Remembering Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

(Boulder-CO) Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, formerly known as Chris Jackson, from LSU was a Denver Nugget that I grew up watching and one whom I modeled much of my own game after. Many of you will remember him for such things like his mild tourettes, his refusal to stand during the National Anthem, his sudden name change, or the fact that he used to tape over the logos on his shoes, but what we all should really remember Mahmoud for was his unbelievable skills while with the Denver Nuggets.

So, in the nostalgic spirit, (and because there is no news today), here is the first two videos of a three part series remembering Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. The third video is of Mahmoud with the Kings, so if you are so inclined to watch it just bang this link after watching the first two because there is a short section of Mahmoud in the 1993 Dunk Contest at the end.

The first video is of the game highlights where Mahmoud scored 51 points in a victory over the hated Utah Jazz. Enjoy!

This second video is of another spectacular performance by Mahmoud in the 1995 match up with the eventual 72-10 Chicago Bulls. The Denver Nuggets won this game and they have to give a lot of credit to Abdul-Rauf’s performance for the win. Enjoy!

Getting to Know Steven Hunter

(Boulder-CO) I really didn't know too much about Steven Hunter's game so here is a www.youtube.com clip of some of Hunter's better moments. I refuse to call it a highlight reel simply because some of the footage is of pretty routine plays. Enjoy getting to know the Nuggets new reserve center!

Are the Nuggets Destined for Rings?

(Boulder-CO) The questioned asked in the title of this post was also pondered by the guys over at www.nobloodnofoul.com and I really enjoyed their analysis. Some of the highlights of their breakdown were judging George Karl’s historical coaching tactics through the media, Denver’s superstar power, and Denver’s lack of defense. The guys even go as far to refer to the Nuggets as the, “Enver Nuggets”, because there is just no “D” in The Mile High City. And with last year’s defensive rankings who can blame them? Be sure to read the entire article by clicking right here.

Don’t be Shocked if Jones gets Waived

(Boulder-CO) It doesn’t take a mathematical wizard to understand that the Nuggets traded one valuable player in yesterday’s transaction with the Sixers and received two active players in return. Meaning one of the newest Nuggets will probably get waived. The Nuggets obvious motivation in this deal was to clear some room at the power forward position while also bolstering their reserve center needs, but what isn’t quite so apparent is what they intend to do with small forward Bobby Jones.

Only $200,000 of his $664,209 in salary is guaranteed to Jones for next season, but the long shot to make the Philadelphia ball club has even less of a chance to make his new team here in Denver. Because if you think about this situation for a second. It shouldn't take an informed Nuggets fan very long to realize that Denver is pretty stacked at small forward too. Carmelo is definitely going to play his 40 minutes a game, behind him sits Linas Kleiza, and often times Eduardo Najera plays some small forward when LK plays minutes as a big shooting guard.

Simply stated: It all doesn’t add up in your favor if your name is Bobby Jones!

However, NBA roster rules state that a team may have 15 players on its roster, but only twelve can be declared, “Active”, at any one time. This rule is nice because it allows teams to keep players within their management’s access in the unfortunate event that one of their active twelve becomes injured, but at the same time, when you have the world’s best small forward and two capable, veteran substitutes. A guy like Bobby Jones, who gets traded from a struggling team to a potential contender, still doesn’t have the best of chances to make the final roster.

The good news for Jones is that he did have a very nice month of April in 2007, and because of so, he will probably find another NBA fanchise that could use his ability. And from a Nuggets-centric persepective, if Denver could move him for say... a combo guard. Then the Nuggets would really have their roster in great shape for the rapidly approaching season.

Denver Trades the Joker!

(Boulder-CO) Today the Nuggets have found a way to alleviate some of their roster problems by trading forward Reggie Evans and the rights to forward Ricky Sanchez to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for center Steven Hunter and forward Bobby Jones. Many of you might remember the name Ricky Sanchez because I included him in my memory lane series back around the time of the draft.

This trade doesn’t come as that big of a surprise to me despite the surprise timing of the deal. Reggie Evans was, at no fault of his own, the odd man out in the power forward log jam the Nuggets were dealing with and ultimately Reggie’s remaining years of contractual obligation to the Nuggets probably made him the man traded over fellow teammate and forward Eduardo Najera who becomes a free agent after this season.

Now onto what we received in return for Evans.

Steven Hunter is a versatile seven-footer who can block shots and run the floor. His mid range game is definitely a spot that needs work, but overall he gives the Nuggets a cheap insurance policy at center. Hunter is a six-year veteran with time spent in Phoenix, Orlando, and Philadelphia.

Where things start to get interesting is in the acquistion of Bobby Jones. While Jones only finished last year’s rookie season averaging 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds. It was the way he came on at the end which makes him intriguing. Some would say that Philly didn’t have the best of years in last season’s efforts, but in the month of April Bobby Jones averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in a total of nine games.

And to conclude this post I would like to remenise some of the finer points of game belonging to Reggie “The Joker” Evans. We will always remember the “intimate” grab of Chris Kaman in the 2006 playoffs and Reggie’s fulltime sense of humor. I will also remember Reggie’s sense of professionalism in regards to not complaining about playing time or talking to the media. Best of luck to Reggie Evans as he teams back up with Andre Miller in Philadelphia.

The Power Forward Conundrum

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets are in quite a familiar spot entering this upcoming season’s training camp. In fact, this will be the third straight year that at least one of their potential starting power forwards will be returning from injury or is injured as camp begins. And this year the Nuggets have a double whammy to contend with as Kenyon Martin once again missed essentially all of last season with a knee injury and with Nene presumably not going to be full-speed due to a calf strain. Which, in my opinion, is partly due to his lack of off-season conditioning before the FIBA games and, hopefully is not going to become a trend for the promising Brazilian.

So, by no means is this unfortunate state of affairs uncharted territory for the Nuggets, but please allow me to further illustrate how both men should be looking at the seemingly up-for-grabs starting position and what it ultimately means for the Nuggets as a team.

First off, and regardless of who actually lands the starting role, I think both players need to understand that early in the season both of them are going to receive about the same amount of playing time. A smart coach, (and George Karl is a smart coach), is going to give his returning players an equal opportunity to display what they can do for the team and I can only imagine that Karl will do so by giving each man 20-25 minutes a game. Furthermore, a genius coach, (and maybe George Karl is one of these), would probably start a guy like Eduardo Najera or Reggie Evans to relieve some of the pressure off of the aforementioned duo just to see who is more adept to coming off of the bench. And by doing so, George Karl will know which player has the kind of work-horse mentality that the Denver Nuggets sixth man needs to have.

Once a clear-cut starter is revealed then it is going to be up to the other man to understand his role as the first reserve off the bench. Former Celtics Coach and President Red Auerbach (R.I.P) understood this role better than anyone as he used John Havlicek as his, “sixth starter”, on many of the 16 NBA championships he designed, and it was with the critical unselfishness that Hondo displayed that the Celtics were able to win a lot of those championships.

With that being said, the role that needs to be understood for whoever doesn’t end up starting is simple; once put in the game the sixth man needs to be able to do whatever the team needs at that very juncture of the game regardless of preconceived ideas of how they want to play. If the Nuggets need rebounding - come in and rebound. If the Nuggets need scoring - come in and put the ball in the basket. And if they Nuggets need defense - come in a play defense like a man possessed. Because if the way that I see things is clear, the Nuggets are going to need this type of Yeoman mentality so Marcus Camby and whoever starts alongside he and Carmelo can play relentless basketball with the knowledge that they have an unselfish and unrelenting “sixth starter” ready to go at the precise minute they need him.

