saying, “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It is not universally true. For some, a traumatic event can cause a break down and an irrevocable recovery. Losing an entire appendage won’t make it stronger, it’s just lost. It is up to the person involved to take it for what it is and react accordingly. Whatever doesn’t kill you could make you stronger.

In closing, it is entirely up to the Nuggets to do with this current situation what they will. There are plenty of excuses for them if they choose to use them. Kenyon Martin, their defensive backbone and purveyor of “bad-ass-itude”, is still suffering on the bench. George Karl, the voice of reason and concern, is still in the fight for his life. The Nuggets were given the most difficult schedule in the NBA and are ending the most precarious stretch of it. All these things may be, but no one else cares. There aren’t any pity points in National Basketball Association. Some people work very hard, but still they never get it right and I’m beginning to see the light. It’s about who wants it more. I know Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki want it. They have both been to the finals and lost. Maybe it takes multiple failures for some to reach the highest pinnacles. Nothing is deserved in sports it is taken, in the words of Charlton Heston, “from my cold, dead hands,” (not mine, maybe Larry Obrien’s). So the question is; who wants it more? I won’t begrudge the Mavericks the second seed if they play well enough to earn it. Home court advantage is only that, an advantage. If you’re willing to work hard enough for it, there’s a good chance it will pay off in the end. It is up to Denver to decide if they owe it to themselves, George Karl, and the fans to put themselves in that position. GO WINNERS!

Everyone, Just Back Off!

It seems the trend for the pundits right now, is to call out the Denver Nuggets for being their own worst enemy. They point to their tendency to seemingly throw away games they are supposed to win, not try hard enough in the first half, or give up big leads in the second half. The Nuggets are supposed to be a power house team rolling over the competition no matter the scheduling or personnel difficulties. The analysts want more consistency and point to some lost games as lost opportunities to vie for the top spot in the West. No matter what kind of run they are on, it seems the Nuggets can’t break past the fourth spot in the various power rankings, either.

Having been a fan of this team for some time now, I am willing to chalk up most of this to pure bias. Denver has always been a target for people like Charles Barkley. It’s easy to pick on a team with a small market, but high profile players. The personalities and tattoos don’t help either when it comes to negative opinions. In a still deeply racist and suspicious society masquerading as tolerant, it is easier to label a tattooed team of misfits as lacking character. Every sport needs theater and a black hat in the battle. Without antagonists, where would the drama come from? The true tale of the Nuggets season is much deeper and complicated than the mass of media might surmise.

I won’t pretend the Nuggets don’t have their lapses of concentration, but the same could be said for almost every other team out there. Where is the criticism for the Hawks or the Jazz when they lose to teams they’re supposed to beat? Only a few teams have better records than the Nuggets, but do they deserve all the praise they get? The Cavaliers have done the best job of playing winning basketball this season. Having the best player in the world doesn’t hurt, but they also play exceptional defense, have dealt well with injury problems (Shaq, Mo Williams, DeLonte West), and dominate both at home and on the road. They probably do deserve most of their accolades. The second best team in the league, the LA Lakers, has similar qualities, but lacks real team solidarity. Phil Jackson resents Pau Gasol, everyone dislikes Kobe, and Ron Artest has been mostly a distraction. Most of the media is loathe to point out these facets. Now most in the sports world would rank Orlando ahead of the Nuggets in terms of their league prowess, but not so fast. Has everyone forgotten they play in the East? When you get to go up against teams like Miami, Charlotte, Toronto, and Chicago and they are some of your stiffest competition, it would make sense your win total would be a bit inflated. Couple this with a struggling Boston team giving away victories here and there and even the Cavaliers are probably enjoying a status not so much earned but inherited.

Then you have the Nuggets. Last year everyone’s beef with them was their inability to beat the GOOD teams. They had the best record against sub .500 teams, but struggled to put away teams like the Cavs and Lakers. This year it is the complete opposite. They are 7-1 against the top tier teams, by far the best record, and own the series versus the Cavs and are one game up on the Lakers. Combine this with their overall record against teams above .500 and they look really, really good on paper. Yet again, it is their ability to let games slip away from them against the bad teams everyone focuses on.

Let’s take a moment to review some of these losses. For example, after starting the season on a five game winning streak, The Nuggets rolled into Miami and were beaten by eight points and the next night were throttled by a motivated and rested Hawks team. This brings me to my most important point. The Nuggets’ schedule has included a league high twenty two back-to-back games. Twenty two! That is more than half their games. While the Lakers are getting preferential treatment with a schedule including over ninety percent home games for their first twenty five, the Nuggets are getting the shaft. Pundits have made a big deal lately out of a similar loss in Washington D.C. to the Wizards. I guess no one remembered the epic overtime win by the Nuggets the previous night against the Cavs for a season series sweep. This was another example of fatigue and lack of emotional investment rearing its head again. Not to mention the inability of the Nuggets’ staff to game plan for a totally different Washington squad with Josh Howard and Andray Blatche providing threats previously unseen. Of the Nuggets’ twenty two losses, eleven of them happened during back-to-back games. Half of their losses! Only one of those was against a quality opponent, the Mavericks. You might be saying, “Well, that means they weren’t focused enough to put those teams away and this means they are worse than you are letting on.” On the contrary, I am saying the only reason they lost those games was because of these conditions.

