Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

Nuggets Split Over the Weekend

(AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

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

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

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

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

(AP Photo/Tom Stromme)

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

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

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

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

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

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

NBA Blog Previews: Central Division

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

Chicago Bulls

Nels: Give Me The Rock


Matt: Blog-a-Bull

Cleveland Cavaliers

Rock: Waiting For Next Year

FTS: Fear The Sword

David Friedman: 20 Second Timeout

Amar Panchmatia: Cavalier Attitude

Detroit Pistons

Brian Spencer: Empty the Bench

Natalie Sitto: Need4Sheed.com


Matt Watson: Detroit Bad Boys

Indiana Pacers

Tom: Indy Cornrows

Milwaukee Bucks

Jeramey Jannene: The Bratwurst

Frank Madden: BrewHoop

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

Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

Previewing Your 2008-09 Denver Nuggets

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

Last Year's Record: 50-32

Key Losses: Marcus Camby, Eduardo Najera

Key Additions: Nene, Chris Andersen, Renaldo Balkman

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

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

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

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

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

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

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

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

4. What are the goals for this team?

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

Predicted Record: 44-38

Go Nuggets!

Beating Utah is Always Tough

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Nuggets!

Preseason Preview #3: Jazz @ Nuggets

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

NBA's Kings of Tattoo

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

Exhibit A: Allen Iverson

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

Exhibit B: Carmelo Anthony

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

Exhibit C: Kenyon Martin

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

Exhibit D: J.R. Smith

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

Exhibit E: Anthony Carter


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

Exhibit F: Chris Anderson

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

Exhibit G: Chucky Atkins

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




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

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

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

DKY: Chucky Atkins

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

-Chucky's given name is Kenneth Lavon Atkins.

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

-Atkins is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

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

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

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

2-0: I'll Take It!

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

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

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

NBA Blog Previews: Southwest Division

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

Dallas Mavericks

Jake Kerr: Mavs Moneyball

Houston Rockets

grungedave and UofTOrange: The Dream Shake

Memphis Grizzlies

Joshua Coleman: 3 Shades of Blue

New Orleans Hornets

Rohan: At the Hive

ticktock6 & mW: Hornets Hype

Ryan Schwan & Ron Hitley: Hornets247.com

San Antonio Spurs

Graydon Gordian: 48 Minutes of Hell

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

Preseason Preview #2: Nuggets @ Suns

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

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



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

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

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

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

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

No 'Melo - No Problem

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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

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

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

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

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

Go Nuggets!

Preseason Preview #1: Wolves @ Nuggets

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

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

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

Go Nuggets!