The Nuggets Step Up

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets only played nine deep tonight, but had enough heart to be victorious over the Bobcats 108-101. This win showed maturity beyond five games deep in the season and proved that the Nuggets have bounced back from starting the season 0-3. I think the overall feeling of the game can be summed up by saying the Nuggets stepped up big time!

Carmelo Anthony continues to lead this team with his scoring by burning the Bobcats for 36 points to compliment his two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Captain ’Melo was assisted by J.R. Smith and Andre Miller each scoring 17 points. Miller also recorded a double-double by finding eleven assists. While J.R. was 4 for 10 from the three- point arch. Another big contributor, and double-double man, was Marcus Camby. The Nugget big man gave the team 12 points and eleven rebounds in 26 minutes of playing time.

The only player who is really struggling right now for the Nuggets is Earl Boykins. After a dismal shooting display on Friday night against the Sixers, Boykins put on an encore show tonight by going 1-9 from the field. It isn’t that Earl is a bad shooter, but as of right now he is trying to force things that just are not there and making things hard for himself. Right now I think he should try to contribute in other ways and allow the flow of the game to return back to him. He is still a valuable asset to this team, but right now needs to find a new identity with this ball club.

Beating the Bobcats in convincing fashion was a relief. The Nuggets are now 2-3 on the season and tonight dominated from the opening-tip to the final buzzer. The character of this team is also starting to shape up, and I am liking what I see. J.R. is starting to score with consistency and is showing improvement on the defensive end. In addition, Reggie Evans is showing that he is a true specialist on the glass. Carmelo, well… He is just amazing! And Marcus Camby is once again proving to be a dominant force in the paint. Hopefully, Kenyon Martin’s unfortunate bout with the injury bug will be the only serious case this season and the Nuggets can continue to be successful.

Remember the formula Nuggets fans; 6-4 in every ten game stretch will leave the Nuggets extremely close to a 50 win season. Until then, keep chuggin Nuggets!