The Kamenetzky Brothers of the L.A. Times' Lakers Blog picked my brain on the upcoming Nuggets season in a Question & Answer format. Click here to give it a read and follow the jump for a snipet.

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Around here I often refer to him as J.R. Swish, but George Karl prefers, "good J.R. and the bad J.R." What to make of one of Denver's most controversial players?

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We got a taste of what Billups could do last season, but what can we expect going forward from Colorado's homegrown talent?

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More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

Kenyon Martin's defense will again be counted on for the Nuggets in Round 2.

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Admittedly, I stole this idea from At the Hive and I wanted to bring you, the reader, more insight on the Nuggets than perhaps you are use to.

So, I reached out to Mike the Nuggets Examiner, Jeremy of Roundball Mining Company, and Andrew of Denver Stiffs to get their thoughts on my SEVEN questions heading into Round 2 against the Dallas Mavericks.

(Head over to their sites for more detailed previews and other insights to Nuggets basketball!)

Here are their thoughts ... Q&A style to my Billups inspired 7 Questions:

1.) First, let’s keep this short-and-sweet (because we have more work to do against the Mavs), but what does it mean to you for the Nuggets to be in Round 2 for the first time since 1994? Heck, I was only 12 years-old at the time.

Mike - Nuggets Examiner: "Yeah, I was fifteen and I had never seen anything quite like NBA playoff basketball.  I remember going to a few of the Western Semifinals games against the Jazz and just being amazed at how crazy the atmosphere was.  It’s funny but the thing I remember most was all the dunking going on in warm-ups.  It got the crowd so fired up before the game had even started.  I think they need to bring that back.  Maybe Sonny Weems can have an impact on this series after all."

Jeremy - Roundball Mining Company: "To me it is somewhat bittersweet.  On one hand it is great to be able to watch how this team has grown and I am excited to see how far they can go.  On the other hand it is a reminder of how terrible this franchise has been for a long time.  Although I enjoyed the first round victory as much as anyone it is pathetic that this is such a milestone.  Advancing past the first round should be a regular occurrence."

Andrew - Denver Stiffs: "I was a senior in high school when the Nuggets beat the Sonics in 1994, and attended both home games.  Game 3 in particular was the best live sporting event I’ve ever been a part of in my entire life.  That being said, my memory goes back a bit further to 1988.  That was the last time the Nuggets won a playoff series on their home floor.  So I’ve now witnessed two Nuggets series victories in person: 1988 and 2009.  That gives you some perspective on how much this franchise has struggled between the end of the Doug Moe Era and the beginning of the George Karl Era."

2.) Does it mean anything that Denver was 4-0 vs. the Mavericks in the regular season?

Mike: "Only that the Nugs match up pretty well against them.  But Dallas is a completely different team now.  Something clicked with them on offense – they move the ball so well now and have no trouble finding open shots.  They stretch the defense very thin.  Also, Jason Kidd is knocking down threes with regularity.  And when things aren’t working it’s pretty easy to throw it to Dirk and let him go to work."

Jeremy: "If anyone is claiming Denver will win this series simply because they won the season series they are crazy.  Both teams are playing much better than they were at any point this season and both teams are fully healthy, which was not the case in three of the four games.  Perhaps the Nuggets hold a slight mental advantage, but you better believe Dallas knows they can win this series.  What is important though is both teams developed tactics that will be utilized in this series.  For example hopefully Denver established how they can deal with the high screen action the Mavs run with Dirk."

Andrew: "It means a little.  It means that the Nuggets know they can beat the Mavericks in their gym so confidence won’t be a problem in this series (as I’m afraid it will be should the Nuggets face off against the Lakers in the WCF).  Also, a lot is being made of the Mavericks not having Josh Howard for two of those four games, but the Nuggets were without Carmelo Anthony and Nene (each missed one game) for two of the four games, as well."

3.) What must Denver do on offense to be successful against Dallas? And what matchups are you looking forward to?

