Nuggets vs. Cavs: Game 8 Preview

(Boulder-CO) Tonight I am in for a long night. I will be making the trek to Pepsi Center for the ‘Melo vs. King James, uh I mean Cavaliers vs. Nuggets, match-up. And because of the 7pm MST tip time, the ninety minute drive, and anything else the big city may have to offer me, I will probably not get tonight’s game recap up until early tomorrow morning.

Since these two superstars entered the league in the 2003 NBA draft they have been inseparable. Whether it is comparing their stats, shoe deals, countless other endorsements, success both on and off the basketball court, or head-to-head match-ups, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James are always going to be linked.

But when it comes to their teams’ success against one another, so far Anthony and the Nuggets have gotten the best of the James and the Cavs. The Nuggets (4-3 this season) are 6-2 against the Cavaliers since the 2003 draft, with three of the wins coming in Denver.

But this is not the whole story.

While Anthony's Nuggets have had success against the Cavs, it's James who has put up better numbers in the series. James has averaged 22.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in the eight games between the teams while Anthony has averaged 19.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in seven of the meetings he has been a part of due to missing the first meeting last year because of suspension.

The Nuggets should come into this game well rested after returning from their four-game east coast road trip late Saturday night. On the other hand, Cleveland had to travel last night after a tough, come from behind, victory against the surprisingly strong Clippers. Tail ends of back-to-back games on the road are always tough, so I would like to see the Nuggets get out to a great start with their transition offense and keep the defensive pressure on the Cavs with as few lackadaisical stretches as possible.

The other area of concern that I have, (other than the Nuggets becoming their own worst enemy), is the Cavaliers relentless attack on the offensive boards. The Cavs are currently the fourth best offensive rebounding team in the league and it should come as no surprise as they have Big Z, Drew Gooden, and James who all love to crash the boards. The Nuggets on the other hand, (despite being one of the better rebounding clubs in the NBA with the ninth best overall rebounding clip in the league), are giving up the eighth most offensive boards on a nightly basis. Thus, leading me to predict that the team with the most second chance points is going to win this game.

Never mind that the Nuggets are averaging almost ten more points per game than the Cavs. Never mind that the Nuggets are allowing six points more on any given night than the Cavs are used to scoring. Never mind that Carmelo and LeBron are almost deadlocked in scoring. Just… Never mind. Tonight, the game will be decided by the bigs on the boards.

Time for Marcus, Kenyon, and the rest of the Nuggets front line, (and YES, that includes you, Carmelo) to out rebound the Cavaliers if they are to bring home the victory.

Big game tonight and The Nugg Doctor will be in the house!

Go Nuggets!

Second. Greatest. Comeback. Ever.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

(Boulder-CO) If the Denver Nuggets keep putting me through these kinds of games on this road trip I’m going to need a prescription of Prozac for the lows and Valium for the highs. Which makes it pretty convenient seeing how I’m the Nugg Doctor don’t you think? Seriously though, the Nuggets put together the second largest halftime deficit comeback in their franchise history (18 points) and found a way to win, 113-106, against a Pacer team that has to be dumbfounded right about now.

Things started out terrible for the Nuggets who came out sluggish and as if they were perhaps going to just mail this one in. Denver gave up 46 points and a new Pacer franchise record for points scored in a quarter in the first twelve minutes. They once again weren’t paying any attention to detail on the defensive end, and as a result were dominated in points in the paint 38-20. To make matters worse, for the third straight half of basketball Denver failed to record a single blocked shot. Talk about being soft around the goal. For a team that stressed defense all training camp, and for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year to allow themselves to look like they did was just flat-out embarrassing. The Pacers were shooting 56% from the field, their bench outscored the Nuggets bench 27-13, and at one point in the second quarter Indiana was ahead by 25 points.

Further illustrating just how miserable the first half was for Denver was how they once again had more turnovers (13) than assists (10). At this point, I was thinking here comes another thrashing reminiscent of the massacre at Boston on Wednesday night as the Nuggets hung their heads and went into the locker room.

But yet, the Nuggets were not quite ready to give up. No, they must have had enough of the embarrassment. Enough of the cowardly defense. Enough of the excuses. Enough of being pushed around.

And then… It happened.

Carmelo refused to quit on an offensive rebound and the put back to get himself started. Yakhouba drained two three-pointers from the wing and hit a 17-footer from the keyhole. Marcus Camby ended the misery without a blocked shot, and believe it or not, J.R. Smith dropped his derriere and played some hard-nose D. Denver put a 10-0 run on the Pacers to start the second half, won the quarter 26-14, and the message was sent. This game isn’t over and a pushover the Denver Nuggets are not!

By the end of the third, the Nuggets had dropped the once 18-point Pacer lead to a manageable six and the entire Conseco Field House was stunned. Something had changed in the Nuggets. A change that hopefully will resonate and become a mantra for the rest of the year.

Do you know what the change was?

The Nuggets were no longer going to allow themselves to be embarrassed.

Now the Nuggets, with their new found swagger and attitude, continued to bring the onslaught onto the Pacers in the fourth quarter. Denver held Indiana to just 18 points in the money period and found away to score twelve unanswered points down the stretch to take a 97-101 game with 3:28 to play and finish it the victor, 113-106.

Carmelo Anthony paced the Nuggets with a double-double which included the game-high 32 points, ten rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block. Linas Kleiza brought that fire off the bench with 21 points and seven rebounds. Plus, Marcus Camby and Allen Iverson double-doubled with ten points, ten rebounds, five blocks, and four steals, and 27 points, ten assists, five rebounds, and three steals, respectively.

The Mile High Crew now stands at 4-3 in the early goings of the season. They showed us a lot of things during this first excursion outside the friendly confines of the Rocky Mountains. A lot of bad and a lot of good, but hopefully for all of us… The Nuggets are no longer going to stand for embarrassment. And by no longer standing for that, I think a lot of good things are on the way.

Great win tonight, boys! I’ll be seeing you, and King James, on Monday night.

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets vs. Pacers: Game 7 Preview

(Boulder-CO) On paper, the Nuggets should have no problem with the Pacers. With the key emphasis in that previous sentence being “On paper.” Denver comes into this game with a statistical edge in every category when it comes to team leaders, recent match-up history, and current momentum.

And that’s what scares me.

The Nuggets have won the last six straight against the Pacers, including three straight in Indy. ’Melo has also personally enjoyed an average of 28.2 points during those six games and the Pacers have only third-year player Danny Granger and the ridiculously overpaid Mike Dunleavy to try and stop him.

I can only speculate that the Nuggets are going to be fatigued after this long, roller coaster of an east coast road trip. The whole thing started on Tuesday with a tough loss in an emotional game against New York and included an absolute traveshammockery of an effort against the Celtics. The Nuggets then bounced back against a struggling Wizards team last night to gain some momentum, but the tail end of two sets of back-to-back games on the road make me uneasy about tonight.

What kind of effort can we expect out of a tired, road weary team? Will they be focused? Will they be sharp defensively?

Only one way to find out and that is to tune into Altitude Sports & Entertainment at 5pm MST to see what kind of Denver Nuggets show up against the Indiana Pacers. Also, be sure to go check out www.indycornrows.com for easily the best Pacer-centric blog in the business.

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets Quote of the Week

(Boulder-CO) Once again, this week's auditory selection comes from Altitude Sports & Entertainment's Scott Hastings. In the most recent game against the Knicks, Scott gave us all this nugget of pure gold in reference to Eddie Curry's provided 285 pound roster listing.

"He's a biscuit away from 300." - Scott Hastings

Something tells me that we will be gathering numerous more of these from Scott all season long!

24 Little Hours

(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

(Boulder-CO) What a difference a day makes. After getting humbled by the Boston Celtics by 26 points last night, tonight the Nuggets were the ones holding the switch as they whipped the Wizards by the exact same margin, 118-92.

