(Boulder-CO) If there was ever a game the Nuggets should win against the Spurs tonight’s home game should be it. San Antonio comes into tonight’s match-up with the Denver Nuggets as the loser in five of their last nine games and with the lowest scoring average of any team in the NBA’s Western Conference.
When team stat leaders are examined, the Nuggets personnel looks superior in everyway. Allen Iverson is outscoring Tony Parker 26.3 ppg to 20.3 ppg. Marcus Camby is out rebounding Tim Duncan 14.2 to 10.2. Allen Iverson is passing better than Tony Parker at an assist rate of 7.1 to 6.7 helpers per game. AI is also a better thief than Manu “The Flopper” Ginobili at a robbery clip of 2.4 to 1.6 steals a night, and Marcus Camby is blocking twice as many shots as Tim Duncan to lead the league in nightly rejections at 3.7 swats to Duncan’s 1.8.
But, does any of this matter when these two teams face each other?
The answer is “no”, because as my hoop buddy Jimmel would say, “The Spurs have already been there, done that, and have the rings to prove it!”
San Antonio is still the team to beat in the Western Conference despite what anyone may tell you because they have the coach and the discipline to put any team away with their heady style of play. They dictate the way a game is played by Coach Gregg Popovich controlling the game through Tony Parker and Tim Duncan acting as almost a player coach on the floor.
In the first match-up between these two teams, the Spurs kept Marcus Camby off the glass to the tune of a season-low six rebounds. The Nuggets also had to face San Antonio without their two power forwards (Nene and Kenyon Martin were both injured) and as a result were badly out rebounded, 43-29, with the Spurs grabbing twelve offensive boards. Carmelo only scored 15 points and the Nuggets bench was outscored, 35-16, by the Spurs reserves. It was a tough game to watch for the Nuggets Nation because it did not represent Denver the way we all know this team should.
In tonight’s game, both Nene and Kenyon are set to play; meaning don’t expect the Spurs to out rebound the Nuggets again tonight. Marcus Camby will certainly be a lot freer to roam the glass from the weak side with the other two bigs having to be accounted for by San Antonio’s frontcourt. Also, don’t expect Carmelo to score anything less than about 25 points while flirting with his sixth double-double in this his seventh game since making a conscience effort to rebound more. Bruce Bowen may still be a great defender, but his game is slowly going downhill and Carmelo is still not playing at his pinnacle yet.
But to me, the pivotal match-up to watch tonight is Tony Parker vs. Allen Iverson. Tony is the motor that makes Popovich’s championship machine run. As Tony goes, so do the Spurs making it of the up most importance that Allen Iverson tire out our French friend by running him ragged on defense. AI doesn’t even have to score to be effective just as long as his assist total grows steadily throughout the game.
And as for the rest of the Nuggets, I have some ideas on how they too can help start of the new year with a win:
Marcus: Do not ever dribble the ball more than three or four times. If after your fourth dribble you do not see a guard to pass to; make a jump stop, keep the ball high, and waive for someone to come relieve you of your ball handling duties.
Nene: Do not ever shoot the ball from more than ten feet from the basket. You are not Karl Malone (yet) and the offense becomes highly ineffective when you hoist bad shots with no one to rebound the inevitable miss. Get yourself on the offensive boards and leave the Spurs battered and bruised from having to keep you from eating them alive on the glass.
Anthony Carter: Try not to shoot the ball off the dribble. You have such a tender stroke off of a good pass with some space to operate in. Make the most out of your offensive looks, but do not forget that you are Denver’s peskiest defending guard.
J.R. Smith: Let the game come to you, and be ready for when it does. You can be the difference in the game when you allow yourself to be.
Linas Kleiza: Play at 100% intensity 100% of the time. If you foul out, George Karl has a sub and a pat on the rump for you!
Eduardo Najera: Find a way to impact this game with your hustle. Tangible stats are not your game. Take charges, tap out long rebounds, and get on the floor for loose balls. You have a cult following in Denver. Don’t forget why!
I want the win tonight, Nuggets Nation! We are due to beat these guys.
Go Nuggets!
