Nuggets Bully Bulls

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) At 8-3, the Nuggets are out to their best start since 1988 and probably have a lot of people wondering just how good they are. And while I have a feeling about this team that I am currently just keeping to myself, maybe the Bulls have their own idea of just how good the Nuggets are after getting waxed from first whistle to final buzzer, 112-91.

For starters, we now know that the Nuggets defense is vastly improved from last season. Denver once again denied their opposition a 20+ scorer and before the Bulls were able to salvage some dignity in the fourth quarter the Nuggets had equaled or outscored their opponents in the last 17 straight quarters. Denver also held its fourth team in a row, tonight albeit just barely, to 40% or below from the field by keeping Chicago to exactly 40% shooting. Plus, the Nuggets once again out blocked their opponents, 7-5, thanks primarily to Marcus Camby’s five rejections, but it is the way the Nuggets are playing D as a team that really has me excited. Guys like J.R. Smith are really focused on playing team defense; meaning that when another Nugget gets beat they are stepping up for each other and making teams beat them as a cohesive unit rather than all that one-on-one stuff that lacked overall teammate support from previous years.

We also now know that the Nuggets are much better at sharing the ball compared to years past. Denver passed for 26 assists tonight with nearly everybody getting into the sharing spirit. Maybe it’s the holidays, but anytime a team like the Nuggets continues to have the passing game going the way Denver currently does it indicates that they are getting out on the break, making the extra pass, and are playing for each other instead of just with each other. Need more proof? The Nuggets are currently third in the NBA at a clip of 24.9 dimes per game and have the league’s most potent offense.

But what I like more than anything else is how all of Denver’s stars are still shining bright without a single Nugget hogging up the spotlight. Marcus Camby continues to do his dirty work and finished tonight with the gaudy stat line of 20 rebounds, twelve points, five blocks, five assists, and a steal while not even playing in the fourth quarter. Carmelo continues his fantastic all-around play and finished with a game-high 26 points, four assists, and two rebounds. This included putting Andres Nocioni in the spin cycle on the left side block and slamming it in his grill before unlacing his signature shoes and resting the entire fourth period. And Allen Iverson added 22 “quiet” points, six assists, and three steals before he too rested for the majority of the final period; thus translating into a very well-rested starting crew that has to travel tonight to play the Clippers tomorrow on the tail end of back-to-back games.

Then throw in the fact that the Nuggets starters STILL outscored the Bulls starters, 78-38, in essentially three quarters of play and you can see why Denver is now on a six-game winning streak.

So, what are your feelings? Have these last six games been 24 Karat Au worth taking to the bank or could we just be witnessing an extended stretch of Pyrite? Be sure to leave your insights in the comments section.

Go Nuggets!

AI Named Player of the Week

(Boulder-CO) For being an instrumental part of the Nuggets current five-game winning streak, Allen Iverson has been named Western Conference Player of the Week. Iverson scored 37 points, dished eight assists, grabbed three rebounds, and stole two balls against the Cavaliers on Monday, scored 20 points, dimed seven teammates, and nabbed two rebounds against the Trailblazers on Wednesday, and scored 23 points while finding four assists against the Knicks in only 35 minutes of action on Saturday night.

This occasion marks the 21st time AI has been honored for such an award, leaving Michael Jordan and Karl Malone as the only two players to be named P.O.W more times at 25 and 23 times, respectively.

Nuggets vs. Bulls: Game 11 Preview

(Boulder-CO) The Chicago Bulls are 2-7 and that’s exactly what has me worried. Chicago is badly underachieving from where their initial hopes were held and the Nuggets can ill afford to read too deeply into their horrendous record.

Remember when Ben Wallace was pulling down boards at a ridiculous pace in Detroit? Well, those days are seemingly gone and so far this season he is only grabbing around six a night. Think he is the only slumping Bull? Think again! Kirk Hirich’s scoring is way down from a career-high average of 16.6 points per game last season. It's so dropped so low in fact, it’s all the way down below his rookie-season clip of 12 ppg and he is only been scoring 10.1 points per game so far this season. And backcourt mate Ben Gordon’s no different. All his numbers are also slightly down from a year ago.