The major difference in tonight’s game versus the debacle the night before was the focus on team work. The Nuggets passed out 32 assists and had seven players score in double figures tonight. Along with the shared offensive load, the Nuggets all chipped in defensively with nine different players recording a steal.

Honestly, this team tonight didn’t even look like the team from the night before!

The Nuggets shot 51% from the field, 48% from downtown, 84% from the line, and not a single player played 40 minutes. Guys gave quality minutes and relied on their teammates to do their job. And when guys got beat, teammates stepped up! Denver held the Wizards to just 38% from the field and limited Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison to a combined 56 points.

It was almost like if um… if Denver played like a, what’s the word…. Oh yea! A TEAM!! And leading this team were the duo of Marcus Camby and Carmelo Anthony.

The Captain just missed a triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals in just 31 minutes. Carmelo scored a game-high 32 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished five dimes, and stole three balls in only 35. But more importantly, it was ‘Melo ingniting 16 points and Marcus Camby locking it down defensively in the third quarter that cemented the win for the Nuggets. Led by their captains, Denver pushed it into a completely different gear after leading by nine at the half and pasted the Wizards, 33-11, in the third allowing them to coast to an easy victory.

Hallelujah!

Next up for the Nuggets is a visit to Canseco Field House for a match-up with the Indiana Pacers tomorrow night. Tail end of back-to-back games for both teams with the Pacers losing tonight to the Bobcats, 96-87.

Go Nuggets!

Nene Right Back on Injury List

(Boulder-CO) ESPN is reporting that Denver’s 60 million dollar Brazilian is right back in his familiar spot on the Nuggets injured list with a torn ligament in his left thumb. An expected outage of at least six weeks is the diagnosis.

This injury is just the latest in a long list of setbacks Nene has endured in his short NBA career and I’m sure it will translate into an even longer conditioning recovery time. One might think that with an injured hand he might be able to still lose some weight and continue to work on his stamina, but this is Nene, and we all know that even a healthy Nene can not accomplish such a routine request. So, get your Nene excuses ready now and leave them in the comments section.

Nuggets vs. Wizards: Game 6 Preview

(Boulder-CO) The old cliché says to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Or in our case, the laces of the Nuggets sneakers. I’m not too sure what to expect tonight out of a battered, weary, and short-handed Nuggets crew because part of me thinks that we could potentially be in for another drumming while the rational side of my thinking says that Wednesday night’s game was nothing but a single-game breakdown. Either way, the Wizards are one of only a handful of teams in the league that are still winless in the early goings of the 2007-08 season, thus making them just as dangerous as a team that is undefeated.

The list of bullets that you need to know about for tonight’s game is short but sweet. For starters, tonight’s game is on the national stage of ESPN. Expect a lot of trash talking about the Nuggets destined to struggle until they get all their pieces to the puzzle healthy. I’m not sure that Denver will ever get this entire team healthy by season’s end, so just be prepared for the always comical, sometimes insightful commentary of the ESPN crew as they bag on the Nuggets from opening tip to final buzzer.

The second bullet on my list of things to keep an eye on is George Karl. I’m not ready to start making any fuss about Karl needing to vacate the position… yet, but if the game is close and AI keeps taking the ball from inbounds down to just a few seconds remaining on the shot clock before throwing up some desperate shot attempt without passing the friggin’ ball a single time we have problems. REAL problems. He did just that about six or seven times against the Celtics and nothing, I mean nothing, makes the other four guys on the floor want to play less than watching a guy hog the ball without conscience. Granted, the Celtic game was a complete abomination and not much can be said about it in a positive light, but the Nuggets had a day of practice, a chance to review some film, and the time to make some immediate changes. So, if a like scenario starts to unfold and Karl doesn’t intervene it might be a little bit clearer where the Nuggets real deficiency lies and I’m not talking about our point guard situation.

The third bullet, or should I say player, to watch tonight is Agent Zero. It’s no secret that the Nuggets are probably the weakest defensively against a high-scoring guard being as we have a tiny backcourt that is more damaged than O.J. Simpson’s reputation, so be sure to keep tabs on Mr. Hibachi. Maybe the Nuggets will sic Bobby Jones or the Yak on him early in an attempt to knock him out of his typical rhythm, but if he gets hot look out! Arenas might have missed the game winning shot last night against the Nets, but a guy like Gilbert has a short memory and a shooting hand that can get hot quicker than a gas fire.

My last bullet point of emphasis tonight is for the Nuggets to get up and down the floor with their fastbreak. For a team like Denver to not even score a single point of transition offense in the first half of any ballgame, never mind it was the Celtics, is just inexcusable. Now is the time for the Nuggets to drop their rear ends on defense, force a tough shot, board the miss, and get out and run. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if Denver has any clue as to how a fastbreak starts because the Nuggets often times play defense like the sisters of the poor and then want to wonder why the game’s tempo was dictated by their opponent. Well, newsflash Denver! When you play crappy D, the other team scores on lay-ups and dunks and it gets real tough to take the ball 90-some-odd feet and beat anybody down the floor. Point being, turn up the defensive heat and get out and run!

Other than all that, be sure to head over to www.bulletsforever.com for all your Wizards needs and be sure to tell Prada that I sent you. Oh, and make fun of Brendan Haywood in whatever way, shape, or form you can!

Go Nuggets!

What’s That Stink? Oh, It’s The Nuggets!

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

(Boulder-CO) I would not want to be at Coach George Karl's practice tomorrow.

Denver got its first test against an elite foe tonight and failed miserably, 119-93, against the Celtics. Just how bad was it? How’s this for a lowlight reel of the first half? For starters, the Nuggets only shot 38% from the field while allowing the Celtics countless dunks, excessive lay-ups, uncontested point blank gimmies, and anything else Boston wanted as they blistered the Nuggets, 77-38, in just 24 minutes of play. Boston finished the half by making an unheard of 72% of their field goal attempts as they ran a coast-to-coast lay-up drill on the confused Denver crew. The Nuggets also committed 13 turnovers, were held to exactly zero fast break points, were dominated in second-chance points 11-2, and equally outmatched in points in the paint 36-16.

At this grim point in Nuggets history, the Big Three for the Celtics had combined for 47 points with Kevin Garnett already logging a double-double of 14 points and ten boards, Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 20 points, and Ray Allen quietly throwing in 13 for good measure.

Needless to say, the “Real Big Three” reside at www.greenbandwagon.com. And I’m not even going to add up the combined stats from the rest of the game because the statistical difference between the “Real Big Three” and the three players from the Nuggets that shall remain anonymous is just too drastic. I will tell you though that KG, The Truth, and Jesus Shuttlesworth combined for 71 points by the time all was said and done…

And to compound the misery, things didn’t get much better in the second half at all!

The Nuggets found themselves down by 41 at one point in the third period before salvaging barely a sliver of self respect in the fourth while losing by 26 points. I wouldn’t know anything about the second half, however, because I turned it off and held my hand above hot flame to dull my sadness. Seriously.

I didn’t think that this team could look this bad this early in the season, but the Nuggets are now on a three-game losing streak in the midst of a four-game east coast road trip and are now officially a losing team at 2-3 overall.

Go Nugg…. Ah forget it. That was as pitiful of a display as I can honestly recall.

Nuggets vs. Celtics: Game 5 Preview

(Boulder-CO) I’m going to throw everyone a curve ball today instead of giving a traditional style game preview. I have teamed up Jeff over at www.celticsblog.com to give the readership of The Nugg Doctor an outside, expert perspective on tonight’s opponent. Plus, after the game, there will be a bonus question answered by both Jeff and I that will be included in tonight’s recap.

So, the way it’s going to work is I gave Jeff three questions to answer and he did the same for me. Ready to play?