When team stat leaders are examined, the Nuggets personnel looks superior in everyway. Allen Iverson is outscoring Tony Parker 26.3 ppg to 20.3 ppg. Marcus Camby is out rebounding Tim Duncan 14.2 to 10.2. Allen Iverson is passing better than Tony Parker at an assist rate of 7.1 to 6.7 helpers per game. AI is also a better thief than Manu “The Flopper” Ginobili at a robbery clip of 2.4 to 1.6 steals a night, and Marcus Camby is blocking twice as many shots as Tim Duncan to lead the league in nightly rejections at 3.7 swats to Duncan’s 1.8.
But, does any of this matter when these two teams face each other?
The answer is “no”, because as my hoop buddy Jimmel would say, “The Spurs have already been there, done that, and have the rings to prove it!”
San Antonio is still the team to beat in the Western Conference despite what anyone may tell you because they have the coach and the discipline to put any team away with their heady style of play. They dictate the way a game is played by Coach Gregg Popovich controlling the game through Tony Parker and Tim Duncan acting as almost a player coach on the floor.
In the first match-up between these two teams, the Spurs kept Marcus Camby off the glass to the tune of a season-low six rebounds. The Nuggets also had to face San Antonio without their two power forwards (Nene and Kenyon Martin were both injured) and as a result were badly out rebounded, 43-29, with the Spurs grabbing twelve offensive boards. Carmelo only scored 15 points and the Nuggets bench was outscored, 35-16, by the Spurs reserves. It was a tough game to watch for the Nuggets Nation because it did not represent Denver the way we all know this team should.
In tonight’s game, both Nene and Kenyon are set to play; meaning don’t expect the Spurs to out rebound the Nuggets again tonight. Marcus Camby will certainly be a lot freer to roam the glass from the weak side with the other two bigs having to be accounted for by San Antonio’s frontcourt. Also, don’t expect Carmelo to score anything less than about 25 points while flirting with his sixth double-double in this his seventh game since making a conscience effort to rebound more. Bruce Bowen may still be a great defender, but his game is slowly going downhill and Carmelo is still not playing at his pinnacle yet.
But to me, the pivotal match-up to watch tonight is Tony Parker vs. Allen Iverson. Tony is the motor that makes Popovich’s championship machine run. As Tony goes, so do the Spurs making it of the up most importance that Allen Iverson tire out our French friend by running him ragged on defense. AI doesn’t even have to score to be effective just as long as his assist total grows steadily throughout the game.
And as for the rest of the Nuggets, I have some ideas on how they too can help start of the new year with a win:
Marcus: Do not ever dribble the ball more than three or four times. If after your fourth dribble you do not see a guard to pass to; make a jump stop, keep the ball high, and waive for someone to come relieve you of your ball handling duties.
Nene: Do not ever shoot the ball from more than ten feet from the basket. You are not Karl Malone (yet) and the offense becomes highly ineffective when you hoist bad shots with no one to rebound the inevitable miss. Get yourself on the offensive boards and leave the Spurs battered and bruised from having to keep you from eating them alive on the glass.
Anthony Carter: Try not to shoot the ball off the dribble. You have such a tender stroke off of a good pass with some space to operate in. Make the most out of your offensive looks, but do not forget that you are Denver’s peskiest defending guard.
J.R. Smith: Let the game come to you, and be ready for when it does. You can be the difference in the game when you allow yourself to be.
Linas Kleiza: Play at 100% intensity 100% of the time. If you foul out, George Karl has a sub and a pat on the rump for you!
Eduardo Najera: Find a way to impact this game with your hustle. Tangible stats are not your game. Take charges, tap out long rebounds, and get on the floor for loose balls. You have a cult following in Denver. Don’t forget why!
I want the win tonight, Nuggets Nation! We are due to beat these guys.
Go Nuggets!
2 comments:
I'm with you doc! I want this win more than almost any other so far this season. The nugs are a very psychologically fragile team, and starting the new year with a big win would go a long ways towards providing them with the confidence they need to make a run at home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Oh yeah, I also like that you used the word "conscience" instead of "conscious" to describe melo's recent rebounding efforts- his refusal to help on the boards was utterly unconscionable.
jonathon,
You are the second person to point out my style that loves to utilize double entendres. I'm glad that you're with me on that level.
CLP- You know I got love for you, kid!
Thanks for reading,
The Nugg Doctor
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