Furthermore, and to make matters worse if you're a Bulls fan, Luol Deng is proclaiming that he will not be able to play tonight due to sore back. Meaning Chicago will be without their best defender to latch onto ‘Melo (my mouth begins to salivate) and they will also have to find a way to make up his 14.6 points per game on the offensive end. And when you’re a team that only scores 87.9 points a game… that is a lot of scoring to be without when coming directly into the lion’s scoring-den that is the Mile High City.

Now, with all that background information on the Bulls I think the key to beating them will be settling on defense early. Chicago is third from last in the league in overall team scoring and the Nuggets have held their last three opponents to below 40% shooting. So, if Denver can keep its defensive focus sharp early they will have a ton of fast break opportunities and then will be able to overwhelm the Bulls in transition after getting their league leading 109-point offense revved up.

My final line is Nuggets by seven. Go say hello to Matt over at www.blogabull.com. He always loves it when you drop by around the holidays.

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets Quote of the Week

(Boulder-CO) There were a lot of good quotes this week, but none were really outstanding until late in tonight's Nuggets vs. Knicks game when Chris Marlowe gave us this week's clear cut winner.

"It's a laugher here in Denver"- Chris Marlowe

And I have a feeling that the comedy of errors that is the New York Knicks of recent has only just begun!

Denver Embarrasses New York

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) They say the best revenge is living well. Which I guess, metaphorically speaking in terms of the NBA, would be exactly where the Nuggets are after trampling the Knicks, 115-83. New York is now 2-7 and in the basement of the Atlantic and Denver is now 7-3, riding a five-game winning streak, and currently sitting on top of the Northwest. And while I think that right about sums up how I feel about the whole New York - Denver rivalry, this game was just too satisfying in so many different ways for there not to be a further dissection of the box score.

It must be immediately brought to your attention that the Nuggets have now held their last three opponents (Cavaliers, Trailblazers, and Knicks) to below 40% shooting from the field. In addition, tonight the Nuggets didn’t even give up a twenty-point scorer, forced 17 turnovers directly translating into 18 points, as a team swatted eleven shots, and out rebounded the Knicks, 51-46. Marcus Camby continues to lead the Nuggets charge and tonight squeezed 20 rebounds, passed out six assists, scored six points, and demolished five Knick shots in only 29 minutes.

And it seems as the Nuggets defense gets better and better so does their offense.

Denver held the Knicks to just 40 points in the first half and 43 in the second as they reeled off 25+ in each quarter while book ending New York with 30+ quarters in both the first and the fourth.

Carmelo Anthony finished with a game-high 24 points fitting nicely with his game-high six assists, three rebounds, and two blocked shots all without even playing in the fourth quarter. He threw an unbelievable behind the neck pass on the fast break to Kenyon Martin for a powerful jam, shot a one-handed bullet pass to Allen Iverson for a reverse lay-up, caught an acrobatic alley-oop from Marcus Camby, and only had one turnover while shooting 11-18 from the field including 2-2 from the land of plenty.

Allen Iverson almost matched ‘Melo in scoring with 23 points and four assists, but Yakhouba Diawara was the only other starter to score in double figures with ten points three rebounds, and three assists.

But the bench was more than enough to keep George Karl satisfied because their tremendous effort meant he didn’t have to play any of his starters more than 35 minutes. Denver’s reserves, led by Linas Kleiza’s 18 points and Bobby Jones’ eight rebounds, combined for 46 points, 18 rebounds, 12 assists, four steals, and only one turnover. Many of them were instrumental in the Nuggets being able to out score the Knicks 28-6 in fast break points, tie this season’s high for assists at 32, and deliver the fifth win by more than 17 points so far this year.

At least this time around Isiah Thomas and his crew took their beating like grown men. There was a moment in the fourth quarter where I had a feeling of déjà vu when Linas Kleiza was out on the dunking end of a run out and I thought something bad might happen. Thankfully, nothing did happen and the Nuggets don’t have to see Thomas or his crew until next year.