My “Big Three” questions with Jeff’s answers are:

1) What team's BIG three will prevail statistically and whose team will prevail in the end? And I'm not talking about PER here either. The answer to the first part of this two part question is the sum of all the tangible stats. Points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks are the only stats that count, and turnovers count negatively!

A) Wait, let me get my abacus and slide rule. I think on first Tuesdays in November our big three scores pi times 4 divided by the average distance between Tommy Heinson and the nearest referee. You do the math and let me know how it goes. I'll go on a limb and say I'll take my guys and the over.

2) Name one thing, besides injury, that could seriously derail the Celtics this year. You know your team better than they know themselves, right? Be creative. Major points if you can make me double over in laughter, but I'll take serious hoops analysis if I have to.

A) Just one thing? Maybe Doc will find a way to play the starters 50 minutes a night and burn them out by the all star break (wait, that could be considered an injury). Maybe Kevin Garnett will get so intense that his head will actually explode (oops, that's pretty much an injury too). Maybe the Celtics will trade for Nene (insert your own injury joke here). Nope, I've got no non-injury related reasons for worry. Sorry.

3) Is there a point in this season, (a goal, team milestone, or something of the like), that you can honestly say will bring, "Celtic Pride" back to its heyday?

A) "Celtic Pride" should have bypassed DVD and gone straight to the trash. It never had a heyday, just a "what-the-hey?" day. Oh, you weren't talking about the movie? True Celtic pride is all about the championships. Lots and lots of them actually. I don't think any team will ever again rattle off 11 straight titles, so that is just an unfair standard. I say if they raise a banner then the pride is officially back. Hoist a few of them up there and you start to approach the heyday.

Jeff, a sly dog in his own right, had a tricky trio of inquiries for me to answer too. Here are his questions:

1) Everyone was watching when AI got traded to the Nuggets to be paired with Melo. But the team didn't mesh so well right away. Then in April, things really started to gel. What are some of the things that got things to work so well?

2) Celtics fans remember Kenyon Martin abusing Antoine Walker in his Nets days. Will we ever see that Kenyon again? What can we reasonably expect from him this year?

3) I've heard it said that Marcus Camby is overrated as a defender because his block stats come from weak side blocks but he can't stop his own man one-on-one. Is that true or am I overrating his overratedness?

Be sure to bang this link for my answers and as an additional bonus, I have a little side bet with Jim over at www.greenbandwagon.com that Denver’s “Big Three” will out perform Boston’s (with my first question to Jeff being the measuring stick) and the loser has to refer to the winner’s “Big Three” as the NBA's “Real” big three in their game summary!

A lot on the line tonight, Nuggets Nation!

Go Nuggets!

Knicks Out Fight Nuggets

(Boulder-CO) Every time the Nuggets would open up a lead the Knicks would fight back. Fight back so valiantly in fact that when the chips were on the line Isiah’s boys took the Nuggets lunch money, 119-112, with a fourth quarter surge of points being scored in bunches.

The thing bothers me the most about this loss is how many times the Nuggets had the opportunity to put the Knicks down by sizable amounts, but instead fell into lackadaisical stretches of both offense and defense as if the game was already won. Once in the second quarter the Nuggets were up by 15 points, 50-35, but let the intensity and emotion change hands in the form of a 66-60 finish to the first half.

That collapse, plus a couple more in the third period were the real reason why the Nuggets lost this game. Oh, and the fact that the Knicks scored 70+ points in the paint and more than 20 of them came from second chance opportunities leading me to believe that Kenyon Martin's toughness was missed more than some of us might have imagined before we had to watch this killer instinct lacking debacle.

To further illustrate my point, the box score shows similar shooting percentages in all categories across the board, but the one area you can’t put a numerical value on was how much hungrier the Knicks were than the Nuggets in the fourth quarter.

And after winning every 12-minute battle up to this point, the Nuggets came out lifeless in the fourth and the Knicks punked the Mile High Crew, 37-20, for the win.

The Nuggets are now 2-2 and play the vastly improved Celtics tomorrow night. I have goodies planned for tomorrow too, so keep that page refreshed.

Go Nuggets!

Carmelo's New M4 Kicks

(Boulder-CO) I've noticed that 'Melo has been wearing some new slippers already this season, so I did some research and found a little video that gives us a great view of the new M4. Enjoy the clip and leave your thumbs up or down in the comments section.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

(Boulder-CO) Just to reassure you that there is no love lost between New York Knicks Coach Isiah Thomas and Nuggets Coach George Karl, Chris Tommasson of The Rocky Mountain News does a great job chronicling the turbulent relationship between these two men. And trust me, just bang the link because it is seriously just too funny to not reminisce.

Nuggets vs. Knicks: Game 4 Preview

(Boulder-CO) Not since Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant matched up at Wrestlemania III have I been more psyched for athletes who like to body slam each other to square off. That’s right, Nuggets Nation, it’s that time of year again and the Nuggets are going back to Madison Square Garden to get reacquainted with characters like Nate “The Instigator” Robinson, Mardy “The Goon” Collins, and gasp, Coach Isiah Thomas!

What a motley crew, right? But don’t forget about a few of the Nuggets' roles in the episode dubbed by yours truly as, “The Little Grapple in the Big Apple”.

We have the body slam artist himself, J.R. Smith, and the stick and move master, Carmelo Anthony!

Seriously though, hopefully at this point we can all get a little chuckle out of the past in retrospection, but the truth about what happened the last time feelings hardened at the Garden was the Nuggets were derailed for about a month with the lengthy suspensions handed down to J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony and the NBA suffered another public relations black eye, pardon the pun.

And the last thing the Nuggets, Knicks, or for that matter, the NBA needs tonight is for anything close to resembling what happened on the eve of December 17th, 2006 to reoccur.

So here’s to a good clean fight, umm I mean, basketball game!

The 2007-08 Knicks are a team that could honestly go either way this year. They could vastly improve and maybe sneak into the Eastern Conference postseason or they could once again dwell in the basement of the division.

First off, the newly acquired and returning from injury Knicks have to step up. Their biggest off-season pick up was Zach Randolph and he is already paying dividends for the Knickerbockers. Z-Bo is averaging the only double-double on the team at 18 points and twelve boards nightly, but it’s guys like Quentin Richardson and Fred Jones that are going to have to get things going for this team to succeed.

Another critical point for the Knicks is consistent scoring. If this team could find a consistent 25 points a game it would greatly relieve some of the nightly uncertainty of where the offense is going to come from. We all know that Marbury can get hot, but lately it’s been less and less. Jamal Crawford is a guy that can spontaneously combust for 40, but he too can disappear from games. And from there, who do they turn to? Eddie Curry? David Lee? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

But the final and most critical point for the New York Knicks is to start finding positive things to rebuild the foundation of this franchise on. After a 33-49 season in 2006-07, Stephon Marbury and his oft-times zany antics, and after the off-season circus that was the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment case the Knicks just need to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

As for where the Nuggets are four games deep into this year’s campaign… Let’s just say that they have some issues still to deal with too.

For starters, the Nuggets have to catch a break with a healthy and productive running mate for AI in the backcourt. Anthony Carter is still recovering from a broken hand, Chucky Atkins has been unavailable due to a severe groin pull, and most recently Mike Wilks came up lame against the Hornets with a bad hamstring. J.R. Smith returning from his three-game suspension for, “conduct detrimental to the team” could be a spark, but I’m also wondering if Von Wafer or Bobby Jones are going to step up and seize the opportunity at hand.

Additionally, there is an opportunity to seize in the frontcourt. The competition is going to get stiff in a hurry between Nene and Kenyon Martin for the starting power forward spot. Both men are showing signs of improvement with each passing game and as each man gets stronger it is going to be a problem that George Karl and staff should feel fortunate enough to have to deal with.

Other than that, my final line is Nuggets by nine and be sure to check out my man Seth over at www.postingandtoasting.com for the best New York Knick-centric point of view in the NBA blogosphere.