The analysts have also been ignoring all of the Nuggets’ various injury problems. Besides the poor Portland Trailblazers, I dare anyone to bring my attention to a team with more key players with time consuming injuries than the Nuggets have had. From Billups, to Anthony, to Andersen, to Lawson, to Martin the Nuggets have had to persevere despite this adversity. Not to mention J.R. Smith’s seven games suspension to start the season. Oh, and I mustn’t forget the little ordeal of George Karl’s throat cancer.

Considering all of these factors, it is a wonder the Nuggets have done as well as they have. Currently, they are three games better than any other Nuggets season at this point. They are playing in the stacked Western Conference and in the ultra competitive Northwest Division.

So back off pundits! The Nuggets are awesome and play harder and better than almost every team out there. The only inexcusable loss I could come up with was the loss at home to the Timberwolves. Even in this loss however, Minnesota was due after having lost fifteen straight after their opening win against the Nets. Look for the Nuggets to only be stronger in the playoffs after enduring the insane amount of back-to-backs thus far. Having at least one day off between games must seem like a vacation by now. GO NUGGETS!!!!

Nuggets Getting Better All the Time...Hopefully

The Nuggets are starting to show improvement in three key areas that they struggled in earlier in the season: winning on the road, winning when key players are injured, and beating inferior teams such as Indiana, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Memphis. This is a very encouraging sign for Nuggets fans, and could point to success in the playoffs against teams like the Lakers as well as the lower quality playoff teams (such as Phoenix, Portland, or Memphis, three teams they have beaten on the six-game win streak).

If the Nuggets can gain more confidence on the road, they could cement their place as one of the few teams that has a realistic chance at an NBA Championship. Up until recently, Denver has struggled on the road and failed to give the rest of the league the intimidating “we can beat you anywhere, anytime” presence necessary for a contender. For much of the season, the Nuggets have looked about as comfortable in someone else’s house as Seinfeld did after he mentioned that he hated anyone who ever had a pony and the elderly owner of the house angrily said, “I had a pony.” Even if the Nuggets have home-court advantage in a series, they are not invincible at home (like when they got worked over by the Timberwolves for their first home loss of the season). Having confidence to consistently beat opponents on the road will give the Nuggets a distinct advantage in the playoffs.

Earlier in the season, the Nuggets couldn’t buy a win (even if Tim Donaghy was still a ref) when they were missing Kenyon Martin. Lately, the Nuggets have faired well without K-Mart, who gives them a gritty defensive presence as well as an awesome lipstick smooch tattoo on his neck that is undoubtedly intimidating to opposing players. The Nuggets have begun to win without him due in part to contributions from guys who barely played early on in the season such as Johan Petro, Malik Allen, and Joey Graham. Ty Lawson has also been injured lately, but Anthony Carter has stepped up in his place with a pass-first mentality, a defensive intensity, and a shot that looks like it might hit the overhead scoreboard before it sadly clanks off the rim. While many of the aforementioned players have been relegated to bench-warming duties for much of the year (and Petro can warm a lot of bench with his large posterior), their real game experience could come in handy in the playoffs.

Of the question marks that plagued Denver earlier on in the year, possibly the most deplorable and glaring issue has been their unfortunate inclination to play down to squads that have no business beating them. While injuries and exhaustion have been excuses, there will be no excuses come playoff time (although the Nuggets will inevitably be playing a better team than Sacramento come playoff time). The Nuggets have recently begun to get in a groove against sub par teams, and this points to heightened intensity and focus as the season begins to wind down and they fight for a better playoff seed.

The Nuggets need to keep on winning in all situations in order to keep the number two seed in the Western Conference. If they continue to win on the road and win at home with the same consistency, they even have a shot at taking over the number one seed in the West over the Lakers.

Strange Days in Denver

The Nuggets are in a tight spot right now. With George Karl going through cancer treatments, Kenyon Martin poised to receive Platelet-Rich therapy and Ty Lawson out with a shoulder contusion things seem to be getting bad at the wrong time of the season.

Yet, I can’t help but see silver linings everywhere. After a mini-slump, Carmelo Anthony has stepped his game up and over the last three averaged over thirty points per. Chauncey Billups has continued his exemplary play and has been a stalwart leader despite the recent setbacks. In Ty Lawson’s absence, Anthony Carter has filled in beautifully averaging 8.3 assists over the last three contests. Having a veteran point guard waiting in the wings with the ability to make plays is no small luxury. I’m personally glad A.C. has gotten some well deserved playing time before the playoffs. If Lawson is still feeling pain by then or isn’t fully readjusted to the NBA game, Carter may have to continue to be a spark off the bench for the Nuggets.

Out of all the turmoil may come a blessing in disguise. With Kenyon Martin’s absence continuing through until the playoffs, the fear is the inability of anyone on the roster to take his place defensively, especially in the category of rebounding. The Nuggets have already auditioned a few big men in the hopes of filling that gap a little. It’s looking like Brian Cook will be signed to the Nuggets in the next few days, but he hardly fits the description of an inside, defensive presence. I am not worried, though. I have believed the Nuggets already have an answer to their ongoing big man dilemma sitting on their bench.

