Game 2: Nuggets @ Clippers

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets continue on the road tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers. The same Clippers that Mr. Marcus Camby plays for. Expect a warm welcome from Camby to all those that he befriended while on the Nuggets, but also expect a spirited effort by the Cambyman too as he without doubt plays with a chip on his shoulder to prove to his old boss that getting rid of him was a mistake.

Expect J.R. Smith to have another big game. I'll quote one of the local guys I play basketball with, "Dude is sick. No one can guard him. He only stops himself on occassion."

And to a certain degree, I agree with him.

Have a happy Halloween everyone. I'm in Kansas seeing my "nephew."

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 31st, and on this day:

October 31, 1969 The Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Cincinnati Royals 129-121, giving Lenny Wilkens, the NBA’s all-time winningest coach, his first coaching victory.

Enjoy your day!

Balkman's Option Picked Up

(Boulder-CO) Renaldo Balkman's option for next season has been picked up by the Denver Nuggets reports Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Please, dissect this move in the comments section.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 30th, and on this day:

'53- Red Holzman made his NBA coaching debut for the Milwaukee Hawks at home against the Minneapolis Lakers. The Hawks won 69-59. This game also marked the debut of Minneapolis’ Clyde Lovellette.

'54- Bob Pettit made his debut for the Milwaukee Hawks at home against Ft. Wayne. The Pistons won 91-72.

'54- Frank Ramsey made his debut for the Boston Celtics at Rochester. The Royals won 98-95.

'54- The NBA adopted the use of the 24-second clock (the brainchild of Danny Biasone, owner of the Syracuse Nationals) and a limit of six team fouls per quarter, in an attempt to speed up play and eliminate stalling and deliberate fouls.

'80- The NBA announced its 35th Anniversary All-Time Team--Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Julius Erving, John Havlicek, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell and Jerry West. Russell was voted the greatest player of all time, Red Auerbach of the Celtics the greatest coach and the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers the greatest team ever.

'81- Chuck Daly made his NBA coaching debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia. The 76ers won 128-104.

'81- Isiah Thomas made his debut for the Detroit Pistons at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pistons won 118-113.

'81- Pat Riley made his NBA coaching debut for the Los Angeles Lakers at home against Houston. The Rockets won 113-112 in double-overtime.

'93- In the first preseason game between two NBA teams ever played in Europe, the Orlando Magic, behind 14 fourth-quarter points from Dennis Scott, defeated the Atlanta Hawks 120-95 before a sold-out crowd of 9,483 at Wembley Arena in the opening of the two-game NBA London Games series.

'01- John Stockton stepped onto the floor with the Jazz on Opening Night, beginning his 18th season with the same team, establishing the longest tenure with one organization. Stockton had been tied with Hakeem Olajuwon, whose 17 consecutive seasons with the Houston Rockets ended when he joined the Toronto Raptors during the offseason.

'02- On what Mayor Ray Nagin proclaimed as "Teal Day" in the city of New Orleans, the NBA returned to the Big Easy tonight as the Hornets defeated the Utah Jazz 100-75.

Enjoy your day!

5 Disappointments from Opening Night

(AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

(Boulder-CO) Opening night's game was a bit of a disappointment. The Denver Nuggets lost to the Utah Jazz, 98-94, after playing a hard fought game without a suspended Carmelo Anthony. And while Denver was down by as many as 14 with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter I do acknowledge the gusto they showed in not letting this game slip into blowout city, but too many disappointing factors contributed to this loss.

Here's five quick positives from the loss:

1. J.R. Smith is a freaking monster! Smith finished with 17 points on 7-14 shooting that included 3-7 from downtown. He added five rebounds, two assists, and a steal while playing solid defense and showing a multi-faceted offensive repertoire. I especially like the way he is finishing with his left hand around the basket.

2. Allen Iverson recorded eight assists while only shooting the ball 13 times. AI may have only scored 18 points in what was a very un-Nugget like offensive showing, but his curtailing of dribbling out the shotclock gives me hope that he understands what this team will need from him to be successful. Plus, Iverson only turned the ball over three times.

3. Kenyon Martin worked to his offensive strengths. He made quick moves around the basket and powered his way to a lot of high-percentage buckets. I absolutely love Marting shooting that little jump hook with the right hand off of one or two power dribbles because he is still one of the quickest elevating off of the floor in this league. Kenyon finished tied with Allen Iverson with a team-high of 18 points.

4. Denver limited themselves to only 13 turnovers. That's quite a bit fewer than last year's average and a good sign of discipline offensively.

5. Denver outscored Utah 13-6 in fastbreak points. Not nearly enough, but still positive.

Now for the negative:

1. Anthony Carter has got to take better care of the basketball. The boxscore will tell you that he only turned the ball over once, but I counted three straight possessions where he lost control during the Nuggets final push that absolutely crippled Denver's chances of winning the game. Statistically, maybe they weren't turnovers, but I'll guarantee you Carter was thinking about that stretch on the plane ride to L.A.

2. Nene has got to put that big body on someone when the ball gets shot. Big Brazil finished with only four rebounds and no Nugget finished with more than six. As a team, Denver was mutilated on the boards 46-35 with many of those rebounds translating into second chance points for the Jazz.

3. In the first half alone, Denver allowed 36 points in the paint. The Jazz would finish with 52 points in the paint in total indicating that there was a halftime adjustment, but the matador defense has got to stop or this is going to be yet another year of defensive futility for the Nuggets. Too many times the on-ball defender for Denver got beat and when the help came the defender who was beat initially did a poor job scrambling to help the help which leads to easy drop passes around the goal and thus all the points in the paint.

4. That lane violation called on Kyle Korver's second free-throw attempt is about as soft a call as your going to see in today's NBA. Had the referee choked on his whistle, Denver is only down by two and the Nuggets' options to tie the game are many. How's that home cookin' taste, Utah?

5. Kenyon Martin taking the last ditch three-pointer to tie the game was baffling. Why the ball wasn't in J.R.'s hands will be a question on my mind for days to come.

The important thing is for Denver not to dwell on the loss and get back even tomorrow night against Marcus Camby and the Clippers. Splitting games without Carmelo isn't so bad, but heaven forbid the Nuggets lose to the Clippers and then have to see the Lakers without having won a game.

Go Nuggets!

Here We Go Again...

(Boulder-CO) The trash talking between the Utah Jazz, their fans, and the Denver Nuggets, their fans, and me is kicking into full swing. A good friend of mine, who sadly is a Utah Jazz fanatic, sent me this picture this morning to jab me in the ribs.

Obviously, this individual is a Nuggets fan who chooses to express their love for the team in a very, shall we say, interesting manner.

But I ask you, is such a unique way of expressing your loyalty to the team any worse than this, shall we say, classy, Utah Jazz fan?

