Taking care of business...

by Andrew Feinstein on Apr 5, 2009 8:21 PM MDT

Nuggets/T'Wolves Recap...

We were a Utah Jazz loss short of a perfect Sunday in Nuggets Nation. First and foremost, our Nuggets took care of business by easily dismantling the Timberwolves and thus giving the starters a much needed and much deserved fourth quarter rest. The only thing surprising about this game was Chauncey Billups' two-handed dunk. I still can't believe he did it. In fact, I don't think I've seen Chauncey dunk a ball since the state championships when his GW squad dismantled my Cherry Creek squad in the semi-finals. Chauncey dunking also brought back memories of when Alex English would dunk the ball like once a year just to see if we were paying attention.

Beyond the Nuggets victory, we were rewarded today with the Trailblazers and Spurs losing, as well as the Mavericks winning - keeping the Mavericks hopes alive of possibly catching the Jazz or Hornets and securing the seventh seed.

The bottom line is that the Nuggets just tied their second best NBA record for victories in a season and still have four games to go. That remarkable achievement hasn't quite sunk in yet.

Nuggets/T'Wolves Preview...

While the Nuggets venture off to Minneapolis today to (hopefully) pound the lowly Timberwolves, six of the Nuggets possible playoff opponents will play meaningful games and four of them are playing each other. First up, the San Antonio Spurs visit the Cleveland Cavaliers at 11am. Then at 1:30pm, the Phoenix Suns play at the Dallas Mavericks. Both those games are on ABC. And at 5pm we have a pair of "can't they both lose?" games when the Utah Jazz visit the New Orleans Hornets and the Portland Trailblazers visit the Houston Rockets.

So who do we want to lose?

First off, if the playoffs were to start today the Nuggets would face Utah in the first round and most likely San Antonio in the second round (after getting pushed around by Utah in a merciless seven-game series). While I'm confident that the Nuggets would beat the Jazz in an opening round series, I have no illusions about how difficult it would be to do so. Therefore, we should really be rooting for the Mavericks these days - a team the Nuggets have swept (albeit with some difficulty) this season. As an NBA fan, I'd love to see a Shaquille O'Neal-led Suns team face the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers, but as a Nuggets fan, I want Dallas to overtake Utah for that seventh seed. It's also the more likely scenario than Utah taking the sixth seed over New Orleans.

Beginning with today's game at New Orleans, four of Utah's final six games are on the road against likely Western Conference playoff teams, including a Wednesday matchup at Dallas. Dallas and New Orleans have really tough schedules, too. After today's matchup with Phoenix, the Mavericks have four games against playoff opponents, but three are at home and none are against the West's top three teams. Meanwhile, the Hornets wrap up their season with every game against a playoff calibre opponent with four on the road and three at home. It's remotely possible that Dallas could move up to the sixth seed with New Orleans dropping into seventh and Utah eighth. I'd be happy with either a New Orleans or a Dallas first round matchup.

Higher up the food chain, Nuggets fans want the Blazers to start losing games already so the Nuggets can secure the division title. The Blazers have won four straight and 17 out of their last 22. So when they play at Houston today, we should root for the Rockets. And of course, everyone in Nuggets Nation will be cheering LeBron James and the Cavaliers to end their two-game losing streak by beating the Spurs into submission in Cleveland this morning.

Oh, and lets not forget that we need the Nuggets to win, too. Go Nuggets!!

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I think Dallas would be our ideal match-up. I don't understand why we swept them this season, but the Nuggets seem to know how to play to them well. So we should definitely start to cheer for them here on out. It would also be nice to see the Blazers' confidence shaken up these next few games if only so we don't play that last game against swaggering hot team at home. GO NUGGETS!

by shampoo on Apr 5, 2009 10:29 AM MDT reply actions

That was funny, make sure we win. As along as we win the rest doesn't matter...I agree though Dallas would be a preferred matchup.

Melo I believe has 15 technicals. Last night call I think it was uncalled for.

