The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(Boulder-CO) For the Denver Nuggets it was the story of two halves in Ohio. In the first half, the Nuggets were good. In the second half, the Nuggets were bad. In the end, things got down right ugly as the Nuggets lost to the Cavaliers, 110-99.

The Good:

-Chauncey Billups finally found his shooting stroke as a Denver Nugget. Billups hit net on all four of his first three-point attempts in the first quarter alone on his way to an 18 point half. Chauncey would finish the game with 26 points and six assists.

-As a team, the Nuggets shot a scorching 59% (22-37) from the field in the first half. Denver's 36-point first quarter is also the largest scoring quarter so far this season.

-The Nuggets out rebounded the Cavaliers 18-12 in the first two quarters. Also, in what seems like a first this season, Denver gave up fewer than five offensive rebounds in a half.

-The Denver Nuggets, the NBA's leading free-throw shooting team by volume, got to the free-throw line 13 times in the first half and connected on 12 of 13 attempts. The Nuggets ability to manufacture points in this fashion played a huge role in Denver holding a, 61-58, advantage heading into intermission.

The Bad:

-Basically the entire defensive effort of the second half. It was perhaps the way Denver masked their shoddy defense in the first with their hot shooting, but it was apparent when the shots stopped falling just how poor the Nuggets defended. After allowing the Cavaliers to shoot 61% (27-44) in the first half, the Nuggets, who went cold offensively, allowed Cleveland to hit 20-38 shot attempts in the second. For the game, Cleveland shot 57% from the field.

-After winning the rebounding battle in the first half, Denver ended up losing the rebounding war, 34-33.

-Of Cleveland's 47 made shot attempts 30 of were assisted. A very bad sign for the Nuggets help and recover defense.

-The Nuggets only scored 38 points in the second half after scoring 36 points in the first quarter. This was largely in part to the Nuggets forgetting what a pass is. In the first 24 minutes of action, Denver recorded nine assists on their 22 made baskets. In the second 24 minutes of action, the Nuggets stopped sharing the basketball and only recorded seven more assists on their final 13 made baskets.

The Ugly:

- J.R. Smith completed a drive to the basket that was so sick it made me vomit a little bit in my mouth. After penetrating the right wing, Smith put Wally Szczerbiak in the spin cycle, jumped in the air, realized he was too far underneath the backboard to go straight at the rim, dipped the ball down low with both hands, reappeared on the opposite side of the rim, and spun the ball in from the left side with his right hand. The finish left me in awe of how much body control J.R. has. The video is pending post on youtube.

-The game became chippy towards the end as Cleveland was without a doubt going to win. I think it started after Carmelo was whistled for an offensive foul for elbowing LeBron in the face when trying to put in an offensive rebound in the fourth quarter. Regardless, Nene gave LeBron a little shoulder bump and a couple of words of wisdom, and few minutes later Kenyon Martin blew up a Daniel Gibson screen that drew a foul on. A few more words were exchanged over the duration of the fourth quarter and with Kenyon Martin guarding LeBron James, Anderson Varejao set a high screen on Martin and he and Varejao collided. There wasn't anything dirty about the screen or Kenyon's attempt to fight through it, but after what happened last night in Phoenix with Rafer Alston, Tracy McGrady, Matt Barnes, and Steve Nash Referee Joey Crawford wasn't having anymore of it and hit Kenyon with a flagrant-2 and the early shower. Kenyon then proceeded to give Crawford a piece of his mind while being held back by Coach George Karl and the rest of his staff.

So, with the first half of this back-to-back set behind them the 4-4 Nuggets now have to regroup and head into the lion's den better known as the Boston Garden. And something tells me the big frontline of the Celtics can’t wait to see the Nuggets…

Game 8: Nuggets @ Cavaliers

(Boulder-CO) The shorthanded Nuggets will face their first of two extremely difficult, back-to-back tests of this season when they take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight and the defending champion Boston Celtics tomorrow. And as if the order wasn't tall enough, the Denver Nuggets suited only nine players against the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night and will once again have a thin frontcourt due to Chris Andersen (rib), Steven Hunter (knee), and Kenyon Martin (wrist) all doubtful for tonight's game. Oh, and don't forget that Cleveland is a perfect 4-0 so far this season at home!

Since LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony were forever joined in the 2003 draft it has been Carmelo who has enjoyed the most head-to-head success while James has experienced more success overall. Since James and Anthony entered the league, Denver has won five straight and eight of the first 10 meetings with Cleveland, including two wins last season by an average of 26.0 points, but that's not the only story line between two players with ties on either team. Of the three Brazilian players currently in the NBA, Denver's Nene and Cleveland's Anderson Varejao are also critical components to their respective clubs. For the Nuggets, Nene comes into tonight's game as Denver's third leading scorer with an average of 15.6 ppg which includes the NBA's best shooting percentage of 67.2%. Big Brazil has also scored 10+ points in six of his first seven appearances this season, marking the first time in his career that he has done so. For the Cavs, Varejao is averaging 8.8 ppg off of the bench while also shooting a blistering 65.1% from the field.

As I mentioned before, the Nuggets are extremely thin right now in the frontcourt. The injuries to Nugget big men has left Denver playing Carmelo Anthony and Renaldo Balkman at the power forward position when Linas Kleiza, J.R. Smith, Dahntay Jones, or Anthony Carter play in any combination with Chauncey Billups. And to this point, it hasn't been a blatant deficiency for Denver, but that might speak more to the teams that the Nuggets have faced up to this point. However, tonight against the Cavaliers it may be a different story. Cleveland, including the super-human LeBron James, has a very big and talented crew of big men. The Cavaliers use the 7'4" Zydrunas Ilgauskas and the bruising Ben Wallace in tandem as starters and then shuttle the 6'11" Varejao in and out as needed. Furthermore, Cleveland plays at a very grinding style of halfcourt basketball which could also stymie the smaller, quicker Nuggets.

The winner of tonight's game is going to be the team that dictates the style of play. The Cleveland Cavaliers, with their size and lack of overall team speed, are going to want to play halfcourt offense while not allowing the Nuggets to start their fast break. On the other hand, Denver will want to push the pace and score as many points as possible in an attempt to run the Cavs ragged. And to do this, Denver will need to rebound the basketball. I have been disappointed in the Nuggets' effort on the boards in their last two games due to the number of offensive rebounds allowed and the overall lack of a sound rebounding scheme. Too often the Nuggets all turn and look for the ball coming off the goal rather than finding the closest man and putting a body on them. As a result, we have seen Denver fall behind in games early, and make things harder then they needed to be on themselves down the stretch. In this regard, and since acquiring Chauncey, it hasn't burned the Nuggets yet, but that's not to say it won't in the future.

My final thought is going to be the inevitable match-up between Renaldo Balkman and LeBron James. Carmelo Anthony may initially draw James on defense, but King James has scored exactly 41 points in three of the last four games Cleveland has played and I believe the onus of guarding LeBron is going to ultimately fall on Balkman. That's not to say Carmelo isn't capable of at least slowing James down (because let's be honest, no one mere mortal can stop him), but if the Nuggets are going to win they will need Anthony more on the offensive end while hoping Renaldo can do a respectable job guarding the most unguardable player in the league today.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

'64- St. Louis Hawks forward Bob Pettit became the first NBA player to score 20,000 points.

'77- Boston Celtics great John Havlicek scored 14 points in a 127-119 OT victory at Milwaukee to raise his career total to 25,202 points and pass Jerry West into what was then third place on the NBA all-time scoring list.

'79- While playing center for Philadelphia, Darryl Dawkins shattered a backboard with a slam-dunk during the Sixers’ 110-103 loss at Kansas City.

