The Nuggs handled their business Wednesday night, taking care of a simply terrible Seattle Supersonics squad that has failed to win 20 games this season.
Denver’s 138 points is an NBA high for this season, and an all time franchise high. This is just what the Nuggets needed after losing three straight to teams that, quite frankly, should have been beaten easily.
Holding Seattle to under 100 points is one of the few times all season that the Nuggs haven’t allowed over 100, opponents usually score 105 points on average.
Iverson was simply on fire, leading all scorers with 31. Melo was, well, a little more mellow, scoring only 16, the first time in 11 games he hasn’t reached at least 20.
Looking ahead, the Nuggs (34-23) take on:
LA Clippers(19-36) on Friday
The broken Rockets (37-20) on Sunday
The red hot Suns (39-19) on Wednesday
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Lose Three Straight, But Catch a 7'6" Break
Three straight losses!?!?! WE”RE DOOMED!!! Wait, hold on, let’s just think about this for a minute. Even after an unforgivable losing streak in a conference where every game matters, the Nuggs still may have a shot at the playoffs, despite the poor play as of late.
How can the Nuggs be alright? Well, let’s just say we caught a big break. A huge break. A 7’6” break. The Rockets, after winning every game in February to this point, lost Yao for the season with a broken foot.
If the Nuggs continue to keep winning like they were the past few weeks, then things should be totally fine. There’s absolutely no way that Tracy McGrady can carry the slack all by himself, not in a league this tough when it’s all coming down to the wire.
So, with our own destiny out of our hands for right now, all Denver can do is win what’s left and hope Huston finally slows down. Looking ahead for the Nuggs (33-23)
· The worst team in basketball, Seattle (15-40) on Wednesday
· The next worst team in basketball, Los Angles Clippers (19-35) on Friday
· The broken giants, Huston (36-20) on Sunday, possibly for the eighth spot in the West
How can the Nuggs be alright? Well, let’s just say we caught a big break. A huge break. A 7’6” break. The Rockets, after winning every game in February to this point, lost Yao for the season with a broken foot.
If the Nuggs continue to keep winning like they were the past few weeks, then things should be totally fine. There’s absolutely no way that Tracy McGrady can carry the slack all by himself, not in a league this tough when it’s all coming down to the wire.
So, with our own destiny out of our hands for right now, all Denver can do is win what’s left and hope Huston finally slows down. Looking ahead for the Nuggs (33-23)
· The worst team in basketball, Seattle (15-40) on Wednesday
· The next worst team in basketball, Los Angles Clippers (19-35) on Friday
· The broken giants, Huston (36-20) on Sunday, possibly for the eighth spot in the West
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
It Ain't Broke, So Don't Try to Fix Anything
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. With the trade deadline creeping closer and closer, the Nuggs are supposedly discussing a trade that would bring Ron Artest to Denver. The question is: WHY?!?
Sitting in the seventh spot in a ridiculously tight Western Conference, only four games out of first place in the West, mind you, thirteen games over .500, and defeating the best team in the NBA last night with their big man K.G. back in the lineup are all reasons to keep things the way that they are.
But that’s only the half of it. The Nuggs have outstanding bench talent in Najera and Kleiza, who would both probably leave in the Artest trade. K-Mart is back to the days of old scoring over fifteen points the last three games in a row, and J.R. Smith has been dubbed the “rainmaker” from beyond the arc as of late.
Plus, Artest plays the same position as Melo, which means Artest would have to play out of position most of the time. Where would he play? Most likely, with Artest’s overwhelming desire to chuck up the tre’, he would play shooting guard, but that would mean Iverson would have to run the point, something that has proven to bring his numbers down. That’s exactly why the Nuggs acquired Chucky Atkins this off-season, to get Iverson open for more opportunities.
Not to mention what kind of ticking time bomb Artest would be in the locker room. He has been known to complain about not getting the ball, and with Melo and A.I. having such productive seasons, the last thing we need is another guy asking for fifteen shots a game. And, has everybody already forgotten about the gang fight in Detroit? Apparently so.
Please, Kroenke, don’t force a stupid trade.
Sitting in the seventh spot in a ridiculously tight Western Conference, only four games out of first place in the West, mind you, thirteen games over .500, and defeating the best team in the NBA last night with their big man K.G. back in the lineup are all reasons to keep things the way that they are.
But that’s only the half of it. The Nuggs have outstanding bench talent in Najera and Kleiza, who would both probably leave in the Artest trade. K-Mart is back to the days of old scoring over fifteen points the last three games in a row, and J.R. Smith has been dubbed the “rainmaker” from beyond the arc as of late.