What I would like to know is since you get your suspension on the 19th I believe, then if Melo gets a technical in the playoffs would that count toward a suspension. If that is the case. I think he ought to get those technicals out of the way and get his suspension.

by Anonymous on Apr 5, 2009 10:52 AM MDT reply actions

lets not forget the dream scenario: the rockets overtaking the spurs, letting the nugs avoid both LA and SA in the second round. we should be rooting hard for houston from here on out. if things go according to plan today, they're only a half game back.

by kenoshakid on Apr 5, 2009 10:57 AM MDT reply actions

Hey Guys -

I don't remember Melo getting a technical last night and it wasn't listed in the box score either. Just so you know, the "suspension limit" is 16 technicals. So Melo would get suspended for a regular season game if he gets two more technicals. I don't think it carries over into the playoffs but I'll double check.

http://www.indenvertimes.com/2009/04/01/anthony-vows-to-get-no-more-technicals/

All best,

Andrew

by Andrew on Apr 5, 2009 11:05 AM MDT reply actions

The Nuggies securing the #2 seed and Dallas climbing to the #7 seed is the ideal matchup.

Go Nuggies Go, Go Mavericks Go.

by Chris C. on Apr 5, 2009 11:15 AM MDT reply actions

Keno, I agree. Dream scenario puts the Spurs in 4 and the Mavs in 7.

Good enjoyable game last night. This has been an amazing run lately. You can actually see J.R. learning how to play better and focusing on different aspects. He opened up last night with a lot of drives after all threes the game before. Go Nugs!

by KarlSucks on Apr 5, 2009 12:03 PM MDT reply actions

Funny you mentioned that dunk Chauncy had in high school, that was the only dunk I have ever seen him make other than tonight as well. But yeah, when Chauny is dunking it you know the game has gotten a bit sloppy. Movin on up!

by Goldennugget on Apr 5, 2009 9:32 PM MDT reply actions

Since we're reminiscing about old Colorado HS teams, I'd really appreciate if anyone knows a link to some older rosters. I graduated GW in 1996, and was recently trying to remember some of the other impact players on that team. One of the guys I remember from GW was something like 6'11 in HS (believe his last name was Washington, though I could be very wrong). Even though Chauncey was definitely "the man", GW dominated because of a number of lesser recognized players.

Any help would be very appreciated, even if it has to come from someone who played for Cherry Creek *shudder*.

by Cessair on Apr 5, 2009 10:15 PM MDT reply actions

First of all... this is a great site for loyal Nuggets fans! I'm glad I found it this morning, thanks to links in Chris Tomasson's column at indenvertimes.com. Check it out!

My response to kenoshakid's earlier post: We shouldn't be rooting for Houston too much, since they do own the tiebreaker against the Nuggets. I'd prefer the 2nd seed and more homecourt in the later rounds, especially if we match up with the Rockets.

We should be cheering for:

A: at least one more San Antonio loss (at OKC or at home vs. Utah, Portland or New Orleans)

B: a Nuggets win on Wednesday vs. OKC (clinching the division) and Portland loss to the Lakers (or Clippers) this next weekend, making next Wednesday's game a little less critical

C: the Nuggets to finish at least 3-1 this season, and the strong possibility that the February 3rd San "Sit 'em all" Antonio joke-of-a-game here in Denver comes back to bite the Spurs... since we own the tiebreaker with them. Thanks, but no thanks, Pop! That was a low blow to the integrity of the NBA and treatment of its fans!