Johan Petro is a twenty three year old, seven foot project who has wanted to get in games for the past two seasons. In the few instances in which he has garnered playing time he hasn’t disappointed. Though it’s usually been in garbage time, he has demonstrated good, offensive post moves, a nose for rebounds, and active feet on defense. In last Sunday’s game against Portland, Petro grabbed a game high ten rebounds and made a few open jumpers, looking mostly to set up other people on offense. Look for him to defer a less and less as his confidence grows. Back to the blessing in disguise thing, I think this could be exactly what the Nuggets needed in terms of filling in that fourth big man spot in the rotation. Petro is by far our largest player. If he can continue to improve in game situations, he could become quite a force to deal with for any defense or offense in the coming playoffs. Is there anyone else out there to really bang with Bynum in the West? Throwing a lineup of Petro, Nene, and possibly Martin/Andersen against the Lakers or Dallas could really throw them for a tailspin (imagine what Billups, Anthony, Nene, Martin, and Petro would look like out there, it would be the largest lineup in the NBA).

The only way Petro was going to get this kind of opportunity was for either Nene or Martin to be out for an extended period of time. Hopefully it isn’t more than a month for Martin, but that should be enough time for Petro to get his NBA legs under him. You can practice and condition until your nauseous, but the only thing that makes an NBA player is game experience. It is my whole-hearted belief, we will see a star being born over the next month. Petro has intelligence, good instincts, superior athletic ability, and the drive to make himself better and a contributing member of the team.

It is usually a good sign when someone takes on nicknames. In the last few days I have heard Melo call Petro Frenchy and Hochman dub him the French Resistance. I prefer the nickname my roommate, Tomas Trujillo, gave him: The French Elevator. He bestowed this moniker a few weeks ago, simply in relation to his height. I see it now as a possible precursor for things to come. If Petro can become the player we yearn for him to be, he could truly elevate the Nuggets performance and playoff standing. BON CHANCE JOHAN!!!!!!!!!

The All-Time Nuggets Starting Five

The Denver Nuggets have had some of the most exciting and skilled players throughout their existence in the NBA and ABA. Compiling the all-time Nuggets starting five is a task that requires the ability to analyze a player’s skills combined with their overall contributions to the Nuggets while donning their powder blue, gold, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple uniforms throughout their tenure with the coolest team in sports history.

Point guard is the deepest position in Nuggets history. Floor generals who have suited up for the Nuggets (or their predecessor, the Denver Rockets) include Larry Brown, Michael Adams, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Mark Jackson, Nick van Exel, and Andre Miller among others. While those are some impressive names for the honorable mention list, two Nuggets have stood out at the position over the rest. Both led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals.

Chauncey Billups has been credited with changing the culture and fortune of the recent Nuggets teams, and certainly deserves consideration as the starting point guard on the all-time Nuggets starting five. While Billups’ statistics and contributions in the last couple years have been extraordinary, I am going to give the first backcourt spot to Lafayette “Fat” Lever. Lever averaged 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.5 steals in six seasons with the Nuggets from 1984 to 1990. He racked up 46 triple-doubles in a Nugget uniform, three of which came in the playoffs. He is one of only six players to accumulate more than 40 triple-doubles in a career, joining Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird. One of the key players in Doug Moe’s run-and-gun offense of the 80’s, Lever brought his stellar all-around game and a winning attitude to the table with stunning consistency—all in order to claim a starting spot on this team I just created!

The shooting guard position was a much easier decision on the all-time Nuggets team ballot given to the executive committee (me). David “Skywalker” Thompson was clearly the greatest shooting guard in Nuggets history. His gravity-defying midair artistry made it okay for guards to play above the rim, and paved the way for athletic two-guards like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Michael Jordan; His Airness honored Skywalker as his presenter and spoke of his influence when he was recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Thompson led the Nuggets to an ABA Finals appearance and an NBA Western Conference finals appearance, and was known as a team-first player despite his ability to put up big numbers, including a Nuggets record 73 points in a game. Skywalker could have gone down as one of the greatest players in the history of the game if not for a drug problem and a history of injuries that cut his career short. Nevertheless, fans will always remember his overwhelming first step and his incredible leaping and dunking ability. He was honored as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. Honorable mention for the shooting guard position goes to T.R. Dunn, Bryant Stith, and Allen Iverson.

The small forward position is the toughest position to pick, and since there is no definitive answer between two of the NBA’s most prolific scorers, the executive committee has taken the liberty to go with a smaller lineup and having two small forwards on the starting team. Some may say this is cheating. The only thing I have to say to them is that they’re right. And I don’t care.

A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Alex English scored more points than any NBA player in the 1980’s. He is currently 12th on the list for most career points scored in NBA history (Kobe Bryant will pass him soon). English was the preeminent scorer on Doug Moe’s Nuggets in the 80’s. His style was smooth and sleek; he relied on a game of finesse rather than using brute strength or power. He appeared in eight straight All-Star games representing the coolest sports team in history, won a scoring title in 1983, and led the up-tempo Nuggets to nine straight playoff appearances. His humble approach to the game and non-flashy style may have contributed to lack of knowledge about his status as one of the great players in the game, but true NBA aficionados recognize English as one of the great scorers of all time as well as one of the classiest individuals on and off the court. Honorable mentions for the small forward spot include: Kiki Vandeweghe, Bobby Jones, and Carmelo Anthony...