Go Nuggets!

Memo to Smith: Hold Your Horses

(Boulder-CO) As if scripted from a Hollywood sports drama, J.R. Smith’s three-game suspension has run its course just in time for the Nuggets first trip back to New York to face the Knicks since feelings hardened at the Garden last December. But unfortunately for J.R., returning back into the good graces, and playing rotation, of Coach George Karl has no timetable.

When asked about whether or not J.R. Smith will play in Tuesday’s match-up with the Knicks Coach Karl answered vaguely with, “No idea”, as his reply. He then embellished on Smith’s chances of starting the game with the bleak point guard situation being what it is and said, “No way.” And rightfully so because the stage is too big and the air too thick for a player like J.R., who thrives on emotion, to make his season debut against quite possibly the most hostile crowd the Nuggets have ever faced this early in a season.

Kenyon Martin's Schedule

(Boulder-CO) Regardless of how much he may want to play, George Karl and his staff are not going to allow Kenyon to over do it. Here is the schedule Karl is expecting to keep Kenyon Martin's game appearances limited to in the next four games in five days for the Nuggets. Kenyon is expected to sit out Tuesday in New York and play at Boston on Wednesday. He then is scheduled to sit out Friday at Washington and play Saturday at Indiana.

This Game Stings

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) The New Orleans Hornets continue to jab their stinger into the Denver Nuggets. Last night, the Nuggets were controlled defensively by the Hornets and suffered their first loss of the season, 93-88. Everyone played poorly for Denver and I know the reason why.

Take a look at these box scores: Carmelo Anthony only scored 20, AI only 23, Nene chipped in twelve and looked better than in his first two games, but those were the only three Nuggets who scored in double figures. And the reason why the Nuggets couldn’t get it started on the offensive end is they didn’t want to share the ball. Denver totaled only 18 assists in this game and played far too much individual basketball. Standing around, watching Carmelo, and gazing at AI is not going to get it done, and some of the onus lands squarely on the Nuggets superstars for not getting the other guys involved too.

It also didn’t help that the Nuggets shot the ball poorly. 36% from the field and 22% from downtown is just not going to get it done against many teams in today’s NBA. Furthermore, a combined 16-49 from AI and ‘Melo spells certain doom for the Nuggets on any given night.

However, a couple of Nuggets do continue to impress me despite this horrendous looking mess of a basketball game. Kenyon Martin played fantastic and gave the Nuggets nine points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and a steal in a total playing time of 22 minutes. K-Mart showed good bounce on both offense and defense, but it is still apparent that he is not quite ready for big minutes… yet, but when he is, he is going to be a tremendous help to the Denver front line. And, his front court mate, Marcus Camby, also continues to play incredible basketball. The Captain snatched 21 rebounds, scored eight points, dished five dimes, and swatted two shots, but struggled shooting like the rest of the Nuggets and finished 4-11 from the field.

And as if the loss isn’t enough bad news, Mike Wilks, the only other point guard currently healthy enough to be on the team, tweaked his hamstring in the second quarter and didn’t return. Now the Nuggets are faced with having the Answer as the only available guard on roster to run the point. Luckily, and right on time for a return to Madison Square Garden, J.R. Smith has served his three-game suspension and will be ready for the first return trip to New York since the, “Little Grapple in the Big Apple”, went down last December.

A lot of really fun things, hint-hint, are on the way before and after the Nuggets rematch with Knicks, so stay “refreshed” on The Nugg Doctor to make sure you don’t miss any of it.

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets vs. Hornets: Game 3 Preview

(Boulder-CO) Tonight, the Nuggets host the New Orleans Hornets at the Pepsi Center. As I said in my recap of the Timberwolf match-up, this is another game that if the Nuggets truly are a serious contender they will find a way to win convincingly. My line for tonight’s game is seven. Now let’s take a look at what’s in store.

The Hornets were a team decimated by injuries last year. Peja Stojakovic wasn’t around. Morris Peterson spent time on the DL, and so did big man, and Team USA teammate of Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler; meaning that this year the Hornets are going to be tougher to beat. They still have perhaps the most pure, throwback point guard in the league with Chris Paul, and CP3 is off to another amazing start for the Hornets this year by leading them in scoring (20.5 ppg), assists (9.0 apg), and steals (2.5 spg). However, if there is a silver lining to how the Nuggets have historically handled Paul it’s that he is averaging 14.2 points in six games against the Nuggets, and has shot only 30.9 percent (29-for-94) from the field.

The flip-side to how CP3’s stats drop against the Nuggets is how Peja Stojakovic’s numbers skyrocket. Stojakovic, starting his first full season with the Hornets, is averaging 18.5 points and shooting 47 percent (8-for-17) from 3-point range. The once deadly sharpshooter is averaging 24.0 points in his last six games against Denver while making 50% (21-for-42) of his shots from the land of plenty during that span. Furthermore, I am a little bit concerned about the tandem of Paul and Stojakovic downright schooling the Nuggets around the perimeter with the pick and roll. I did see improvement against the pick and roll in the Minnesota game, but Minny didn’t have anyone who could compare to the duo we are about to face tonight.

And the Hornets are yet to face anyone like the Nuggets, either.

Sure the Hornets come into this game 2-0, just like the Nuggets, and have won their first deuce by an average of 17 points per win, but have they faced the REAL big three the league SHOULD be showcasing? I think not.

Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony, and Allen Iverson may just be the best three players on any team period. Their statistics are gaudy and their swagger is ludicrous. The Captain is averaging 18 rebounds, 5.5 rejected shots, nine points, and three assists. Locking it down defensively is all this man is does for a living. ‘Melo is averaging 32.5 points, 5.5 assists, five rebounds, a steal, and a block while shooting 53.5% from the field and a vastly improved 45.5% from downtown. Anthony is giving opposing team’s coaching staffs nightmares trying to think of ways to contain him on the night before their team faces the Nuggets. The Answer is averaging a double-double so far of 24.5 points, eleven assists, five steals, and four rebounds. And the scary thing about those numbers is AI is doing so while actually struggling offensively with a 36% field goal success rate and starting off the season cold (1-7) from downtown!

Plus, after two games, ‘Melo is leading the league in scoring, Camby is leading the league in blocks and is just a two boards behind KG for rebounding supremacy, AI is leading the league in steals and is just an assist behind Brevin Knight in the sharing department, and the Nuggets are only giving up a vastly improved average of 97 ppg while putting up 109.5 ppg on their challengers.

Now, if all that isn’t enough to justify my prediction and excitement for tonight’s game then I just don’t know what to tell you.

Oh, never mind, yes I do.

Be sure to check out the guys at www.hornets247.com and as always…

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets Too Tough for Wolves

(AP Photo/Andy King)

(Boulder-CO) I’m not so sure that last season’s Nuggets would have found a way to win this game. Denver had to hang around, fight to keep it close, and turn up the defense in the fourth quarter to get it done tonight at the Target Center, 99-91, against the new look Timberwolves in a game that shows just how much the Nuggets have improved.

Defensively, the Nuggets were anchored by the Captain, Marcus Camby. The Camby-man grabbed a game-high 21 rebounds, swatted six shots and altered countless others, scored 14 points, and found a way to dish three assists. He did an amazing job of locking down the boards and the rim in the fourth quarter with nine rebounds and two blocked shots and was the fuel for the Nuggets, 25-14, domination in the money period. Furthermore, this may be the best basketball I have ever seen the decorated veteran play.

Another Nugget who very well may be playing his best basketball as of yet is Carmelo Anthony. ‘Melo continues to give opposing defenses fits by abusing slower defenders off the dribble, posting up smaller foes in the blocks, and down right giving everyone who wants to try and stop him a ride on the ole “‘Melo Jab-Step Express.” He even hit a spinning - turn-around - fade-away that had the Altitude announcers using terms like, “Jordan-esque” and “Wow”. And once again Anthony finishes as the game’s high-scorer with 33 points, six assists, five rebounds, a steal, and a block.