Plus, Artest plays the same position as Melo, which means Artest would have to play out of position most of the time. Where would he play? Most likely, with Artest’s overwhelming desire to chuck up the tre’, he would play shooting guard, but that would mean Iverson would have to run the point, something that has proven to bring his numbers down. That’s exactly why the Nuggs acquired Chucky Atkins this off-season, to get Iverson open for more opportunities.
Not to mention what kind of ticking time bomb Artest would be in the locker room. He has been known to complain about not getting the ball, and with Melo and A.I. having such productive seasons, the last thing we need is another guy asking for fifteen shots a game. And, has everybody already forgotten about the gang fight in Detroit? Apparently so.
Please, Kroenke, don’t force a stupid trade.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
All Stars Shine Bright
All Star Nuggets were in the house in New Orleans representing the NBA’s Western Conference powerhouse of players on Sunday. A.I. had some flashy crossovers and nice dishes, and Melo prevailed as a top point’s scorer with 18 along with 7 rebounds.
A.I., Melo, Kobe, Timmy and Yao, the West’s starting unit in Sunday’s All Star game weren’t enough for the East, despite the fact that the Western Conference is much more competitive this season.
The weekend was defiantly as memorable of an All Star game as any, with old school players like “The Admiral” David Robinson making an appearance in the revised NBA Skills Competition, and the newly dubbed Dwight “Superman” Howard was simply amazing in the dunk contest.
This wasn’t your typical All Star game, either, with the game actually on the line in the final minute of play. The Celtics Ray Allen showed why many call him the purest shooter to step on the court since M.J., scoring four straight three pointers in the last two minutes of the game.
The Nuggets had better be ready for that pure shooter by tomorrow, as they play the Big Three at home. Kevin Garnett should be back, and there’s still the other two All Stars in Paul Pierce and Allen.
Top 5 Nuggets All Stars:
1. Allen Iverson (9 appearances)
2. Carmelo Anthony (3 appearances, many more to come)
3. Alex English (7 appearances)
4. Kiki Vandewegh (2 appearances)
5. Dan Issel (1 NBA appearance, 3 ABA appearances)
A.I., Melo, Kobe, Timmy and Yao, the West’s starting unit in Sunday’s All Star game weren’t enough for the East, despite the fact that the Western Conference is much more competitive this season.
The weekend was defiantly as memorable of an All Star game as any, with old school players like “The Admiral” David Robinson making an appearance in the revised NBA Skills Competition, and the newly dubbed Dwight “Superman” Howard was simply amazing in the dunk contest.
This wasn’t your typical All Star game, either, with the game actually on the line in the final minute of play. The Celtics Ray Allen showed why many call him the purest shooter to step on the court since M.J., scoring four straight three pointers in the last two minutes of the game.
The Nuggets had better be ready for that pure shooter by tomorrow, as they play the Big Three at home. Kevin Garnett should be back, and there’s still the other two All Stars in Paul Pierce and Allen.
Top 5 Nuggets All Stars:
1. Allen Iverson (9 appearances)
2. Carmelo Anthony (3 appearances, many more to come)
3. Alex English (7 appearances)
4. Kiki Vandewegh (2 appearances)
5. Dan Issel (1 NBA appearance, 3 ABA appearances)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
K Mart Special
Who says that the Denver Nuggets are a two man team? In case you haven’t noticed, Denver is surprisingly deep on the bench and features powerful offensive weapons that fly under the radar with big names like Melo and A.I. taking the spotlight.
In the Nuggets win on Monday night against the snuffed out Heat, the leading scorer wasn’t Carmelo, it wasn’t Allen Iverson, and it wasn’t the Nuggets third leading scorer, Linas Kleiza, either. It was Kenyon Martin, the prolific scorer of years past at Cincinnati and earlier in his NBA career as a New Jersey Net.
K. Mart has been getting a bad rep as of late, including on this very blog a few weeks ago. Major skepticism includes his $13 million dollar salary this year and missing many games the past few seasons with injuries to both knees.
However, K. Mart looks like he is slowly overcoming these injuries that would have taken many players out of the game for good. He is regaining that bounce in his step on defense by increasing his rebounding numbers, and showing that he hasn’t lost any touch by scoring 12 points in the third quarter while shooting perfect from the field.