And that precise minute could be one of many for the Nuggets. We all know that Marcus Camby blocks most of his shots by swooping in from the weak side and it is by doing so that he also picks up the majority of his fouls. So, if Camby doesn’t have to constantly worry about his foul count. He can do more of that vulture-esque swooping and even more swatting of opponent's shots knowing that he has capable replacement itching to get in the game.

It is also a likewise situation for whoever does end up starting for the Nuggets frontline. If it ends up being Big Brazil, then we all know that Nene has a bad habit of coming over the defender’s back to try and grab offensive rebounds and it is this facet of his game where he picks up most of his personal fouls. This doesn’t mean that Nene should stop being aggressive on the offensive glass. In fact, it means the opposite (within reason of course). Nene should always be able to be super aggressive on the offensive glass because he should know that Kenyon is coming in right behind him when he needs a blow or picks up a substitution necessitating foul.

And the same hypothetical situation is true if Kenyon Martin emerges as the starter. Kenyon’s defensive folly is being too physical with his man in the low blocks. So, just like Nene, this doesn’t mean that he should stop playing with the physicality that has made him an All-Star in years past, but rather the opposite. Kenyon and Nene should be able to play with almost a reckless abandon knowing that each other have the others’ back as they form what could be one of the most formidable two-headed monsters at power forward in the entire NBA.

This in turn leads me right into my final point: Nene and Kenyon Martin need to look at this positional conundrum as a chance not to prove who is the better man for the starting job, but rather by understanding the role that each player falls into they are really allowing themselves and their counterpart to play the way the Nuggets need them to play in as many winning efforts as possible. Thus is unselfish, and therefore is fundamentally a cornerstone to what it takes to be great teammate and ultimately a great team. For too many years now the Nuggets have been more about individual accomplishments rather than what they could accomplish as a cohesive unit where each man plays for his teammate, and ultimately for the team. So, in the 2007-08 season here is to hoping that big egos can take smaller roles in lieu of more regular season wins and a deeper playoff run. And ultimately I believe much of this is dependant on Kenyon Martin and Nene.

Who Wants to Own a Piece of Iverson?

(Boulder-CO) According to two separate sources, Allen Iverson is selling his house in Villanova, Pennsylvania. One source reports that AI’s old pad, (which includes a 12-person movie theater, a billiard room, a guest suite with a kitchenette, a pool house, a hot tub, and a stream), is listed for 6.3 million dollars. The other source is reporting that many of the furnishings and personal items belonging to Iverson and his family are also up for grabs via an auction. Among the most interesting items on the bidding block is a custom-made, gas-powered mini-Maserati; perfect for that special ten-year-old in your life!

I have to wonder how often this kind of thing happens to star athletes who find themselves traded with little to no advance notice. I mean, it’s not like AI had a whole lot of time to pack up his belongings while he was probably preoccupied with trying to find a new NBA city to play in. But in any event, I’m sure that all the really choice items were salvaged by Iverson and the rest he will probably just use as a write-off in some kind of gianormous Salvation Army donation.

Nene’s Return Date Still in Question

(Boulder-CO) Nene’s return was originally pegged somewhere around four to six weeks from now. But the latest from Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post is a report which says Nene has been seen by Nuggets trainer Jim Gillen and there is no set date for his return to the hardwood. Dempsey also tallies the number of games Nene has not been available for in the last two years and the sum is quite alarming. So alarming in fact that I’m afraid they made me start conjuring up thoughts of Calvin Natt and LaPhonso Ellis… And such a future for Nene and the Nuggets would be terrible, so let’s hope that Nene is not on that same career course!

Quarterback Camby Huddles Up

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

(Boulder-CO) No, Marcus Camby has not tried his hand at playing in the NFL, but he did participate in a charity event in Thornton, CO last Thursday for T-Mobile's "Huddle Up" efforts in which he assisted 150 T-Mobile employees with the revitalization of a community center. Everybody knows Marcus loves the kids!

‘Melo Still USA’s Top Dog

(Boulder-CO) First, I must congratulate the United States for finishing the FIBA Americas Games by routing Argentina for the gold medal in an effort reminiscent of the 1992 Dream Team. But secondly, I must point out that Carmelo Anthony has once again been the USA’s leading scorer despite missing a game with a heel bruise. ‘Melo finished the international competition with an average scoring clip of 21.2 points per game on an astonishing 63.2% from the field and it should be also be noted that Anthony connected on 57.8% of his three-point attempts too.

Still not sold that Carmelo Anthony is one of the best overall players in the world today? What about if I told you that ‘Melo was also second place behind only Dwight Howard in rebounding for Team USA! That’s right, Anthony averaged 5.2 boards a game in comparison to Howard’s 5.3 rebounds for the second best glass cleaning clip.

Once again, congratulations to Team USA for re-establishing themselves as the dominant force in this year’s FIBA Americas Games and to Carmelo Anthony for stepping up to the call of duty and leading the US of A.

Go ‘Melo!

Goodbye and Hello to Anthony Carter

(Boulder-CO) In an interesting couple of moves the Denver Nuggets waived guard Anthony Carter on August 29. Only to resign the veteran again two days later.

Salary information is vague right now, but I would have to speculate that the dump and jump on Carter was a financial move most likely agreed upon by both parties prior to the waiving and resigning. That or the Nuggets realized they are so light on guards right now that if they were crazy enough to waive Carter before anyone else was in line to replace him. They might have had waiver’s remorse and decided keep him around until another replacement was found.

But in any case, I like the move to keep Carter on the roster, (especially if the most likely financial scenario was actually the reason for the flip-flop), because he is a very cheap and efficient player the Nuggets can turn to on the rare occasions when Chucky Atkins is on the bench and Denver decides to keep AI at the two guard. However, these particular times are going to be few and far between because the most likely rotation that I can assume is AI moving over to point guard when Chucky Atkins needs a breather, and J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza, or Von Wafer sliding in to play shooting guard.

Weighing in on Nene (No Pun Intended)

(Boulder-CO) The title of this post may be humorous, but the fact that Nene is hurt, again, and that it is more so than not a result of him coming into the FIBA competition overweight, again, and not ready to perform like the high salary player that he is must be pretty embarrassing. Even the AOL Fanhouse could tell that Nene was shamefully fat.

But what is really pertinent to the Nuggets fan in all of us is how these reoccurring injury/weight issues with Nene change the outlook of our season (at least initially). First off, the diagnosis of the calf injury is a 4-6 week recovery period. With that being known, Nene is not going to be ready for training camp, which at its bare minimum leaves the Nuggets with a chemistry issue to deal with within the first twenty games of the regular season as Nene has to be slowly brought back into the rotation. And it is from this starting point that the hypothetical situations can range from very advantageous for the Nuggets to down right agonizing.

So, with Nene slowly being worked into the Nuggets fold there is suddenly an opening for Kenyon Martin to seize. Optimistically speaking, this could be a good thing for Denver as they will be able to immediately see what Kenyon Martin’s return and overall impact is going to be. But from here it gets tricky because if Kenyon returns to anywhere near his former capabilities. Then all of a sudden the Nuggets not only have a power forward log jam (Eduardo, Evans, Nene, and Martin), but they also have a decision to make as to who is going to be the starter. This competitive scenario could inspire both men to raise their games to new levels; ultimately making the Nuggets a better team. Or the large egos in play could be too much to overcome; leaving the Nuggets with major personnel problems.

Like I said, this is a very tricky situation.

