Denver Stiffs: FanPosts

Its Coach Karl fault that we lost

2009-11-07T03:07:22Z

I know what you guys are thinking, How is this Karl's fault. Well because when Denver cut the lead to 12 he should have put Melo or Billups in the game, 3:30 were left enough time for melo to get to work. I also think the refs had a lot to do with this lost. Making bad calls all game long. Another thing AC should quit taking shooting the ball, he is only good for defense. What are your guys thought on tonight's game.

Golden Nuggets...

2009-11-06T15:42:39Z

Some morning links for you to browse through ...

The Denver Post's Chris Dempsey talks about Ty Lawson turning heads with his play ...

Lawson figures to turn heads all season long in his NBA debut, including that of his coach, who detests the reputation he has for not playing rookies, although three weeks ago he defended his right not to play Lawson.

Chris Dempsey was busy last night ... Catching up with Eduardo Najera

Chris Dempsey: What were your emotions facing the Nuggets?

Eduardo Najera: It’s actually the first time I played against them. Obviously I have feelings about the Nuggets. I still know most of the guys on the team, coaches, organization. Playing against the Nuggets was weird at the beginning, but I was excited.

A couple days old, but Dempsey talks about Renaldo "The Crimestopper" Balksman's extension:

(This is a pretty good article ... talks with George Karl and Balkman about his role with the team ... essentially the Nuggets seem him as a "rookie-ish" player ... for now.)

In a moment of honesty, Balkman admitted he was a bit surprised that he was extended. His new deal is three years, more than $5 million.

"It was a surprise that they did it because I haven’t been playing," Balkman said. "My minutes do go up and down at times. But they know, too, that whenever I get on the court I give my all. Anytime he calls my name I play basketball to my fullest potential. Whatever I do on the court, it’s always at 100 percent and they know that. I’m the type of guy that all I want to do is win. I hate to lose. So, I’m a fighter till the end. And if all I do is get my teammates hyped up to win the game, then that’s what I will do."

David Thrope of ESPN ranks the rookies (you have to have insider I think to view this) and has Ty Lawson ranked #3 behind fellow point guards Brandon Jennings of Milwaukee and Jonny Flynn of Minnesota.

3. Ty Lawson, Nuggets
The truth is, a few of the point guards on this list could do what Lawson is doing, if they were on the Nuggets. Well, almost. Lawson's time at North Carolina has him well-prepared for how he needs to play in Denver. But he does not have to apologize for his good fortune' after all, he has made much of it himself.

Watching him rush up the floor, being quick while not hurrying (it's a John Wooden reference), is to see exactly what most NBA coaches want in their backup PG. Make easy plays, help teammates get good shots, and do not ever turn the ball over.

It likely won't happen this season, but Lawson has the makings of a perennial Sixth Man of the Year award winner.

Chris Tomasson of Fanhouse discusses the possibility of the first female NBA head coach ... Nancy Lieberman?

If there ever will be a female NBA head coach in my lifetime, I'm thinking Nancy Lieberman has got a shot. Lieberman took the first step toward that Thursday when she was named head coach of the Dallas Mavericks' D-League team in Frisco, Texas, that will begin play next year.

NBA Game Previews on InsideHoops.com ... Nuggets vs. Heat

Carmelo Anthony has cooled off since his red-hot start, but the Denver Nuggets keep winning. As they continue a season-high six-game road trip, the Nuggets look to match their best start in 24 years by extending their dominance over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Anthony averaged a league-best 37.7 points on 53.6 percent shooting for Denver (5-0) in its first three wins but shot 34.1 percent over the past two games, scoring a combined 47 points... The Nuggets, who haven’t started 6-0 since 1985-86, play a winning team for the first time Friday in the third game of their trip. They also face the league scoring leader from last season, Dwyane Wade. The Heat (4-1) bounced back from their first loss as Wade had a season-high 40 points in a 93-89 victory at Washington on Wednesday night.

ntimmons73@yahoo.com

Tyrus Thomas?

2009-11-06T04:35:05Z

Tyrus Thomas is officially in the doghouse in Chicago after totaling a whopping 12 minutes of game time tonight. What's more, rookie Taj Gibson is starting over him. I don't think the bulls extended him so he might be a restricted free agent this season, but I know they're another team trying to free up some cap room to make a big at DWade. Could we use a TPE to get Thomas? He could back up Martin the next couple of years and then replace him. He'd be an extremely high energy guy to bring off the bench along with the Bird.