The Nuggs (32-19) face the Magic (32-21) tonight in their final contest before Melo and A.I. head to New Orleans for the All Star break. The four’s and five’s will defiantly be up for a challenge against the beastly Dwight Howard, but a win will build much needed momentum going into Tuesday’s match up against the best team in basketball, the Boston Celtics
Top 5 reasons to keep K. Mart:
He is gaining confidence after undergoing two major surgeries in three years
He’s a physical presence on the defensive end
He fits in well with the Nuggs style of play
He’s a high energy player with potential to do more
He’s 6’9”, 240 pounds of man
In the Nuggets win on Monday night against the snuffed out Heat, the leading scorer wasn’t Carmelo, it wasn’t Allen Iverson, and it wasn’t the Nuggets third leading scorer, Linas Kleiza, either. It was Kenyon Martin, the prolific scorer of years past at Cincinnati and earlier in his NBA career as a New Jersey Net.
K. Mart has been getting a bad rep as of late, including on this very blog a few weeks ago. Major skepticism includes his $13 million dollar salary this year and missing many games the past few seasons with injuries to both knees.
However, K. Mart looks like he is slowly overcoming these injuries that would have taken many players out of the game for good. He is regaining that bounce in his step on defense by increasing his rebounding numbers, and showing that he hasn’t lost any touch by scoring 12 points in the third quarter while shooting perfect from the field.
The Nuggs (32-19) face the Magic (32-21) tonight in their final contest before Melo and A.I. head to New Orleans for the All Star break. The four’s and five’s will defiantly be up for a challenge against the beastly Dwight Howard, but a win will build much needed momentum going into Tuesday’s match up against the best team in basketball, the Boston Celtics
Top 5 reasons to keep K. Mart:
He is gaining confidence after undergoing two major surgeries in three years
He’s a physical presence on the defensive end
He fits in well with the Nuggs style of play
He’s a high energy player with potential to do more
He’s 6’9”, 240 pounds of man
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Melo No Match For LeBron
Carmelo. LeBron. Rivals on the court, friends off the court. Can anything come between them? Probably just a man named Darko Milicic, the player selected second in the 2003 draft after LeBron and before Melo. These two names will probably be connected forever, but only one player can prevail as better than the other.
In their most recent match up, Melo and the Nuggs defeated LeBron and the Cavs by a considerable margin, winning 113-83 in a blowout in which LeBron sat out the entire fourth quarter. Melo scored a team high 27 points, and LeBron had a cool 30, despite not playing a second in the fourth.
In head to head action, Melo is proving to be the better investment, winning seven out of the nine match ups. LeBron does average better numbers in the rivalry, but that simply shows that he has to do a lot more by himself.
The real standout in the game, however, had to be A.I., raking up 25 points with 13 assists. Iverson continues to step his game up, and is well on his way to leading the league in minutes played for the third straight year.
Going into their game tonight against the new look Heat, the Nuggs sit one game behind the Jazz in the Northwest Division and four and a half games behind the Western Conference leading Phoenix Suns, who may just get better with the recent acquisition of Shaq. The Nuggs are in seventh place in the highly competitive West, and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. And we're are hot as of late, winning five out of our last six games.
Looking ahead, the Nuggs play:
· The worst team in basketball, the Miami Heat (9-40), tonight at 5:30 MTN
· Dwight Howard and the Magic (32-21) Wednesday at 5:00 MTN
· The best team in basketball, the Boston Celtics (39-9) after the All Star Break
In their most recent match up, Melo and the Nuggs defeated LeBron and the Cavs by a considerable margin, winning 113-83 in a blowout in which LeBron sat out the entire fourth quarter. Melo scored a team high 27 points, and LeBron had a cool 30, despite not playing a second in the fourth.
In head to head action, Melo is proving to be the better investment, winning seven out of the nine match ups. LeBron does average better numbers in the rivalry, but that simply shows that he has to do a lot more by himself.
The real standout in the game, however, had to be A.I., raking up 25 points with 13 assists. Iverson continues to step his game up, and is well on his way to leading the league in minutes played for the third straight year.
Going into their game tonight against the new look Heat, the Nuggs sit one game behind the Jazz in the Northwest Division and four and a half games behind the Western Conference leading Phoenix Suns, who may just get better with the recent acquisition of Shaq. The Nuggs are in seventh place in the highly competitive West, and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. And we're are hot as of late, winning five out of our last six games.
Looking ahead, the Nuggs play:
· The worst team in basketball, the Miami Heat (9-40), tonight at 5:30 MTN
· Dwight Howard and the Magic (32-21) Wednesday at 5:00 MTN
· The best team in basketball, the Boston Celtics (39-9) after the All Star Break
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Overtime Woes
Overtime again for the Nuggs, but this time they came up a little short. However, they fought until the end, in a battle that Nuggets announcer Scott Hastings called “Ali vs. Frasier: Rumble in the Pepsi Center.”