His All-Star counterpart wasn’t too shabby either.

Allen Iverson continues to play extremely heady basketball for the Denver Nuggets and his 24 points, eight assists, three steals, and three rebounds were invaluable against a slew of Timberwolf point guards. AI is creating an abundance of easy opportunities for his teammates and continues to be the lightning to Carmelo’s thunder in the scoring column. His box score tonight may not be as impressive as opening night’s, but tonight he was indeed just as impressive simply because he finished with only one turnover. AI dished for 14 assists in game one, but he offset that high total with seven giveaways. But tonight he took care of the basketball for a much more favorable assist to turnover ratio in a game that needed to be controlled with a little bit tighter leash.

Up next for the Nuggets is a meeting with the New Orleans Hornets at home on Sunday night. Just like in tonight’s game, if the Nuggets are truly a contender they will find a way to beat the Hornets convincingly.

Now, if you don‘t mind… Allow me to analyze the first 96 minutes of Nuggets basketball. I have so many things to examine and so little time!

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets vs. Wolves: Game 2 Preview

(Boulder-CO) Tonight’s game should be a win by any stretch of imagination. The Timberwolves are definitely in the running for most disheveled team in the league, while the Nuggets, not even at full strength yet, are one of the strongest squads on paper. My line tonight is Nuggets by twelve, and here a few of the reasons why.

First off, only five players, (Marko Jaric, Mark Madsen, Randy Foye, Craig Smith and Rashad McCants), remain from last seasons' 32-50 squad. Furthermore, and as if losing KG was not doomsday all in its own, Minnesota also traded its second and third leading scorers, (Ricky Davis and Mark Blount), from last season to Miami on Oct. 24 in a deal that sent Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien to Minnesota. Good trade? I think not! Walker is not exactly John Basedow when it comes to conditioning, Doleac is not what I would call a real solid front court player, and Simien was released on Monday.

And things do not get much better for Minnesota when I analyze the injury report.

Randy Foye, an NBA all-rookie team selection last season, is expected to be out several weeks because of a lingering knee injury. Telfair, Jaric and Greg Buckner are expected to assume the ball handling while Foye, who averaged 10.1 points last season, is sidelined. That leaves the Wolves placing nearly all of their offensive weight on the shoulders of power forward Al Jefferson. And while Jefferson is a beast in the making, there is no way that he is going to be enough fire power for the Wolves to overcome the defense of Marcus Camby and the rest of the Denver frontcourt.

Plus, the Timberwolves will be starting Theo Ratliff tonight and for those of you who do not remember the damage ‘Melo did on him last year here is a little reminder for you, Theo, and the rest of the Nuggets Nation.

Game time is set for 6 pm MST and the contest will be televised by Altitude TV. Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Not me!

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets Quote of the Week

(Boulder-CO) Now that the season has started I am going to be offering up a "Quote of the Week" pertaining to the Denver Nuggets. Anyone affiliated with the Nuggets, a player on the team, or maybe even you - reader of The Nugg Doctor - could potential be the source of a quote.

And for this week's offering, I give you a verbal gem from former Nugget and Altitude Sports and Entertainment's own Scott Hastings. Scott had this to say during last night's telecast in reference to Carmelo Anthony dribbling the basketball:

"'Melo has more handles than Samsonite" - Scott Hastings

Thanks, Scott! Your imagery is masterful.

Go Nuggets!

Opening Night Done Right

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets have officially started the 2007-08 season off on the right foot. In their season opener at home, Denver trounced the Sonics, 120-103, behind Carmelo Anthony’s game-high 32 points, five rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block.

Denver started Allen Iverson, Yakhouba Diawara, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby and jumped out to a 20-10 lead early in the first quarter. It was to be the first of four double-digit leads the Nuggets would enjoy throughout the contest, but Seattle does deserve credit for being resilient and battling back before conceding completely to the Nuggets in the second half.

Now, before I get too deep into the individual statistics, I have to mention both a couple of things that are really positive for the Nuggets and things that have to be corrected immediately. First off, the Nuggets have got to get better at defending the pick and roll. Too many times they allowed the player setting the screen to flare out to the three-point line for an open look or, in the case where the screener was a post player, an easy roll to the basket for a lay-up. The ideal way to defend the pick and roll is for the screening man’s defender to hedge, thus giving the man being screen time to recover and re-position himself in front of the ball handler and giving his help time to regain position on the screener. Too many times the Nugget defense double teamed the ball handler and left the screening player wide open. On a few occasions it was Chris Wilcox for a dunk, (and he played like a beast might I add), but on others it was Damien Wilkins who hurt the Nuggets by going 4-6 from downtown.

Another area where the Nuggets looked rusty was finishing around the goal. Not a single big man for the Nuggets finished scoring in double figures and it wasn’t because they didn’t have their chances. Nene especially needs to regain his touch around the basket as he missed four bunnies finishing just 1-5 from the floor. Usually those touches would have been violently slammed through the rim, but it appeared that Nene is still not at full-strength or conditioning yet. Marcus Camby also had a few chances on the offensive glass but finished 1-5 from the floor too. In a game against the rebuilding Sonics these two aspects of the game were not fatal, but against a team with more firepower and moxie the Nuggets may not have been so fortunate.

All that being said, the Nuggets had some incredibly bright spots for this being just their first game of the season.

The first thing that jumps out at me was how the Nuggets shared the ball. With 31 assists in total everyone got into the distribution act, but none were better than Allen Iverson. The Answer gave the Nuggets a game-high 14 assists, 25 points, seven steals, and five rebounds in an all-around game fitting of mid-season form. Such a performance also adds some legitimacy to the idea that when Allen Iverson dishes double-figures in dimes that the Nuggets are very tough to beat.

Other areas of lucidity were Marcus Camby’s 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, Linas Kleiza’s 18 points coming by way of five three-pointers, Eduardo Najera’s 14 points and four boards, and Yakhouba’s 12 points on 5-8 shooting. The Nuggets also shot a respectable 40.7% from three-point land with ‘Melo hitting 3-6 from the arch in addition to Eduardo Najera cashing in on 2-3 from the land of plenty.

Who knew, “The Grout”, had been working on his long ball?

And as for my foresight of Kevin Durant’s box score... Was I close enough for everyone? I predicted the rookie would finish with a final box score of 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists. He actually finished 18 points, five rebounds, and just one assist. Who loves ya, Nuggets Nation?

Up next for the Nuggets is a Friday night match-up with the Timberwolves. The game is set for 6 pm MST and will be on Altitude TV.

Go Nuggets!

'Melo Blog Watch

(Boulder-CO) The second blog post by Carmelo Anthony is up. Time to reach the goal.

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets vs. Sonics: Game 1 Preview

(Boulder-CO) Happy Halloween, Nuggets fans, opening night is finally upon us! Tonight the Nuggets host the Seattle Sonics at Pepsi Center in a game that is nationally televised on ESPN at 8:30 pm MST. And I can’t think of any better situation for the Nuggets to open up their season than in the spotlight of the NBA. We have some really big stories to follow this season and very high expectations out of this team.

The first thing we are all going to notice is Kenyon Martin back in the line-up. He is listed as the probable starting power forward and has had such a long and rocky road to travel to the get back to this point in his career it’s hard not to root for him. I predicted Kenyon to win the Comeback Player of the Year in my NBA Blog Preview, and although it’s only game numero uno, I think he is going turn things around this year after having to be away from the game for so long. He’ll be wearing his old number “4” to get back to his college roots too, so hopefully we will be seeing a lot of blue light specials out of one they call K-Mart.

From there you can take your pick of many old familiar favorites off of this Nuggets roster.