DeJuan Blair's knees

2009-11-05T22:57:52Z

Many of us here on Denver Stiffs wanted the Nuggets to use their second round draft pick on DeJuan Blair ... the rebounding machine from Pittsburgh that ENDED UP BEING DRAFTED BY THE FREAKING SPURS!

Well, as it's been well documented or at least talked about ... Blair has no ACLs. The concern is that Blair may have a very short NBA career because his knees will not hold up. The guys over at SB Nation's Spurs blog Pounding the Rock were also very interested in this, so Fred Silva brought in an expert and got his take on Blair's knees.

I highly recommend giving it a read. CLICK HERE.

And while you are over on Pounding the Rock be sure to vote on the "Best NBA hair" poll ... Birdman needs some love!

A quick bit:

As most are now aware, DeJuan Blair is missing both of his ACLs. While in high school, Blair tore both ACLs and had them surgically repaired. Unfortunately, the surgeries were unsuccessful as it has been revealed that he does not have either ACL. After the surgeries, his body must have rejected the repaired ACLs and absorbed them. I had many questions about DeJuan Blair's knees so I decided to find the most knowledgeable person possible in order to get some answers. Enter Steve Stratton, PHD, PT, ATC and founder of Steven Stratton Physical Therapy located in San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Stratton began our discussion by explaining that the ACL is simply a stabilizer of the knee, and is not the most critical stabilizer; that would be the PCL. He said 95% of athletes that have their ACL surgically repaired return to their sport. He explained that he played running back at BYU for two years and had his ACL-less knee hit every way imaginable without any problems. It is not unheard of for a person without an ACL, or two, to have a lengthy, successful athletic career.
However, a knee without an ACL is an injured knee that can give at any moment. The wrong tweak or hit could damage the PCL, at which point it would be game over. I then asked, "How many years can we expect from DeJuan Blair?" ... click the link to find out the answer ...

The score bar on Altitude

2009-11-05T20:28:10Z

Anyone else get annoyed with the score and stat bar that ran across the top of the screen for last night's Nugs - Nets game? I hope that isn't the status quo for this season's broadcasts. Every time there was a jump shot, the ball got lost among the 31-point lead. Every time there was a free throw, it looked like Geordi La Forge was at the line. Does it look any different on the HD broadcast?

And The Charlotte Bobcats Hit a New Low...

2009-11-05T19:54:07Z

CHARLOTTE, NC—Frightened by the deafening music, the frenzied laser show, and the announcer's booming voice, panicked Charlotte Bobcats players fled the chaotic environment of the Time Warner Cable Arena during their pregame introduction Friday, hiding in their locker room until they were assured by officials that it was safe to come out. "I have no idea what was going on out there, because it just went totally dark, and then everybody started screaming and there were these sirens going off for some reason," said small forward Gerald Wallace, who admitted fearing for his life. "Then there was this growling, super-loud voice that seemed to come from all around us. And somehow it knew all our names—how? Anyway, that's when we all got the hell out of there as fast as we could."After Bobcats coach Larry Brown spent 20 minutes coaxing the players back onto the court for the opening tip-off, the team scattered in every direction when a referee blew his whistle.

Of course, this top-notch reporting is courtesy of The Onion :)

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/bombastic_team_introduction

ESPN deserving of Stiff List again

2009-11-05T17:29:15Z

Reader Artimus Mangilord sent me an email last night of the Suns vs. Magic preview story on ESPN from the game last night (Magic won 122-100). He pointed out the following excerpt:

After finishing ninth in the Western Conference last season and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004, Phoenix is one of three remaining undefeated teams in the league in 2009-10. The others -- Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers -- are the last two NBA champions.

Notice anything wrong there?

I'll point it out again ...

Phoenix is one of three remaining undefeated teams in the league in 2009-10. The others -- Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers

Last I checked the Lakers lost on October 30th to the Dallas Mavericks 94-80 and currently have record of 4-1.

Since Phoenix lost last night there are now only two undefeated teams in the NBA ... the Boston Celtics and YOUR Denver Nuggets.