Furthermore and regardless of how all this plays out, Nene has displayed poor athletic professionalism not once, but now twice concerning his off-season work ethic and commitment to training. I may have been likely to grant him a free-pass for coming off such a serious knee injury and not being able to shed the extra girth before the start of last season, but after showing up to the FIBA games in “vacation” shape after having such a strong final two months of 2007. It is starting to become very clear that Nene doesn’t look at the off-season as a chance to raise his game. Which is too bad because all the great ones that have played this game, (Magic, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson etc), have always taken the off-season as a chance to improve their games and their conditioning. Maybe that’s why all of the aforementioned have rings?

Feelings?

Carmelo Facializing Poor Argentinean

(Boulder-CO) Even though I haven't been able to publish my thoughts about the FIBA games. I have been watching them, and felt obligated to bring you quite arguably the top highlight from Carmelo Anthony's many masterful performances. If you know who the poor Argentinean is leave it in the comments section and add him to the hit list!



Oh, but how the redhead is wrong! Who could forget the demoralizing face-job 'Melo gave Theo Ratliff?

Potentially the Worst Nene News

(Boulder-CO) In what probably could be a nightmare come to fruition, Nene (otherwise known as “Big Brazil”, “Baby Boy”, and the “Basketball Player Formerly Known as Hilario”) has injured his right calf muscle during the FIBA games while in competition for Brazil.

Chris Dempsey reports in the above linked article published in The Denver Post, “Nene suffered a right calf strain in Brazil's semifinal loss to Argentina. While the extent of the damage isn't known, a Brazilian team doctor said through a spokesman that the injury was 'bad' and estimated he could be out four to six weeks.”

Here’s to hoping that the injury is something that Nene can fully recover from without any lingering or permanent effects. The Nuggets are very dependant on having Nene being able to produce solid numbers for them in this upcoming season, and with Kenyon Martin’s status/attitude/athleticism still in question, anything but a full recovery will be a serious blow to Denver’s chances of becoming an elite team in the stacked Western Conference.

I'm Baaaaaack!!!

(Boulder-CO) That's right, Nuggets Nation! I finally have the Internet out here in the boonies and am currently trying to get myself caught up with everything that is going on right now relevant to the Nuggets. It feels like I have been gone for an eternity, so be patient as the updates, insights, and analysis of everything Nuggs comes hurling off my mind.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

(Boulder-CO) Unfortunately, I will still not be connected to the Internet until tomorrow night, but rest assured when the technician comes out to my new residence he/she will not be allowed to leave until I am able to access The Nugg Doctor and get back in the saddle again. This extended down-time that I have had to endure has been a real pain in the you know where and I can't wait to get back on the beat.

Now, I know I promised to continue to cover the FIBA games, but I was a little bit overzealous in doing so seeing how I now live twenty minutes from civilization and the games typically do not get over until about 11 0'clock my time. Excuses, excuses, excuses - I know- but by judging how the site traffic numbers look there are still plenty of you who love the Nuggets and The Nugg Doctor.

So, with all of that being said... If you haven't been able to follow the FIBA games this is all you need to know:

1. The USA is STILL being led by Carmelo Anthony in scoring, despite 'Melo having some trouble sticking the landing after a monster throw-down which resulted in him down on his backside after coming down awkwardly and bruising his heel. The minor injury kept him from playing against Uruguay last night, but the heel will not keep him out of the final rounds of the competition.

2. Unfortunately, I have to report that Nene looks out of shape again and his performances for Brazil have been less than expected in hindsight of how he finished last year. Somewhere Steve Hess is getting that chicken and fish diet ready for Big Brazil.

3. The USA will face undefeated Argentina tonight at 10pm MST in what will easily be the toughest match-up of the games. Argentina has extraordinary team play and is also an outstanding outside shooting team. Don't be surprised if the USA is in a dog fight during the first half before the physical play of the Americans wears them down.

Other than that I will be back with a vengeance Friday night when my life resumes some normalcy. I have so much on my mind in anticipation of the 2007-08 Denver Nuggets campaign and can't wait to get some of it off my chest.

Go Nuggets!

DerMarr Signs Overseas

(Boulder-CO) It was brought to my attention via this article about a week ago by my main man, Ryan, at www.hoopsaddict.com that DerMarr Johnson will, and has, signed to play basketball overseas next season. Ryan, a huge D.J. fan, was distressed to hear the news, but we as Nuggets fans knew that this was inevitable.

DerMarr Johnson had not proven to be a consistent valuable player to the Nuggets in the last two years and it was time for both parties to go their separate ways. In addition to his lack of consistent play, the Nuggets may already have upgraded the reserve guard position with the acquisition of NBDL star Von Wafer.

Best of luck to DerMarr wherever the basketball dollar takes him!

Nene Not a Factor in Game One for Brazil

(Boulder-CO) Team Brazil earned their first victory of the 2007 FIBA games yesterday by defeating Team Canada, 75-67. Brazil was offensively paced by Leandro Barbosa’s game-high 30 points, while Nene only chipped in seven points and three rebounds.

My take is this: While I would like to see Nene be the leader of Team Brazil in both scoring and rebounding the quick run-and-gun FIBA style of play is not suited for Big Brazil’s personal style of play. And to compound things, having a guy as fast as Leandro leading the way makes the situations that much more difficult for Nene. In addition to theses factors, all I really care about in regards to Team Brazil is that they return Nene to the Nuggets injury free and in great physical condition for the 2007 Nuggets campaign. We all witnessed what kind of player Nene can be when he is in shape, and to have that kind of weapon next year on the Nuggets from the word go is going to be invaluable to the franchise.

Statement Game: USA vs. Venezuela

(Boulder-CO) My analysis of the Team USA vs. Venezuela game is quite simple indeed, and to not much surprise to me or any other Nuggets fan, Carmelo played an intricate part in the dominating victory the boys from the states put on the boys from South America. So, to be concise, the USA ripped Venezuela from opening tap to final buzzer in a contest reminiscent of the 1992 Dream Team.

Carmelo Anthony led all Team USA scorers with 17 points to fit nicely with his four boards in just a quick 16 minutes of play. I would also like to point out that Bill Walton called Carmelo, " A natural player", in regards to how easy the game comes to him within the context of competition. And last night's game against Venezuela was a perfect illustration of Walton's point. Carmelo didn't force the issue offensively and still finished with an impressive box score in a meager amount of floor time. Quite simply stated: 'Melo just gets it done! And with Team USA's tremendous upgrade at the point guard position with Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups... Anthony's flow seems that much more effortless.

Furthermore, the leadership roles of Team USA seems to be much more focused so far in these FIBA games compared to last year's with the aforementioned additions at point guard and with the addition of one Kobe Bryant. Guys seem to know their roles much better this time around as was evident in last night's, 112-69, blowout.

And for those keeping track... Carmelo remains Team USA's leading scorer if you factor in the Blue vs. White scrimmage.

Why Have I Been Gone?

(Boulder-CO) Ok ok, so I know that the faithful readers of this blog have probably been wondering where in the hell I have been for the last ten days and there is an answer to that question. I have been in the process of a major residence relocation and it just happens to be that where my domicile is located is way out in the sticks without any readily available Internet access. I am working on the problem right now, but until the quagmire is fixed I will be posting FIBA recaps for Team USA (mainly due to Carmelo's continued leadership role) and Team Brazil (mainly because Nene is a beast) the morning after both teams play. Sit tight for the next 90 minutes and the goods will be delivered.

I appreciate your continued patience. Not having the Internet right now is harder on me than it is you, trust me.

SCI Shows (Just for Haig)

(Boulder-CO) It was cheesy. It was very cheesy. As many of you probably have read, seeing how it is posted below, I attended two of the final four shows the String Cheese Incident will ever play again at Red Rocks over the weekend. Some old friends reunited, and some new friendships were forged as I camped out at Bear Creek campgrounds just minutes from the show where I had a great time both at the venue and around the camp fire.