And of course... There is always this.

Touché, my friends. Touché.

Head over to True Blue Jazz to give the fellas over there the business. Keep it classy!

Go Nuggets!

Game #1 - Nuggets @ Utah

(Boulder-CO) It's here! It's finally here! The regular season starts tonight for the Denver Nuggets in Utah against the bitter divisional rival Jazz. However, the game should have an unusual feel to it as Denver and Utah will both be missing top talent.

Carmelo Anthony will not play tonight or in the match-up with the Clippers in L.A. while he serves a team-imposed two-game suspension for a DUI late last season. The loss is going to be tremendous for Denver, but the good news for Nuggets' fans is Utah is without heady point guard Deron Williams. D-Will will not be playing tonight due to an ankle sprain suffered in preseason. The Jazz will also have to compensate for a few others not able to suit up. Matt 'The Irritant" Harpring is a scratch due to having to deal with an infection that resulted from ankle surgery and Jarron Collins is also listed as day-to-day with tricep tendinitis.

Now here's where things get tricky: The Nuggets game notes indicate that Dahntay Jones is probable to start over Linas Kleiza. The rest of the starting five consists of Allen Iverson, Anthony Carter, Kenyon Martin, and Nene. This leaves BOTH J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza to come off the bench AND the starters in a position to compensate early for the offensive slack left by Carmelo's absence. Which all leads me to believe, if the game notes are correct, that George Karl is certifiably crazy! Why he would turn to Dahntay Jones, and no disrespect to Dahntay, to start the game over Linas Kleiza, a 40+ point game scoring talent of which came against Utah in Denver's only victory over the Jazz last season, when his team is missing 25+ points in offensive firepower is beyond me. Furthermore, this team with J.R. Smith in the starting line-up is far more capable of matching up with opponents defensively purely on size alone and I would think with Carmelo gone that would factor in as well.

Other things to be aware of in tonight's game are numerous starting with the Jazz's recent dominance in their own building and against the Nuggets as of late. Last season, Utah was the NBA's best home team with a record of 37-4. In addition, the Nuggets have lost nine of the last eleven meetings against the Jazz and were blown out by Utah by 27 points in each of their visits to Salt Lake City in 2007-08.

And the time for all that to stop is right now!

It would be a tremendous shot in the arm for this Denver team to be able to walk away from tonight's game with a W over their division rival without one of their star players. It would set the tone, not only in this rivalry, but for the rest of the season for what this team is capable of.

Unfortunately... the same can be said for the Jazz if they are able to defeat us.

So, there's only one question:

Which superstar means more to their team?

We'll find out tonight!

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 29th, and on this day:

'61- Oscar Robertson handed out a franchise-record 22 assists during Cincinnati’s 139-132 win over visiting Syracuse. The “Big O” went on to average a triple-double (30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 11.4 apg) for the Royals during the 1961-62 season, becoming the first NBA player to average double figures in assists.

'77- Boston Celtic standout John Havlicek became the second player in NBA history to connect on 10,000 career field goals, reaching the milestone in a 103-98 loss at Cleveland.

'82- Dominique Wilkins made his debut for the Atlanta Hawks at Detroit. The Pistons won 94-86.

'82- James Worthy made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers against Golden State. The Warriors won 132-117.

'94- On the second day of the two-day “NBA Challenge” in Mexico City, a sellout crowd of 21,268 at the Palacio de los Deportes (Sports Palace) watched Seattle defeat San Antonio 124-95 in the championship game. Shawn Kemp led Seattle with 29 points and 10 rebounds. In the third place game, Houston defeated the LA Clippers, 111-103.

'96- In conjunction with the NBA’s 50th anniversary celebration, the list of The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History was announced. It included: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, George Gervin, Hal Greer, John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes, Earvin Johnson, Sam Jones, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Earl Monroe, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit, Scottie Pippen, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Dolph Schayes, Bill Sharman, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Jerry West, Lenny Wilkens, and James Worthy.

'01- The Fayetteville Patriots won the top selection in the NBDL’s Inaugural Draft Lottery.

Enjoy your day!

A Million Thanks!

(Boulder-CO) I write and write and write, and evidently, all of you enjoy it! So much so in fact that you voted this little corner of the Nuggets Nation the #1 Nuggets Team Blog in La Ball Talk's Top Team Blog Contest!

Will there be fantastic prizes and large cash sums? Sadly no, but the fact that enough of you voted to make The Nugg Doctor #1 over some other great Nuggets sites is enough to supercharge me just in time for the regular season.

My appreciation is limitless and I thank all of you again!

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 28th, and on this day:

'67- Walt Frazier made his debut for the New York Knicks vs. Detroit. The Pistons won 111-98.

'73- Seven-foot center Elmore Smith of the Los Angeles Lakers blocked an NBA-record 17 shots in the Lakers’ 111-98 home victory over Portland.

'83- Clyde Drexler made his debut for the Portland Trail Blazers against the San Diego Clippers. Portland won 117-93.

'98- The NBA announced that it has canceled all games through November 30 and indefinitely postponed the entire 1998-99 season because of the stalled collective bargaining negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association.

'99- Jayson Williams of the New Jersey Nets donates over $2 million to his alma mater, St. John's, in the name of his former college coach, Lou Carnesecca. Although the exact amount was not revealed, it was believed to be in the neighborhood of the $2.5 million donation that Portland Trail Blazers guard Steve Smith made to his alma mater, Michigan State, a few years ago. The amount was the largest donation ever to St. John's by a professional athlete. Williams said that he wanted to do something to honor Carnesecca, who he looked to as a mentor and a role model.

Enjoy your day!

Kleiza & Balkman on Option Watch

(Boulder-CO) Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post reports today that Renaldo Balkman and Linas Kleiza have until Friday of this week for the Nuggets to pick up an option on both players before they become restricted free agents at the end of the season.

My intuition says neither will be signed immediately, with the Nuggets waiting to counter any other team's offer at the end of the season in the same fashion that they handled J.R. Smith this off-season.

Balkman's option is for$2.1 million, while Kleiza's is for $2.7 million.

Go Nuggets!

Todays Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 27th, and on this day:

'56- Tom Heinsohn made his debut for the Boston Celtics at the New York Knicks. The Celtics won 115-112.

'84- Hakeem Olajuwon made his debut for the Houston Rockets at the Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets won 122-111.

'92- The Houston Rockets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 104-102 in a preseason game held in Mexico City, before a crowd of 19,527 at the Mexico City Sports Palace. It was the first NBA game ever played in Latin America.

Enjoy your day!

Marlowe's High Hopes

(Boulder-CO) I'm up early on a late fall Sunday morning making my usual rounds around the interwebs and to my surprise find the most optimistic forecast for the Denver Nuggets I have ever read.