But wait. Carmelo Anthony is one of the top players in the NBA and has reached the playoffs every year of his career, including leading the Nuggets to the Western Finals in 2009. As president, founder, vice president, accountant, and janitor of the executive committee, I have made the not-so-tough decision to include Melo on the team. Besides, it’s not like any power forward deserves to knock Carmelo out of the starting five. After leading Syracuse to a national championship in his freshman year of college, everyone knew Melo was destined to have a great career in the NBA, and teams would have been fools to not pick him as an almost sure thing after LeBron James in the NBA draft. . .um, right. Melo has improved every year of his career, and he has added passing, leadership, and defensive skills to his repertoire. Nuggets fans know we have only scratched the surface of Melo’s talent and potential as an all-around basketball studmuffin (please disregard my use of this word on the count of it being extremely ridiculous). Honorable mention for the power forward spot includes Antonio McDyess, LaPhonso Ellis, Calvin Natt, and Kenyon Martin (sorry Nikoloz Tskitishvili). I also just want to give a shout out to Rodney Rogers, who was my favorite player as a kid and who was recently in a life-altering accident that paralyzed him from the shoulders down. Nuggets fans are keeping Rodney and his family in their hearts as he rehabilitates.

The final spot on the all-time Nuggets starting five goes to another Hall-of-Famer, Dan Issel. “The Horse” got his nickname for his proven durability over the course of an ABA/NBA season and throughout his career. Issel was the second leading scorer in ABA history. While not necessarily the most athletic or defensive-minded player, Issel was a fantastic offensive player who had an accurate shot and was known for his hustle despite not having great speed. In other words, he made the most of what he had. His adept shooting also opened the door for effectiveness with his head fake and lumbering drive to the basket. He also coached the Nuggets to an unbelievable upset over George Karl and the top-seeded Seattle Supersonics in the first round of the 1994 playoffs. Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo gets the honorable mention nod at the center position. So there. I think I need a nap now.

All-Time Nuggets Starting Five:
G Lafayette “Fat” Lever
G David Thompson
F Alex English
F Carmelo Anthony
C Dan Issel

Chauncey's Nuggets

In case anyone out there in NBA fandom hasn’t noticed, this is Chauncey Billups’ team. Now I know Kenyon Martin is the defensive backbone and Carmelo Anthony has been our franchise player for the last seven years, but Chauncey has taken the reigns. He has come back to Denver to win this city a championship and nothing will stand in his way this time.

Last year was a different story. Billups was traded to Denver right after the season had begun and had to adapt himself to the team. This year they are adapting to him and his intensity. Don’t get me wrong, The Nuggets played very well and went farther in the playoffs than they had in the last twenty years. Yet, I think part of their eventual undoing might have been a confusion as to who was the real leader of the team. This year there has been little doubt as to who is in control. Having a career year thus far, with his highest points average and an assist average higher than last year, Chauncey’s example has been hard to ignore for the other Nuggets.

This has translated into performances from the veteran which defy logic. At thirty three years of age, the gusto with which he plays the game and the numbers themselves have been more than staggering. He has saved his best performances for times when there weren’t any answers coming from the rest of the team in games that seemed lost. Last night’s game against the Warriors was a perfect example. Billups led the way in the beginning with his hot three point shooting and when the game was getting close in the fourth quarter, all but sealed the victory with an old fashioned three point play to push the lead back to nine points. Even in games like the one in Washington, Billups steps up his game and tries in vain to attain victory.

I have witnessed the transformation of the team dynamic first hand. Chauncey certainly coached the other players on the floor last year, but not to the extent he has during this season. In a stark contrast, he has even begun to call out his team in the press when he feels it is warranted. After the Washington game he was heard to comment about how it was obvious the Wizards wanted the game more than the Nuggets and how unacceptable it was. He was the only one in a position of superiority to do so, as he was the Nuggets’ leading scorer that night and seemed to be the only one with any sort of determined focus. Chauncey has been unafraid of what the others might think of his quips. He knows they can’t call him out for anything and it is necessary for a team leader to bring the others to task once in a while. In a league full of overpaid stars, it is hard for coaches making less than their players to command the kind of respect he has. In addition, it just isn’t healthy for a team to only hear criticism from their head coach. If no one else is echoing the same sentiments, the criticism begins to fall on deaf ears.

The change in attitude has recently seemed prophetic. With George Karl’s recent revelation of throat cancer, someone was going to have to fill in the gap. Adrian Dantley might be a good assistant coach with ex-star credibility and Tim Grgurich might be the Nuggets’ basketball “Yoda”, but advice holds more weight coming from a Finals MVP point guard who just happens to be raining down threes during the game. You could see Chauncey readying himself for the coming months sans Karl, being a floor coach in the last game against the Cavaliers. He changed a play in the huddle at the end of the game for Melo and called off a time out request by Karl at the end of regulation. With his influence over players like J.R. Smith unmatched and his ability to win games unquestioned, I look for this new role to grow exponentially.