Carmelo is definitely going to put on a scoring exhibition. Kobe Bryant opened up the season with 45 points last night and I’m sure that ‘Melo is aware of it. Look for Carmelo to get things going early down in the blocks before opening up that jumper with the jab step.

Marcus Camby is capable of going for 20 rebounds any night. He also will be circling the bucket like a vulture all night swatting shots, hitting jumpers from the top of the key, and leading a couple of fast breaks without doubt. Look for Marcus to set the tone defensively for the Nuggets and take notice of how this team follows suit. Defensive toughness was stressed all training camp and tonight we really get our first glimpse of whether or not the concept was absorbed.

AI is also going to do his thing regardless of what position he ends up playing. It doesn’t really matter if he plays point or shooting guard because I think we would all agree that the ball is going to be in AI’s hands a good share of the time. And keep an eye on his assist total because it will be interesting to keep track of the win/loss record in games that AI does and doesn’t reach double figures in dimes all season long. If there turns out to be a direct correlation in Nuggets wins maybe he does need to adjust his game and become the full-time point guard after all. And while we’re in the backcourt, I’m also interested in seeing who steps up at the other guard position. The Nuggets have J.R. Smith trying to stay in good graces although he is supsended for tonight's game, Von Wafer looking to break through, the strong preseason finish of Bobby Jones, and Linas Kleiza all ready and available.

And the last major thing to keep in mind is an old Doug Moeism that says the first team to a hundred wins. The Nuggets should be able to get up and down the floor putting up points in bunches and should easily score at least a hundred points tonight against the Sonics. My prediction for tonight is Nuggets by eight.

Who’s with me?

Go Nuggets!

Don't Expect J.R. to be Extended

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets have until tomorrow to extend J.R. Smith's contract or choose to let the troubled young pro become a restricted free-agent after this season. And although I'm pretty sure you all know what I think about the situation here are a few of my thoughts: Let this bird fly the coop because he is way too much maintenance for a team with more serious problems and higher aspirations to occupy their time with. He always says that he is growing up and it's a learning process, but why is it that the lessons he keeps failing are those that should not have to repeat themselves? If there is a learning process going on, why do we keep hearing the same results? The answer, just like his reputation with previous coaches, is that J.R. is resistant to learning from his mistakes and taking the wisdom put in front of him. Need more proof? Just read the history of his driving record in its own section on his Wiki page. So, unless he flips a complete 180, let J.R. Smith wiggle on the hook he has created for himself. Maybe it's the kind of motivation that he needs to turn his life and career around.

The NBA Blog Previews Master List

(Boulder-CO) Huge thanks goes out to Jeff at www.celticsblog.com for putting together the most definitive source for NBA Blog Team Previews yet again for this season. Right here is the link for the Master List of all of us who contributed. Enjoy!

Backcourt Board Games

(Boulder-CO) With the news that Chucky Atkins is going to be out for at least six weeks with a severe groin strain some of my worst fears are starting to creep into my thought patterns on the eve of opening night. The Nuggets are a team that can ill-afford to have this kind of injury, (not to mention the chemistry problems and adjustment time needed afterwards), at this phase of the game. But yet the fact still remains that Denver’s only major off-season acquisition is down and the effects may be lingering.

Many of you may already know this, but I do not like Allen Iverson, with his historically one-on-one mastery, running the point. He is a creator. And like many creators from the history books before him, he is always near the top of the turnover leaders in the league. Does this diminish his contribution to the team? Absolutely not, but what it takes to be a creator in the game of basketball is not always synonymous with what it takes to be a great point guard.

A true point guard will always bring the ball down the floor and, unless he has an obvious exploitable mismatch, will immediately snap out the first pass of the offensive set and continue to carry out the rest his duties. This may include setting a screen, curling off a screen, flaring out of the paint after a short cut to position himself for an entry to a post player, or directing traffic to most advantageously put his team in a position to score.

Now, with all that being said, can Allen Iverson do this? The Answer, pardon the pun, is an emphatic “yes!” But is that what the Nuggets need him to do? My answer to that is an emphatic “no!” The Nuggets need Iverson to be on the receiving end of the ball and not distributing it. They need AI on the wing, curling off of double screens set by the bigs, stopping and popping, shaking and baking, and dribble penetrating the paint while slicing through defenses like a bird in the wind because Iverson is at his best when passing off to a man that is freed from a defensively rotating opponent after he leaves his man standing as if their feet were in concrete.

The difference, Nuggets Nation is point guards distribute to create, and therefore are not creators. Allen Iverson creates distribution and therein lies the pivotal difference.

So, what do I suggest the Nuggets do?

I suggest the Nuggets start veteran Mike Wilks at point guard and keep Allen Iverson free from having to do too much too early and see how it works. Forget about starting Yakhouba Diawara at shooting guard. Such a move will only slow the team down offensively because he doesn’t move very well off the ball and his shot selection is still in need of a little contextual work. The Yak averaged 4.4 points a game last season while shooting 28% from behind the three-point line with a combined 31.5% from the field in total. Statistically not becoming of a starting shooting guard in this league with the point being he is not ready to start in the backcourt for a team with as high of expectations as the Nuggets. It’s too much pressure for the second year player, and with so much seasoning in a guy like Wilks, why not just save ‘Khouba for defensive purposes? That is where he is going to be able to help this team the most, and in the game of NBA chess… Trying to use a rook for the job of a knight is surely going to leave you with your king wide open.

Go Nuggets!

NBA Blog Previews the Pacific

(Boulder-CO) Here are some of the best NBA previews you are going to find for those of you on the left coast who worship the sun out there in the Pacific division. Don't sleep on the competition, Nuggets Nation!

Golden St. Warriors

Golden State of Mind

Los Angeles Clippers

ClipsNation.com

Los Angeles Lakers

Forum Blue & Gold

With Malice

Phoenix Suns

Bright Side of the Sun

Sacramento Kings

Sactown Royalty

Archives

CelticsBlog NBA Page

Kleiza Exercised

(Boulder-CO) In a move that should come as no surprise to anyone, the Nuggets have exercised a fourth-year contract option on forward Linas Kleiza. LK is poised to have a tremendously positive impact for the Nuggets this season after flashes of greatness late last season. He is definitely going to surpass his previous season's averages of 7.6 points and 3.4 rebounds, and I wouldn't be surprised if he moves into the starting line-up in an over-sized shooting guard role when AI is forced to run the point early this season. He is capable of beating up smaller guards down in the blocks and on the boards and he is just as adept at guarding big two guards. Bravo, Nuggets Brass, you definitely made the right move.

Go Nuggets!

New ESPN Power Rankings

(Boulder-CO) The latest ESPN Power Rankings have the Nuggets as the twelfth best team in the league. I’d be willing to bet anyone pretty much anything that Denver winds up with a better overall season record than higher ranked teams like the Celtics, Jazz, Warriors, and Magic. Any takers?

Nuggets Individual Preseason Statistics

(Boulder-CO) Here is how the Nuggets preseason statistics shake out. Denver finished 5-3 overall with a pair of losses coming by way of the Detroit Pistons and the other loss to the Suns.