Fellow blogger and Nuggets play-by-play man, Chris Marlowe knows the team just about as well as anyone, so could his foresight be right? I hope so!

Click here to read, "Welcome to Nuggets Nirvana".

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 26th, and on this day:

'76- The Indiana Pacers won their first NBA game with a 120-90 home victory over Seattle. The Pacers entered the league from the ABA, along with the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New York Nets.

'84- Charles Barkley made his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 76ers won 111-101.

'84- John Stockton made his debut for the Utah Jazz at Seattle. The SuperSonics won 102-94.

'84- Michael Jordan made his debut for the Chicago Bulls at home against the Washington Bullets. The Bulls won 109-93.

'85- Patrick Ewing made his debut for the New York Knicks at home against Philadelphia. The 76ers won 99-89.

Enjoy your day!

NBA Blog Previews: Southeast Division

(Boulder-CO) We're at it again with some of the most highly anticipated teams in the Eastern Conference. Get your read on!

Atlanta Hawks

Matt McHale: Basketbawful

Hoopinion: Peachtree Hoops

Charlotte Bobcats
Brett: Queen City Hoops

Ziggy: BobcatsPlanet

Miami Heat

Darren Heitner: SportsAgentBlog.com

Gregory Broome: The Peninsula is Mightier

Orlando Magic

Ben: Third Quarter Collapse

Washington Wizards

Rashad: Hoops Addict

HoopsAvenue: HoopsAvenue

Mike Prada: Bullets Forever

Truth: Truth About It Dot Net

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 25th, and on this day:

'85- Karl Malone made his debut for the Utah Jazz at home against Houston. The Rockets won 112-108.

'99- The Portland Trail Blazers are named as one of only five companies across the nation to receive the Points of Light Foundation 1999 Award for Excellence in Corporate Community Service. The Blazers are the only professional sports team ever to be recognized and the first corporation to receive the award in the state of Oregon. The award honors companies which have demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service and which have very strong employee volunteer programs that target serious social problems. The other award winners are the Glaxo Wellcome Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC; LensCrafters, Cincinnati, OH; NEC Electronics Inc., Santa Clara, CA; and United Airlines, Elk Grove Township, IL.

'00- The NBA announced that as a result of an arbitrator’s ruling that the Minnesota Timberwolves, forward Joe Smith and his agent entered into a secret agreement in violation of the NBA’s salary cap rules, NBA Commissioner David J. Stern directed the forfeiture of Minnesota’s next five first-round draft picks, fined the team $3.5 million and voided all contracts between Smith and the Timberwolves. On December 8, the NBA restored Minnesota’s first round draft pick in 2003.

Enjoy your day!

Preseason Closer

(AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets concluded their preseason campaign last night in Los Angeles by defeating the Clippers, 106-92. The win gives Denver a 6-1 record through preseason play and thankfully, no one is done for the season at this point!

The game was another showcase for J.R. Smith. Now, I know I have written critical things about The Prodigy in the past, but I can not be sweeter on him than I am right now. J.R. scored yet another team-high 19 points on 4-7 from downtown to fit nicely with four assists, three rebounds, and a steal. And if this kind of production can become routine for Smith, there will be no choice but for George Karl to start him while pleading with Allen Iverson to metamorphose into more of a point guard than a scorer.

For the record, J.R. finishes as the Nuggets leading preseason scorer with an average of 18.3 ppg.

Linas Kleiza also had a solid game to finish the preseason. LK scored five of his 18 points in the final two minutes of the contest and added six rebounds, an assist, and a block in 25 minutes of burn. In total, the Nuggets had six players finish in double-digit scoring as Carmelo (11), Kenyon (10), Nene (12), and surprise-surprise Juwan Howard (11) accounted for 71 of the total 106 points scored.

On the defensive end, The Birdman ruled the roost. Chris Andersen finished last night's game with 15 rebounds, including eight offensive boards, and four blocked shots to accompany his six points.

For the Clippers, it was a startling look back at last season's suffering as their two main additions to this year's team were unable to play. Former Nugget Marcus Camby didn't play due to a right heel bruise sustained in a scrimmage two weeks ago that is still making him walk with a limp, and Baron Davis is still on the IR due to a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament in his left ring finger. My only hope for Marcus, Baron, and the Clippers as a franchise is to get healthy and have more success than last season because I spent the entire year covering L.A. for About.com and can sympathize with a team that has endured their fair share of bad luck and losing.

Can you taste the air, Nuggets Nation? The regular season is now only four days away! And what better way to get it started then to face the hated Utah Jazz right out of the gate on Wednesday night. Both Utah and Denver will be missing a star (Deron Williams due to an ankle sprain and Carmelo due to drinking and driving late last season) for the regular season opener, but I'll guarantee that the distaste for each other will not be diluted because of so on opening night!

I'm ready, Denver. Are you? Let's get this ship out of the harbor!

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 24th, and on this day:

'59- Wilt Chamberlain played in his first NBA game with the Philadelphia Warriors, beginning a record streak of 1,045 consecutive games--his entire career--without a disqualification. The record was later broken by Moses Malone of Atlanta on April 19, 1991, in his 1,046th game without disqualification.

'93- Before a sellout crowd of 20,808 at the Mexico City Sports Palace, the New York Knicks defeated the Houston Rockets 103-93 in a preseason matchup, led by 20 points each from Patrick Ewing and Charles Smith.

Enjoy your day!

Saying Goodbye to Five

(Boulder-CO) In no major surprise, today the Denver Nuggets trimmed back their preseason roster by waiving five players. Mateen Cleaves, Smush Parker, Nick Fazekas, James Mays and Ruben Patterson were let go leaving the Nuggets with 14 players on their roster. Remember, under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement a team can only have twelve active players on its roster while also having up to three, but no fewer than one player(s) on it's inactive list which includes NBDL players.

My guess for who will be on the inactive list on opening night are Sonny Weems, due to injury, and Juwan Howard. Once Weems is healthy again, it will be a fight between he and Dahntay Jones for the twelfth active roster spot.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 23rd, and on this day:

'67- The New Jersey Americans (today the New Jersey Nets), a new ABA franchise sold to Arthur Brown, played its first game.

'75- Bill Willoughby made his debut for the Atlanta Hawks, becoming the youngest player in league history at 18 years, five months and three days old.

'87- The Milwaukee Bucks defeated Tracer Milan of Italy 123-111 in the opening game of the first McDonald’s Championship, held at the Milwaukee Arena. The Bucks defeated the Soviet National Team 127-100 in the championship game of the tournament, sponsored by the NBA and FIBA.

'93- In the finals of the sixth McDonald’s Championship, held at the Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany, the Phoenix Suns defeated Italian League champion Buckler Bologna 112-90, as Charles Barkley led all scorers with 28 points. Barkley was awarded the Drazen Petrovic Trophy as MVP of the tournament, after scoring 52 points in two games.