So how is it the rest of the media keeps harping on Carmelo Anthony as being the team MVP? I suppose because Melo is our leading scorer and best offensive player overall, it is hard to give that honor to Billups. Still, if the Nuggets got as much press as the Lakers or the Cavs, I think there really wouldn’t be any debate on shows like Inside the NBA.

I hope tonight against the Pistons, Chauncey can overcome his last regular season hurdle. The Nuggets are zero for seven versus the Pistons with three of those losses having Chauncey on the roster for the last year and a half. It is the last team he has yet to beat while with the Nuggets. Not to say he hasn’t tried. He has had stellar performances in every game, but they always seem to get away from us. Coming off of a late night, fast paced game on the west coast, it will be extra difficult to put up a W at the Pepsi Center. We shall see if our floor coach can will the rest of his teammates to focus and aggression and close an unfinished chapter. GO CHAUNCEY!!!!!!!!!

The Durantula: The Deadliest Creature in Oklahoma

The Denver Nuggets have more than a few foes to worry about as the last stretch run of the season begins. The Jazz are in the rear view mirror as are the Mavericks. Though Utah has been hot and Dallas made a big time trade for Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, I find myself dreading another opponent even more.

During the 2006-07 collegiate season one particular player caught my eye more than any other prospective NBA’er had since the class of Melo and LeBron. With his incredible length, height of 6’9”, ability to score from anywhere on the floor, speed in transition, and pure passion for the game, this young man screamed prodigy more than any other within the last five years. Of course, I’m talking about Kevin Durant. During his short tenure at the University of Texas he grabbed every NCAA honor available, besides MVP champion. He entered the draft with expectations second only to Greg Oden.

Allow me to digress from Durant’s chronological narrative and expound on my feelings at the time of the 2007 NBA Draft. I remember reading an article in Sports Illustrated in 2004, fairly recently after Michael Jordan had permanently retired, detailing what the next example of him might look like. The author explained how in the coming years as the NBA’s players grew in stature and the speed of the game increased, Jordan’s heir apparent would have to be closer to 6’9”, with a wingspan of at least seven feet. He would of course still be a shooting guard/small forward highbred, with a handle as good as Jordan’s, and at least a 40” vertical leap. At the time, the article was making the case for LeBron James possibly being such a player. Now while LeBron has certainly turned out to be even better than his hype, we have learned over the last half-decade he isn’t going to be Jordan. He is more akin to a super athletic version of Magic Johnson with the hops of MJ. Even more than this, guys like LeBron and Melo don’t quite have the same passion for the game of basketball itself as Michael Jordan did. Sure, both of these superstars want to win badly, and they love what opportunities the NBA has given them, but it took both of these men until early high-school to adopt basketball as their sole concentration (with LeBron even playing football until his senior year). Though Michael’s first love was baseball, it didn’t take him long to fall in love with that ball falling through the hoop. As his father once said, “sometimes you see someone and you realize they were made for only one purpose and this is Michael’s” (paraphrasing).

Watching Durant that college season I found myself feeling the same way about him. This skinny, abnormally lengthy, pure shooter seemed to have come from another planet. One where offspring were bred and raised to dunk on fools. The way Durant played the game, there was a sense of destiny. I took interest and through interviews he gave, I began to understand how important basketball was and had been to him. He demonstrated a love for the game sorely lacking with many of the pro stars today. It was the only sport he had ever loved and was ever really good at. He saw it not only as a way to transcend the world around him, but as an end unto itself.

Going back to the ’07 Draft, I was eagerly anticipating where both Oden and Durant would be going. It was well known Oden was coveted by Portland with the Seattle Super-Sonics, now the OKC Thunder, probably picking Durant by default. At the time, I couldn’t help but draw more comparisons between Durant and Jordan. Portland famously picked center Sam Bowie over Jordan in the ’84 draft and regretted it for the next twenty years. When Portland inevitably made their pick, I simply shrugged and decided history just has to repeat itself. I even began to notice how similar Durant’s facial features were to Jordan’s (don’t refute this comparison too quickly; I suggest you take a look for yourself). Now three years later, we are seeing these feelings of mine and other prognosticators coming to fruition. Oden has been beset by injuries, just as Bowie was, and has barely played for the Trail Blazers. Meanwhile, Durant has been a durable contributor and now prolific scorer capable of making any team better.

Durant is having a splendid year thus far and is exceeding just about everyone’s expectations of him. Not only have the Thunder won nine in row, soon to be ten I’ll bet, but he is riding a 25+ point scoring streak second only to, who else, Michael Jordan during the ’87-’88 season . The streak stands at forty games for Jordan. As the parallels for both players continue to pile up, I would not be surprised if Durant reaches that number and exceeds it (his streak is currently 28 games). The Thunder are not only a playoff team this year, they are dangerous.