Friday’s show was spectacular. Cheese played my favorite song, “Roll Over”, in a rendition that lasted nearly twenty minutes along with other favorites (including a Talking Heads cover), but we all knew that something even bigger was going to happen when at set break Michael Kang ,(the mandolin, violin, and guitar player), announced there was a big surprise in store for us. And that surprise, my friends, was probably the most entertaining version of Michael Jackson’s, “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough”, in an encore that was simply out of this world. There was even a Jacko impersonator belting out the lyrics as he moon-walked and crotch-grabbed all over the stage! Needless to say, I was dancing like nobody was watching and when the house lights went on I was thoroughly satisfied with the first night of entertainment.

Fast forward through a scorching hot day filled with fishing, swimming, speculating as to what String Cheese would follow Friday’s show with, a little bbq, and before we all knew it we were saddled up and back at the show. Only this time there was a huge lightning storm off in the distance south of Red Rocks and even more surprises from the band…

For starters, the shows up to this point had been all about the music with little-to-no entertainment other than the light show being projected on the rocks and three large projection screens behind the band. I hadn’t really noticed this facet of the concert was lacking in the choreography department until scantily clad fan dancers suddenly appeared on either side of the venue as bubbles were pumped from the center of the taping section; thus adding a whole new dimension to the entertainment. Furthermore, as if the surprise dancers and bubbles were not enough, a laser show erupted out of nowhere and hyped the crowd into a frenzy of excitement!!! So, to paint the most accurate picture of the scene: there was an absolutely awe-inspiring display by Mother Nature in the form of lightning that seemed to illuminate the southern horizon like a distant strobe light flashing on the night's jet-black sky, simply mesmerizing incandescent fan dancers that were in perfect synchronization, and an impromptu laser show to compliment the already extremely impressive set list that started with another favorite of mine, “Little Hands” and was followed by auditory masterpieces like “I Know You, Rider”, “Rivertrance”, “It Is What It Is”, “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)”, and “Hotel Window”.

But, the Cheese wasn’t done with just the first set of surprises!

The jams would crescendo and rebuild and as this would occur the incandescent fan dancers disappeared only to be replaced by rope-light jellyfish, fire hula-hoopers, trapeze performers, and the laser show consisting of a fluorescent green dancer blasted on the rock walls of Red Rocks all at different times throughout the remainder of the show! And as my friends and I left the venue we were all stunned due to what we had just been a part of. The show was so good. Not just the music, but rather the whole experience. The lightning, the dancers, the lasers, the covers, the old favorites. Saturday night had it all.

But, for one reason or another not a single one of us were able to attend the final show on Sunday night, (except for my new friends A.J., Martin, Max, and the Tim "Show" from Texas who I haven’t yet had a chance to talk to), and the weekend was over. Old friends, new memories. New friends, same old String Cheese Incident.

Too bad it’s all over now maybe to never happen ever again! Thank God I was able to see the String Cheese Incident twice more. It was an experience that I will surely never forget and a set of concerts that rank in the highest tier of entertainment memories I have so far in my life.

I'm Out Until Sunday!

(Boulder-CO) I will be away from the blog for the next couple of days because The String Cheese Incident's last set of concerts EVER will be going on at Red Rocks over the weekend. Gotta get my summer festival on. So, if there is any Nuggets news over the weekend I'll break it down on Sunday upon my return.

Hopefully, I will not be kidnapped by super-hippies and the town of Morrison, CO will not have to ban the Cheese from ever returning, if they do ever decide to reunite after this set of shows, much like the lifetime ban Morrison imposed on Phish. I'll be sure to take some pictures and if you're wondering... I'll be the one with the yellow Nuggets headband on!

Two Minutes or Ten; Martin to Play in Opener

(Boulder-CO) Marc J. Spears of the Denver Post is reporting that Kenyon Martin will be ready for contribution, in whatever capacity that may be, in the Nuggets season home opener on Halloween, 2007. The article is very well written and I encourage all Nuggets fans to go read it simply due to the fact of how optimistically it presents Kenyon’s pending return.

I’m not going to steal Marc’s thunder and give you any quotes or summarization of the article, but I will say that I like the idea of Kenyon Martin donning his old number “4” from his days as the most dominant, athletic, and intimidating player the University of Cincinnati has produced since the turn of the millennium. I’ll admit that I was a huge Kenyon Martin fan back in the day and still stand firm that if he had not broken his leg that March the Bearcats would have won the national championship.

Kenyon needs to look at this upcoming season as a chance to transform from the clear-cut starter into the go-to guy off the bench in the Nuggets front court rotation. If he can do that, he gives the Nugget big men the reassurance they need so they can play extremely aggressive on defense, challenge every shot, not give up soft lay-ups, and most importantly make poor free-throw shooters earn their worth at the charity stripe while knowing they can rely on Kenyon to come off the bench and hold things down.

Just think about the possible combinations the Nuggets have in their rotation with Marcus Camby, Nene, and Kenyon Martin all on the roster: First off, you know that Nene can play either the four or the five with equal effectiveness on offense or defense and having that kind of flexibility is crucial when a team is in this kind of three-way split for minutes. Secondly, Marcus is sensational when playing help-side defense and probably makes 70% of his blocked shots in this fashion anyways making him a dual threat too. Then you have Kenyon, who is most adept to playing the four spot, so that means that there is no two-man combination that puts the Nuggets at a disadvantage. Marcus, Nene, and Kenyon can all do different things offensively and defensively; leaving George Karl in a game-by-game, situation-by-situation scenario that he is going to have to evaluate in the heat of battle. But anyway you look at it the Nuggets have the personnel to adapt to the opposition or whatever is working for them at any given time.

And if any of my foresight, or Kenyon’s alleged rehabilitation progress, is accurate that may put Eduardo Najera or Reggie Evans on the trading block by about the 20-game point in the season in an attempt to bolster the point guard situation that still seems a little bit unstable in my opinion. So, starter or not, Kenyon Martin’s impact to this team is still one to watch because if he can transform into the role that I just described he could be the missing piece of the puzzle in the Nuggets attempt to put a championship caliber product on the table. But, if he resists this metamorphosis he will continue to leave the Nuggets financially tied to the gigantic anchor that is his unmovable contract.

J.R. Smith High School Throwback

(Boulder-CO) Here is another great www.youtube.com clip of J.R. Smith back in his high school days. He and Dwight Howard are shown at the end of the clip post McDonald's High School All-American game. The game footage is of J.R. playing at the Dean Dome at the University of North Carolina, where J.R. would have attended college ball if he didn't jump right to the NBA, with the first set of bleachers pulled back.

Can Danny? Thinks the Nuggets CAN!

(Boulder-CO) Make it out of the first round of next year’s playoffs that is. The good folks over at Can Danny? have the Nuggets currently ranked in the four spot behind the Spurs, Suns, and Mavericks for Western Conference supremacy. My favorite quote from their analysis is, “Nuggets fans have to be happy that the team hasn't made a financially motivated deal and dumped one of their key players to save money. The flip side to that, of course, is that while the team made no deals to cut salary, they also aren't looking to add salary either.” Bang it right here to check the entire post.

Historical Glimpses on Hoops Addict

(Boulder-CO) One of the best hoops sites on the Internets, www.hoopsaddict.com, is running some of my most recent Historical Glimpses during the entire month of August. So, if you haven't checked out Ryan McNeill's amazing site this is the perfect opportunity for you do so and also to learn more about the legends of the NBA!