Enjoy your day

When I'm Right - You're Right!

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jimmy Jeong)

(Boulder-CO) I predicted, "The Denver Nuggets are averaging 103.2 ppg while the Raptors come into tonight's match-up averaging only 92.9 ppg. So, if Denver is able to score more than 100 points tonight they will earn the W. Toronto plays at too slow of a pace to beat the Nuggets if Denver shoots a decent percentage from the field."

Denver won last night, 105-94, and shot 53% from the field.

Steeeeeeeeeeriiiiiiiiiiiiiike!

The big story from what was an otherwise meaningless game is all about J.R. Smith. Smith poured in another great performance last night consisting of a game-high 22 points, five assists, four boards, and two steals in a team-high 31 minutes off the bench. He also continues to blister the three-point line after finishing 4-7 from long distance. Six games into this preseason I have only two concerns: First, that this torrid start for J.R. will cool off come regular season. And second, that George Karl is too stubborn to start him.

There were a couple of other Nuggets that played well. From the starters, Carmelo Anthony finished 15 points, six rebounds, and a team-high six assists and Dahntay Jones added a dozen points and four rebounds. From the bench, Chris Andersen had another solid performance of seven points, six rebounds, and another pair of blocks and Ruben Patterson hit double-figure points with ten.

But the big highlight of the game came from Nene. I'll let the video evidence speak for itself.

Denver is now 5-1 and has one last preseason game against Marcus Camby and the newly revamped Clippers in L.A. on Friday.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 22nd, and on this day:

'57- Sam Jones made his debut for the Boston Celtics at the St. Louis Hawks. The Celtics won 115-90.

'58- Elgin Baylor made his debut for the Minneapolis Lakers at home against the Cincinnati Royals. The Lakers won 99-79.

'60- Lenny Wilkens made his debut for the St. Louis Hawks at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Hawks won 112-96.

'76- Robert Parish made his debut for the Golden State Warriors at home against the New York Nets. The Nets won 104-103.

'76- Twin brothers Tom and Dick Van Arsdale played together in a game for the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first and only pair of twins to play for the same NBA club. The Suns ended up losing the game 111-98 to the New Orleans Jazz.

'99- NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, who died October 12, 1999 at the age of 63, is the subject of ESPN's SportsCentury series. Chamberlain was selected by a distinguished panel of 48 journalists, historians, observers and administrators as #13 on the list of the greatest North American athletes of the 20th Century. The charismatic Chamberlain played 14 seasons with the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers and dominated the NBA like no other player ever. He holds numerous NBA records, most notably for single-season scoring average (50.4 ppg), single-season minutes (48.5 minutes per game) and highest single-season rebound average (27.3 rpg). On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain did the unthinkable and scored 100 points in a game against the Knicks. For his career, Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds. Before coming to the NBA, Chamberlain played at the University of Kansas and averaged 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds for his career.

Enjoy your day!

NBA Blog Previews: Northwest Division

(Boulder-CO) Know thy divisional enemies! Here is the Northwest previewed by the best!

Denver Nuggets

Jeremy: Pickaxe and Roll

Nick Sclafani: The Nugg Doctor

Minnesota Timberwolves

Derek Hanson & Staff: TWolves Blog

Andrew Thell: Empty the Bench

wyn: Canis Hoopus

Oklahoma City

xphoenix87: BallerBlogger

Zorgon: Blue Blitz

Royce: The Thunderworld

Portland Trail Blazers

Mookie: ...a stern warning

Benjamin Golliver: Blazers Edge


Coup and SJ: Rip City Project

Utah Jazz

UtesFan89: The Utah Jazz

Basketball John: SLC Dunk

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

Go Nuggets!

Vote Nugg Doctor #1

(Boulder-CO) Daniel of www.laballtalk.com has organized a Top Team Blog Contest. If you're reading this, I'll assume you enjoy what goes on around here and hope you will vote The Nugg Doctor as the #1 Nuggets team blog.

Thanks again to all of you who read this site daily!

Preseason Preview #6: Nuggets @ Raptors

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets have traveled north to Rexall Place in Edmonton, Canada tonight to take on the Toronto Raptors. Tonight's match-up is the second-to-last preseason game on the docket and should provide some insight as to how things are going to look on opening night, October 29th in Salt Lake City.

For starters, the injury report for tonight's game is extended for the Nuggets. Chucky Atkins is still out after undergoing right knee surgery, Sonny Weems is a scratch due to a left groin pull, Steven Hunter did not make the trip because of right knee inflammation, and Allen Iverson will not play tonight after twisting his right ankle against the Timberwolves.

Healthy Nuggets and match-ups to watch (or not watch, depending on how you look at yet another preseason game not being televised) are numerous. For starters, and I know I'm high on him right now, J.R. Smith is playing great. Despite a questionable three taken late in the game against the T-Wolves, and I say questionable because he Denver's best three-point shooter and we've all seen him make similar shots, Smith is actually shooting the ball quite efficiently. As the Nuggets leading scorer in four out of the five games so far, J.R. has shot 73.4% from the field and 50% from downtown in his last two outings while ranking 7th in NBA preseason scoring with an average of 17.4 points per game.

And with production like that how and who could justify not moving AI to point and Smith into the starting line-up?

I welcome any arguments saying continuing to start Anthony Carter over J.R. Smith gives this team a better chance at long-term success.

Another interesting battle for playing time is shaping up between Linas Kleiza and Renaldo Balkman. One the one hand, you have the offensive explosiveness of Linas Kleiza. On the other, the constant energy, hustle, and defensive edge of Balkman. And while I think Linas is the more polished player overall, I do see how Knick fans fell in love with this guy. He is cut from the same cloth as the departed Eduardo Najera, but brings more of a controlled athletic energy that results in positive things for the Nuggets as where Eduardo's heady game presence was felt mostly in times of absolute chaos. However, Linas does have a considerable statistical edge over Balkman with averages of eleven points and 5.8 rebounds compared to Renaldo's 5.5 points and 3.3 boards.

Moving right along...

I think the biggest surprise so far in the preseason has been the production of Chris Andersen. With Steven Hunter chronically injured, the repaired knees of Kenyon Martin always in the dark corner of my thoughts, and Nene's luck and injury history considered the Nuggets should be counting the blessing that having the Birdman back in Denver has played out to be. Chris is averaging eight points, 7.8 rebounds (ranking 16th in preseason), and two blocked shots per game; more rebounds and blocks than both Kenyon and Nene.

Carmelo Anthony is also having a great preseason in a particular statistical category. 'Melo is averaging five assists per game in what has been limited playing time. Carmelo's career-high average in assists is 3.8 from back in the 2006-07 season and as long buckets are the direct result of smart passes that's a good thing for Nuggets fans.