Scoring
1. Allen Iverson - 21.0 ppg
2. Carmelo Anthony - 19.0 ppg
3. J.R. Smith - 16.0 ppg
4. Linas Kleiza - 15.8 ppg

Assists
1. Allen Iverson - 6.0 apg
2. Anthony Roberson - 4.4 apg
3. Eduardo Najera - 4.0 apg
4. Carmelo Anthony 3.0 apg

Rebounds
1. Marcus Camby - 15.0 rpg
2. Eduardo Najera - 8.0 rpg
3. Carmelo Anthony- 5.6 rpg
4. Jelani McCoy - 5.5 rpg

Turnovers
1. Carmelo Anthony - 4.2 tpg
2. Allen Iverson - 2.67 tpg
3. J.R. Smith - 2.67 tpg
4. Anthony Roberson - 2.40 tpg

Steals:
1. Marcus Camby - 2.0 spg
2. Nene - 2.0 spg
3. J.R. Smith - 1.67 spg
4. Carmelo Anthony 1.6 spg

FG%
1. Jelani McCoy - 69.2%
2. Steven Hunter - 68.8%
3. Nene - 62.5%
4. Kenyon Martin - 61.9%

3-Point FG%
1. Bobby Jones - 50%
2. Anthony Roberson 45.8%
3. Allen Iverson - 44.4%
4. Von Wafer - 40%

Free-throw %
1. Eduardo Najera, Chucky Atkins, Brad Stricker, and Stacey Augmon - 100%
2. Anthony Roberson - 85.7%
3. Carmelo Anthony - 81%
4. Allen Iverson - 80%

After This... They Start to Count!

(Boulder-CO) Just a few quick notes from a game that no one could see.

First off, do you remember Linas Kleiza? You know that Lithuanian guy... Well, It was awesome to see LK break loose and score a game-high 34 points! Linas is going to have a big role this year and you might as well grab him on your http://www.protrade.com/ or fantasy team right now.

Secondly, AI gave the Nuggets 31 points and 10 assists. Big distribution nights for AI are going to be critical to the Nuggets success. Furthermore, anytime the Answer drops 30 you can expect Denver to win.

Next up is how the Nuggets put 133 points on Portland with not a lot of stars on the floor. Denver could very well improve offensively in comparison to last year as they learn to turn up the intensity on defense.

Counter point: Denver allowed Portland to score 125. Still a lot of work to do on the defensive end.

The most amusing part of the boxscore is Steve Blake's eight points. Does anyone disagree that the Nuggets were well advised to let him walk?

And finally, what is everyone wearing to the Pepsi Center on opening night?

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets vs Trailblazers Preseason Preview II

(Boulder-CO) Are we done with preseason yet? This is the last game for the Nuggets to try and experiment with any crazy line-ups, but I do not think that any starters will see more than enough minutes to stay fresh and break a sweat. Not much to preview for this one, so don't be broken hearted that the game isn't televised. And as long as nobody else gets injured, I could really care less who wins.

Go Nuggets!

NBA Blog Previews the Southeast

(Boulder-CO) This year's NBA Blog Previews have been fantastic and I strongly urge you to do your homework and get to know this year's competition. Here are the best Southeast links in game. Enjoy!

Washington Wizards

Bullets Forever



Orlando Magic

Believing in

Magic

Third Quarter

Collapse



Miami Heat

I Want to be a Sports Agent

Crazy from

the Heat



Atlanta Hawks

Impending

Firestorm

Atlanta Hawks

Blog



Charlotte Bobcats

Bobcat Bonfire

Archives

CelticsBlog NBA Page

Nuggets Edged by Strawberry, Suns

(AP Photo/Matt York)

(Boulder-CO) Denver had its chance late to walk away a winner tonight, but it was the high arching stroke of D.J. Strawberry that sealed the win for the Phoenix Suns, 116-113. Poor shooting percentages from both the free-throw line and three-point arch contributed tremendously in the loss, but worse than the defeat was seeing Chucky Atkins literally collapse after re-aggravating his groin in the middle of the fourth quarter. The injury was the worse case scenario for the Nuggets who now will likely have to start AI at point guard with the regular season set to start in less than a week.

Denver, with its starters in for the first half, jumped out to a twelve point lead at the break mainly due to attacking the basket early and often. Kenyon, Anthony, and Iverson all had really nice takes to the cup with the Nuggets in total scoring 22 points on either driving lay-ups or dunks. Shooting percentages were high at this point with 18 more points coming off of the charity stripe, but once the starters were summoned back to the bench all things statistically went down hill.

And so did the defense in the third quarter as the Nuggets allowed Phoenix to score 39 points in total including four three-pointers and only rebutted with 15 points of their own.

A once 12-point Nugget lead was suddenly erased and replaced with a 12-point advantage for Phoenix and George Karl had seen enough. It was time to see if the Nugget reserves could provide the courage to somehow win with a mountain to climb. And to their credit, they did fight valiantly to the end.

Denver managed to claw back slowly with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 113, but due to four missed free-throws by Von Wafer and J.R. missing his last three out of four attempts from the stripe the Nuggets opened the door for D.J. Strawberry to play the hero with just three seconds remaining after Marcus Banks drew a double team off of penetration and kicked it to him for the game-winning three. Denver finished the game by only shooting 16.7% from downtown and 61.8 from the free-throw line. Signed, sealed, and delivered. Nuggets lose.

Offensively, the Nuggets were paced by the dynamic duo of Allen Iverson (24 points and three assists) and Carmelo Anthony (22 points and five rebounds). Only two other Nuggets, (Bobby Jones and J.R. Smith), scored in double figures in comparison to seven for the Suns.

Up next for the Nuggets are the Portland Trailblazers in Portland tomorrow night. Hopefully a more favorable outcome is in store for the Nuggets Nation.

Go Nuggets!

J.R. Should Not Drink Alcohol

(Boulder-CO) Need proof of this post's title? Here is a quote pulled from the report, “Smith, 22, then told the officer ‘he was very (drunk and) doesn't remember everything’ that happened at the club.” I don’t even know how to explain what I just read, so here is the link.

If this report is true, and I mean 100% true, and it doesn’t translate into J.R. Smith being waived, traded, or anything resulting in him NOT being a Denver Nugget I will be very disappointed. And while I understand that A) J.R. Smith is a target, and B) that this kind of situation gets out of control all the time when people are drinking and acting a fool (that’s right I said acting a FOOL) … I still blame J.R. for putting himself in that kind position.

I Write for ESPN

(Boulder-CO) Ok, ok so maybe not fulltime - yet - but I have contributed a little piece to ESPN’s Denver Nuggets Preview. So, bang the link and check it out.

NBA General Managers Take Surveys

(Boulder-CO) The General Managers of nearly every team in the league have taken a survey and the results are in. Questions of note are who is going to win the Northwest Division and who will take home NBA superiority?

Surprisingly, the Nuggets are not picked to win their division, (they were last year and as we all know didn’t), but maybe this year it will be a flip-flop from last when the Jazz weren’t picked to win it either. Go check out what the real guys controlling the league think and get at me in the comments section!

Nuggets vs. Suns Preseason Preview

(Boulder-CO) Tonight the Nuggets will face the Suns in a game televised on national TV due to the fire situation in southern California. Phoenix enters this game with a stout 4-2 record so far this preseason, but tonight is going to be their first test against a Western Conference playoff foe since beating the Jazz about two weeks ago.

So, what do we know about the Suns? Obviously, they have the little go-go Steve Nash, Amare, and the on-again, off-again disgruntle Marion, but this team has also made some moves during the off-season that are of note. First, they landed the ever so fragile, but still very capable, Grant Hill. Another player I like that they have acquired is D.J. Strawberry. I’ve watched a lot D.J.’s game last year with the fighting turtles of Maryland and I can tell you that he is an outstanding player. He has a good shooting stroke, makes smart decisions, and is very athletic despite being a slender 6’5”.

And we can pretty much expect this one to be a barn burner. The Suns led the league last year with an average scoring pitch of 108.4 points a game as a result of Mike D’Antoni’s fastbeaking attack. The Nuggets came in at fifth in overall scoring at 100.3 points per game, however, Phoenix did have a better average margin of victory (5.6 points) in comparison to the Nuggets just barely squeaking by with two tenths separating what they gave up on the other end of the floor.

Other than that, I’m not going to guess as to who is going to play and who isn’t, but the game starts at eight o’clock MST on TNT and it should be a fun one. Also, be sure to check out these great Phoenix Suns sites for more information on tonight’s opponent.

www.phoenixsunsrising.blogspot.com
www.brightsideofthesun.com
www.sunsgossip.blogspot.com

Go Nuggets!