The reason I have gone into such detail over Kevin Durant’s short yet special career is to illustrate a point. While other teams beside the Lakers and Nuggets might have winning formulas and better records than the Thunder, none have a player as capable as he is. The Mavericks have Nowitzki, but as he has proven, he is not very good in clutch situations and can’t do the things on the defensive end Durant can. The Jazz have Deron Williams, but a point guard must defer to his teammates and therefore must leave it up to them to convert his assists and win games. The Thunder not only have a go-to scorer and full fledged superstar/clutch operator, they are a supremely talented and youthful team tasting true victory for the first time. Other players like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Jeff Green, and Nenad Krstic all contribute to the effort well and buy into the team concept. They are getting good at this victory thing, too. Seated fifth in the playoff standings, I look for them to continue their winning ways and move past Phoenix for the fourth spot and stay there.

My fear is facing Durant and the Thunder in the first or second round and the Nuggets taking a series victory for granted as they have with other sub-.500 teams. Remember their victory over the Nuggets in OKC? It was one of the worst losses for Denver this season, with the Nuggets staying comfortably behind the Thunder for the duration of the contest. If we don’t take this team seriously the rest of the regular season and in the playoffs, Durant might just garner another nickname besides “Durantula”, the “Nugget Killer”. I pray the Thunder’s playoff naïveté gets the better of them and some other team, Phoenix, gets the best of them in the first round. If they can get past the first, there is a real chance for momentum to build.

Until this day comes though, I will simply sit back and enjoy the growth of one of the league’s premier scorers. Without young guys like him, the NBA would just grow stale. As always, GO NUGGETS!!

Supermascot Rocky: 20 years of Hilarity

Supermascot Rocky has been the Denver Nugget’s official mascot since 1990. On his 20th year anniversary of representing the coolest team in the history of the NBA, Rocky deserves recognition as one of the best mascots of all time.

Rocky was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2008, giving validity to the case for the mountain lion being one of the greatest mascots in the history of sports. While being honored with that distinction is notable, he should have been inducted into the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class over the Phoenix Suns’ Gorilla. While the Gorilla has admittedly been around longer than Rocky, he was not originally conceived by the Phoenix Sun’s organization. Rather, he was born from a fan’s singing telegram and therefore has not always been an official part of an NBA organization. Aren’t we all sick of people in gorilla costumes anyways? And what does a gorilla have to do with anything? (And no, just because a gorilla is sometimes in the sun is not a valid excuse).

Rocky has brought an unmatched array of athleticism and comic genius to Denver sports fans throughout his career. He also is very involved in the Denver community, giving a twist to the NBA’s motto: “Supermascot Mountain Lions Care”. One time Rocky was to appear at a charitable function in Washington Park that my dad was a part of. Rocky’s head wouldn’t fit inside my dad’s car (not because he is conceited, but rather because his brain is 10 times the size of any human being’s), so my dad put down the top of his Mazda Miata convertible and rode in style with Rocky to the park.

Rocky has brought a variety of gimmicks and bits to the Pepsi Center and the McNichols Sports Arena, the former home of the Nuggets and Rocky’s debut venue. He currently drains a behind-the-back halfcourt shot with ample consistency. If a fan from the opposing team is in attendance, Rocky welcomes that fan by initiating Nuggets faithful to boo that person. Sometimes he even presents them with a cake, which he subsequently smashes into the person’s face. He has also climbed all the way to the third deck from the court, crowd-surfed through full sections of fans, front-flipped over multiple crouching Nuggets dancers, performed acrobatic and seemingly impossible dunks off of trampolines, and casually read a newspaper while the other team performs their pump-up huddle around him.

Former NBA player and current television analyst Charles Barkley also had his own personal rivalry with Rocky. Every time Barkley visited Denver, well let’s just say it was “on”. Rocky has received various punches, pushes and head-butts from Sir Charles, including a few what knocked him all the way to the ground while on stilts. Rocky would always aggravate Barkley enough to warrant such playful violence, showing that his presence actually affected the opposing team’s top players.

Rocky is more imaginative and entertaining than any other mascot currently in the NBA or any other sport for that matter. I don’t even want to get into how bad the Rockies stupid purple dinosaur Dinger is, but I must say he is about as welcome as a fur coat at a PETA convention in the realm of mascot significance in Denver. Other bad mascots include the Celtic’s Lucky (a leprechaun should never be over five feet tall), the New York Met’s Mr. Met (wow, a giant baseball head, how creative), and the San Diego Chicken (falling down on purpose can only be funny so many times). Hopefully Rocky can be a part of a Nugget’s championship parade sometime soon. I can only imagine what he would do with access to a Denver Fire Department truck.

Nuggets and Rockies Represented in New York (LeBron James' next home?)

I recently got back to Rhode Island after a visit to New York City. Nuggets fans will be happy to know that the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is representing the Nuggets better than almost any team besides their hometown New York Knickerbockers. They sold almost everything you could possibly think of: backpacks, all-star jerseys, Carmelo Anthony basketballs, and even a life-sized Allen Iverson bobblehead doll (in a light blue Nuggets jersey). The first note on that is that the grammar corrector doesn’t think bobblehead is one word, which is just ludicrous. The second not is that I don’t think anybody is about to shell out the big bucks for a life-sized Iverson Nuggets bobblehead doll any time soon. Not even me with my billions of dollars.