Go Nuggets!

Boys Will Be Boys

(Boulder-CO) Right out of the gate I have to apologize for some of the language in this clip and give due props for the dime being dropped by www.youbeenblinded.com. But after that forewarning, this footage is too hot for the Nuggets Nation to not get a peek of 'Melo, AI, and... DerMarr Johnson of all people going out on the town after beating the Lakers last season.




And so much for people being scared of playing the Nuggets in last year's playoffs... SHEESH!

Nuggets vs. Knicks: Game 10 Preview

(Boulder-CO) The Knicks may have won in New York, but I have a feeling that the Nuggets aren’t going to be so docile when these two teams face off in Denver. The Nuggets are on a four-game winning streak thanks to a much improved defensive focus and to be quite frank with you, I just don’t see the Knicks coming into the Pepsi Center and walking away winners.

Will the Knicks have Stephon Marbury? Will Isiah be on his best behavior? Does it really matter? The home crowd is going to handle all the trash talking as the natives are surely restless after having to wait such a long time to give it to the Knicks. My only hope that the game goes on without any tough guy routines.

The Nuggets are arguably playing their best basketball in recent memory. Denver comes into this game with the second best points per game average in the league at 108.3, they are only giving up 101.8 to their opponents, and are shooting a fantastic 47% from the field doing it. Oh, and in case you’re not paying that close attention… The Nuggets are no longer the laughing stock of the three-point game! Denver is tied for eighth in three-point shooting percentage at 37% from downtown. Now, whatcha now about that?

I’m going to keep it short and sweet today with this preview and just say the Nuggets win by ten, Carmelo will breakout for about 35, Isiah will pout like a child going to timeout, and the Pepsi Center lets the Knicks hear it from about 15 minutes before the ball is put into play until they get on the bus to get to the airport!

And I almost forgot! For a possibly more optimistic Knicks perspective be sure to head over to www.postingandtoasting.com and be sure to tell Seth that the Nuggets Nation is ready for tonight’s game!

Go Nuggets!

Moving Forward Without Grudges

(Boulder-CO) The first meeting between the Nuggets and Knicks since last year’s brawl went off without a snag. All who were involved in last season’s ugliness were on their best behavior (as they should be in all the games they suit up for this season and the rest of their respective careers). The NBA isn’t a league that should tolerate ongoing feuds. This isn’t the crips and bloods battling over drug distribution territory or avenging wrong doings from the past. Rather, this is professional basketball and these are two organizations that should BOTH be ashamed of, and wiser from, what happened on that regretful night.

With that being said, why then is Terri Frei of The Denver Post asking, “But don't you wish Carmelo Anthony at least would play as if he holds a grudge?”

To which I would answer “No”, and retort with a couple of questions of my own.

A grudge for what? Isiah Thomas, or anyone else involved in that disgusting fracas for that matter, forcing him to throw a punch at Mardy Collins?

But regardless of the answers to my questions, thankfully for Nuggets fans everywhere Carmelo has since rightly owned up to his participation in the “Little Grapple in the Big Apple”, paid his debt to the league by way of a 15-game suspension, and is not going to subscribe to such a childish notion that is holding a grudge. Rather, Anthony has wisely stated, “I have nothing against him (Thomas). I've tried to put that whole situation behind me. He talked to me about it. ... He's still a coach in this league, I still respect him as a coach and I'm not going to hold any grudges against him about that.”

But then Frei writes, “It's one thing to accept that the 2006 incident is in the rear view mirror. It's another for Anthony to fall for Thomas' blather, as apparently so many are predisposed to do.”

Fall for Thomas’ blather?

How about instead of seemingly condemning Anthony for not behaving in the same immature manner that got him suspended in the first place, we applaud Anthony for choosing to learn from his mistakes, bettering himself as a person and player, and moving on with the rest of his career without a vendetta against the Knicks as a team, individuals on that team, or their brass?