Carmelo Anthony is Blogging!

(Boulder-CO) Check it out! Carmelo officially has his own blog. He has only written one post as of yet, but he seems pretty honest and straight forward.

Snip-Snip: Nuggets Trim Roster

(Boulder-CO) It’s never personal, but some guys just don’t end up making the final cut. And when I say, “some guys”, I mean Anthony Roberson, Mike Wilks, Jelani McCoy, Brad Stricker, and I’m afraid to say… The Plastic Man Stacey Augmon were all thanked for their services and waived after last night’s game.

Not too many surprises on this cut list, but I did think that with the point guard situation looking as banged up as it is that Anthony Roberson might have stuck around a little bit longer. Especially since the Nuggets roster now stands at 14 players and the NBA roster limit stipulates that a team must have 12 active players at any given time, but also must have at least one “inactive” player with a maximum of three.

Now the current roster looks a little something like this:

Carmelo Anthony*
Chucky Atkins*
Marcus Camby*
Anthony Carter
Yakhouba Diawara
Steven Hunter
Allen Iverson*
Bobby Jones
Linas Kleiza
Kenyon Martin
Eduardo Najera*
Nene
J.R. Smith
Von Wafer

*denotes probable starter for opening night

Blaw! Double Buck Shot!!

(Boulder-CO) For the second time this preseason the Milwaukee Bucks have been bagged by the Denver Nuggets. Tonight, it was to the tune of, 114-102, at the Pepsi Center with Michael Ruffin actually being tossed after the final buzzer sounded! Talk about taking the preseason a little bit too seriously.

Denver was led offensively by Allen Iverson’s team high 21 points and six assists. AI also added five rebounds and a steal in 34 minutes of playing time. Other Nuggets of note were Carmelo Anthony (18 points, six boards, two assists, a steal, and a block), Linas Kleiza (12 points and a team-high seven rebounds), Von Wafer (13 points on 4-4 from downtown), and Kenyon Martin who played all of 20 minutes, but gave the Nuggets 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.

However, the biggest story is the first sighting of Big Brazil this season! Although he only played 13 minutes, Nene was effective with six points, four rebounds, two steals, and an assist. And coming in a close second to the Nene story is how J.R. Smith did not play, surprise-surprise…

From what I could tell from just the play-by-play and the gamecast, Denver dominated from start to finish by leading at the half by six and never losing the lead throughout the entire rest of the game. But other than the straight facts, that’s all I got!

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets vs. Bucks Preseason Preview II

(Boulder-CO) Who knows if even a single starter is actually going to play in this one for the Nuggets. So, in all reality this game should be close. The injury report is so long with Najera (sprained left foot), Atkins (tender groin), Camby (back spasms), Carter (broken hand), Nene (strained calf), Martin (double microfracture surgery), and Kleiza (sprained ankle) all on the day-to-day list that a definitive preview would be impossible to write.

Not to mention if J.R. Smith will even need to get suited up after his three ring circus continues to stop at all the wrong places for the Nuggets!

So, my only point of emphasis is for no one else to get hurt against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at the Pepsi Center.

Go Nuggets!

Denver Nuggets: Destiny or Disappointment?

* This is my submission to the www.hoopsblogging.com NBA Preview contest. Shall it be picked as one of the "best", I would win wild prizes and undisclosed amounts of cash! It also serves as a insightful look at what is at stake for the Denver Nuggets this season. Enjoy!

(Boulder-CO) Few teams with as rich of a basketball history as the Denver Nuggets have never won the NBA’s greatest prize. Such a fact is also why this season’s results can most accurately be evaluated at the end of the season by asking, “Were this year’s Nuggets a team of destiny or disappointment?” And by reading this preview, you’ll understand exactly what’s at stake for the Nuggets in 2007-08.

At first glance, one would venture to say that Denver’s roster is stacked! Carmelo, AI, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year-Marcus Camby, Nene, and former All-Star Kenyon Martin have all carved out their respective places in the NBA. Denver also has a budding talent in the form of Linas Kleiza, an All-World hustle player in Eduardo Najera, and a new sharp-shooting point guard in Chucky Atkins, but never has a single one of the aforementioned been able to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy. In fact, not a single player on the roster has. So, could this be the year that Denver finally brings it home?

Two things are going to dictate how far the Nuggets travel in the 2007-08 campaign. The first is team chemistry. If the Nuggets can find a way for their players to work together, while also achieving the individual accolades, they will surely go deep into the playoffs. Remember, if the spirit of the late Wilt Chamberlain doesn’t possess Kobe Bryant last March it was Carmelo Anthony who would have probably won the NBA scoring title. In addition to this, the Nuggets added a future HOFer and former scoring champion in Allen Iverson midseason, along with other less notable roster shake-ups, and the Nuggets just never really found a way to ideally mesh all their talent. Furthermore, losing Kenyon Martin for the season after the first two great games he played, and Nene needing to lose some weight after returning from his own season-ending injury and you can start to see just how pivotal this year’s team chemistry is going to be.

Equally important for this year’s Nuggets is to not get bitten by the injury bug. For too many seasons now the Nuggets have had an intricate part of their squad go down in their first handful of games. Vashon Leonard, Nene, and Kenyon Martin (twice) are just a few of the Nuggets in recent memory to become seriously hurt in the infancy of a season, not to mention names like LaPhonso Ellis and Calvin Natt come to mind from Denver rosters from further back in the history books. I’m also looking in the direction of Marcus Camby, who has always had his ups and downs with injuries, despite playing in 70 games (second highest total number of regular season games in his career) last year. In summary, Denver has historically been a hotbed for injured NBA players and the Nuggets can ill-afford this trend to continue if they are going to become a team of destiny.

So, aside from those two biggest contingents facing the Denver Nuggets, this team is a solid ten deep. The starting five of Chucky Atkins (14.2 points and 4.6 assists), Allen Iverson (24.8 points, 7.2 assists, and three rebounds), Carmelo Anthony (28.9 points, six rebounds, and 3.8 assists), Nene (12.2 points and seven rebounds), and Marcus Camby (11.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, and 3.2 assists) can match up offensively with anyone in the league. Denver then has the five of J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza, Eduardo Najera, Kenyon Martin, and the newly acquired seven-footer Steven Hunter all ready to spring off George Karl‘s bench. Round out the roster with a young defensive specialist like Yakhouba Diawara and an offensive specialist like Von “Nilla” Wafer and you can see why the expectations are so lofty in the Mile High City.

Finally, building off their regular season record of 45-37 last year and their frustrating/familiar first round exit in the playoffs, the Nuggets need to take the good and separate the bad to take this franchise further than ever before. Individually speaking, George Karl needs to stop coaching through the media, Carmelo needs to rebound more, AI would benefit this team greatly by having less turnovers, Camby, Nene, and Martin all need to stay healthy, J.R. Smith needs to improve his shot selection, Atkins needs to act as a supercharged motor on the fast break, and Linas, Eduardo, and Steven Hunter all need to find their niche for this team to improve. Otherwise, the team with the third highest payroll in the league, a team of destiny if you will, could become a team of disappointment real quick! And by disappointment I mean just barely being better than .500, limping into the playoff picture with a low seed, and consequentially being bounced in the first round yet again while having to suspend one of their pivotal players.

Destiny or disappointment, Denver. What is it going to be?

Go Nuggets!

Najera Hurt… At Home?

(Boulder-CO) I just couldn’t believe the report in Today’s Rocky Mountain News. Allegedly, Eduardo “The Grout” Najera slipped on some stairs in his home and sprained his left foot!

Had this happened to anyone else but Eduardo and I would be calling this questionable, but still, how are you going to get hurt on some stairs in your own home? Sounds a little bit like some other Denver athletes who have also been injured in bizarre home instances... Good grief!