I also got a glimpse of Madison Square Garden from the outside. The only thing I could think of when seeing it was that that could be the place that LeBron James could rock out with his socks out starting next season. For the record, I think that the possibility of King James playing for the Knicks is highly unlikely because of his hometown (ish) status in Cleveland, the fact that the Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the league, and that the Knicks are similar to a three-legged donkey in the Kentucky Derby. If he did go to New York, he could bring the Knicks back to prominence in the league eventually, but not right away. Even LeBron needs a supporting cast.

Denver sports fans will also be happy to know that the Colorado Rockies are being represented in the Big Apple. I saw four Rockies hats during my visit on various people. Perhaps they only like the purple and black color combinations, but it is nice to see Colorado sports represented in such a metropolitan setting.

What a Week for Nuggets Nation

It’s been a little while since my last article. Since the Spurs game last Thursday many an event has transpired for the NBA and the Nuggets. What a difference a week makes.

We started out the week looking forward to a Nuggets themed All-Star weekend. Chauncey did well enough in the Three Point Contest, getting beaten in the second round by a red-hot Paul Pierce. This turned out to be the highlight of my Saturday night as the Dunk Contest went down as the worst I have ever beheld. What happened? Gerald Wallace and Shannon Brown dunked like they were afraid the rim was made of razor wire. Then Demar Derozan did his best to spice things up, but after having Dwight Howard in it the last two years, it just seemed like the league and the fans were ready to hand over the title to Nate Robinson simply for showing up. Seriously, come on LeBron, Dwyane Wade, etcetera. If Jordan can compete in it three times, you guys can do it at least once. You owe it to the memories of guys like him, Dominique Wilkins, and Vince Carter, oops he’s still playing I heard, to get out there and give it your best shot. You also owe it to me, whom hasn’t seen a truly remarkable display of dunking that raised the bar since VC did it in 2000 (sorry D12, you are awesome, but Vinsanity is still king in my mind). Sorry, I had to get my disgust with the Dunk Contest on to the web, before I flew down to the player’s union meeting and went postal.

The All-Star Game itself turned out to be one of the best I had ever seen. I guess it’s just the law of averages. If the Dunk contest sucks that bad, the All-Star Game would have to be at least a decent endeavor. Melo had a great game, just doing his Melo thing. He scored quietly and at will, as would make sense in a game devoid of fouling. Then Chauncey came in and got hot himself, draining threes like he should have in the Three Point Contest, whatever, and getting the other guys involved in the second half. Both of our Nuggets did their best to bring back the West and got them within two at the end. If Deron Williams hadn’t given that stupid, unnecessary foul, they might have had a better chance, but at the end it came down to a Melo three point attempt. Personally, I was hoping either Chauncey or Dirk would get the last shot, as Chauncey was hot from three and Dirk had been knocking down outside shots all game and it would have been nice for him to win the game in front of the Dallas crowd. It fell to Carmelo though, and he did his best to hoist up a shot from outside. I think he was a little bit surprised at how aggressive Dwyane Wade’s defense was on him. It looked like when he first got the ball he was ready to take a couple steps forward and jack it up, but D-Wade got in his grill and Melo had to try and go around him which threw off his shot.

With Melo sheepishly smiling at the end of the game, everything seemed like just fun and games for once in the NBA. Little did Nuggets Nation know what it was in for come just two days later. With most NBA coaches fans, players, GM’s, and owners wondering about the trade deadline one coach was wondering about his expiration date. George Karl has had cancer before. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer almost five years ago. He fought through it and then had to watch his son battle his own thyroid cancer just two years later. Then, Karl supported Nene through his ordeal with testicular cancer. Finding out now he has to battle this disease again could not be a more daunting task. How much does one man have to take? George Karl is renowned for his generosity, poise, basketball wisdom, and work ethic. He has improved every team he has coached since the early nineties. He has taken the high road with players often in his career, Payton, Kemp, Melo, Martin, J.R. Smith, and been able to resolve issues with them, get wins, and build bonds with those same players that last to this day. It is unfair for someone of such upstanding character to have to go through a life threatening illness twice in the same decade.

My hope is the Nuggets will truly rally around their coach and take on his instruction and desire to win for the rest of the season. They owe it to this man who has dealt with so many problems in his relatively short tenure in Denver. Karl values the game of basketball in terms of the sacred. Like me, he sees the game as something when played unselfishly, bravely, and for your teammates as transcendent of mere sports. Basketball rewards those who take what can easily be an individual effort and create a group mentality. If the Nuggets take everything into account that Karl has tried to relay, they will go into the playoffs stronger than ever and ready to take down a team like the Lakers who only feign team spirit. The best medicine, besides chemotherapy and radiation, for any person with a life threatening illness is hope. The Nuggets need to come together as a team like never before to keep their coach’s hope alive for a championship. If they can do this, it will speed his recovery and get him back in time at least for the Western Conference Finals.