The Nuggets Nation Thanks Danny Ainge

(Boulder-CO) With still nearly 90 days until the start of the regular season I thought it was about time to give Danny Ainge a big “Thanks” for all that he has done for the Denver Nuggets so far this off-season. Not following my train of thought? Let me break it down for you: Danny Ainge and the rest of Celtics management finagled, maneuvered, begged, borrowed, and some might even say stole Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett from the Sonics and Timberwolves. Both of which are conference rivals of the Nuggets and both teams now have no proven leader for their respective squads!

This means in the upcoming eight games the Nuggets will have to play against said opponents there will be two fewer NBA All-Stars to contend with as both teams try rebuild (and recover) from the Celtics nabbing their superstars.

Last season, the Nuggets played the Timberwolves even and split their four games with Minnesota two apiece. It could be argued that both Nuggets losses to Minny were in fact due to Kevin Garnett being the deciding factor in the game(s). In the November 3rd match-up with KG, the Big Ticket smothered the Nuggets with 27 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and a steal. It was easily the biggest performance by any player of the game and, in my humble opinion, made all the difference. Furthermore, on February 14th the Nuggets suffered another loss to the T-Wolves in a game where KG ripped Denver for 17 rebounds (seven on the offensive glass), 19 points, three assists, two steals, and a block in another apex performance leading to a 99-94 loss for the Nuggets. So, as you can see, the Nuggets should be very excited about playing the Timberwolves four times next season without the services of Kevin Garnett to contend with. Good ol’ Danny Ainge, he’s always got our back!

Now onto the Seattle Supersonics and how the Nuggets will probably win at least three out of four pending match-ups in the 2007-08 season. First of all let me say that I truly do feel that Kevin Durant will EVENTUALLY become an amazing talent in the NBA, but the Sonics will have some growing pains to endure in the next two years, at least, before they recover, rebuild, and restructure their franchise to the evolving Durant’s style of play.

The way I see it is the Sonics lost Rashard Lewis to the Orlando Magic and Ray Allen to the Celtics in a draft day trade that ultimately makes them a whole lot weaker of a team overall than last season. Lewis left the Sonics after nine seasons when the two teams completed a sign-and-trade deal. The Magic sent Seattle a conditional second-round pick, while the Supersonics earned a trade exception believed to be in the $9 million range. Jesus Shuttlesworth AKA Ray Allen was acquired by the Celtics on draft night for the fifth overall pick, which turned out to be Georgetown forward Jeff Green, along with Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak.

Durant plays the same kind of game that Rashard Lewis does, but is about three years behind Lewis in maturation. They are both perimeter players who lack the strength and durability to last very long down in the trenches of the paint. But at 6’10”, both men can shoot from the outside, but just like Lewis did, Durant is going to have to adjust to the physically, speed, and defensive schemes of the NBA game and I would be very surprised if KD will be able to put out numbers even close to Rashard’s third year clips of 14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in either of his first two seasons in the NBA. Plus, Seattle fans may hate me for this, but there is no way that Jeff Green, Wally, and Delonte West are going to compensate for the All-Star services of Ray Allen. Don’t even hold your breath up there in the great northwest because it just isn’t going to happen. Thanks a million, Danny!

So all of this should mean that the Nuggets will most likely have their way with both the Timberwolves and Sonics this year in the combined eight (four per team) divisional match-ups they have on their new schedule. And barring how the Portland Trailblazers look with their new point guard, ehh mmm, Steve Blake and rookie center Greg Oden, I would say that the Northwest Division is basically a two team race between Jerry Sloan’s Utah Jazz and the Karl led Nuggets. That is… until things start to really unfold. But until then everyone who roots for the Denver Nuggets should send Danny Ainge and the rest of Boston’s management a thank you note and a fruit basket for our gratitude in making the Northwest Division a whole helluva lot easier.

Nuggs Announce 2007-08 Schedule

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets will kick-off the 2007-08 campaign against the Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis-less Seattle Supersonics at the Pepsi Center on Halloween. You can learn more by clicking this link.

Call me cocky, call me crazy, but I am already going to predict a win on opening night against Kevin Durant and the Sonics. After what I saw Durant do in summer league play, and with the losses the Seattle Supersonics have endured, I just do not see the Seattle boys planting the L on AI, ‘Melo, Nene, and the rest of the Mile High crew.

Go Nuggets!

UPDATE: Click this link to view the complete schedule for the 2007-08 campaign and note all the nationally televised games the Nuggets are going to play! The Nuggets will be featured on national television 26 times (once on ABC, 10 times on ESPN, 9 times on NBATV and 6 times on TNT). All non-exclusive games will be aired on Altitude or Altitude2. I'm trying not to get too excited seeing how there is still nearly 90 days to wait before things around here get back into full swing.

Go Nuggets!

Is Nene the Best Defender on this Team?

(Boulder-CO) Well, according to www.82games.com 's new defensive composite scoring system he is! I strongly urge you to check it out and to be sure to pay special attention to the formula that creates the rankings. The Nuggets have three players, (Nene, Reggie Evans, and Eduardo Najera); with an overall rating of "90" or better, but surprisingly to me is how Marcus only scores an 86.

On a low note, J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony do not break the “20” mark, meaning in everyday English that they play shoddy D!

The defensive composite scoring is a pretty cool way to measure how solid a defender a player is, but it is by no means, obviously, a perfect system. By the way, the best defender in the league by the DCS is Tim Duncan with a score of “100” on the dot. Others with a “99” are Tyrus Thomas and Renaldo Balkman. Somewhere Marcel Mutoni of Bench Renaldo is flabbergasted!

Happy Simpsons Movie Day!

(Boulder-CO) Today is the day. Not a day that will measure with Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's long-ball record or either one of Michael Jordan's retirements, but rather a day that all Simpsons fans have been waiting for for the better part of a decade. Today is the day that the Simpsons Movie will be released! Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa, and the rest of the gang will be on the big screen, finally, and I for one am pretty excited about it.

And on a blog related note...

Nuggets assistant Tim Grgurich will hold his annual player development basketball camp in Las Vegas next week. J.R. Smith, teammate Von Wafer and NBA free agent guard Coby Karl, son of Nuggets coach George Karl, are expected to be among the attendees, reports Marc Spears of the Denver Post.

Super!

It only has to be assumed that at this point, J.R.'s toxicology report came back clean and he will not have to face any charges involving drugs or alcohol related to the automobile accident that resulted in his friend, Andre Bell's, unfortunate passing. As for Von Wafer, I can't wait to see what this guy can do! As I see it, he is a lock to replace either DerMarr Johnson or Jamal Sampson seeing as neither player could find a way to contribute last season. Wafer addresses the Nuggets need for an efficient perimeter shooter at a reasonable price and word on the street is Denver's management loves him.

The Nuggets Should Have Won 50 Games!

(Boulder-CO) Many of you may remember that I predicted the Nuggets to win 50 games in last year’s season. And I do have to admit that my prediction was a touch optimistic as the Nuggets finished 45-37, one win better than in ‘05-’06, but not so bad, if I do say so myself, with all things (trades, suspensions, injuries) considered. But today when I was thinking about the team’s overall outlook it dawned on me that I may have been more accurate in last year’s prediction than my five-game over-estimation first seems.

For starters, allow me to preface that regardless of how persuasive my position may or may not be the fact remains that the Nuggets still only won 45 contests last year. However, it is my contention that the Nuggets really were a 50-win team, just like I predicted, despite five completely fluke losses.

Right off the bat we all have to remember the state of the NBA at the beginning of last year’s season. Commissioner David Stern was cracking down on whining, face-making, and politically correct discussion with the officials which led to what I believe was critical in the Nuggets losing the first of the five games that kept them from hitting the 50-win mark.