'90- Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers became only the second guard in NBA history to reach the 9,000 career assist mark (joining Oscar Robertson) in a 112-111 loss to Phoenix at the Great Western Forum. Utah’s John Stockton later surpassed both players in career assists.

'98- William “Red” Holzman, who coached the New York Knicks to their only two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, died at age 78.

'99- The Cleveland Cavaliers honor former All-Star point guard Mark Price by retiring his #25 jersey at a special ceremony that takes place at halftime of the Cavs' home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Price played for Cleveland from 1986 to 1995 and is the franchise's all-time leader in assists (4,206) and steals (734).

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

'80- Denver Nuggets center Dan Issel hit a fourth quarter layup during a 118-111 loss at New Jersey, lifting his career point total to 20,000 as he became the 12th man in pro basketball history to reach that plateau.

'94- NBA All-Star balloting extended beyond the United States for the first time, as ballots were made available to fans at Foot Locker stores in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and Australia.

Enjoy your day!

Nuggets Scratch Out the 'Cats

(AP Photo/Rick Havner)

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets continue to roll since acquiring Chauncey Billups with the Bobcats serving as their third-straight win, 88-80, tonight in Charlotte. And what's scary for upcoming foes is how strong Denver looks so soon despite the mediocre play of its native son since his return.

The first quarter against the 'Cats could have been the worst played twelve minutes so far this season. The Nuggets opened up the game by allowing the Bobcats five offensive rebounds in their first four possessions while falling behind 8-0 out of the gate. And while nobody was boxing out it seemed like Charlotte was being dared to shoot uncontested three-point attempts too. Jason Richardson connected on two out of his first three from long range, and if it hadn't been for Raymond Felton, D.J. Augustine, and Gerald Wallace shooting a combined 0-6 from downtown the Nuggets may have found themselves down by more than six entering the second.

Thankfully, the energy of Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter was contagious as the Nuggets began showing signs of life in the second quarter after Balkman scored six of Denver's final eight points in the first off a pair of assists by AC. But Carter wasn't done dishing it out just yet and he would find dimes on three of the next five Nugget baskets as the Nuggets pulled within four at the end of the half, 46-42.

Please believe me when I say the Nuggets were lucky to be within ten at this point in the game considering the starters were a combined 9-23 shooting without a single player in double-digits. In fact, the only Nugget having an economical game in the first half was Renaldo Balkman who slashed and banged his way to ten points on 5-6 from the field. I also think the game's slow pace was favoring the Bobcats as the Nuggets had just six fast-break points.

The second half started as if the Nuggets were just on the edge of shaking off the jet lag. Carmelo had only scored seven points, Chauncey was struggling again shooting the basketball, and Nene had been unusually quiet both offensively and on the boards. However, you could feel that Denver was on the verge of breaking loose on their first possession of the half after Carmelo came up with a very heady pass to Nene that left the rim shaking. Denver would then quickly tie the game, 50-50, proceed to outscore the Bobcats by 13 points in the third period, and never look back as they handily controlled the rest of the game.

Carmelo scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half on a very steady 10-19 from the field after starting the game a luke warm 3 of 7. Chauncey came around in the second half, despite still not having a great shooting night, to score 16 points largely in part to a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. Billups also dished out five assists without a single turnover and provided that much needed calm when Charlotte narrowed the Denver lead to just two points midway through the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets are now winners of three-straight games, above .500 for the first time this season, and will now face their first pair of major tests on the road. Up next are the 6-2 Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night before Denver faces reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics on Friday.

Go Nuggets!

Buy-Out and Stay-Out

(Boulder-CO) In all honesty, I really did want to see Antonio McDyess in a Nuggets' uniform this season. Call me nostalgic, but Antonio was one of my favorite Nuggets back in those days. However, despite McDyess' agent saying that he has no resentment towards the Nuggets, I think some bygones are just still too tough to be bygones. Regardless, Antonio McDyess has been bought out of his remaining due of nearly $15 million for about $6 million; or what is otherwise known as highway robbery by the Nuggets. And what makes the deal ever sweeter for the Nuggets is they will only have three million dollars of that almost $15 million on their cap this year and next year as the buyout is split up over the length of the contract that was bought out.

But in all reality... He didn't leave himself many outs when choosing not to play for Denver.

If McDyess didn't want to play for Denver at any cost, was unwilling to take a quasi-generous buyout, but still wanted to play basketball then his only alternative would have been to retire and completely lose out on the aforementioned $15 million and then be left trying find another contract with another team of which I am sure wouldn't have paid him even close to what he was originally entitled to.

Either way, Denver got the best of this deal.

Go Nuggets!

Game 7: Nuggets @ Bobcats

(Boulder-CO) Tonight, the Nuggets match-up with a team very similar to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Charlotte Bobcats. Both teams are similar in the fact that both teams struggle to put points on the board, yet both have players individually very capable of putting up big numbers in the boxscore. Jason Richardson averaged 26.5 ppg in two games against the Nuggets last season and his teammate Gerald Wallace, while only playing in one game against Denver, burnt the Mile High crew for 40!

For starters, Charlotte comes into tonight's game 2-4 overall with wins over Miami and New Orleans and with a lean nightly scoring average of 88.5 ppg. Denver on the other hand is averaging the league's fourth best nightly effort on offense at 102.2 ppg meaning that tonight's game may very well boil down to how Denver plays defense.

So, if the league's third worst offensive club didn't already have enough problems, the Bobcats are also one of the league's worst rebounding clubs too. This is an area that should be exploited tonight by the Nuggets. Denver comes into tonight's game as the NBA's third highest rebounding team whereas the Bobcat's are the second worst at clearing the boards. The flip side to this statistical anomaly is how Denver allows their opposition the most offensive rebounds league wide. And with Kenyon Martin's status for tonight's game up in the air, this is going to be a critical area of the game for Denver to control. A real easy way to allow a team that has trouble scoring the rock to score more points than usual is to give them second and third chance opportunities on the offensive end.

The next area that has the beloved Nuggets in a perceived advantage is the free-throw line. Did you know that the Nuggets are shooting more free-throws than any other team in the NBA? Yup, it's true, and they are making more than any other team too with an average of 26.8 ppg game coming by way of the charity stripe. The Bobcat's are thin outside their starting five so the Nuggets would be wise to try and get Charlotte's big men in foul trouble early by attacking the rim while looking to draw fouls.

How long can the blissful pairing of Chauncey Billups and the Denver Nuggets last? At least another game because without a catastrophic breakdown Denver should be able to beat the 'Cats and get back on the right side of .500.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

'80- Billy Knight of the Indiana Pacers scored a team-record 52 points at San Antonio to lead the Pacers to a 119-113 victory. Reggie Miller broke the record by scoring 57 points in a 134-122 win over Charlotte on November 28, 1992.

'92- Shaquille O’Neal made his NBA debut for the Orlando Magic against Miami. Orlando won 110-100.

'93- New Jersey retired the #3 jersey worn by the late Drazen Petrovic prior to a game at the Meadowlands Arena with Indiana. Petrovic was killed in an auto accident in Germany on June 7,1993. On hand for the ceremony were NBA Commissioner David J. Stern, Petrovic’s former Croatian teammates Dino Radja and Stojko Vrankovic, his father Jole, mother Biserka and brother Aleksander.

'93- The NBA Board of Governors voted to adopt a modified NBA Draft Lottery system that increased the chances of the teams with the worst records in the league of winning one of the first three picks in the NBA Draft.

'95- Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon scores 21 points in the Rockets’ 119-97 victory over visiting Minnesota, becoming the ninth NBA player to collect 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in a career.

'96- New York’s Patrick Ewing became the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points, scoring 24 in the Knicks’ 92-88 win at Orlando.