Mike: "It’s pretty clear-cut what the Nuggets need to do on offense: pass the ball.  They’re a great offensive team when everyone’s playing unselfishly.  But they’re mediocre when they get into one-on-one basketball.  I’ll be interested to see how well Dallas guards Carmelo Anthony.  I don’t think Josh Howard can hang with Melo physically.  Billups-Kidd will be interesting as well.

Jeremy: "Denver needs to do more of the same although I would like to see some more points in the paint.  The key to me is Carmelo Anthony.  If he plays the way he did against the Hornets, Denver will have no problem scoring points.  In round one Melo finally started making teams pay for doubling him by executing quick accurate passes or driving past the help defender into the middle of the lane to get to the rim.  Dallas will definitely double Melo, especially in the post, as Josh Howard cannot handle him one-on-one, and he will have to punish them for it.  I am definitely looking forward to seeing if Melo can continue his sterling play.

"Dallas has no one who can cover J.R. Smith (then again who does?).  If he can get matched up with JJ Barea just put points on the board and head to the other end of the floor.  Chauncey will post better numbers than Jason Kidd although Kidd does tend to hold Chauncey below his averages.  If Kenyon is aggressive he can make things difficult for Dirk and Nene has a big quickness advantage on Erick Dampier."

Andrew: "Dallas has no interior defense so Carmelo Anthony – and yes, Denver Stiffs has been beating this drum for two seasons now – MUST take the ball to the rack rather than settle for all those mid-range jumpers.  The same goes for J.R. Smith.  If Melo and J.R. could somehow combine for 12 free throw attempts per game, this series is over in five games.

"Beyond that, the two most intriguing matchups are K-Mart vs. Dirk and Chauncey vs. J-Kidd."

4.) What area would you like the Nuggets to focus on defensively? And again, what matchup are you looking forward to?

Mike: "The Dirk-Kenyon matchup will be key.  I see K-Mart getting into Dirk’s head a little bit, which doesn’t usually work in the Mavs’ favor.  The Nuggets usually defend pretty well when they don’t have to expend a lot of energy down low.  Dallas’ ball movement will be a tough test for the Nuggets D.  Communication will be everything.  It seemed like San Antonio just got dizzy trying to keep up with Dallas in that last series."

Jeremy: "Dallas has a lot of weapons and as I mentioned above the key play the Nuggets will have to stop is the high screen by Dirk.  The Mavs set great screens and Dirk will (try) to knock the defender off of Kidd, Terry or Barea.  If Denver traps, Dirk is open.  If they switch then Dirk is being covered by a guard.  Denver had some success trapping the ball handler and rotating the other big up to Dirk, but that causes problems too and I suspect the Mavs will be ready for that scheme.  If Dallas is just going to post Dirk up or put him on the wing, Kenyon can make life tough on him, but that high screen scares me.

"The other key will be if they can contain Barea.  So far no Nugget defender has proven they can keep him out of the lane and if his three point shot is falling he can be a terror.

"I will also be interested to see how well Dahntay Jones can cover Jason Terry.  Jones was great defending the pick and roll, but he will have to chase Terry through a hoard of screens and to me Anthony Carter is better suited for that role."

Andrew: "The Mavericks primary scorers – Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry – overly rely on their jumpers.  So as long as the Nuggets aren’t giving them easy layups and keep a hand in their faces on those perimeter jumpers, I’ll live with it.  As noted above, the K-Mart vs. Dirk matchup will be the most intriguing defensively."

Continue reading after the jump where we get into predictions ...

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I was fortunate enough to have a couple of minutes with Sonny Weems after his home debut with the Colorado 14ers.  I may or may not have edited out a reference to Alabama instead of Arkansas in the last question and he may or may not have laughed in disbelief when I may have mentioned Alabama, but I am not going to admit to anything.

Jeremy:  You had a groin injury in training camp.  Was this the first major injury you experienced?

Sonny Weems:  Yea, I pulled my groin when I was a senior in college.  I just had surgery when I got drafted and it was a long process of trying to get it healed and I think right now I am 100% and ready to play.

Jeremy:  Is that the only major injury you have ever sustained or have you had any other injuries?