The first game of the season was mired in controversy as Sam Cassell was permitted to jaw with the officiating crew all night long, especially at a critical time in the game where he was whining at nausea, whereas Carmelo was hit with two quick technical fouls and the early shower. Cassell was never called for a technical which would have surely sealed the game for the Nuggets and they ended up losing that game by one point, 96-95. The record will always show the Nuggets losing this game, but for my purposes, let’s mark this one down as a win that slipped away.

The second game that the Nuggets let slide was their first match-up with the New York Knicks in the third game of the season. Denver had a five point lead with just over a minute to go, but after Stephon Marbury hit a desperation three and Eduardo Najera threw a soft outlet pass to J.R. Smith, one that would have led to the game winning dunk, Jamal Crawford nabbed the Najera pass and cashed it in for another three-pointer with only three seconds left and the Nuggets were left scratching their heads. It was a stunning way to lose the game and an even worse way to start the season 0-3.

The third case standing in the way of what could have been a 50-win season is the overtime collapse against the former New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on February 7th. The Nuggets displayed no understanding of the game’s situations and lacked the killer instinct to dispose of the Hornets on their way to blowing a ten-point lead with less than three minutes remaining. The Nuggets proceeded to lose in overtime, 114-112, after their spirit was broken. The only reason why I’m including this in my little rant is because this game SHOULD have been won quite easily, but rather will go down as a sloppy loss.

The fourth and fifth losses that were just plain heart breakers came in March and should still be fresh in Nuggets fans’ minds. The fourth disappointment came when a board crashing Tyrus Thomas tipped in the game winner at the buzzer in Chicago. It should be noted that Marcus Camby left in the third quarter with back spasms and did not return; thus leaving the Nuggets vulnerable on the offensive glass. Ouch! Needless to say, Nuggets fans could do nothing as an exuberated Thomas jumped up and down at half court after he had realized what he had done.

And not to be forgotten is the, “Prayer at the Palace”, when Rasheed Wallace went glass from 65’ to force overtime and the Nuggets lost in yet another heart breaker. When Marcus Camby threw that errant pass and the ball landed right in Rasheed’s hands I just knew that he was going to connect on the heave and just recalling that game puts an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

Count ‘em up and discredit them if you wish, but you have to at least admit that the Nuggets were standing by the window sill smelling the fresh pie of what could have been a 50-win season! My premonition was actually more accurate than it first seemed and if it wasn’t for the aforementioned misfortunes I might have been dead-on-balls correct.

So, with the NBA dog days of summer officially upon us and FIBA competition still a few weeks away, the Nuggets Nation is forced to sit, wait, ponder, debate, and predict how this year’s improved roster will fare. I for one will take these five games into account when predicting how the upcoming season will unfold and let’s just say that 50 W’s is just the beginning of where I think this team is headed.

This post serves as an open thread for everyone's feelings about next year, so let’s hear some of your thoughts on last season and this year’s upcoming campaign in the comment section.

Go Nuggets!

Out with the Old Melo; In with the New

(Boulder-CO) Marc J. Spears has conducted a great interview with Carmelo Anthony that I urge any Nuggets, or ‘Melo, fan to read. Save the drama for your Mama because ‘Melo is ready to prove to everybody that the Nuggets are for real! And with a full cast of characters returning, (at this point), I would have to agree with Anthony when he says the NBA might be sleeping on the Nuggets.

Denver is basically the same team as last year and the upgrade from Steve Blake to Chucky Atkins, the return of Kenyon Martin from injury, and the pending development of both J.R. Smith and Von “‘Nilla” Wafer at the reserve shooting guard position has me counting down the days until opening night.

Go Nuggets!

Shame: Donaghy to Plead Guilty

(Boulder-CO) It is being reported by the New York Daily News that disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy is expected to surrender as early as Thursday and plead guilty to federal gambling charges, sources said yesterday.

Donaghy, who has had nearly everybody who has ever known him come forward and make comments on what kind of man he was, has also been reportedly receiving threatening phone calls at his residence. According to the report, one of the calls made by a male caller told the person on the phone, "You're fired and a dead man," and "You're done, you're dead." And the reasons for the threatening calls are obvious because Thomas Seigel, chief of the Brooklyn U.S. attorney's office organized crime division, would prosecute the case and that a grand jury was expected to indict at least two mobbed-up gamblers in the scheme.

Note to Tim Donaghy: The Mob doesn’t like squealers.

The same story that quotes the threatening calls also goes on to say, “They think he'll be killed if he goes to prison, or even if he doesn't, just because he's probably talking, cooperating, and that's ratting on the mob," the source said. "I don't think (the Mafia) would take that very well."

My take is the MLB may have its own black eye of a scandal with steroids and the NFL may have its own collection of morons, i.e. Michael Vick, Tank Johnson, and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, but to have the sacred and most integrity-based position of the game be compromised in the way that Donaghy is suspected of is an absolute shame of which there is no parallel. We have all wondered if Steve Javie really does have a personal issue with Allen Iverson or if Joey Crawford really does dislike the Spurs, but to have this kind of scandal arise is an absolutely flagrant foul; on the league, on the game, and on the sacred craft of officiating.

Carmelo Once Again Leading Team USA

(Boulder-CO) In scoring that is! Carmelo Anthony finished Team USA Basketball’s Blue and White game as the game’s high-scorer with 28 points to fit in nicely with his six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. For now he is the USA’s leading scorer, again, as the team gears up for FIBA competition.

The official box score can be viewed right here.

The blue team, led by Carmelo and Kobe, came back from a six point deficit to start the fourth quarter to win off Kobe Bryant’s jump shot from the free-throw line with just six seconds remaining. When asked about the key to the comeback, Carmelo Anthony said, “Just will. We knew we were going to be tired, we knew they were going to be tired, but we had the will to win. We came into the last huddle and said we wanted to win the game and that’s what we did.” And when asked about Kobe Bryant’s final minutes of the game, Carmelo remarked, “I knew he was going to do something crazy. I knew he had a trick up his sleeve. I just knew it.”

The only commentary I’ll add is when I saw that Kobe and Carmelo were on the same team I knew they were going to emerge victorious. I mean, C’mon, the two most prolific scorers in the game today on the same team? Who would bet against that? Both men are the closest thing to, “uncheckable”, since MJ himself left Byron Russell stumbling off the top of the key. Just knowing that both of them will be representing our country makes me a lot more confident that he USA will regain international basketball dominance.

Holy Cow!!! Now This is a Scandal!!!

(Boulder-CO) It is being reported by ESPN that referee Tim Donaghy is under investigation by the FBI for allegations that he bet on games that he officiated over the past two seasons and that he may have made calls affecting the point spread in said games.

Holy cow!!! Now this is a scandal!!!

I can’t imagine that “Uncle” David Stern is all that happy right now. Stern has got to be wondering if Tim, who is innocent until proven guilty might I remind you, is the only referee in the league who needs to be investigated. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if more dirt, grime, and names are given up as a seriously deep investigation gets underway. It just always seems to be the way things go down once the pinch is applied.

More to come as this story unfolds.

Getting to Know Von Wafer

(Boulder-CO) I have been doing some homework on who exactly Vakeaton Quamar Wafer is and have learned quite a few things. Von is 6’5” and 195 pounds of sharp-shooting guard and Von, as he liked to be called, actually has another nickname. Wafer’s Wikipedia page lists, “Nilla”, as an alternate moniker. Mmmm, good stuff.