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 10th, and on this day:

'64- Detroit Pistons’ player-coach Dave DeBusschere recorded his first coaching victory, 119-117 against Baltimore in Philadelphia. At age 24, DeBusschere was the youngest coach in NBA history.

'89- The Associated Press named NBA Commissioner David J. Stem the Sports Executive of the Decade for the 1980s. The AP’s NBA award winners were: Team of the Decade (Los Angeles Lakers), Coach of the Decade (Pat Riley) and Player of the Decade (Magic Johnson).

'89- The Minnesota Timberwolves captured their first NBA victory with a 125-118 overtime triumph over Philadelphia at the Target Center.

'90- The host Phoenix Suns routed the Denver Nuggets 173-143 to tie a record held by the 1959 Boston Celtics for the most points scored in a non-overtime game. The Suns had 107 points in the first half, breaking the mark of 90 set by the Nuggets three days earlier in a 161-153 loss to San Antonio. Suns Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons also picked up his 700th career coaching victory, becoming only the seventh coach in the history of the league to reach that mark.

Enjoy your day!

Nuggets Too Much for Memphis

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) Since trading Allen Iverson, the Denver Nuggets are 2-0 and look like a different team. The stretches of play where it looks as if there is no semblance to organized basketball are a thing of the past. It's as if one player has completely changed to complexion of this entire organization. Just ask the Memphis Grizzlies, who last night were handled with little stress, 100-90, in Denver's first game holding its opposition under 100 points of the year.

In the first half, Denver handled most of its business with its starters. Coach George Karl gave his first unit the majority of the half to themselves as he would only play one bench player, Renaldo Balkman, more than ten minutes of action. And things were good for the Nuggets as Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups each finished the first 24 minutes with eleven points and three rebounds and Billups with nine assists. Nene was also well on his way to yet another double-double with eight points and eight rebounds at the break as the Nuggets were a bit short handed on big men with Kenyon Martin not being able to play.

For Coach Iavaroni's Grizzlies, O.J. Mayo was everything I advertised him to be. Mayo torched the Nuggets for 26 points in 16 minutes of burn in the first half on 9-12 shooting, including a torrid 4-5 from downtown. And it was a good thing Mayo went crazy offensively because the rest of the Grizzlies were a frigid 9-27 from the field combined as Memphis clung to a, 54-53, lead going into the half.

In the second half, the rest of the Nuggets got in on the act offensively as O.J. Mayo cooled off and the Memphis Grizzlies conceded to the Denver defense. Memphis would only attempt 32 shots in the second half, connect on nine of them, and the Nuggets would create twelve Grizzly turnovers in the half, 22 for the game, while only allowing Memphis to score 36 points in the final 24 minutes. As for Mayo, he would only score five more points in the second half to establish a new NBA career-high 31 points.

The Nuggets would have all five starters and one sub score in double figures. Carmelo would finish with 24 points and eight boards, Nene with 18 points, twelve rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block, Billups added 16 points, ten assists, three steals, and a block, Linas Kleiza, in the start for Kenyon Martin, would chip in a dozen points and nine rebounds, and Dahntay Jones would round out the starters with eleven points, two rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist.

Then there was a super-sub, Renaldo Balkman. Despite not having the most refined game I've ever had the pleasure of watching, Balkman is a joy to watch nevertheless. He is constantly making efforts that others would save for more opportune times and in doing so creates so many extra opportunities for his mates. Chasing down loose balls, harassing the opposition in the backcourt, and relentlessly attacking the offensive glass are just few of the reasons why Renaldo is quickly making Nuggets fans everywhere forget about the recently departed Eduardo Najera. Last night, Renaldo scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, and swiped a pair of steals in 25 minutes off of George Karl's bench and left to a standing ovation from the Pepsi Center patrons. Additionally, he was to thank for keeping Rudy Gay under 20 points as the Nuggets completely disrupted anything Memphis wanted to do offensively.

Up next for the Nuggets is a three-game road trip that starts in Charlotte on Tuesday night when the Nuggets take on Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, and the rest of Larry Brown's Bobcats. Here's to hoping that the Denver honeymoon with Chauncey Billups can last an extra week as Denver is now 3-3 overall and looking far more formidable sans Allen Iverson.

Go Nuggets!

Surprise! Hunter Needs Knee Surgery

(Boulder-CO) I'm not trying to be insensitive about Steven Hunter needing yet another knee surgery, but is anyone actually surprised? The Denver Post reports that Hunter has been seeing knee specialists since this preseason and is in need of surgery again.

Steven Hunter has only appeared in 19 games as a Denver Nugget.

Game 6: Grizzlies @ Nuggets

(Boulder-CO) If Saturday's game was the second marriage between Chauncey Billups and the Nuggets then tonight is the second honeymoon. The Memphis Grizzlies pay the Nuggets a visit tonight, but shouldn't be taken lightly. Memphis is a stout 3-3 overall and has two quality wins over Golden State and a surprising victory over the Orlando Magic.

The Grizzlies are a very young athletic team. Rookie O.J. Mayo has surprised many with how early and easily he has made the transition from starring at USC last year to making a solid contribution this year for the Grizzlies. Mayo is playing nearly 40 minutes per game and averaging 17.3 points which ranks him the league's second-highest scoring rookie behind Chicago's Derrick Rose's 17.7 ppg. The Grizzlies may have also struck it big with rookie Marc Gasol. The younger brother of Pau, Marc has taken no time in emerging as a solid addition for this year's Memphis team. He is currently leading the team in rebounding at a nightly clip of 8.8 rebounds while also averaging 10.8 points per game through his first six NBA games.

Then you have the scary athleticism of Rudy Gay. The 6'8" third-year player is picking right up where he left off last season as the leader of the Grizzlies. Gay is averaging a team-high 20.7 points with many of those scores coming by way of spectacular fashion. His combination of speed, finesse, and size make him an entertaining player to watch and a headache for the opposition.

As for how the Nuggets can defeat the Grizzlies it's actually pretty simple. Score. The Grizzlies come into tonight's game struggling to put points on the scoreboard and are averaging under 90 points per game. In two of their three wins, Memphis has scored 90 or fewer points and of their six games total have only scored more than 90 points twice. This means two things: The obvious being if the Nuggets can run a controlled fast break and get good looks at the basket in the halfcourt set they should have no problem tonight. The less obvious storyline in tonight's game will be the Denver defense. As outlined, the Grizzlies don't score a whole lot of points so tonight's game should be a litmus test for where the Nuggets are defensively.

Time to get us a Grizzly!

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 9th, and on this day:

'46- George Mikan made his professional basketball debut for the Chicago American Gears in a 66-61 loss at the Oshkosh All-Stars in a National Basketball League game.

'75- Mendy Rudolph ended his 23-year career as a referee in the NBA, in which he officiated more games (2,113) than any man in league history at the time. Earl Strom later broke Rudolph’s record and officiated over 2,400 games in his 30-year career.

'83- David Stern was named to succeed Larry O’Brien, who resigned after 8½ years, as NBA Commissioner. Stern officially took over on February 1, 1984.

'89- The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 155-154 in five overtime periods, matching the second-longest game in NBA history (Syracuse-Anderson on November 24, 1949). The Bucks-Sonics game was the longest game since the advent of the 24-second shot clock in 1954. Seattle’s Dale Ellis set an NBA record by playing 69 of the 73 minutes.

'93- Minnesota’s Micheal Williams had his record-setting NBA consecutive free throw streak end at 97 in a game at San Antonio, when he misfired on a second-quarter attempt. Williams’ mark of 97 eclipsed Calvin Murphy’s previous consecutive free throw record of 78, set during the 1980-81 season. Denver’s Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf moved into second place on the all-time consecutive FT streak list with 81, with his streak ending on November 16, 1993 against San Antonio.