Look, my point (if you haven’t already realized it) is Carmelo, as are the rest of the Nuggets for that matter, are doing exactly what they should be doing. They are concentrating on winning games, not holding grudges, and most importantly not lowering themselves to the level, both professionally and personally, that the Knicks currently reside at despite what some columnist may wish.

Right now, New York is a team that I would compare more similarly to a traveling sideshow than a storied and respected professional sports entity. The sexual harassment case, a player going AWOL and then threatening to blackmail his coach, and a losing record to boot do not illustrate that the Knicks are a very solid franchise at any level. Furthermore, suggesting that the Nuggets, who are not without their own problems, should lower themselves individually or as a team to a level where grudges are held, thus insinuating that there is a score to be settled, is just as irresponsible as the actions of those involved on that cold December night at the Garden back in 2006.

So, if the Nuggets want redemption for a grudge held against the Knicks they should forget about what happened last season and only be concerned with redeeming themselves for the loss they suffered in New York already earlier this season. And in my opinion, suggesting anything other than that is unbecoming of professionalism regardless of profession.

Karl May be on to Something

(Boulder-CO) Many of you know this, but I’m not a completely sold believer in some varieties of statistical analysis and the Lenovo +/- has always been one I have been skeptical of. Not that it doesn’t make perfect sense, mathematically speaking, but I’m just kind of an old school guy that believes what my eyes tell me over what some fancy algebraic formula tells me to believe.

But does that mean this old dog isn’t capable of learning a new trick? Hardly. And from the latest Lenovo breakdown, George Karl may be the same way.

For the majority of the first nine games, Coach Karl has been starting AI, Yakhouba Diawara, ‘Melo, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby. And according to the Lenovo +/- measuring stick, he has some good reason for doing so. This starting five easily has the most positive differential when using the Lenovo stat and comes in at +39 points. Coming in a distant second at +17 points is the five of AI, Linas Kleiza, Carmelo, Camby, and believe it or not, Nene. But seeing how that five can not be played right now with Nene being sidelined with yet another injury, the next best combination is AI, Camby, Eduardo Najera, J.R. Smith, and Carmelo Anthony with a +16 point rating. Coincidentally enough, that third group of five is the exact rotation that Karl seems to be pulling off his bench with Nene sidelined.

I also found it coincidental that the first three combinations I mentioned are also playing the most minutes together starting with the best playing the most minutes and so on and so forth down the line.

But unfortunately for all those Linas Kleiza fans out there, substituting LK for Yakhouba into Karl’s most frequent starting line-up of AI, Carmelo, Camby, and Martin has only provided a +3 differential in the 28:27 minutes that group has played together, which is only five seconds less than the second best combination I just mentioned that has a rating +17. Leaving me to deduce that Nene may be more valuable to this team than I first may have thought and even more so in complimenting LK’s game.

And just to prove to you that I’m not going to completely abandoned my old school ways of evaluating things…

The Nuggets best Lenovo +/- team per minute is Kenyon Martin, Mike Wilks, J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza, and Bobby Jones with a +7.7 point rating per minute they play together. So, does that mean the aforementioned five is the best five-player combination the Nuggets have? Once again my answer to that is an emphatic, “Hardly!” Which should mean to all of you stat geeks out there that while there may be some truth to things like the Lenovo. There will never be a substitution for good old fashioned seeing is believing NBA analysis!

Go Nuggets!

Everybody Scores as Nuggets Win Again

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) On Monday night against the Cavaliers, everybody who played scored except for Von Wafer. Tonight against the Blazers, Von got his bucket. And they came in abundance for everybody as the Nuggets bullied the Blazers, 110-93, to extend their current winning streak to four games.

The Denver defense in the first half was fantastic and from there good things happened for the Nuggets. Portland was being held to jump shots that weren’t falling and finished the half with only 38 points on 16-43 from the field. It also didn’t help Portland’s cause that they were 2-11 from three and 4-7 from the free-throw line.