Now for a prediction about tonight's game!

The Denver Nuggets are averaging 103.2 ppg while the Raptors come into tonight's match-up averaging only 92.9 ppg. So, if Denver is able to score more than 100 points tonight they will earn the W. Toronto plays at too slow of a pace to beat the Nuggets if Denver shoots a decent percentage from the field.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's Date is October 21st, and on this day:

'67- The expansion Seattle SuperSonics won their first NBA game, defeating San Diego in overtime, 117-110.

'72- One day after setting an NBA record by scoring 58 points in the fourth quarter of a 126-118 loss at Boston, the Buffalo Braves scored an NBA record-low four points in the third quarter of a 91-63 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Buffalo.

'76- Adrian Dantley and Alex English made their debuts against each other. Dantley’s Buffalo Braves defeated English’s Milwaukee Bucks 133-112.

'79- Guard Sam Smith of the Chicago Bulls scored the first four-point play in NBA history during a 113-111 loss to the Bucks at Milwaukee.

'95- The Houston Rockets defeat Buckler Bologna of Italy 126-112 in the championship game of the six-team McDonald’s Championship, in front of a sellout crowd of 10,708 at London Arena in London, England. Clyde Drexler is awarded the Drazen Petrovic Trophy as the tournament MVP after averaging 20.5 points and 8.5 assists in two games, including 25 points and 10 assists against Buckler Bologna. The Rockets, who downed Australia’s Perth Wildcats 116-72 in the tournament semifinals, are the first reigning NBA Champion to play in the McDonald’s Championship.

Enjoy your day!

Nuggets Split Over the Weekend

(AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets played familiar preseason foes in not so familiar venues over the weekend and were able to split their chances for victory while improving their record to 4-1. Denver first played the Suns, in Syracuse, for a homecoming of sorts for Carmelo Anthony in which they were victorious, 94-91, on Friday before taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves, in Bismarck, North Dakota, and losing, 111-107, on Sunday.

In the Phoenix match-up, the Syracuse fans were nothing short of gracious to Carmelo. From the opening introductions to chanting, "We want 'Melo" late in the third, their positive vibration could be felt on the Nuggets side all night. And for their appreciation of Carmelo-past and Carmelo-present, Anthony did not disappoint. 'Melo scored 14 points in just 24 minutes while adding nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

But, once again, the brightest Nugget continues to be J.R. Smith. The Prodigy led the Nuggets in scoring for the fourth-straight preseason game with 19 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals in a quick 24 minutes of burn off the bench. If at this point he hasn't secured his place as the first Nugget off of George Karl's bench then I'm not sure what else this young man can do to ensure so. J.R. has seemingly turned the proverbial corner and his basketball IQ has caught up to his other-worldly physical gifts with the results having made me just a touch giddy. Because the way I see things... Allen Iverson needs to become more of a passing floor general anyways with a guy like J.R. Smith picking up his scoring void giving Denver an ideal starting backcourt this season.

The rest of the game was pretty mechanical for Denver. Linas finished with eleven points and three rebounds, and Anthony Carter was the only other Nugget to finish in double-digit points with ten. Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Alando Tucker DNP'd for Phoenix while Chucky Atkins, Steven Hunter (what else's new), and Kenyon Martin (coaches decision) DNP'd for Denver.

(AP Photo/Tom Stromme)

In Sunday's match-up with the Wolves, the Nuggets finally took their first L of the preseason after Kevin Ollie made four free throws in the final 16 seconds to cement a, 111-107, Denver defeat. The game could have gone either way, but ultimately the Denver defense cost them the game.

However, this loss was good for the high-flying Nuggets because it proves that when they allow a team, even a rebuilding team like the Timberwolves, to shoot over 50% from the field that they will most likely lose. Minnesota finished the game with a clip of 52.6% shooting on 27 assists (led by Randy Foye's 15 dimes) while five Timberwolves scored in double-figures.

Sure, the boxscore indicates that Denver finished with six double-digit scorers led by Anthony Carter's 17 points and seven assists, but when the defense isn't there the W's are going to be few and far between.

Allen Iverson did not play due to a tweeked right ankle suffered Friday against the Suns.

Next up for the Nuggets is a trip to Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Once again, the game is not televised so be sure to check back tomorrow for a preview and recap of the action.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 20th, on on this day:

'62- John Havlicek made his debut for the Boston Celtics at home against the New York Knicks. The Celtics won 149-116.

'72- The Buffalo Braves scored an NBA-record 58 points in the fourth quarter, but still dropped a 126-118 decision to the Celtics at Boston Garden.

'73- Boston pulled down an NBA record 39 offensive rebounds in a game against the Capital Bullets at the Capital Centre, but the Celtics ended up losing the game, 96-87.

'76- The Philadelphia 76ers acquired Julius Erving from the New York Nets in exchange for $3 million.

Enjoy your day!

NBA Blog Previews: Central Division

(Boulder-CO) Time to sharpen your skills for all the NBA fantasy leagues getting started. I present to you the Central Division.

Chicago Bulls

Nels: Give Me The Rock


Matt: Blog-a-Bull

Cleveland Cavaliers

Rock: Waiting For Next Year

FTS: Fear The Sword

David Friedman: 20 Second Timeout

Amar Panchmatia: Cavalier Attitude

Detroit Pistons

Brian Spencer: Empty the Bench

Natalie Sitto: Need4Sheed.com


Matt Watson: Detroit Bad Boys

Indiana Pacers

Tom: Indy Cornrows

Milwaukee Bucks

Jeramey Jannene: The Bratwurst

Frank Madden: BrewHoop

Thanks again to Jeff at www.celticsblog.com for putting these all together for us.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 16th, and on this day:

'62- Dave DeBusschere made his debut for the Detroit Pistons against Los Angeles during a neutral site contest in New York. The Lakers won 122-106.

'63- Jerry Lucas made his debut for the Cincinnati Royals at the St. Louis Hawks. The Royals won 112-93.

'65- Billy Cunningham made his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers at the Baltimore Bullets. The 76ers won 133-101.

'68- The Milwaukee Bucks made their debut with a 89-84 loss to the Chicago Bulls before a Milwaukee Arena crowd of 8,467.

'68- Wes Unseld made his debut for the Baltimore Bullets at home against the Detroit Pistons. The Bullets won 124-116.

'70- The Portland Trail Blazers defeated fellow expansion club Cleveland 115-112 to pick up their first victory in the NBA.

'71- Artis Gilmore made his debut for the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA at home against the New York Nets. The Colonels won 107-98.