'95- The Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-88, to earn the first of an NBA-record 33 road victories in one season.

'97- New York's Buck Williams played in his 1,270th game, tying him with John Havlicek for fifth on the all-time list.

Enjoy your day!

Chauncey's First Game a Good One

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(Boulder-CO) Mr. Big Shot's first game back in front of his hometown fans may have not been his best personally, but it did show exactly what Denver can expect out of Billups when the game is in the balance. Despite only connecting on 5 of his 17 shot attempts and dishing just three assists, Chauncey lived up to his clutch-tag and came up with two game-changing steals down the stretch to help salt away the victory for the Nuggets, 108-105.

The first half was great battle with both teams taking turns with the lead. For the Nuggets, the top performer was Nene. Big Brazil was giving Desagana Diop a clinic on post play while finishing the half with 13 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Linas Kleiza also found some much needed rhythm by attacking the goal for ten of his 14 points in the first half as well. And had it not been for the Nuggets being badly out rebounded 14-7 on the offensive glass they might have been able to hold on to one of their many leads.

However, for the Nuggets overall it would be the story of two halves when it came down to how this one finished.

After some Nuggets started out hot and then cooled others began to heat up. Carmelo Anthony started slowly with just eight points in the first half, but turned his game up a notch to score 20 more points in the second half, including a perfect 14-14 from the free-throw line, while also doing the majority of his work on the boards in the final two periods. 'Melo finished with eight boards and six assists in a well-balanced effort, and received a lot of help from his supporting cast. J.R. Smith added nine of his 15 points in the second half, Billups scored ten of his 15 in similar fashion, and the Nuggets managed to combat a three-point Dallas barrage to outlast the Mavericks, 108-105.

With the fourth quarter just getting started, the Nuggets opened up their biggest lead of game, 82-72, before the aforementioned long-range onslaught began. Dallas would hit five three-pointers in the final quarter alone as they hoisted 35 three's total; the most attempts against the Nuggets in regulation since the Mavericks shot 37 on Feb. 29, 1996. In fact, Dallas scored 30 of their 56 second half points by way of the three led Jason Kidd connecting on four of his team-high six treys.

But down the stretch, it was 'Melo time. After assorted Nuggets scored the first twelve Denver points in the fourth quarter, Carmelo held the Mavericks at bay with 13 of the final 16 Nugget points on eight made free-throws.

Billups was just as clutch with two steals at critical points in the game. The first came with the Nuggets leading by one, 99-98, and only two minutes to play. Carmelo took a short jumper that was blocked by Jason Kidd and rebounded by Brandon Bass before Chauncey stalked Bass' outlet pass and regained possession for the Nuggets. Carmelo Anthony would then draw a foul on Kidd and make both free-throws to give the Nuggets a much needed three-point advantage. The second came with Billups robbing Kidd on the following halfcourt set that allowed the Nuggets to run another full shotclock off the ticker. Denver wasn't able to score in that possession, but the time expired off of that steal was invaluable down the stretch as yet another great steal, this one by Nene from Brandon Bass, gave the Nuggets enough to finish the Mavericks off.

With Chauncey at the helm, the Nuggets only turned the ball over just eleven times while forcing the Mavericks into a season-high 17 turnovers of which resulted in 22 Denver points.

Former Nugget Allen Iverson also made his debut last night for the Detroit Pistons. The Answer scored a team-high 24 points and dished six assists, but the Pistons lost, 103-96, to the New Jersey Nets.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 8th, and on this day:

'78- The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets began a game where the final 17:50 of the contest was replayed on March 23, 1979, due to a protest being upheld. Harvey Catchings and Ralph Simpson played for the 76ers and Eric Money and Al Skinner played for the Nets when the game began, but were traded to the opposing teams by the time the game was resumed. It's the only time in the history of professional sports that any player played for both teams in the same game.

'92- After losing 43 consecutive road games against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sacramento Kings finally snapped the streak with a 124-114 victory behind 29 points from Mitch Richmond. The Kings had last won at the Great Western Forum on October 20, 1974, when they were based in Kansas City-Omaha.

'94- Cleveland became the second NBA team to open a new arena during the 1994-95 season, as 20,562 fans filed into the Gund Arena to watch the defending NBA Champion Houston Rockets shade the Cavaliers 100-98.

'94- Detroit’s Joe Dumars tied the NBA record (held by Brian Shaw) for most three-point field goals in a single game by hitting 10-of-18 attempts from behind the arc and finishing with a game-high 40 points in the Pistons’ 126-112 win over visiting Minnesota. Dennis Scott of the Orlando Magic set a new NBA record when he made 11 three-pointers against Atlanta on April 18, 1996.

'99- The Philadelphia 76ers paid tribute to the recently deceased Wilt Chamberlain when they hosted the Seattle SuperSonics. The 76ers observed a moment of silence in Wilt's memory, showed a video highlight from Wilt's 100-point game in 1962 and enlisted Teddy Pendergrass to perform the national anthem.

Enjoy your day!

Game 5: Mavericks @ Nuggets

(Boulder-CO) All bets are off for tonight's game against the Mavericks. Chauncey Billups making his return to Denver marks the true beginning of a new era in Nuggets history and as to what we can expect out of the new Nuggs is a treat yet to be seen. I have a feeling it's going to be great, but before we crown the Nuggets champions of anything we need to understand that there may be an adjustment period for all involved now with Billups back in the Mile High City.

The wildcard/forgotten man in this whole whirlwind since the trade is Chiekh Samb. The 7'1" prospect who led the NBDL in blocks last year could help the Denver frontline tremendously with the continued injury problems of Stephen Hunter. Samb, who has decent shooting skills as well, could see minutes tonight if Nene and/or Chris Andersen fall into foul trouble.

As for the 2-2 Mavericks, they are fresh off a dominating performance against the San Antonio Spurs in which they held the Spurs under 40 points in the first half before eventually winning easily.

With that being said, I'm going to creep out on a limb and say the Nuggets win Chauncey's homecoming in front of a rabid Pepsi Center. I just have this feeling the Nuggets are a brand new, vastly improved team even though we've only traded on player.

Go Nuggets!

Why Did 'Melo Cut His 'Rows?

(Boulder-CO) Big tip of the hat over to Ryan at Hoops Addict for giving me the heads-up on this one. Kids, beware of making bets on video games!



Go Nuggets!

Need4Sheed on the Trade

(Boulder-CO) The Queen of the NBA Blogosphere, and good friend, Natalie Sitto of Need4Sheed and I had the chance to speak about the Iverson/Billups trade that went down on Monday to better understand just what each of our respective teams are getting out of the deal. Here are my questions Natalie was gracious enough to answer for the Nuggets Nation and be sure to head over to Need4Sheed to read my answers for her.

ND: We can all look at stats and see what both teams are receiving, but can you speak to what Denver fans are going to see from Chauncey that doesn't end up in the boxscore?

N4S: First and foremost you get a proven leader that knows just what to do in key situations. it's his play late in the game when everything is on the line when Chauncey shines brightest. He could hit the three, dish it to one of his teammates, shut down his man or drive the lane. Did I mention he's money at the line? He's not nicknamed Mr. Big Shot for nothing.

ND: How do you see Allen Iverson's style of play fitting into Detroit's team-oriented game plan?

N4S: I honestly don't really. It's going to be interesting how Iverson plays in Detroit. I watched the Pistons press conference and he basically said he's going to do whatever it takes to fit in the Pistons system. To do whatever it takes to win even he has to change the way he plays. Honestly for it to work in Detroit he has to do just that. Whether he does it remains to be seen.