SW:  No broken bones, that’s about it.  Just a couple of weeks you’ll be back.  This is the only thing I have had that has kept me out for a while.  I am just happy to be back.

Jeremy:  What is it you are hoping to get out of the D-League?  What is it you are looking to work on?

SW:  You know I am just trying to build my stamina back up.  I have not played in almost eight months so I am just trying to get up and down, run up and down the court, play a little defense and help the 14ers win.  I think I can bring something to the 14ers.  They were good before I got here I am just trying to add a little more spice.

Jeremy:  You are from Arkansas.  Is that the only place you have ever lived?  Is the snow new to you?

SW:   I used to live in Memphis when I was younger and it snowed in Arkansas, but not like this.  That’s what I was telling the people back home it snows in Arkansas, but it does not get like this.

Me:  Thanks a lot, I appreciate your time.  Good luck and stay healthy.

Sonny:  Alright, you’re welcome.

Thanks again to Sonny for taking a couple of minutes to chat and make sure you check out my scouting report on he, Cheikh Samb and James Mays.

We have a little pre game treat for you today.  At the Hive, a great New Orlenas Hornets blog, and I have done a little Q and A in preperation for the big Thanksgiving night conflagration between the Hornets and Nuggets.

Enjoy!

Pickaxe and Roll:  Before the season I believed that if any team other than the Lakers was going to represent the Western Conference in the finals it would be the Hornets.  New Orleans experienced a 2-5 stretch before their current three game winning streak.  Their five losses include games against Atlanta, at Charlotte and Sacramento.  Was that 2-5 stretch just an early season blip or are there issues that were revealed that might plague the team all season?  Do you fully expect them to be a top two or three seed at the end of the season?

At the Hive:  The Hornets' biggest issues this year have been over-fouling and poor perimeter defense. Now, the perimeter defense seemed like it took a turn for the better the last few three games. That said, our last three games were against Oklahoma City (twice) and the Clippers. So Denver will be the first real test to see if the defense has returned to last year's levels. Over-fouling I feel is a small sample thing that will correct itself as the season goes on. 

I still expect the Hornets to challenge for the two or three spot at the end of the season. Houston will obviously be the biggest competition, since they could potentially lock the Hornets out of the top three by winning the Southwest Division. As the team is constructed now, the biggest flaw would be our bench. I really can't see GM Jeff Bower failing to make a move down the road for a point guard if the poor bench play continues.

Pa&R:  Tyson Chandler's numbers have dropped off quite a bit from last season.  Is that dropoff apparent in his play or is it just a matter of dealing with a small sample size?

@tH:  He started off really slowly due to a sprained ankle. But one thing that worries me: he doesn't get his "tip out" rebounds very often. Last year, that was one of his biggest strengths. Even when he didn't have rebounding position, he would rely on his athleticism to leap up and tip rebounds back out to the perimeter. This year, that's been sorely lacking. It could be that he isn't getting as much lift off his injured ankle. That's my hope any way. If his problems persist through December, the Hornets might be looking at a serious issue since Tyson is by far the best rebounder on the squad. 

Pa&R:  While the James Posey addition was made primarily for his post season experience, but has he provided what the Hornets were expecting from him so far in the regular season?

@tH:  Oh, he's been amazing. Seems to come up with the timely trifecta every single night. The biggest thing with Posey is that even on his "off nights," he's worth having on the floor. He makes up for poor shooting games with terrific hustle and man defense. Having him guard guys like Kobe and LeBron has been a huge improvement over Peja, as you might imagine. 

Pa&R:  Even though the Nuggets won 50 games last season I contended that there was little to no intimidation factor.  No teams were saying, "Crap, we have to play the Nuggets tonight?"  I believe the Nuggets are better this year than last year now that they are focusing on playing attentive defense, actually moving around on offense and having added a point guard who can shoot and defend in Chauncey Billups.  As a fan of an elite team how close are the Nuggets to being a team you dread playing?