I also dug up some pretty impressive statistics from Von’s high school days. “Nilla” averaged 32 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists his junior season while in Lisbon, La playing for Pineview High School. His senior year, he transferred to Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas where he averaged 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks per game. And for his achievements on the basketball court, Wafer earned All-America third-team honors from USA Today Newspaper following his senior season. Von also was named a McDonalds All-American and scored 29 points on 13 of 20 shooting from the field and had 8 rebounds. He matched up well with King James for much of the contest and finished second to James in the slam dunk contest.

He then played two years of college hoop at Florida State University before becoming an early entry in the 2005 NBA Draft. His freshman year at FSU Wafer averaged 7.9 points in 17.5 minutes a game. He ranked third among all ACC freshmen with 43 three-point field goals made and scored in double figures 12 times. As a sophomore, he led the team in scoring with an average of 12.5 points per game and three-point field goals made (65). He made more than one three-point field goal in 14 games and surpassed the 20-point mark on six occasions. When taking all these things into consideration the thing that you have to keep in mind is that Wafer played on a Seminole team that was one of the weaker programs in the always dominant Atlantic Coast Conference.

Many people at this point in Wafer’s career thought it was a mistake to enter the draft early and some experts didn’t expect him to be drafted at all. In fact, during one of the only pre-draft workouts he could arrange with the Phoenix Suns, Wafer reportedly was frustrated by the physical play from Jan Jagla and responded by swinging an intentional elbow to Jagla’s nose, walked off the court, and ended the workout at that point. Things at this point were not looking good for Wafer’s NBA chances.

However, Von proved all the pessimists wrong by becoming the 39th overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2005 NBA Draft. He was later waived, but then did some serious work in the NBDL while playing for the Colorado 14ers. Wafer finished last season as the D-League’s second overall highest scorer at a pitch of 21 points a night while grabbing 2.9 rebounds and dishing 3.3 assists.

Fast forward to this summer’s Las Vegas NBA Summer League.

Von “Nilla” Wafer led the Nuggets in scoring with averages of 24.2 points, three assists, and 1.9 rebounds while coming in third overall in the mid-summer classic's scoring race. Not to mention he capped off his summer showcase with a record-tying 42 points against the New York Knicks in only a mere 26 minutes of playing time.

I really like the potential future this young baller has with the Denver Nuggets. He is exactly what the Nuggets are looking for and would surely be a steal financially. He has proven at nearly every level of basketball that he can flat-out shoot the rock and you have to respect a man who continues to put in the hard work to make his NBA dreams a reality.

So start the campaign.

Von “Nilla” Wafer for a roster spot in 2007!

Iverson Late for a Good Cause

(Boulder-CO) Despite being reportedly over an hour late to his own charity softball event, Allen Iverson did appear at an ESPN Zone in Washington DC. He arrived in a polished black Bentley Azure and was dressed casually. The rest of the story can be found right here and it has a positive spin for Iverson, who has had enough negativity surrounding him this off-season already. Check out the article for all the details.

Von Wafer Approves this Message

(Boulder-CO) If there was any question whether or not Von Wafer is serious about making a NBA franchise, and more importantly the Denver Nuggets, all said inquiries were met with an emphatic answer in tonight’s final Sin City summer league meeting with the Knicks. Despite losing the game, 116-108, Wafer concluded this summer league quintet of games with a 42 point performance, in a mere 26 minutes of playing time, on 16-26 from the field, including 5-9 from downtown!

It was an offensive showing of professional caliber regardless of continent, league, or time of year and I think any basketball beat writer, player, or fan could appreciate the showing Wafer put on. And who knows? If he would have played more minutes he probably could have hit fifty easily!

The Nuggets now finish the 2007 NBA summer league 3-2 overall with tonight’s loss and the game two loss to the Mavericks.

Individually speaking, with his 42-point outburst Von Wafer moved himself into third place overall in summer league scoring average at a pace of 24.2 points per contest which trails only Marcus Banks of the Phoenix Suns, (who, by the way, only played one game and exploded for 42 points, respectively), and Louis Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers who posted an average of 34.2 points in a total of five games of action.

I personally think that a pending cross-over from the NBDL to the NBA by Wafer would be a fairly seamless one that the Nuggets could easily, and financially, afford to take the risk on. He addresses the Nuggets dire need for a three-point specialist and at 6’5” he is a big guard that the Nuggets could pull of the bench when the undersized duo of Chucky Atkins and Allen Iverson need relief on either offense, or more realistically, defense.

He’s at least got to be as good as DerMarr Johnson, right? So, why not move in another direction and give Wafer the nod?

I, for one, will be campaigning for Wafer to make next year’s roster. It seemed like the Nuggets had too many guys at the end of their bench that were not able to contribute down the stretch run , for one reason or another, and I think that Wafer is a guy that could really help this team. He has continued to shoot the lights out of the gym whether he is in the D-League or up against guys who are already playing role positions for other NBA teams and, as we all know, the Nuggets need help shooting the ball from distance. Last year’s 28th place ranking out of a total of 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage continues to prove that the Nuggets worst deficiency is the long ball and, plainly stated, Von Wafer is a player that could dramatically improve that standing next year!

Sign Von Wafer! He’d be cheap! He’d be fresh! He just might be the next big D-League player to cross-over and take the NBA by storm!

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets Dominate Lakers; Wafer Consistent

(Boulder-CO) All things were competitive until the second quarter started in the Nuggets vs. Lakers match-up yesterday in Sin City. Denver went on a 30-6 scoring run in a twelve minute surge that left the Lakers scratching their heads going into halftime. Von Wafer only needed 19 minutes of playing time to record a game-high 22 points on 8-13 shooting, including 2-4 from long distance. And for those who care, ‘Tskeeter DNP as the Nuggets won easily, 120-88.

The win brings the Nuggets to 3-1 overall in summer league play and they will face the 3-0 Knicks in their final showing on Sunday. The game will be televised and I will be sure to be on the lookout for any riff raff that may be carried over from the last time these two teams collided. Thankfully, J.R. Smith will not be in attendance to body slam Nate Robinson nor will Carmelo be there to showcase his backpedaling skills!

Steve Blake Wants to Play with Greg Oden

(Boulder-CO) Dave over at www.blazersedge.com is reporting that Steve Blake has indeed signed with the Portland Trailblazers. Remember this day, Nuggets Nation, as it will almost certainly mark a pivotal point in next year's campaign barring any other trades that go through before all is said and done.

UPDATE: It's official!!! Best of luck to the Trailblazers and Steve Blake.

Wafer Doesn’t Waver; Nuggets Trump Pistons

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets summer league team is now 2-1 after a 92-84 win against the Pistons yesterday largely in thanks to Von Wafer’s continued offensive brilliance and Jelani McCoy’s efficiency. Wafer, who many believe is the forerunner to make the team if anyone from this roster does, scored a game-high 25 points on 11-19 in 31 minutes of action. McCoy extended his hot shooting by connecting on 5-7 of his field goals which brings his overall summer league efficiency to 92 percent (16-18 FG), with averages of 13.0 points and 13.0 rebounds.

You have to wonder about a guy who can put up offensive numbers consistently they way Wafer has so far this summer and all last season long down in the NBDL. The one thing that doesn’t change as the talent, competition, and skill level increases is the height and size of the goal; making shooters, along with defenders, of Wafer’s caliber the players with the best chance of succeeding in the NBA. And who knows? Maybe the Nuggets will finally climb out of the basement of the three-point shooting barrel next season with the recent addition of Chucky Atkins and perhaps the addition of Wafer later this off-season.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section. Over and out.

Denver to Sign Chucky Atkins

(Boulder-CO) The murky point guard situation in the Mile High City is starting to clear up with the expected arrival of eight year veteran Chucky Atkins. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Atkins will be in Denver sometime today to sign a two-year, three million dollar per year deal with an option for a third. This pending deal also pretty much punches Steve Blake’s ticket for another NBA city.

