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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!