@tH:  Hmm. Interesting question. The thing that worries me most is Chauncey Billups, the defender. Billups absolutely torments Chris Paul. I know a lot of that must be credited to the Detroit Piston's excellent help defense. But Billups stays in front of his man as well as any player in the NBA. To me, that's really impressive since Billups isn't the quickest guy in the world himself. His footwork on D is what helps him accomplish it, and Paul has been stymied by it. As far as the rest of the Nuggets, I feel pretty good that J.R. Smith is coming off the bench instead of starting. The Hornets' bench struggles to score, but is up there with the best defensive units in the league. Between Devin Brown, Julian Wright, and James Posey, I feel confident that the Hornets can limit Smith. 

Thanks to At the Hive for the great insight.  Hopefully he is right about Chauncey being able to hound Paul.  

Denver Nuggets fans have been very fortunate to listen to Jerry Schemmel who is arguably the best radio play by play guy in the NBA.  This season Schemmel announced that he wanted to see his family more this season and is not going to call any road games this season, at least until the playoffs (God willing). 

Enter Jason Kosmicki. 

This preseason Koz has stepped into the big shoes of Mr. Schemmel and has done a great job.  As one of the few people on the planet who has seen the Nuggets play each and every one of their preseason games I thought it would be a great help to all of us to pick his brain, if only that was possible.

Well, the opportunity presented it self, I jumped at it and Koz was gracious enough to oblige.

Jeremy:   Congratulations on being named the radio announcer for all Denver Nuggets road games this season (in addition to your executive producer responsibilities for the other Kronke Sports Enterprises [KSE] teams).  If you would please, share with us how you arrived at this point in your career.  Have you worked in any other markets or done play by play for any other sports?

Koz:  I’ve been in radio since I was 15 (1982). Even back then I was involved with sports, I can remember being the sports directors color analyst for Legion baseball games. Of course I was the same age as most of the players. We were friends...I remember them giving me the signs. They actually told me what the signs were, so as the game was going on, I would watch the third base coach. If I saw him give the steal sign, I would tell the PBP (play by play) guy "you know this would be the perfect time to send the runner" or if I saw the hit and run sign I would say, "Hey they ought to hit and run here." I was sounding like a genius it was classic.

I’ve worked in many markets, Kearney, Nebraska, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Le Plata, Maryland (Washington, DC), Corpus Christi, TX, Colorado Springs, CO. But the most experience I got was in college (University of Nebraska at Kearney) where we did everything. I did PBP for football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, volleyball and softball. We even did boxing, the Sigma Tau Gamma fight night, fun times.

Jeremy:  You have been fortunate enough to work with Jerry Schemmel who is one of the most respected announcers in the business and an all around great guy.  What is the most important thing you have learned from him?

Koz:  Jerry is the man. He is one of my best friends in the world. Can you imagine how many games we have seen together and how many miles we have traveled together? You have to be pretty compatible to spend that much time with one person. He has given a lot of great advice and I think there are couple pieces that stick out and both are pretty simple.

I remember one time I screwed something up in the broadcast and heard about if from someone. I was pretty down. He told me, "You will never be able to please everyone. All you can do is be prepared as possible, treat people the right way and do the best job you can." Now that I have moved into a PBP role that is code I work by. I am almost over prepared and of course you want people to like the job you do, but what he was getting at was that at some point it’s kind of out of your control.

The other piece of advice I recall him saying was, "Not everyone is going to like the job you do, and if you don't believe me just read some of the reviews of my book* on amazon.com." That's a good point, he is a wise man.

*Jerry Schemmel was on a plane that crashed in Sioux City, IA in 1989 that killed 112 people.  He wrote a book titled "Chosen to Live" about his experience during, and more importantly, after the tragedy.

Jeremy:  You know better than any of us that basketball is a sport that moves very quickly.  I cannot imagine how difficult it is to accurately communicate the action over the radio.  What is the most difficult aspect of calling an NBA game on the radio?