'99- After a scare in the opening game the previous day, the San Antonio Spurs flexed their muscles in Milan, Italy and continued the NBA's domination of the McDonald's Championship. With Tim Duncan leading the way, the Spurs rolled to a 103-68 rout of Vasco da Gama of Brazil in the final of the biennial international tournament at the FilaForum. Duncan earned the Drazen Petrovic Trophy as the tournament MVP with a 32-point, 18-rebound performance. Duncan had 20 of his points in the first half when the Spurs built a 56-36 lead. After seeing its lead cut to 79-66, San Antonio outscored the Brazilian team, 24-2 in the fourth quarter. David Robinson had 16 points and Avery Johnson added 14 for the Spurs.

Enjoy your day!

Previewing Your 2008-09 Denver Nuggets

(Boulder-CO) At last I give you my submission to the NBA Blog Previews!

Last Year's Record: 50-32

Key Losses: Marcus Camby, Eduardo Najera

Key Additions: Nene, Chris Andersen, Renaldo Balkman

1. What significant moves were made during the off-season?

The most significant moves made (or not made) by Nuggets management were the re-signing of J.R. Smith, trading Marcus Camby to the Clippers in a move that was essentially financial, the free agent signing of Chris “The Birdman” Andersen, losing free-agent Eduardo Najera to the New Jersey Nets, and acquiring Renaldo Balkman from the Knicks. The acquisitions of Chris Andersen and Renaldo Balkman bring two high-energy hustle players who should resonate as fan favorites. At 6‘11”, “The Birdman” provides depth at center while the 6’9” Balkman is capable of guarding all three front court positions with his combination of length, athleticism, and determination. And with Denver brass’ decision to trade Marcus Camby to the Clippers for a 10 million dollar trade exception it’s important to talk about Nene. “Big Brazil” is going to play an intricate role this season as he is catapulted into the starting role of center after missing the almost the entire 2007-08 season while undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. Nene has all the tools to be an All-Star caliber performer, but needs to shake the injury bug to prove he is indeed the big man for years to come in the Mile High City.

However, the biggest move of the Nuggets’ off-season was the resigning of J.R. Smith for $16.5 over the next three years. “The Prodigy” is flat-out an electric talent with seemingly limitless potential and could very well find his way into the starting line-up of Coach George Karl.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

Obviously, the Denver Nuggets are one of the most potent offenses in the NBA. They boast the highest scoring tandem in the NBA with Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson averaging over 50 points combined from last season, one of the fastest game tempos, and were the only team in the league last year to have four separate players record a 40+ point game. With those three things combined Denver has a trident of offense of which to rely on and they have only added a low post scorer in Nene.

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

Team defense and leadership are the two biggest question marks for the Nuggets. With the loss of the league’s leading shot blocker two years running and second best rebound collector from last season there is a lot of slack to be picked up on the defensive end. This could either prove to be just what the Nuggets needed to have happen in the sense that a perceived safety net which Marcus Camby provided no longer exists and everyone is held individually accountable for their defensive assignment or a task too tall to be completed and the Nuggets will once again allow one of the highest opposing ppg in the league.

A clearly designated leader of this team is also an area that needs to be cemented for the Denver Nuggets to improve. The guessing game of, “Who’s team is this?”, needs to answered. Carmelo Anthony could certainly assume the role by becoming more vocal and leading by example on the defensive end or “The Answer” could be Allen Iverson and his style of play. It’s been proven that when AI records a double-double of assists and points the Nuggets are nearly unbeatable and by sacrificing some of his own scoring he makes the rest of this team’s gold glisten.

4. What are the goals for this team?

The goal for this team is to not be content just making the playoffs, but to finally advance in the postseason. For five straight seasons the Nuggets have been one of only four teams in the league to make the playoffs in said consecutive years and are the only team to have not made it to the conference semis.

Predicted Record: 44-38

Go Nuggets!

Beating Utah is Always Tough

(Boulder-CO) Tonight's untelevised contest between the Nuggets of Denver and the Jazz of Utah was nothing short of fantastic; especially the, 120-119, overtime victory! This game scratched the Nuggets right where they itch and hopefully sent a message to the Jazz. That message: Don't get to comfortable at the top of the division."

As I said, the game wasn't televised and rather than bore you with an attempt to recreate the play-by-play. I'll just breakdown the boxscore and remind you of my prediction.

-J.R. Smith is showing signs of a breakthrough so far this preseason. He led the Nuggets in scoring tonight with 19 points (to be fair, Linas also scored 19 points), and is leading the Nuggets in ppg through three games with an average of 16.5 points.

-Four out of the five starters tonight scored in double figures. Carmelo finished with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Kenyon Martin also added 16 points, a team-high eight rebounds, and three steals. Linas Kleiza posted the aforementioned 19 points and Anthony Carter was good for ten points and three assists. Dahntay Jones rounded out the starters, but just missed double-digits with nine points while playing an otherwise well-rounded game consisting of six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

-Although Smush Parker didn't score any points he still gave the Nuggets a much needed shot in the arm with his passing in what was otherwise a poor offensive second quarter. Parker only played 14 minutes in total, but handed out four of his team-high five assists in the first twelve minutes of the period.

-Chris Andersen, Nene, and Allen Iverson did not play. Iverson missed action tonight to rest the sore left knee, Birdman was caged with a sore calf, and Nene reportedly is suffering from a banged elbow sustained in practice Tuesday.

-The Nuggets won the turnover battle and as I predicted won the game. Denver forced 26 Jazz turnovers resulting in 33 Nugget points while only returning the favor with 19 miscues of their own of which Utah could only capitalize 25 points from.

-The game was decided in the final ten seconds of overtime after Dahntay Jones stole the ball from C.J. Miles. J.R. Smith missed two free-throws the possession before Jones came up with the steal that gave Linas Kleiza the opportunity to put the Nuggets up by four points with two free-throws after being fouled by Kevin Lyde. LK made both and the Nuggets ended up needed them after Kosta Koufos hit a 30-foot three-point heave with only one second remaining.

With the win, Denver stays a perfect 3-0 in preseason play with their remaining four preseason games on the road. Next up is rematch with the Phoenix Suns in a homecoming for Carmelo Anthony. Friday night's game will be played in Syracuse, New York at the Carrier Dome.

Go Nuggets!

Preseason Preview #3: Jazz @ Nuggets

(Boulder-CO) Tonight, the 2-0 Denver Nuggets host the division rival Utah Jazz in their third preseason game and finally we should see a Denver roster with both Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony active. 'Melo, who is listed as probable, missed each of the Nuggets first two preseason games in 2008 due to a 4th metacarpal contusion on his left hand while Iverson, who did not travel with the team to Indian Wells as a precautionary measure for a left knee contusion, are both listed as starters.

But with all kidding aside, and I'm looking in the direction of the guys over at True Blue Jazz, I do envy a few things about the Utah Jazz. They are the things that have separated the two team over the last few seasons and a lot of them trickle down from the man at the helm, Jerry Sloan.