ND: What is the one aspect that Billups brought to the Pistons that will be missed more than any other?

N4S: Clutch play.

ND: Will the Pistons fare better or worse this season in the W column with Iverson? Why or why not?

N4S: I feel it's going to be a push. The Pistons are going to win fifty plus games this season with Chauncey or Allen. Chauncey is no Allen and Allen is no Chauncey, each brings a different element that the team that translates into wins. What matters is the post season hump Detroit cant get over and the fact the Iverson has something to prove.5. Do you believe the rumors that acquiring Allen Iverson, and his expiring contract, are part of a grander scheme by Piston's brass to perhaps land LeBron James this offseason?

If I know Joe Dumars he's got something on the back burner whether it's LeBron, Wade or Bosh. Though LeBron is a huge longshot don't put it past Joe to go after him. Do I think it was the reason why this went down, absolutely not. Joe knew he needed a change, and boy did he ever make a big one. Mr. Big shot will be missed but the horizon of almost unlimited cap space and Detroit's solid roster of young talent makes me smile just typing this.

Give my best to Mr. Big Shot, I know Denver is ready to welcome him home with open arms.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 7th, and on this day:

'86- The Philadelphia 76ers retired uniform #24 in honor of forward Bobby Jones.

'91- Earvin “Magic” Johnson retired from the NBA after disclosing that he had tested positive for the HIV virus. Johnson, who helped lead the Lakers to five NBA titles in his 12 seasons with the team, retired as the league’s all-time leader in career assists with 9,921. The assist mark was later surpassed by Utah’s John Stockton. Johnson returned as an active player for 32 games during the 1995-96 season.

'92- With five assists in Detroit’s 89-87 road win at Indiana, Isiah Thomas became only the third guard in NBA history (along with Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson) to pass the 8,000 career assist mark. Utah’s John Stockton joined this exclusive club on February 23, 1993 with seven assists during a loss to Houston.

'92- The Suns celebrated their 30th Anniversary season by moving into the America West Arena.

'96- The NBA named Joe Dumars of the Detroit Pistons the recipient of the first-ever NBA Sportsmanship Award. The NBA Sportsmanship Award is a major award that is presented annually to an NBA player who best represents the classic ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

'97- Sacramento's streak of sellouts ended at 497, which had been the longest streak in the league.

Enjoy your day!

More on McDyess

(Boulder-CO) Reports are that Antonio McDyess may still be bitter with the Nuggets for trading him back in 2002. Fair enough, he has every right to be upset. It's his prerogative to hold a grudge just as long as it doesn't end up costing the Nuggets (and him) an arm and a leg to do so.

However, it appears to me that Antonio McDyess and the Nuggets have reached a stalemate because neither party wants to depart from their money. Meaning, Antonio still wants his $6 million dollars per year for the next two years, but wants to have his cake and eat it too in any city but Denver while the Nuggets probably want McDyess to play here or to take a considerably smaller slice of cake than the one he thought he was going to get.

Here's the thing though... The longer this situation drags out the worse for the Nuggets because technically they are on the hook for McDyess' salary per rules of the trade. This keeps them from being able to acquire anyone else they may be looking at bolstering their front line with via trade for McDyess or using that money to pick up a free-agent like the one the cut, Juwan Howard.

As for the Cavaliers...

There is an interesting situation brewing in Cleveland that may be another possibility for McDyess if he can reach an agreement with the Nuggets that gives him his walking papers.

Either way somethings got to give!

No Point Guard, No Win

(Boulder-CO) Hey Chauncey, we need you! Never was it more apparent that the Denver Nuggets need Mr. Big Shot than in last night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. Sure, when everything was going right (like the in the first ten minutes) the Nuggets look unbeatable, but when the shots stop falling and everyone starts looking at each other for answers. The Nuggets just reeked up the Oracle Arena. Needless to say, the Nuggets dropped to 1-3 as they lost without Allen Iverson last night, 111-101.

In the first ten minutes of the first quarter the Nuggets looked incredible. Dahntay Jones was an early bright spot as he threw down a couple of nasty dunks including this gem as Adris Biedrins and Kelenna Azubuike watched helplessly.

Nene was also playing well as he almost recorded a double-double in the first quarter finishing with eight points and nine rebounds. Even The Birdman got into the act with a completely humiliating dunk on Brandan Wright.

As a team, the Nuggets hit 15 of their first 19 shots from the field as they recorded only their third 30+ point quarter of the season so far, and at one juncture led by 18 points before it all came unraveled. After said hot start, Denver allowed the Warriors to finish the first quarter with an 11-0 run of which the Nuggets were held scoreless in the last two and half minutes of the first quarter leaving them up by just seven points going into the second.

It could have been because George Karl stayed with his bench too long, but it’s a little too early in the season to be throwing the reserves under the bus. However, the Golden State Warriors bench completely dominated the Nuggets subs. Don Nelson saw this and continued to play his second tier and they ended up erasing the Nuggets’ seven-point lead in the first five minutes of the second quarter and the game would be tied or change hands on and off for the remainder of the half. What was so troublesome about the way the Nuggets were getting outplayed wasn’t that Golden State was playing so much better then they were, but rather how lackadaisical Denver became after their hot start. For instance, the Warriors took their first lead, 45-44, when off of an offensive foul committed by Nene they proceeded to take the dead ball, inbound it, and beat the disorganized, arguing, and head-hanging Nuggets back down the floor for an easy deuce. And then there is this… After getting some flight time earlier in the half, Dahntay Jones didn’t get the FAA notification that he had not been cleared for takeoff and Kelenna Azubuike grounded his third and final dunk attempt.

After halftime, the Nuggets just flat-out imploded. Denver turned the ball over nine times in the third period alone, much to the credit of the Golden State defense, as Don Nelson continued to play the players who brought him back in the first half. And while being outplayed, the Nuggets could only muster 21 points in each quarter of the second half after scoring 35 in the first quarter alone. I don’t know if it was the lack of continuity by a team without a point guard or if the Nuggets just overlooked this game after being blindsided by Monday’s trade, but after five minutes into the fourth quarter Golden State’s control of the game was palpable as they would only lose the lead momentarily once in the fourth quarter after taking the lead, 66-65, on a Stephen Jackson free-throw with seven minutes in the third. The icing on the Golden State cake was Andris Biedrins “dipping one on Nene” to send the Nuggets home with their tail between their legs.

But besides that Andris Biedrins poster that Nene is now on, Big Brazil is the only Nugget who I would say played a good game. Nene finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. He was an economical 6-8 from the field and a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line in 34 minutes of burn.

Face it, this was a huge let down overall in the second half. The Nuggets are now 1-3 overall and have lost two straight. Hopefully Chauncey can come in and right this situation immediately because as the Nuggets lose games and the rest of the Western Conference’s elite continue to win them. The playoff hopes dim even this early in the season.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 6th, and on this day:

'71- The Los Angeles Lakers won the first of what would turn out to be an NBA-record 16 consecutive road games, beating Golden State 105-89.

'92- In a 106-94 loss to New York at the Omni, Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins became the 17th player in NBA history to score 20,000 points, after hitting for 30 against the Knicks.

'92- Robert Parish scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the host Boston Celtics to a 113-92 win over Minnesota, becoming only the second player in NBA history to play in the league for 17 seasons (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20). Parish now holds the record with 21 having passed Abdul-Jabbar in the 1996-97.

'92- Two years after becoming the first major professional sports league to play regular season games outside of North America, the NBA returned to Japan for a pair of games to open the 1992-93 season. Shawn Kemp’s 29 points and 20 rebounds led Seattle to a 111-94 win over Houston before a sellout crowd of 15,640 at Yokohama Arena. The SuperSonics completed a Far East sweep the next evening with an 89-85 win.