I guess even with editors things like FACTS can fall through the cracks ...

ntimmons73@yahoo.com

Lawson Vs. Carter Part 5

2009-11-05T05:06:20Z

STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Anthony Carter, PG	23	3-6	0-1	0-0	1	3	4	3	0	0	1	1	+14	6
Ty Lawson, PG	28	9-10	3-3	2-2	0	4	4	2	1	0	1	1	+15	23

I think the stats say enough for this one. This will be my last comparison post. Both had about the same minutes, and Lawson obviously outplayed Carter. People say that Carter is brought in to bring offensive production and energy, well it looks like Carter's days of doing that are over, and the rookie has taken his place. Its apparent after the last five games that Lawson is much better than AC. AC thank you for everything you've done in Denver (especially those 2 turnovers in the playoffs last year that cost us the series) but your days are done. Ty Lawson has taken your spot.

"It's Good To Be STIFF" T-shirts are here!

2009-11-04T16:15:30Z

When we debuted our new Denver Stiffs T-Shirts last week several readers commented and emailed that they wanted a "It's Good to be Stiff" shirt made available, as well. The week long wait is over and those shirts are available now, available in over 15 colors. On a side note, I recently ordered a few T-shirts myself and the quality is exceptional. I know $20 may seem a bit pricey for a T-shirt, but trust me when I say they're well worth it.

Thanks for supporting Denver Stiffs by ordering one of our three different T-shirts!

BS: Kobe Plays with the flu! drops 31! in 46 Minutes!

2009-11-04T22:18:07Z

Okay. I'm done. Last night Kobe Bryant's Lakers played the OKC Thunder. And barely won. By 3.

But before you jump to any "whoa, are the Lakers that bad?" or "wow, the Thunder are about to show the league that drafing a guy that's 6-10 125lbs was the greatest move in history and they are on theyre way to a statement season!", I just found out that Kobe missed the shoot around, arrived at the arena late, and had to get an IV because he has the flu...

OKAY.....ummmm, Im so tired of this. First of all because he doesnt have the flu. He played 46 MINUTES!!!!!! Have you ever done anything besides sleep for 46 minutes when youve had the flu? NO.

And don't give me the crap about how these guys are superior atheletes and all that shit. They are, but that's not what last night was about. Last night was purely and simply about ego. And from one of the biggest that has ever graced the professional sports stage. Kobe Bryant's life long pursuit of wanting to be Michael Jordan is becoming tiresome. And after seeing Michael's HOF acceptance speech I cant wait to see what Kobe does for his: Admit that he got away with rape cause he's just that good?...sorry, had to.

What interesting here is that Kobe never plays 46 minutes even with overtime because this Phil Jackson Laker team doesn't need him to! But what Kobe needs is to rack up a couple more "performing under adverse circumstances" games so that when people look back they can use the stats to prove the Kobe was better than Michael. And here's the thing Kobe: you wlll never be considered better than Michael Jordan. He had a couple of things going in his favor. 1) Espn's Sportscenter had just started and he was on it every night doing things in front of a worldwide audience that hadn't seen anything like it before. And 2) He has and always will market himself better than you....

I guess this little rant is just to say: YOU DON'T FOOL ME KOBE. You never have and you never will. Win a championship without your franchise trading/buying SUPERSTAR players and getting help from David Stern okaying trades that should NEVER happen and I might have a little respect.

But right now, all I see is a guy who pretends to battle through adversity when there is none there. Just be okay with having things been handed to you from the time your were born with a silver-spoon in your mouth.

And the next time you have "the Flu", stay home and let your teammates beat the Thunder by 20. I think they can handle it and might prefer you not exposing them to possible H1N1.

F*ck Kobe Bryant. Seriously.

Give me Melo any day of the week.

"Crap-Shoot": A diablogue about Stern's fake NBA

2009-11-04T22:12:20Z

Go to the following link and read every word:

http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts-from-the-book-the-nba-doesnt-want-you-to-read?skyline=true&s=x

Whether it's all true or only a very small fraction, there is just no way on earth that David Stern and his refs are impartial and objective about our Nuggets and their "Thugget" alter ego. No way.

I am NOT a conspiracy theorist at all BUT I have found myself lately wondering about calls, suspensions, schedules and more. (And by "lately" I mean since The Malice at the Palace and the insane suspension of Melo that followed.) Do I still watch every game with the hopes that we are getting a fair shake? Sure. Do I believe that our big wins over big teams came IN SPITE of the league and the officials? Absolutely. Do I celebrate a little louder and longer after those wins because I know that the cards were stacked against us and that were winners on the losing end of an unfair fight? Fuckin' A...

I'm sure that Donaghy's book won't be a fun read for those of us that love the NBA and love our teams. Nescessary, but not fun at all.

Fuck David Stern and fuck Tim Donaghy and all the officials that don't call it the way they see it.