With the trade deadline here and gone and the Nuggets standing pat, it seems the improvement Denver needs to make is within. Unless they can pick up a free agent like Drew Gooden, cut to me salivating, before March first, they are going to have to bolster each other’s spirits to play like they made a blockbuster trade. These guys can do it. Carmelo is going to have a sensational last twenty-nine games, bet on it, Ty Lawson can still pick it up, and J.R. Smith could definitely start taking some of Karl’s advice more seriously. I think the player most important in stepping up his play is still Nene. I look for him to take some inspiration from Karl’s cancer diagnosis and take his game to a new level. Nene has still not hit his ceiling and he knows how important he is to Karl and this team.

Tonight will be a good test of their resolve. The Cavaliers are still on a thirteen game winning streak, but with no Ilgauskas and Antawn Jamison waiting in the wings, the Nuggets could steal one in Cleveland. Until then, my best wishes to the Karl family and as always; GO NUGGETS!!!

Hot Karling or What to Make of the "Non-Extension"

As I am biding my time today, waiting to see which of the Nuggets will play tonight, I can’t help but wonder about the length of time it is taking for George Karl’s contract extension to go through (By the way, I’m betting Melo, Chauncey, J.R., and A.A.A. all play and Nene does not). Luckily for me Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post made my life much easier today by writing his own article about the Karl contract question.

In Dempsey’s article he argues Karl has every reason to be disgruntled about the lowball offer proffered by Denver’s front office. As of now, Karl makes around three million dollars a year, one million dollars less than the league average and far less than successful contemporaries Larry Brown and Phil Jackson ($7 million and $10 million, respectively). As Karl is the only coach in the league in the same sentence with these two, within his generation, he rightly feels he is not being given his due with an offer of eleven million dollars over the next three years with the last year unguaranteed. As my father was fond of saying, “After the first million, it’s all keeping score.” Since Karl’s score, 968 wins, is just under Brown’s, 1068, and Jackson’s, 1080, it makes perfect sense for Karl to desire relative pay. Karl has said no one in the league coaches for the money, though that’s hard to believe, because the scrutiny put upon every coach is so extreme only the people who truly love the game stick around. His need for equal salary obviously stems from a place of pride.

Based upon these truths and Karl’s track record in the playoffs one might think it unthinkable to make Karl such a low offer. Allow me to surmise on Kroenke and the front office’s thought processes and offer my take on why they may be hesitant to shell out so much cash. As Dempsey points out, with a shrinking salary cap and players like Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith, Nene, and Kenyon Martin all having their own contract negotiations coming up in the next year and a half, Kroenke’s plate is full and his pocketbook short when it comes to his team, lately. The NBA is a player first league when it comes to contracts and filling stadiums with fans. If you didn’t notice all five of those players just mentioned are the five most important on the team and deciding what direction to go with them is going to be of the utmost importance.

What has not been mentioned thus far is Karl’s actual value to the team. When he joined the Nuggets in 2005 he took a team on its way to probably not making the playoffs that year to an instant winning streak and an eventual playoff appearance. After this however, the Nuggets basically plateaued. They won more games when Allen Iverson was acquired, but reached the same end every year, exiting out of the first round of the playoffs with either one or zero wins. In case anyone forgets, there was much turmoil back then over Karl’s status as head coach. Andrew Feinstein, now blogger for Denver Stiffs and Karl Lover, created firegeorgekarl.com and received plenty of attention and support over it. Kenyon Martin clashed with the coach in the playoffs as did J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony called “people” out after the first round loss to the Lakers saying “people quit” on the team (in case your not getting the quotation marks, they are meant to indicate Karl).

Not until the arrival of Chauncey Billups did the attitude of the Nuggets truly change. We went from a lazy defensive team with no ball movement on offense to an intense, win oriented squad. Chauncey was the example of dedication and winning attitude the Nuggets needed to get their rears in gear and make something of all their talent. Karl has since gotten plenty of accolades for his role as well and I am sure he deserves a bit of the credit, but think how this situation looks from Kroenke’s side. After hearing stories of the Iverson years and his influence on teammates, J.R. and Melo, to stay out most days of the week and party at clubs, I wondered where Karl was to call these guys to task. Imagine if Stan Van Gundy were the coach then. Do you think he would have stood that kind of thing? He calls out his team in the press just for believing their own hype and not playing good enough defense. Stan Van would have lit a fire under some of those guys or had them traded. Couple this with Karl’s unwillingness to talk to J.R. Smith, his unwillingness to defend his players against bad calls in games, and his, at times, sarcastic demeanor and it is no wonder the front office isn’t willing to go all the way with this new deal.

Karl also has a history in the NBA of not being able to get over the hump. Whether it be losing to the Nuggets in the 1994 first round, losing to the Bulls in the Finals in 1996, or losing to the Lakers last year, making it past teams in difficult series has not been Karl’s forte. Perhaps the Nuggets’ organization is thinking we could do better with a younger, more adamant coach who would further push our stars in the playoffs. My only personal reservation is Karl seems to be taking to this team more than ever now. With his and his son’s cancer in the rear view mirror and the window for a championship closing, Karl must want to get that ring before his chance is lost. I’m not sure how much longer the contract negotiations will go on for, but know they will gain national attention very soon.

Bill Simmons does not give much credence to coaches anyway. Maybe I should stop worrying about who the coach is and rather what they represent. I just hope Karl can represent tenacity and winning at least until the end of the season. BEAT DALLAS!