'92- Milwaukee celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a 86-81 win at Detroit.

'99- The Conseco Fieldhouse, the new home of the Indiana Pacers, took its bows when the Pacers hosted the Boston Celtics. Hall of Famer and Indiana basketball legend John Wooden served as the honorary scorer, NBC broadcaster Bob Costas handled player introductions and Crystal Gayle performed the national anthem. At halftime, the Pacers paid tribute to the state of Indiana's 50 greatest basketball legends. The Pacers sent their fans home happy with a 115-108 victory.

'99- For the fifth time this decade, the NBA staged regular season games in Japan when the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings play two games at the Tokyo Dome on November 6 and November 7 in the NBA Japan Games. Sacramento won the first game by a 100-95 score and Minnesota came back to take the second game 114-101.

Enjoy your day!

Game 4 - Nuggets @ Warriors

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets travel west tonight to take on the Golden State Warriors in a game that I have to admit does have me feeling a bit uneasy. The Nuggets traded Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups on Monday, but Chauncey will not be available for Denver's first game since the transaction and thus leaves the Nuggets shorthanded in the scoring column and even more so at the guard position.

Without Iverson, the Nuggets will need Carmelo Anthony to return to his familiar scoring form, sans the cornrows. In his first game back from suspension, Anthony only scored 13 points on a dreadful 5-15 shooting night while grabbing only four rebounds in a Nuggets loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Denver's home opener. And as of right now, 'Melo has the fifth highest scoring average - including the loss of AI - on the team behind Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, Anthony Carter, and Nene.

As for the Warriors, despite being 1-3 to start the season, and without moped maniac Monta Ellis, there are some bright spots for Don Nelson's squad. They only lost by five to the juggernaut Hornets in their season opener, suffered an overtime loss to the Raptors on the road before winning a tough game on the road against the Nets in New Jersey, but once again faltered to the Memphis Grizzlies to end their three-game road trip.

However, the Golden State Warriors are not going to be an easy opponent. They have a well-balanced offensive attack consisting of five players averaging better than a dozen points led by Stephen Jackson's 21.3 ppg and Corey Maggette 18.3 points and almost seven rebounds per game. And in a game that will probably be a shootout, not having Allen Iverson or his replacement is going to make emerging victorious in Oakland a tall order indeed.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 5th, and on this day:

'46- Chuck Connors of the Boston Celtics shattered the first backboard in NBA history during the warm-up before a Celtics game. Connors went on to shatter desperadoes in the television show “The Rifleman.”

'55- Jack Twyman made his debut for the Rochester Royals at home against New York. The Knicks won 100-98 in overtime.

'71- Los Angeles Lakers forward Elgin Baylor, plagued by injury, retired after a 14-year, 846-game career that included 23,149 points. Five years later, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

'82- With a 99-91 loss to the New Jersey Nets, the Cleveland Cavaliers set an NBA record for consecutive games lost (over two seasons) with 24.

'88- The visiting Los Angeles Clippers spoiled the debut of NBA basketball in the state of Florida with a 111-91 win over the Miami Heat at the Miami Arena.

'93- San Antonio, playing its first regular season game at the new Alamodome, established an NBA record for opening night attendance by drawing 36,523 fans. The Spurs sent the crowd home happy with a 91-85 win over Golden State, led by David Robinson’s game-high 32 points.

'93- The Houston Rockets beat the New Jersey Nets 110-88 to begin their 15-game start of season winning streak, tying the 1948 Washington Capitols for the best start in NBA history.

Enjoy your day!

Five Final Thoughts on the Trade

(Boulder-CO) I think that if you read the all the comments, the articles, and all the rest of the reactions around the Internet concerning yesterday's Allen Iverson-Chauncey Billups trade you might be just a little bit overwhelmed by all that has been said. So, I've decided to boil down the entire trade to just the five most important aspects the Nuggets Nation should keep in mind.

1. The trade not only gives Denver the point guard it has been longing for since trading Andre Miller back in the 2006-07 season, but it also allows Coach George Karl the ability to start the best five on this roster. With Chauncey at the point, J.R. Smith should now be a starter. His size, scoring ability, in addition to the help of Chauncey's leadership should all lead to great things for the Nuggets. That gives Denver Mr. Big Shot and The Prodigy in the backcourt and 'Melo, K-Mart, and Big Brazil as their presumed starting unit. And in doing so puts Anthony Carter back in his more familiar role of back-up PG, Dahntay Jones at SG, LK at reserve SF (where we all know he is more suited to play than SG), and Balkman, Andersen, and Hunter (if he's ever healthy enough to play) to hold down the backcourt.

2. This move took a considerable amount of money off of the books. AI was making the second highest salary in the league this season and was accounting for more than 25% of the Nuggets overall payroll. The tax level for the 2008-09 season has been set at $71.150 million. Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $71.150 million. With AI now a Piston, Denver's total payroll is now $70.17 and Stan Kroenke can breathe a little bit easier.

3. When AI came to Denver back in the 2006-07 season there was a lot of pressure for him to help the Nuggets get out of the first round. Denver never did so, and now the pressure is on Billups to accomplish the same feat; only I believe Billups will go about doing so in a much different way. With Iverson, the Nuggets became more flashy and less controlled. With Billups, I see Denver slowing down, having fewer turnovers, and playing better defense. All of those aspects of the game were areas where AI didn't substantially help the Nuggets and in doing so was actually hindering Denver from making the jump from playoff pretender to playoff contender. Now with Billups, I see Denver making a natural and beneficial transition to being a more well balanced team with fewer unforced miscues.

4. With the game on the line in the final moments I believe the Nuggets will have a calmer and more precise execution. AI was a jitterbug who was most likely going to create an opportunity for himself first before looking to set-up the best option at that critical juncture of the game. And while he did create and deliver often, his late game decisions were questionable from time to time. With Billups, Coach George Karl call in the play from the sidelines or draw up the play in a timeout and have faith that Billups will not only run the set accordingly, but also make any split-second adjustments he might see as the final moments tick away. Chauncey is just that heady of a floor general and that's just what the Nuggets have been lacking.

5. Last season, there was not a single player or coach on the Denver bench that could wear a NBA Championship ring. It may not seem like a big deal, but trust me when I say that kind of accomplishment is something that really does mean something when a team's leader is trying to get his brethren to cooperate. Chauncey brings that experience and I believe that it will pay off huge for the development of unity within this team and especially 'Melo and J.R. Smith.

Now there's just 79 games to go out and win before we can look back and truly reflect on whether or not this was the trade that pushed the Denver Nuggets up and over the hill they have been struggling to climb. I don't know about anybody else, but I think this trade is spectacular and I can't wait to see the new look Denver Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 4th, and on this day:

'65- Johnny Kerr played in the last of his 844 consecutive games spanning 12 seasons, then an NBA record, as his Baltimore Bullets lost 108-107 at New York.

'87- The Blazers honor Maurice Lucas by retiring his uniform number (#20).

'88- In front of 23,388 fans at the sold-out Charlotte Coliseum, the Charlotte Hornets, playing their first NBA game, were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers, 133-93.

'89- The Orlando Magic opened their inaugural season in the NBA with a 111-106 loss to the New Jersey Nets at Orlando Arena.

'89- David Robinson made his debut for the San Antonio Spurs against the Los Angeles Lakers. San Antonio won 106-98. Robinson’s NBA debut was delayed two years because of his military commitment.

'93- NBA Vice President, Operations Rod Thorn announced that veteran referee Darell Garretson would relinquish his on-court officiating duties at the conclusion of the 1993-94 season, his 27th in the NBA. Starting with the 1994-95 season, Garretson became the NBA’s Director of Officiating.