For starters, I have to respect the discipline Utah plays with. A hot-dog play that doesn't connect for a team which Jerry Sloan is coaching almost surely means someone is getting a seat next the the coach for a good ear chewing. And as a result, the Jazz (with the tremendously heady and coachable play of their point guard, Deron Williams) are routinely in the green when it comes to turnovers created over those given away. Now, think about the Denver Nuggets... Sure, they connect on, and we have a funny way of remembering, an awful lot of jaw-dropping plays, but try and watch for all the instances where the fundamental play is missed in exchange for a potential highlight and how George Karl reacts. Typically, it's not with the same distaste as that of Jerry Sloan in similar situations and thus creates the difference in the two teams' demeanors.

My other main source of envy of the Utah Jazz is their fierce commitment to the defensive end first and foremost. The Nuggets play with a mentality of, "We'll just get another bucket on the other end to make up for the one we just gave up", whereas the Jazz seem to take the exact opposite approach. Utah seems to play with the mentality of, "We better stop them this possession because it's not a guarantee that we score on the next possession", and much of that is transcended from the way Jerry Sloan approached the game when he was a player. See, Sloan was never the most gifted athlete on the court in his day so he had to do all the little things to earn his playing time, stats, and respect from other players and it's with that same yeoman mentality that his teams approach the game.

So, with those two differences in tonight's game fresh in your mind. I would like to make a prediction about who wins. If the Nuggets' number of created turnovers outweighs the number they surrender Denver walks away with the W. Simple as that. Win the turnover battle, win the game.

And prove to me that there has indeed been a change made in the approach to the game of this year's team.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 15th, and on this day:

'65- Rick Barry made his debut game for the San Francisco Warriors at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors won 122-115.

'66- Bill Russell became the NBA’s first black head coach when he was designated as player-coach of the Boston Celtics. In his coaching debut he led the Celtics to a 121-113 win over the San Francisco Warriors at Boston Garden. Russell, who coached Boston for three seasons, led the Celtics to a pair of NBA titles in 1968 and 1969.

'66- Dave Bing made his debut for the Detroit Pistons at Cincinnati. The Royals won 103-99.

'66- Matt Guokas Jr. played in his first game for the Philadelphia 76ers, marking the first time a father-son combination had competed in the NBA. Matt Sr. played with Philadelphia in the 1940s, and at the time of his son’s debut, was a sportscaster for the 76ers.

'70- Dan Issel made his debut for the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA at Indiana. The Pacers won 127-95.

'71- Julius Erving made his debut for the Virginia Squires of the ABA at the Carolina Cougars. The Squires won 118-114.

Enjoy your day!

NBA's Kings of Tattoo

(Boulder-CO) I'm un-officially naming this year's Denver Nuggets as the NBA's Kings of Tattoo. In fact, I dare any other blogs or fan alike to even try and make a case against the Nuggets when it comes to the amount of body art being displayed in those tank tops! Here are the most inked on this year's roster:

Exhibit A: Allen Iverson

The Answer may not have the most surface area when it comes to NBA players, but he's not going to let that stop him from getting the most out of his time in the chair. He is easily one of the most tattooed on the team.

Exhibit B: Carmelo Anthony

'Melo is also heavily tatted with words like "Honesty" on his arms and the Warner Brothers logo on his shoulder that pays homage to "West Baltimore". One of the more unique tattoos 'Melo has is a Puerto Rican flag on his hand.

Exhibit C: Kenyon Martin

K-Mart is another of the most heavily tattooed Nuggets with a menagerie of ink. He has the face of a baby on his right bicep, the name "Cierra" on his neck along with a new pair of pink lips, my personal favorite Grim Reaper on the left shoulder, and tons of other script on the back of both arms and forearms.

Exhibit D: J.R. Smith

Can anyone say, "Full-Sleeves"? J.R. Smith is the most tattooed Nugget! Neck, hands, back, J.R. has it all! He has the words, "Death Before Dishonor" on his calf, both of his parents' names on either arm, and a detailed depiction of New Jersey on his left bicep with the message, "King of NJ". One things for sure... He is certainly the King of Tattoos!

Exhibit E: Anthony Carter


Much like the man himself, Anthony Carter's ink doesn't command a whole lot of attention, but it's there and you can't deny it. Both arms are nearly covered, but shhhhhhh..... Don't make a big deal out of it.

Exhibit F: Chris Anderson

From the chain around his neck to the self-explanatory wings underneath the Birdman's arms, Chris Andersen fits right in with this team. Welcome home, Birdman. Welcome home!

Exhibit G: Chucky Atkins

Chucky is no slouch either when it comes to having both arm in full mural. He rounds out our expose of skin art on this year's Denver Nuggets.




After all that photographic evidence is there anyone out there who can argue that the Nuggets do not have the most ink in the NBA?

Like what you've read? Go to the new Nugg Doctor for more Nuggets coverage.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 14th, and on this day:

'70- Bob Lanier made his debut for the Detroit Pistons at the Seattle SuperSonics. The Pistons won 123-117.

'70- Nate Archibald made his debut for the Cincinnati Royals at home against New York. The Knicks won 128-104.

Enjoy your day!

DKY: Chucky Atkins

(Boulder-CO) Howdy Folks, here is one of the remaining DYK's for your Denver Nuggets that I haven't touched yet. Chucky needs a good nickname, so leave your ideas in the comments section.

-Chucky's given name is Kenneth Lavon Atkins.

-He finished as a four-year letterman at South Florida and the school's third all-time leading scorer.

-Atkins is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

-He received a basketball from his father for his first birthday and could dribble by age three.

-Chucky also played football in high school as a freshman, seeing some time at quarterback that same year.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 13th, and on this day:

'67- The Seattle SuperSonics dropped a 144-116 decision to the San Francisco Warriors in their first NBA game.

'67- The first ABA game was played with the Oakland Oaks beating the Anaheim Amigos, 132-129. The game introduced the red, white and blue ball and used the 3-point field goal.

'70- Calvin Murphy made his debut for the San Diego Rockets at Chicago. The Bulls won 111-96.

'70- Dave Cowens made his debut for the Boston Celtics at New York. The Knicks won 114-107.

'79- Golden State lost a 102-96 overtime decision to Chicago. The Warriors went on to lose their next nine overtime games as well, setting the NBA record for consecutive overtime losses with 10.

'98- The NBA announced that it has canceled the first two weeks of the 1998-99 season because of the stalled collective bargaining negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association. The cancellation included all games originally scheduled to be played through November 16.

'00- Isiah Thomas, Bob McAdoo and 24-second shot clock innovator Danny Biasone are enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Enjoy your day!

2-0: I'll Take It!