4 Games in, Interesting Nuggets stats:

2009-11-04T16:21:57Z

Positives

- 2nd, PPG

- 1st, FTA

- 1st, PPS (points per shot)

- 6th, Adj. FG%

- 2nd, TO/G (12.8)

- 9th, APG

- 1st, A/TO

- 1st, Off. RTG (117.9)

Negatives

- 16th, Total RPG

- 14th, SPG

- 13th, BPG

- 17th, Def. RTG (107.5)

***

Obviously, this is small sample size theater, but I'd say the Nuggets have a lot of positives to look at through these first few games. We really need to tighten up on the defense, the rebounding in particular disturbs me. It suggests that against teams with a strong interior game (Lakers, Magic, Celtics) we're going to get murdalated.

Offensive statistics are great. 1st in assists per turnover, 1st in points per shot, 1st in offensive rating? I'll take that any day.

Lovin' the Nugs.

2009-11-04T07:42:05Z

I am an avid MHR reader, and just found out about this blog a few days ago and joined up. I'm glad to be here! It's nice to have a place to talk Nuggets with fellow fans being as I'm stuck in south Texas all by my lonesome in Spurs country (yick!). Anyways, I was writing these thoughts down in a comment but decided to just make it a fanpost (because I done wrote too much!), I apologize if the content is repetitive as I haven't seen all the threads leading up to the season....

Does anyone else get the feeling that this team is more focused and complete than ever before? I feel like Melo is setting the tone right now, and this team is not one that will take many nights off or lose to teams that it shouldn't. I really like they way they look right now. I agree with you Nate, what's the deal with Balkman?!?!?!? Along with Lee, he was the only player I liked on the Knicks roster when he was there... and was pumped when we picked him up. I expected him to get in the rotation and get regular minutes, I just can't figure out why he rarely gets any playing time. He seems like the type of player GK values given his versatility, toughness, and hustle... what gives? I am loving the Afflalo pickup. I liked him in college and am excited we got him to replace Jones, I think he will end up being an upgrade over Dahntay, as much as I liked him. Between adding Lawson and the other acquisitions in the offseason, I think we are definitely a more complete roster this year. Couple that with Melo's insanely high level of play so far, Chauncey's familiarity with the team in his second year, and what I think will be another slight breakout season based on his performance in the playoffs for JR Smith, and I really think we sit firmly in the "legit contender" category.

As I have seen and participated in discussions on the subject here, our biggest weakness is interior defense of good big men, and to a lesser extent on offense, a low post scoring presence. Even with these issues, I believe our club is good enough to beat the elite and win the championship.

Back to the lineup, here's a fun thought: We could possibly trot out a lineup of Ty Lawson, Chauncey Billups, JR Smith, Carmelo Anthony, and Nene at some point this season... Is that not the Howitzer of offensive basketball? If that lineup got extended playing time, how do they not score 140 points a game? And yes, I am going to completely ignore the fact that the other team might score the same on us... that would be pure basketball fun!

Thanks for listening. Go Nuggets!

Lawson vs. Carter Part 4

2009-11-04T05:28:22Z

STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Anthony Carter, PG	31	2-6	0-2	0-0	1	4	5	5	1	2	1	2	+8	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Ty Lawson, PG	13	1-3	0-0	2-2	1	2	3	1	1	0	2	0	+1	4

Why did AC play so much more than Lawson? I'm not saying that Carter played bad necessarily, but I don't think that he played that much BETTER. Carter had a better game due to the +/- differential, but Lawson didn't get much of a chance. He played the third least amount of minutes in front of Balkman (4) and Allen (8). Besides, even if Lawson was playing bad it's not as if the game was close enough that he could ruin it. These would've been great experience minutes. Oh well, looks like Carter got to pad his stats while Lawson didn't get to play on his birthday :'(. Poor guy. Well, I don't understand this. Any thoughts?

7 Footer for Playoff Run

2009-11-03T18:36:32Z

What do you guys think about reacquiring Camby at the trade deadline for the playoff run? I'm not a huge Camby fan, but he might become available if the Clippers try to get under the cap...If they could get him to play the right role, could be a good get. I'm not 100% on how the trade exemptions work, but you could throw in a role player or two like balkman and the Atkins or hunter exemptions, or take camby and another low salary guy for both exemptions. We'd be taking on roughly half a year of camby's salary, which would get them under the salary cap, so they could get the luxury tax payment like the nuggets did last year. If the Clippers aren't competitive, it might make sense for both teams.