Koz:  First of all let me just say this. I really, really appreciate this opportunity. I thank Jerry Schemmel for wanting to spend more time with his family and I thank Altitude’s Matt Hutchings, Jim Martin and KSE's Paul Andrews for having enough faith in me to do this job. Only 30 jobs like this exist, it’s extremely competitive and almost impossible to get this job. It’s been my goal since the 7th grade to do PBP in the NBA and I can’t believe it’s happened. The odds are just so much against you. I will never forget this portion of my life because a dream has come true for me.

But back to your question, calling a game is not easy. There isn't enough time to get everything in that you want. I’m still growing in this area and expect to get better as the season goes on. To be honest the most difficult thing for me is not calling out the officials. I have been on record for saying that the officiating in the NBA is terrible....let’s just leave it at that. I remember a couple of years ago when I filled in for Jerry and was doing PBP. My Dad was listening and after the game he said something like, "I thought you did a good job but stop complaining about the officials all the time." I have a lot of respect for my dad especially when it comes to sports and told myself that if I ever had the chance to be a PBP guy that I wouldn't do that anymore. But trust me...its not that easy.

Jeremy:  I believe you have seen every game the Nuggets have played this preseason and you mentioned more than once on Friday night that the Nuggets were playing great defense against an admittedly short handed Clippers squad.  Have you seen a philosophical change from the players putting forth a more consistent effort on defense, not only physically but mentally as well, or was the defense they played against the Clippers a bit of an aberration against a team missing their best offensive player?

Koz:  It’s not just the Clipper game, I think they played great in the preseason. I really do. They had one of, if not the best, record in the NBA in the preseason, not that it matters. But they came out and played hard. Playing defense is a mindset. Look at the best defenders in the NBA you are telling me that the difference between Ron Artest (on defense) and say Tracy McGrady (on defense) is talent? No way. Defense is a "want to." The key is for everyone to buy into that. To be on the same page and commit together as a team to play defense. This of course is where the problem lies with the Nuggets, they have talked about it, preached it, now we just need to see them go out and do it.

Jeremy:  Nene is probably the most indispensable player for the Nuggets this season.  I believe I heard you comment that he has the quickest first step of any big man you have ever seen (if I am misquoting you, please correct me).  After the plethora of health issues he has experienced the previous few years is he as athletic, quick and explosive as ever (Jamario Moon probably thinks so)?  Could he be in the discussion for an All-Star spot at center this season?

Koz:  Yes, I said that and I believe it. Nene’s first step is the fastest I have ever seen for a big man. If anyone knows anyone quicker at 6-10 or taller let me know. I don't know about all the All-Star stuff.  My goal is to just keep the man on the floor for 70 plus games.

Plus All-Star voting is lame. I mean look at the west. How is Nene ever going to take it over Yao Ming and his countrymen over there in China? And no one is ever going to get more votes than Shaq, not to mention Greg Oden and Carlos Boozer. If the All-Star voting was based on talent Nene would have a shot, but let’s be honest...it’s a popularity contest.

Jeremy:  In my opinion one of the most interesting story lines for the 2008-2009 season is the potential ascension of the Portland Trail Blazers.  Some NBA observers think the Blazers could win as many as 55 games this season.  I believe they are still a year or two away from reaching that level, but they do seem poised to challenge the Nuggets for not only second place in the Northwest Division, but more importantly the eighth playoff spot.  What are your expectations for the Blazers this season?  Assuming Allen Iverson spends the entire season as a Nugget, will they finish ahead of Portland in the standings?

Koz:  Everyone and their brother has the Nuggets finishing third in the Northwest Division behind Utah and Portland. Ok, I can see Utah, they were there last year, and they have a long tenured coach in Jerry Sloan that knows what it takes.

No disrespect here to Portland...but show me. That's my attitude. I saw a 50 win season by Denver first hand last year and saw that it is an incredibly tough thing to do. Sure the Blazers have the pieces but show me...that’s all I’m going to say.

Jeremy:  That leads us to the next question.   In your opinion, and utilizing any "inside" knowledge you may have, how likely is it Allen Iverson finishes out the season in Denver?

Koz:  No comment.

I would like to thank Koz for taking the time to be interviewed.  He definitely knows the Nuggets inside and out and was very kind to agree to be interviewed.