Atkins is coming off of a season with the Grizzlies where the team struggled every night, but one where he had a solid year. Atkins averaged 13.2 points and a career-high 4.6 assists for Memphis. Chucky also shot a relatively efficient 37% from behind the three-point line, which is probably why he is receiving the nod from Nuggets management over other rumored point guards such as Brevin Knight of the Charlotte Bobcats or Jason Hart of the Clippers.

My feelings on the pending move are mixed for a couple of different reasons. First off, I do believe that Atkins’s veteran leadership is a solid up-grade from Steve Blake’s relatively new found role as a starter. Chucky has played on some very good teams throughout his career and has been a solid contributor despite not always being the starter for his ball club at the time. Another reason to applaud the pending signing is Atkins shooting. It is no secret that the Nuggets need a legitimate three-point threat that doesn’t put them at a disadvantage on the other end and I think that Chucky does that for this team. His career connection rate from beyond the arch is 37% which makes him by far the best threat from downtown that the Nuggets will have next season.

On the other hand…

I’m not so sure that Atkins is the kind of point guard that can really thrive in Denver’s up-tempo kind of pace. If memory serves me correct, Chucky is a guard that is more suited to playing in a slower, half-court, style of play. Not to say that Denver couldn’t use to improve in this facet of the game, but I’m not sure if their game plan in the immediate future is to slow things down too much. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.

But I do know this much…

The signing of Chucky Atkins is going to greatly alleviate some of the luxury tax pain Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke was going to be feeling come next October. Steve Blake is probably going to get his desired $5.5-6 million per year contract and had the Nuggets signed such a deal they would have been getting far worse of a shake than Atkins will give them. So, overall I give this move a thumbs up because the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Summer Loss Number One

(Boulder-CO) So the 87-83 loss to the Mavericks doesn’t amount to more than a pile of beans in all reality, but what was discussed by George Karl and Doug Moe in impromptu interviews may. During a real snoozer of a game riddled with turnovers and poor shooting Coach George Karl and Assistant Coach/longtime figure head of the franchise Doug Moe both discussed the players on this year’s summer league team and the outlook of next season for the Nuggets.

Basically, both Moe and Karl hinted that maybe, and Moe was even more pessimistic than Karl, just maybe one player off of this summer league team might hold down the last seat for the Nuggets in next year’s regular season. So, those sentiments alone make the remaining summer league games basically meaningless. Going into this summer we already knew that Von Wafer was essentially going to substitute as the Nuggets draft pick and I would have to assume that he is probably the player most under the microscope during the team’s stay in Las Vegas.

And tonight he didn’t disappoint.

Von finished the game’s high-scorer with 19 points that fit nicely with three rebounds. He also rebounded after the 0-4 performance from downtown in the Nuggets first outing to finish 3-4 in tonight’s game.

The Nuggets also got a solid performance out of point guard Will Blalock, which brings me to the next item of interest spoken on by Doug Moe and George Karl. Moe didn’t surprise anyone when he cited the Nuggets greatest personnel need is at point guard, but what is so surprising is how impressed both Karl and Moe were by Steve Blake last year. Both men expressed feelings that they wanted to keep Steve Blake for next season, but we all know that doing so is going to put the Nuggets in a financial quagmire as well as not improving the team as a whole.

The point guard of a team with this dynamic of a roster, (remember, the Nuggets have Kenyon Martin returning next year to along side AI and ‘Melo), has to command the respect of his troops and I just don’t think Steve Blake does that at this point in his career. He may continue to mature as a player and as he continues to play more and more minutes he may become a true starting point guard in the NBA, but at this point, I am not sold that he should be counted on as the starting floor general for the Denver Nuggets. All we can hope is that management feels the same way and is actively trying to maintain Steve Blake as a reliable reserve, while also trying to find a veteran, (preferably one with a ring), to commandeer this team.

By the way… Will Blalock finished with 17 points and two assists.

The last note of interest from the guys who run the sideline came from Doug Moe in regards to Kenyon Martin. Moe was reluctant to say anything definitive early, but did give in and say that, “From what he’s told”, Kenyon Martin will be ready to play next season with the Nuggets slowly working him into rotation with limited minutes to begin. At this point, one has to be optimistic when thinking about adding Kenyon Martin to last year’s roster. Not to mention he’s untradable, at least at this point, and if he could come back and make an impact it would add some much needed toughness to Denver’s frontline and gives them that third big who can defend and score with regularity.

Other than that, with the loss the Nuggets are now 1-1 in Summer League play and will face the Pistons on Thursday afternoon. No TV is available unfortunately, but there will be a box score to dissect.

Go Nuggets!

Anyone Else Watching This?

(Boulder-CO) The Nuggets and Mavericks are about to tip it off and if you are a true die-hard you're somewhere about to watch it. I'm very interested in watching how Von Wafer, Lamond Murry, and Nikoloz Tskitishvili play in particular. Jose Barea for the Mavericks is also a young point guard of interest. Should be really fun!

Go Nuggets!

It’s Just Summer League

(Boulder-CO) As the song states, “Summertime and the living’s easy”, certainly applied to the Denver Nuggets in their first Las Vegas Summer League showing against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Denver won the game 108-104, but by the looks of the box score, this one was far more of a thrashing than the final tally indicates.

Denver launched out of the gate both offensively and defensively by scoring 31 points in the first quarter and following up that effort by posting 35 on the Clip-show in the second. They also held the Clippers to just 22 points in both of the first half quarters.

The Nuggets were paced offensively by Lamond Murry’s 17 points, also received great showings by Curtis Sumpter who scored 16 points, and both Jelani McCoy and (cringe) Nikoloz Tskitishvilis’ 14 points. Von Wafer played the most minutes for the Nuggets, but had a bad night from behind the three-point line finishing 0-4 with only 13 points in 27 minutes of play. Wafer also contributed four assists and three rebounds.

The next Nuggets summer league action is set for tonight at 4 pm MST and will be on NBATV. Don’t have NBATV? Don’t worry! I do and will be giving a complete breakdown of how the Nuggets look tonight against the Dallas Mavericks later this evening.

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets Summer League Roster and Schedule

(Boulder-CO) And the funny thing is Nikoloz Tskitishvili is on the roster! Why the Denver Nuggets would need another look at the ‘Tskeeter is completely beyond me. Maybe it was his 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds last season that have the Nuggets so intrigued. He did score a total of 33 points in the entirety of the Suns’ 2006-07 campaign in twelve appearances so maybe, just maybe, he is ready to be a big-time contributor in the NBA!

Wow, now that I have that out of my system. After scrutinizing the roster the only player on it that I foresee having any chance of making the team next year is Von Wafer. The 6’5” ex-Florida State University guard is coming off a solid year in the NBDL where he came in second in overall scoring with an average of 21.0 points while shooting 45% from downtown. I’m banking on Wafer making the team because he addresses one of Denver’s most blatant deficiencies at a discount price for next season.

The complete summer league schedule and roster can be found right here and the games which are televised will be broken down right here on The Nugg Doctor.

Nodding Off

(Boulder-CO) I know that things have been next to non-existent around here lately, but there is some cool stuff on the horizon. First off, a Nugg Doctor pod cast is in the works and hopefully will be jumping off real soon. Secondly, I finally finished reading, “Skywalker”, so a Historical Glimpse on David Thompson is set to drop any day now too. But most recently, I was asked by Chris over at www.sportprojections.com to give my draft day grade to the Denver Nuggets. I basically talk about the AI trade, seeing as how that was our big draft day move, and how it breaks down for both teams. Check it out by banging this link.