New Broncos cartoon...

2009-11-03T16:57:37Z

As always, pardon the shameless plug but I thought my fellow Stiffs would appreciate this 1-minute Broncos-themed cartoon I produced a little while back for "The Best Damn Sports Show." I just got permission from Fox Sports to put these up online and will be releasing a new cartoon weekly. Enjoy!...

New NBA Rules

2009-11-02T22:35:35Z

There are dozens of rules in the NBA that need to be changed. The following is a partial list of legit changes as well as some silliness that ought to be considered too. Feel free to add yours. There are no stupid suggestions only stupid Commissioners:

1.) Offensive Goal Tending is a stupid rule and needs to go away. Who is getting cheated when someone breaks this rule? The stat keeper?

2.) Flopping should be a technical foul just like illegal defense. In fact, flopping should be classified as illegal defense.

3.) Players should not be able to plead their cases to officials while the clock is moving or while the ball is in play (free throws.) You (Tim Duncan) wanna waste your own time-out or play stoppage to explain to the officials how you get fouled every time you touch the ball even though you yourself have NEVER actually committed a foul, go for it. When the clock is moving and when guys are shooting free-throws, it's our (the fan's) game, not yours...

4.) Speaking of free-throws... If your shooting percentage is under 80% you have to shoot grannies until it's back above 80%. You think guys would make more free-throws and actually work on their shot (Shaq) if the penalty is shooting like you're playing in the 50s?

5.) You should be able to kick the ball on defense. Chances are you will kick it out of bounds and the offense will maintain possession anyway. Having a kicked ball penalty or play stoppage is a waste of time. There is no rule against heading a ball. Why? Because, chances are, it wouldn't EVER benefit the person who did it so it doesn't change the outcome of the play much at all. Same with kicked balls.

6.) If a player gets "caught in the air" and the ball handler jumps into him it is not a shooting foul. Why? Because that player wasn't actually shooting, and if they were, they were choosing the lowest percentage shot available to them. A foul? Yes. But not a shooting foul. Anyone who has ever played has done this and we've all felt like it was one of those basketball "loopholes." The NBA is too great to have loopholes.

Go Nuggets!

Golden Nuggets (afternoon links)...

2009-11-02T21:43:57Z

Getting off to a 3-0 start has people talking Nuggets basketball...

For his outstanding performance thus far, Carmelo Anthony has been named as the Western Conference Player of the Week.

The Denver Post's Anthony Cotton has an interesting story on what's become of former Nugget Allen Iverson's career.

The Post's Dave Krieger gets the Melo-for-MVP bandwagon going (way too early in my opinion).

Hoopsworld's (and Nuggets insider) Travis Heath notes about Melo: "there's something different about the guy this season."

And ESPN.com's Marc Stein is ranking the Nuggets fourth in his weekly Power Rankings.

Carter vs. Lawson, Part 3

2009-11-02T12:23:07Z

Carter was probably better in this game, however you dissect it. Sure, his defensive effort was pretty crappy, but
he made his shots and only turned the ball over once in 19 minutes, which is an extraordinary feat for him. Ty Lawson started great, but in the third quarter, had some of his shots blocked by the Grizzlies bigs like Hasheem "The Rookie Human Telephone Pole" Thabeet. He played 21:38. The stats are below:

Starters	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Anthony Carter	2	2	1.000	2	2	1.000	0	0		0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	6
Ty Lawson	3	8	.375	2	3	.667	0	0		0	1	1	3	1	0	1	1	8

However, even though AC probably played better, it's worth noting that he took two three-pointers and made them both. He's a career 25% 3-point shooter, and his average over the past three years is about that, meaning that the chance of him making two of two three-pointers is very low. One mediocre game by Lawson doesn't mean his minutes should be cut; everyone has mediocre games once in a while...

Poll

Who do you think had the better game, Anthony Carter or Ty Lawson

Man, anyone else see Channing Frye's game against the Timberpuppies?

2009-11-02T06:45:13Z

He would have been such a good pickup for us this summer - he would have definitely fit in as a fourth big, even though he wanted a bigger role. I bet if the Nuggets were willing to spend just a bit more than they ended up offering, they could have signed him.

He hit 6 3s tonight. 25 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals.

And he has a ton of upside. I'm not saying he's Dirk Nowitzki yet, but Frye could have really helped this team with his shooting and to some extent rebounding. Imagine Frye playing pick-n-pop with Ty Lawson or Carmelo.