Thank God we do not have to watch the Nuggets tonight, but there is some news out there so I will pass along my hodge podge of mismatched thoughts and ramblings.

Return of Chucky
Most Nugget fans are sounding the alarms after the Nuggets were launched even further from the playoffs by the Rockets in Houston Sunday night and rightly so.  Well, we have heard for weeks that Chucky Atkins is a major missing piece to this puzzle.  For all of those people who put their eggs in Chucky’s basket judgment day is at hand.  He may be playing as soon as this weekend.  

If there is one thing we saw from Chucky’s on court performance earlier in the season, he will make the Nuggets defense even more decrepit than it is now.  He did not shoot well, but obviously a healthy Atkins will make considerably better than the 24% he threw up there earlier this season.  

There are two areas that Chucky can help out in.  Anthony Carter has played far more minutes this season than he ever has before and his performance has been collapsing as quickly as the Nuggets season.  Chucky can help give him a break which will hopefully raise the level of Carter’s performance.  

The other area Atkins can help with is he did a great job of actually passing the ball to the screener on pick and rolls.  He was very adept at squeezing the pass through defenders to the cutting roll man resulting in a quality shot.

Atkins also says in the article that he will drive more than he did in his cameo earlier in the season.  Whether or not that is a good thing is up for debate.

Does any of this sound like Denver is getting some kind of season changing savior as he has been made out to be by some people?  Not to me, but Chucky will provide some help on offense, which the Nuggets are not as good as their points per game average would suggest.

Return of the Birdman
Chris The Birdman Andersen has been reinstated by the NBA and from what is coming out of New Orleans, it sounds like they are going to sign him (they have 30 days to offer him a one year contract equal to a prorated amount of what he was previously signed for).  I have read reports that he has been working out like a beast and is ready to contribute from day one.  It will be interesting to see how he fits in with New Orleans.  He would be an adequate substitute for Tyson Chandler as they have similar skill sets.  

One thing is for sure, he does not make the Hornets any worse.  

Return of the Lottery
The good news for Nuggets fans with the team heading for the lottery, we now have a stake in ESPN.com’s lottery game.  Click here to play and see if the Nuggets can sneak into one of the top three spots.

If you can actually get the Nuggets into the top three leave a comment as to who Chad Ford has them drafting with one of those selections.

Return of Good Hygiene
I noticed something about Carlos Boozer while watching the Utah/Dallas game last night.  

Look at this picture from his time at Duke.

Now look at this picture with Utah.



Notice what is different?  I always thought he had some nasty looking chest hair at Duke and I guess he must have been pretty self conscious about it too and used some of his millions to laser that nasty gorse out of there.  Now if he can somehow surgically remove his career at Duke he may be ready to have over for dinner.

Return of Excuses
The latest load of crap flowing from the Pepsi Center was that the Nuggets have a much better record at this point of the season this season than last season so they may not make the playoffs, but hey we are doing so much better!  Everyone should be thrilled at the achievements this team has made.  

Um...no.  That is spin that Obama and Hillary would be proud of.  

Does George Karl remember what the Nuggets went through last season?  The Nuggets had Nene, but not Kenyon Martin, they went through a few suspensions due to the Fracas at the Garden, and they had to adjust to a midseason trade.  They better be much improved this season than last.  The only major setbacks they have had were the injuries to Atkins and Nene.  That does not compare to what they went through last season.

Mark Kiszla wrote an article today in the Denver Post railing on the Nuggets inability to really share the ball and the complete lack of accountability from Karl to Melo to AI to Camby and on down the line.  He is about a couple of months too late with this angle because we have been on that bandwagon for quite some time now, but it is about time people start to realize this team is in major trouble.

The Nuggets are not dead though and if Dallas and Phoenix continue to falter in the wake of their highly questionable trades, Denver may not have to catch Houston or Golden State.

Oh and as a Minnesota Vikings fan on the day of Bret Favre's retirement let me just say thank God he threw the game losing interception and could not beat Eli Manning at Lambeau Field in his last game.  Don't let the door hit you on your way out, but feel free to stumble down the stairs and flop into a mud puddle.