Denver, on the other hand, looked like they are having a lot of fun.

The Nuggets, led by Carmelo’s Anthony’s 16, scored 52 points in the half as they seemingly put the game into cruise control and never checked the rear view again.

Carmelo would finish as the game’s high scorer with 25 points, four assists, four rebounds, and a steal. AI added another 20 points, seven assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block. Kenyon chipped in with numerous exciting dunks adding up to 14 points to go along nicely with his four rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and single assist. Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith each dropped ten. Eduardo Najera scored eight and grabbed six rebounds. The Yak notched seven. Marcus Camby and Mike Wilks both scored five, with the Captain also grabbing 13 rebounds and snuffing out five shots. Bobby Jones found four. And yes, Von ‘Nilla” Wafer rounds out the entire roster with a deuce for good measure.

Whew! Talk about a box score.

When the last time a Nuggets team had every player that played in a game score was I can not be sure of, but I sure did like watching everyone get in on tonight’s action.

Even Coach George Karl passed a milestone by winning his 127th game with the Denver Nuggets which moves him into third place all-time in franchise history for wins. He now is trailing only Dan Issel in second with 180 wins and Doug Moe at 432, legendary, victories.

And as always,

“In Doug Moe, We Trust”

Go Nuggets!

Nuggets vs. Blazers: Game 9 Preview

(Boulder-CO) Last night I did my homework and watched the Trailblazers play the Pistons and I have to admit the Trailblazers look like a much improved team. Even without the services of Greg Oden, Portland has a lot of bright spots that the Nuggets are going to have to shade if they are to win again at home.

The Nuggets have literally no point guards. The Blazers have exactly three point guards. And no Blazer point guard impressed me more in last night’s game than Sergio Rodriguez. He may have only played 15 minutes, (scoring seven points, giving three assists, and grabbing two boards with no turnovers), but when Rodriguez was in the game he was, in my opinion, the difference maker in the Trailblazer’s, 102-94, win against the Pistons. Sergio made smart decisions, distributed the ball phenomenally, hit the open three, and took his man to the rack with a sense of control and poise. Needless to say, I fell in love with Rodriguez’s game last night, and would love to see a point guard like him in a Nuggets uniform. He thinks pass first, pass second, but is still able to help his team in a variety of ways without needing to shoot. Oh Sergio, how I love thee!

Another Portland point guard that has been impressive is the extremely brief Nugget, Jarrett Jack. Jarrett has scored 20+ points in three of the last four Trailblazer wins, and he is going to have to be contained if the Nuggets are to win tonight. He is a catalyst for the Trailblazers and by neutralizing him the Nuggets will disrupt Portland’s offensive flow.

Now, believe it or not, J.R. Smith and Yakhouba Diawaras’ defense on Brandon Roy is going to be the difference maker in tonight’s game. Roy comes into this game as the Trailblazer’s most potent offensive weapon with an average scoring clip of 20.6 points. He is also averaging better than five assists and leading the team in steals and minutes played. Slowing him down is going to be defensive emphasis number one, and I am very interested to see if J.R. continues to focus on playing as tough of defense as he has been playing in his last two games.

Other than that, the Blazers are on a four-game winning streak that is hopefully due to end tonight in Denver. As I briefly aforementioned, Portland played the late game last night, and as we all know, it is hard enough to win back-to-back games in the NBA and it’s even more difficult when the tail end is on the road. Also, be sure to head over to www.blazersedge.com for everything Trailblazers and ask my friend Dave how that Steve Blake guy is doing!

My prediction is Denver by eight.

Go Nuggets!

About.com's NBA Divisional Reports

(Boulder-CO) This season I have been asked by Dennis Velasco of About.com's pro basketball site to help Dave from www.blazersedge.com breakdown the Northwest and Pacific Divisions. Our first collaboration is up, and I encourage you to keep up with the rest of the NBA by checking these informative reports. Each team is broken down by last week's performance, who is performing well, and what is in store for the week to come. Go read!