(Boulder-CO) Despite the fact that it was the ugliest game possibly ever, I'm still happy the Nuggets were able to beat the Suns, 77-72, outside at Indian Wells. The game was windy with both teams missing a star player or two and the result was a terribly low shooting percentage by all who braved the elements.

In fact, the game was so hard to watch I would like to just mention one player who stood out. Robin Lopez of the Phoenix Suns absolutely played fantastic! He swatted Nene, The Birdman, Linas Kleiza, Mateen Cleaves, and assorted other Nuggets on his way to an eight point - seven rejection evening that fit nicely with his five rebounds.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 12th, and on this day:

'79- Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics scored the first three-point basket in NBA history with 3:48 left in the first quarter of a 114-106 victory over Houston at Boston Garden. This game also marked the debut of Boston rookie Larry Bird.

'79- Magic Johnson made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers at the San Diego Clippers. The Lakers won 103-102.

'89- The NBA joined USA Basketball, the national governing body for the sport in the United States.

'99- NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain passed away at his home in Bel-Air, California at the age of 63. A 13-time NBA All-Star, first-ballot Hall of Famer and holder of numerous records, many of which will never be broken, Chamberlain arrived in the NBA in 1959 out of the University of Kansas (1955-58), after a one-year stint with the Harlem Globetrotters (1958-59). In his first season with the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain astonished the professional basketball world by averaging an NBA rookie record 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds on his way to capturing the NBA MVP and NBA Rookie of the Year Awards following the 1959-60 season.

Enjoy your day!

NBA Blog Previews: Southwest Division

(Boulder-CO) These teams hit a little closer to home in the Western Conference and have added some talented players over the offseason. Don't sleep on the Southwest!

Dallas Mavericks

Jake Kerr: Mavs Moneyball

Houston Rockets

grungedave and UofTOrange: The Dream Shake

Memphis Grizzlies

Joshua Coleman: 3 Shades of Blue

New Orleans Hornets

Rohan: At the Hive

ticktock6 & mW: Hornets Hype

Ryan Schwan & Ron Hitley: Hornets247.com

San Antonio Spurs

Graydon Gordian: 48 Minutes of Hell

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

Preseason Preview #2: Nuggets @ Suns

(Boulder-CO) Tonight's game is a psuedo-home game for the Suns, but it is hard to say either team will have a homecourt advantage seeing how the game will be played under the stars of the California sky in the NBA's first outdoor game since the Suns beat the Bucks in a preseason contest on Sept. 24, 1972, at a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Which reminds me of a certain part in a certain movie that details just how playing hoops outdoors can affect one's game...



However, there's some bad news for Nuggets fans. As I outlined in last night's game recap, Carmelo Anthony has an injured finger and according to one of my sources who talked to Coach Karl he's doubtful for tonight's game as is Allen Iverson. The Answer is going to stay behind to receive treatment on his swollen left knee, according to ESPN.

But one man's misfortune can be another's opportunity and Iverson's absence may be the perfect opportunity to see which reserve guard (i.e. Smush Parker, Matten Cleaves, or Dahntay Jones) steps up to seize such a chance to impress the Nuggets' coaching staff. The same goes for all the small forwards on this team. With Anthony sidelined, Linas Kleiza, Ruben Patterson, Juwan Howard, and Renaldo Balkman will have extended minutes to prove what they can bring to this team against the very talented front line of Phoenix Suns.

Tonight's game tips off at 8pm MST and is nationally televised on TNT.

"I do detect the smell of...CASH...in the air."

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 11th, and on this day:

'80- The Dallas Mavericks opened their first season in the NBA with a 103-92 victory at home against interstate rival San Antonio.

'02- The Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves played the first preseason game in the Dominican Republic at the Palacio de los Deportes in Santo Domingo. It marked the 19th time the NBA held a game in Latin America.

Enjoy your day!

No 'Melo - No Problem

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets kicked off their season on the right foot last night by dominating the Timberwolves, 118-95, despite not having Carmelo Anthony available for action. 'Melo did not play due to a finger bruise suffered in practice on Thursday; an injury that was sustained and viewable during NBATV's "Real Training Camp" that day.

Sans 'Melo, the Nuggets looked really solid on both offense and defense. Denver held Minnesota to under 25 points in three of the first four quarters of play and kept the Timberwolves under 45% shooting from both long distance and the field. Offensively, the Nuggets had five players reach double-digit scoring led by J.R. Smith's 21 points, four steals, two rebounds, and two assists and Chris "Birdman" Andersen's double-double of twelve points, eleven rebounds, and two rejections.

When looking at the boxscore three things that jump out at me. First was the large disparity the Nuggets enjoyed on the boards. Denver out rebounded the Timberwolves 56-45, which included 14 offensive caroms. Anytime a team can win the battle on the glass by ten or more rebounds it usually signifies that said team flat-out wanted the game more than their opponent. Second is the significant advantage the Nuggets' built in the assist column led by Allen Iverson's nine dimes. Denver out passed Minnesota 31-21 in the assist column proving once again that when the Nuggets share the ball to the tune of 30+ assists a win is almost eminent. And finally, in a trend that I hope can carry over from last year, the Nuggets forced Minnesota into 21 turnovers resulting in 31 Denver points to offset their own 14 miscues that they were able to limit the Timberwolves' capitalization of to just 14 points.

And with those three facets of the game being dominated by the Nuggets, it should come as no surprise that Denver was leading by as many as 25 points in the third quarter before easing back off the throttle momentarily only to once again explode offensively tacking on a 40-point fourth quarter and dismissing the Timberwolves, 118-95.

Now, the Nuggets are off to Indian Wells, California to play the Phoenix Suns tonight in the NBA's first outdoor basketball game in more than 35 years! Preseason Preview #2 is coming right up, so be sure to refresh your page.

Go Nuggets!

Preseason Preview #1: Wolves @ Nuggets

(Boulder-CO) Tonight, the Nuggets Nation can rejoice as Denver officially kicks off their preseason campaign against the Timberwolves tonight at Pepsi Center. Unfortunately, there isn't much to preview considering there is no way to hear or see the action unless you are planning on attending the game.

With that being said, there are still a lot of things to watch out for in the boxscore concerning this game. Regardless of how many minutes the likes of 'Melo, Nene, AI, and the rest of the presumed starters play it will be interesting to see how the Denver big men fare against the likes of Kevin Love and Al Jefferson; and even more importantly, how the Nuggets look as a whole on defense. Because regardless of what statistic-crazy big-time media types try and tell you about the Denver Nuggets... the fact still remains that their defensive effort last year was akin to a wet paper bag trying to hold an angry wolverine.

Check back after the game for a complete analysis of the first look at your 2008-09 Denver Nuggets.

Go Nuggets!