Go Nuggs! Beat OKC and LA!

by timoptic on Apr 6, 2009 2:00 AM MDT reply actions

Rooting for the Rockets could be dangerous. Plus, I actually think we match up better against the Spurs than the Rockets.

by Anonymous on Apr 6, 2009 8:10 AM MDT reply actions

i have to go back to the constant harassment of g karl concerning his treatment (or lack thereof) of jrsmith.

it is close enough to the end of the regular season that i wanted to say what i said when i said it and nobody paid a bit of attention.

if you wanted to look at g karl and jr, you have to look at jr now. he moved. he passes. he drives. he shoots. his turnovers are down and his pluses are up. the adolescent is becoming a man right before our eyes.

i think karl had a lot to do with that by creating an atmosphere that said to jr, "you will be a man."

and for those of us who know chauncy had a lot to do with jr growing up (and he damn sure did), just remember that g karl had his hand in the cbill trade. and karl let chauncy effect the team. it takes balls to turn over power the way karl did.

one last thing... i did hear karl admit that he had to make changes to make the nuggs a better. he admitted HE was wrong.

nuff said.

enjoy as the prodigy becomes a man...

by SpokenWar on Apr 6, 2009 10:50 AM MDT reply actions

SpokenWar,

I agree you can see J.R. maturing before our eyes. I think you are over-reaching to give Karl credit for either J.R. or Billups. Karl has no or next to no input on personnell. If he had input, they wouldn't have traded Camby and would have kept Najera. The Billups deal got them under the Salary Cap. As for J.R., it has been reported more than once that he and Karl don't talk to each other, so the credit there goes to whoever is actually coaching. G.K. can get some credit as he is the head coach and delegating to someone, but he doesn't appear to be directly involved.

That said, Karl is coaching much better these days that for much of the season. He got a technical the other day. He's doing better on timeouts and rotation. The only real problem I have with the rotation right now is leaving in Jones when Kmart is not starting.

by KarlSucks on Apr 6, 2009 11:44 AM MDT reply actions

I don't even know in what post we discussed this last, but I have a few minutes and wanted to bring it up.

Regarding Dahnte Jones starting, I want to reiterate that I believe this is the way to go, because we need some sort of defense to start the game, otherwise we get way too far behind.

Now, I do realize that with Jones we do indeed get pretty far behind anyways, but WAIT!

That's when we bring in JR, Birdman, and yes, even AC, and they bring the energy that can't be matched by the other team. We get the lead, and then we reinsert our starters to hold that lead for the rest of the game.

This is bass ackwards from what other teams do, but hey, it works. Most teams use their starters to run it up, and their bench to hold the lead. But not Karl's Nuggets, no siree. That man is either a genius or the luckiest coach alive.

I love watching Smith get up off the bench and strut to the scorer's table. "Time to go to work."

I'm enjoying this end of year run. Yes, the Jazz would be tough, but man oh man, what a series!

Go Nuggets! Thanks for letting me skip the 4th quarter these past couple of nights, and for an entirely different reason than last month.

Now if the national media would only pay us some attention and/or respect...

by Do We Have Any Plays? on Apr 6, 2009 1:37 PM MDT reply actions

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STIFF LIST (as of 4/26 by Andrew Feinstein)

1. METTA WORLD PEACE

Metta resorted back to Ron Ron last Sunday by clubbing James Hardenwith an "inadvertent celebratory elbow", landing him a 7-game suspension. Apparently, changing his name didn't prevent NBA commissioner David Stern from overlooking Metta's past behavior problems.

2. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

The 'Cats are on the verge of securing the worst winning percentage in NBA history. Given that the guy who runs the team - Michael Jordan - had previously drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison, should this really be a shock?

3. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
The team that was supposedly built to overcome the lockout-shortened season managed to lose 7 of its last 14 games, ceding the Western Conference's 1-seed to the Spurs in the process. Their reward might be a first round matchup with defending champion Dallas.

4. BILLY HUNTER AND DEREK FISHER

With report after report coming out about NBPA union head Hunter's shady, nepotistic dealings and questions arising about Fisher's own role in dealing with NBA owners behind Hunter's back during the lockout, this off-the-court scandal could prove to be more exciting than the playoffs themselves!

5. STEVE NASH AND THE PHOENIX SUNS
The Suns are on this list for squandering the last few great seasons from Nash. Nash is on this list for his stupidly stubborn loyalty to a franchise as awful as the Suns.