Going into Wednesday night, the Nuggets sat only one game out of the lead in the Northwest Division. Now they are two games back after losing to the Jazz in a hard fought overtime period.
With less than half a minute left in the game, the Nuggs had a shot at the win at the end of regulation. Carmelo Anthony was wide open for the game winner, and unlike the Melo we’re all used to, he missed the clutch shot to finish the game.
Though there are plenty of games left to regain the top spot, the loss last night raises questions of how well the Nuggets will perform down the stretch as the games become more and more important.
A.I. was the man to save the Nuggs Monday night, and played well Wednesday, scoring a game high 34 points. But unfortunately, it simply wasn’t enough.
The Nuggs home stand continues tonight against the Wizards, and then it’s on the road to face LeBron on Sunday and D. Wade and the new look Heat on Tuesday. Here are the top five things the Nuggs need to do to keep up in the West:
1. A.I. and Melo need to continue to be in the top five in scoring
2. Marcus Camby needs to hold it down on the defensive end
3. Progressively better play from K. Mart
4. Better play off the bench
5. STAY HEALTHY!!
Going into Wednesday night, the Nuggets sat only one game out of the lead in the Northwest Division. Now they are two games back after losing to the Jazz in a hard fought overtime period.
With less than half a minute left in the game, the Nuggs had a shot at the win at the end of regulation. Carmelo Anthony was wide open for the game winner, and unlike the Melo we’re all used to, he missed the clutch shot to finish the game.
Though there are plenty of games left to regain the top spot, the loss last night raises questions of how well the Nuggets will perform down the stretch as the games become more and more important.
A.I. was the man to save the Nuggs Monday night, and played well Wednesday, scoring a game high 34 points. But unfortunately, it simply wasn’t enough.
The Nuggs home stand continues tonight against the Wizards, and then it’s on the road to face LeBron on Sunday and D. Wade and the new look Heat on Tuesday. Here are the top five things the Nuggs need to do to keep up in the West:
1. A.I. and Melo need to continue to be in the top five in scoring
2. Marcus Camby needs to hold it down on the defensive end
3. Progressively better play from K. Mart
4. Better play off the bench
5. STAY HEALTHY!!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Iverson Answers All Questions
Who is setting the pace for the Northwest? Who is the third leading scorer in the NBA? Who comes through at the final ticks of overtime? Lots of questions, but there is only one Answer.
Allen Iverson showed why he is the starting point guard for the Western Conference All- Stars Monday night against the division rival Trailblazers. In the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, A.I. drained a three pointer to put the Nuggs up 100-99, and later hit a game winning jumper in overtime to seal the third straight victory for Denver.
While Iverson was clutch at the end of regulation and overtime, he didn’t shoot particularly well throughout the game, going only 10-28 from the field and getting to the line only seven times.
But there is always an Answer to those late game questions for Denver.
A.I. and Melo have been in sync and bench players have stepped up for the Nuggs while missing Marcus Camby for the second straight game with a sore left knee.
With their win Monday against Portland, Denver slides to just a game behind Utah for the top spot in the Northwest Division. The Nuggets and Jazz face off Wednesday night for first place, and prepare for what George Karl calls a “playoff-like atmosphere” according to ESPN news.
Denver will have to play hard while injuries continue to plague the team, as they face:
· Division leader Utah (31-18) Wednesday at home
· Washington (24-22) Friday night at home
· LeBron and the Cavs (26-20) on the road on Sunday
Allen Iverson showed why he is the starting point guard for the Western Conference All- Stars Monday night against the division rival Trailblazers. In the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, A.I. drained a three pointer to put the Nuggs up 100-99, and later hit a game winning jumper in overtime to seal the third straight victory for Denver.
While Iverson was clutch at the end of regulation and overtime, he didn’t shoot particularly well throughout the game, going only 10-28 from the field and getting to the line only seven times.
But there is always an Answer to those late game questions for Denver.
A.I. and Melo have been in sync and bench players have stepped up for the Nuggs while missing Marcus Camby for the second straight game with a sore left knee.
With their win Monday against Portland, Denver slides to just a game behind Utah for the top spot in the Northwest Division. The Nuggets and Jazz face off Wednesday night for first place, and prepare for what George Karl calls a “playoff-like atmosphere” according to ESPN news.
Denver will have to play hard while injuries continue to plague the team, as they face:
· Division leader Utah (31-18) Wednesday at home
· Washington (24-22) Friday night at home
· LeBron and the Cavs (26-20) on the road on Sunday
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