'93- The NBA Board of Governors voted to grant the league’s 28th franchise to a Toronto group headed by John Bitove, Jr. The Raptors began play in the 1995-96 season.

'94- After having spent the previous 28 seasons in Chicago Stadium, the Bulls successfully opened their new arena across the street, the United Center, with an 89-83 opening night win over Charlotte in front of 22,313 fans. Scottie Pippen’s game-high 22 points helped lead the Bulls to victory.

'94- Clyde Drexler scored a game-high 26 points and Buck Williams pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 121-100 victory over the LA Clippers, in a game played before a sold-out crowd of 14,239 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The game marked the third time in five years that the NBA tipped off the regular season in Japan.

'96- With four assists during Houston’s 75-72 win over Utah, Charles Barkley became the fourth player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 3,500 assists for his career.

'97- Washington’s Rod Strickland dished the 5,000th assist of his career in the Wizards’ 120-96 win over Denver.

'97- Milwaukee ended Orlando’s NBA-record streak of 316 straight games with at least one three-pointer in a 110-76 win for the Bucks.

Enjoy your day!

The Entire NBA Blog Previews

(Boulder-CO) A huge amount of thanks goes out to Jeff over at Celtics Blog for putting in the time and effort to coordinate the 2008-09 NBA Blog Previews. Just in case you missed a team or two along the way here is the entire NBA broken down for you by those of us who choose not to sleep from late October through June.

Boston Celtics
Jeff Clark: CelticsBlog.com
Jim Weeks: Green Bandwagon
FLCeltsFan: LOY's Place
John Karalis: Red's Army
Dustin Chapman: Celtics 24/7

New Jersey Nets
Dennis Velasco: About Basketball

New York Knicks
Joey: Straight Bangin'
Seth Rosenthal: Posting and Toasting

Philadelphia 76ers
Dannie & Pete: Recliner GM
Jon Burkett: Passion and Pride

Toronto Raptors
Franchise: RaptorsHQ.com
Ryan McNeill: Hoops Addict
Cuzzy: Cuzoogle

Dallas Mavericks
Jake Kerr: Mavs Moneyball

Houston Rockets
grungedave and UofTOrange: The Dream Shake

Memphis Grizzlies
Joshua Coleman: 3 Shades of Blue

New Orleans Hornets
Rohan: At the Hive
ticktock6 & mW: Hornets Hype
Ryan Schwan & Ron Hitley: Hornets247.com

San Antonio Spurs
Graydon Gordian: 48 Minutes of Hell

Chicago Bulls
Nels: Give Me The Rock
Matt: Blog-a-Bull

Cleveland Cavaliers
Rock: Waiting For Next Year
FTS: Fear The Sword
David Friedman: 20 Second Timeout
Amar Panchmatia: Cavalier Attitude

Detroit Pistons
Brian Spencer: Empty the Bench
Natalie Sitto: Need4Sheed.com
Matt Watson: Detroit Bad Boys

Indiana Pacers
Tom: Indy Cornrows

Milwaukee Bucks
Jeramey Jannene: The Bratwurst
Frank Madden: BrewHoop

Denver Nuggets
Jeremy: Pickaxe and Roll
Nick Sclafani: The Nugg Doctor

Minnesota Timberwolves
Derek Hanson & Staff: TWolves Blog
Andrew Thell: Empty the Bench
Stop-n-Pop: Canis Hoopus

Oklahoma City
xphoenix87: BallerBlogger
Zorgon: Blue Blitz
Royce: The Thunderworld

Portland Trail Blazers
Mookie: ...a stern warning
Benjamin Golliver: Blazers Edge
Coup and SJ: Rip City Project

Utah Jazz
UtesFan89: The Utah Jazz
Basketball John: SLC Dunk

Atlanta Hawks
Matt McHale: Basketbawful
Hoopinion: Peachtree Hoops

Charlotte Bobcats
Brett: Queen City Hoops
Ziggy: BobcatsPlanet

Miami Heat
Darren Heitner: SportsAgentBlog.com
Gregory Broome: The Peninsula is Mightier

Orlando Magic
Ben: Third Quarter Collapse

Washington Wizards
Rashad: Hoops Addict
HoopsAvenue: HoopsAvenue
Mike Prada: Bullets Forever
Truth: Truth About It Dot Net

Golden St. Warriors
Rob Mahoney: Upside and Motor

LA Clippers
ClipperSteve: Clips Nation

LA Lakers
Kurt: Forum Blue & Gold
Josh Tucker: Respect Kobe
Trevor Smith: HoopsAddict

Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Stan: Bright Side of the Sun

Sacramento Kings
Tom Ziller: Sactown Royalty

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

A million thanks, Jeff!

NBA Blog Previews: Pacific Division

(Boulder-CO) The last of the NBA Blog Previews is here and just like those sleepy heads on the West Coast the Pacific Division is last to get up. Enjoy!

Golden St. Warriors
Rob Mahoney: Upside and Motor

LA Clippers
ClipperSteve: Clips Nation

LA Lakers
Kurt: Forum Blue & Gold
Josh Tucker: Respect Kobe
Trevor Smith: HoopsAddict

Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Stan: Bright Side of the Sun

Sacramento Kings
Tom Ziller: Sactown Royalty

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

It's Official: Billups Back in Denver

(Boulder-CO) Now we've got drama! Allen Iverson is no longer a Denver Nugget and Chauncey "Denver's Native Son" Billups and Antonio McDyess are on their way back to The Mile High City, reports ESPN.

The report also states that 7'1" Cheikh Samb will be included in the deal and that Antonio McDyess has no interest in playing for any team other than the Pistons. If such a position holds true for McDyess, the Nuggets can buyout his remaining contract (hopefully at a discount) or he can just retire.

"The King of Park Hill" will most likely make his return debut with Denver on Wednesday in Oakland when the Nuggets take on the Golden State Warriors!

Welcome home, Chauncey.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 3rd, and on this day:

'48- The Washington Capitols beat the Philadelphia Warriors 77-70, to win the first of 15 consecutive games to start the season, the best start in NBA history. The mark stood for 45 years before it was tied by the 1993-94 Houston Rockets.

'51- Neil Johnston made his debut for the Philadelphia Warriors at home against the Ft. Wayne Pistons. The Warriors won 70-69.

'56- Cliff Hagan made his debut for the St. Louis Hawks at home against Syracuse. The Nationals won 75-73.

'62- Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scored 72 points at the Los Angeles Lakers, the fourth-highest point total in NBA history.

'82- Randy Smith played in his 845th consecutive game, passing Johnny “Red” Kerr as the NBA’s All-time Iron Man. Smith would go on to play in 906 consecutive games, a streak which concluded on March 13, 1983. A.C. Green of the Dallas Mavericks broke Smith’s record when he played in his 907th consecutive game on November 20, 1997.

'89- Nineteen years after their inaugural home game, the Portland Trail Blazers retired Bill Walton’s jersey number 32.

'89- Sarunas Marciulionis and Alexander Volkov became the first players from the Soviet Union to participate in a regular season NBA game. Marciulionis scored 19 points as Golden State lost to Phoenix 136-106, and Volkov was held scoreless as Atlanta lost to Indiana 126-103.

'89- The Minnesota Timberwolves opened their first season in the NBA by dropping a 106-94 decision to the host Seattle SuperSonics.

'90- Atlanta’s Moses Malone set an NBA record for free throws made in a career by hitting 7-of-9 from the line in a 121-120 win over Indiana at the Omni. Those seven successful FT attempts allowed Malone to pass Oscar Robertson--who previously held the record with 7,694--on the all-time list. Moses Malone was surpassed on March 24, 2001, when Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz connected on his 8,532nd free throw in a game against the Washington Wizards.