J.R. Smith has Boosties

(Boulder-CO) By this time a ton have you have read my account of J.R. Smith absolutely jumping out of the building to catch that alley-oop from AI in last night's game against the Cavaliers, but I can imagine many of you haven't actually seen it. Well, wait no longer my fellow citizens of Nuggets Nation that couldn't catch the game last night because I have wrangled up this link directly taking you to the footage of the sickness and this video of J.R.'s other monster cram against the Wizards.



Face it, we all may just be living in a J.R. Smith world! "That kid is an athlete!"

We Fly High, No Lie, and You Know This!

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) Jim Jones could not have made a song more fitting of tonight’s, 122-100, Denver victory. The Nuggets were officially “Ballin’” all over LeBron and the Cavaliers as the Pepsi Center went absolutely bananas from opening tip to final buzzer. There was even a surprise Coolio, (that’s right I said Coolio), performance at halftime as if the Nuggets dominating all facets of the game wasn’t enough for 15 some odd thousand fans that were in attendance.

Now, I could go into all the x’s and o’s that made the Nuggets successful, but I’m in too good of a mood right now to bore you with all that. So, how about instead I take the professionalism down a notch and get right to the straight dope that was tonight’s game?

Is that alright with everyone? Good, great, grand, on we go!

Right off the bat, I have to mention J.R. Smith’s absolutely mind boggling performance. Early in the first half, J.R. caught an alley-oops upside your head pass from AI, (backwards mind you), and finished off the dish with an absolutely ridiculous slam that had me so pumped up I could have slapped your momma! I might also mention that the reason why J.R. was in that position was because he made a great defensive play and outlet pass to Iverson that got the whole thing started. But besides that one play, I have to admit that down the home stretch I was actually hoping that J.R. would get back in the game because he was just that damn exciting tonight. And luckily for me he did, and he did not disappoint. Plus, aside from scoring 29 points on 7-8 from the land of plenty, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing four assists, J.R. did the Cavaliers absolutely dirty when with only a minute left and the Nuggets up by twenty he drops not one, but two cold-blooded three-pointers to further work the home crowd into an even more rabid frenzy!

Next on the long list of Nuggets highlights is the performance of Allen Iverson. AI gave the young Daniel Gibson a text book lesson on how he got the nickname “The Answer” as he lit the second-year player up for a game-high 37 points, eight assists, and three rebounds. In addition to AI’s schooling of the young Daniel Gibson, Carmelo Anthony efficiently gave the business to Ira Newble, Larry Hughes (who, by the way, got ejected in the first quarter for saying something to an offical that I have to assume was absolutely putrid), and Dwayne Jones on his way to 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals. ‘Melo was hitting all kinds of fade-aways and was making the extra pass at every opportunity. For example, on one particular occasion he grabbed an offensive rebound, split the defenders, and dimed Kenyon Martin for a thunderous slam when he could have easily scored the deuce himself. I mention this only because it was a clear example of how Carmelo Anthony is visibly trying to make his teammates better; a trait that I’m not sure I could realistically say was part of his game in seasons previous.

From there you have to tip your hat to the Nuggets as a cohesive defensive unit. Denver held the Cavaliers to just 41% from the field while out rebounding, stealing, and swatting Cleveland all over the floor. And per usual, Marcus Camby led the defensive charge for the Nuggets. The Captian held Zydrunas Ilgauskas to a mere two points and six rebounds while grabbing 12 errant Cleveland shots and swatting another one for good measure in just 31 minutes of action.

Plus, as I mentioned before, there was a surprise Coolio performance at halftime where the ex-star belted out all three of his biggest hits. “Get Your Woman on the Floor”, “Fantastic Voyage”, and “Gangsta’s Paradise” were so random that they just made my night. Not to mention the cornrow mohawk was priceless!

Up next for the Nuggets are the Trailblazers on Wednesday night. The Mile High crew now stands at 5-3 and more excited about Nuggets basketball I can not recall myself being. Get at me in the comments section if you have anything else to add.

Go Nuggets!

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!