'95- With a 105-91 victory over Charlotte, Chicago won their first of an NBA record 72 games in one season and their first of an NBA record 37 home games won at the start of a season.

'95- The NBA’s two Canadian expansion teams, the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies, both make successful NBA debuts with victories in their first regular-season games. In front of more than 33,000 fans at SkyDome, the Raptors defeated New Jersey 94-79. The Grizzlies won their opener on the road, defeating Portland 92-80 at the Blazers’ new home, the Rose Garden.

'95- In a major trade just before the start of the 1995-96 season, Charlotte sent center Alonzo Mourning, guard Pete Myers and forward-center LeRon Ellis to Miami in exchange for swingman Glen Rice, point guard Khalid Reeves, center Matt Geiger and a 1996 first round draft pick.

'99- The Boston Celtics hold a special evening on opening night vs. the Washington Wizards, in honor of Red Auerbach, who had a hand in each of the team's 16 NBA championships. At halftime, legendary Celtics Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn assist Auerbach in the raising of a banner commemorating his 50th season. This evening's game, along with all other home games, will feature video highlights, dedications and vignettes sharing memories and special events from Auerbach's legendary career.

'99- The Los Angeles Lakers debut in their new home, Staples Center, by hosting the Vancouver Grizzlies. Magic Johnson and Chick Hearn co-hosted a ceremony unveiling the Lakers' retired jerseys and championship banners in their new building.

'01- Steve Smith of the San Antonio Spurs, playing in his first game against his former Portland Trail Blazers teammates, tied an NBA record for most three-point field goals in a game without a miss, as he went 8-for-8 from beyond the arc and finished with 36 points in a 106-90 triumph.

Enjoy your day!

Analyzing the Inevitable AI Trade

(Boulder-CO) I didn't think it would happen this early in the season, but the Denver Nuggets are not wasting any time in shipping Allen Iverson out of town while they can get something for him in return.

It is being reported by MLive.com that not only has an agreement been made between the two teams, but also that neither player(s) were at their respective shootarounds earlier today.

Let's take a closer look at why and how this is all supposed to go down:

For starters, it didn't take an NBA genius to look at the AI situation and realize that he would probably not be in Denver for the duration of this season. First of all, he is getting older and his numbers have been on the slow but steady decline for the last three years. Not to say that they haven't been great, but the writing has been on the wall. Furthermore, he is in the last year of his contract worth $21.9 million dollars on Stan Kroenke's payroll and if Denver is going to get anything in return for him before he becomes a free-agent he was going to be traded before the season's end.

So, the only real surprise is how quick Denver brass has pulled the trigger.

In return for trading Allen Iverson, the Nuggets are reportedly going to acquire former Nuggets Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess from the Pistons. Chauncey is a Denver native and former University of Colorado Buffalo and McDyess spent the early portion of his career with the Nuggets throughout the 90's.

Billups is set to make $11 million this season and his contract runs through 2011 with a team option for 2012 before maxing out in his final year for $13 million. The final year team option is for $14.2 million dollars and Billups would be 35 years old. McDyess will make $6.8 million this year and has one more year at the same salary for next year before his is a free-agent or chooses to retire at the age of 36.

Now to examine what the Nuggets would be if/when the trade is officially announced:

On paper, the trade looks tremendously positive for the Nuggets. Despite the individual trade off of Iverson, Billups is a consummate team player who can better assist, pun intended, Carmelo, Nene, and J.R. Smith. In addition, he is a better defender and far superior long-range shooter. Not to mention his championship experience. Plus, the addition of Antonio McDyess bolsters Denver's thin frontline while adding veteran leadership.

By the numbers, Allen Iverson is going to be a loss for the Nuggets. The Answer averaged 26.4 points and better than seven assists last season in comparison to Billups' 17 points and six assists. But... keep in mind Denver has been longing for a true starting point guard since losing Andre Miller and with the emergence of J.R. Smith's scoring a few extra shots minus Iverson isn't the worst thing that could happen to this team overall. However, with Antonio McDyess' seven points and four rebound average from last year, I think the Nuggets will be able to counter balance the offensive loss of AI while adding the aforementioned strength on their frontline and the invaluable veteran presence both men would provide.

My final thought is nothing but love for this trade. The Nuggets were headed on a path to no where quick this season with the roster as it is/was, but this trade gives me new hope as to what could be Denver's future this season.

Go Nuggets!

An Internet Dunk Contest

(Boulder-CO) One of the down-right coolest guys ever, Ryan over at www.hoopsaddict.com, has a little Internet Dunk Contest going on right now where you can win a vertical leap package that could help you make your own dunk video. Post your submission in the comments section of the post. Your hops will thank you.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is November 1st, and on this day:

'46- The New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Huskies 68-66 in the first NBA game, which was played in Toronto. Any fan taller than Toronto’s 6-8 center George Nostrand got in free.

'49- Dick McGuire made his debut for the New York Knicks at the Chicago Stags. The Knicks won in overtime 89-87.

'49- Ed Macauley made his debut for the St. Louis Bombers against the Tri-City Blackhawks. The Bombers won 72-51.

'50-Bill Sharman made his debut for the Washington Capitols at home against the Indianapolis Olympians. The Capitols won 100-84.

'50' Bob Cousy made his debut for the Boston Celtics at Ft. Wayne. The Pistons won 107-84.

'96- Fifty years to the day that the first NBA game was played in Toronto between teams from New York and Toronto, the New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors 107-99.'

'00- Pat Riley became only the second coach in NBA history to amass 1,000 regular season victories when the Miami Heat opened the season with a 105-79 victory over the Orlando Magic. Riley joined Lenny Wilkens as the only two coaches to achieve the mark.

'01-With the No. 1 selection in the inaugural NBDL Draft, the Fayetteville Patriots selected Chris Andersen, a 6-10 power forward from Blinn (Texas) Community College.

Enjoy your day!

Whistle Me for Traveling!

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

(Boulder-CO) I'm on the road in Lawrence, Kansas at KU and was unable to watch last night's tremendous overtime victory over the Clippers. But, from the recaps I evidently missed a great game.

Here are the high's and low's:

-The Nuggets rallied from 18 points down at halftime to force overtime and win, 113-103. In doing so, Denver tied the second-biggest comeback from a halftime deficit in the Nuggets' franchise history.

-After missing a last-second three-point attempt in the season opener, Kenyon Martin hit a HUGE three in overtime to secure the win. Martin recorded 13 points, 13 rebounds, and two assists despite missing nine of his first ten shot attempts.

-Marcus Camby didn't play due to the bruised heel that kept him out of game one of the season as well.

-Six Nuggets scored in double figures led by Allen Iverson's 25 points and five assists. Nene added 22 points and eleven boards, Anthony Carter chipped in a dozen points and half as many assists, J.R. Smith did his usual thing finishing with 17 points and ten rebounds, and Dahntay Jones scored 13 points and swatted a shot.

-Linas Kleiza continued his struggles offensively netting just six points in nearly 3o minutes, including the start, but did hit the boards nicely. LK finished with nine rebounds and three assists. He has scored just ten points combined in Denver's first two games.

-Denver grabbed a total of 60 rebounds. Ten more than the Clippers and out-passed L.A. 19-17 in the assist column. Half of Denver's 38 made field goals were assists.

The Nuggets open up their doors for the first time of the season tonight at Pepsi Center against the same team that ended their season last year. That's right, Kobe and Co. are in town and it's the first back-to-back set of the year. Oh, and Carmelo is back! 'Melo has served the team's two-game suspension for DUI late last season and will return to the starting line-up.

Something tells me tonight's game is going to be electric.

Go Nuggets!