No Blood No Foul

The Nuggets, in the words of the Nugg Doctor, have a lot to look forward to. Nene is getting ready to return, Chucky Atkins is coming back, and with the return of these two players (along with Steven Hunter) the Nuggets will have a healthy squad once again. With Nene’s return, the Nuggets have a dominant scoring big man that will allow Camby and Kenyon Martin to play more like they’re accustomed — off the ball, flying all over the court for blocks and rebounds. With Atkins return, the Nuggets will have a reliable shooter that will punish teams for loading up on A.I. and Melo’.

But will it be enough? (more…)

With the Nuggets Nene out for at least the next 6 weeks, it might be time to consider making a trade. It’s no secret that Denver shopped Marcus Camby during the off-season, hoping to find a younger player that could replace Camby and also get Denver out of the luxury tax. Denver’s urge to avoid the luxury tax is so great that they traded Reggie Evans for the 76er’s Steven Hunter and a throw-in during the off-season - a lopsided trade in Philadelphia’s favor. Clearly, the Nuggets want to get out of luxury tax territory and they’re willing to trade a key big man to do it.

So why not trade Nene for Ron Artest? (more…)

Almost two months ago, I said that the Nuggets weren’t a championship squad. I said they’re biggest failings were terrible defense and a lack of three point shooting. Here we are five games into the season, and here’s what I can tell you about Denver:

1. This team needs a point guard. This isn’t really a defensive problem, but part of the reason the Nuggets got hammered in Boston last night was their lack of a point guard. AI is an excellent playmaker, but he should spend a lot of time working off the ball in order to spread the opposing team’s defense and bring some balance to the offense. Too often, AI’s ball pounding puts the rest of the Nuggets in the “stand and watch” mode, (more…)

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 10th row ticket for tonight’s Nuggets-Bucks preseason game, and I decided to bring along my camera and post a couple of photos along with my observations.

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If you’re an NBA player in a contract year, the last thing you want to be described as is a “malcontent.” Unfortunately for JR Smith, that’s exactly what’s happening. Smith’s current team, the Denver Nuggets, have begun to seek a trade to unload Smith, who was quoted earlier this week as saying that he’s “not trying to be a cancer.” It’s no secret that JR Smith and Nuggets coach George Karl don’t get along, and moving Smith is probably best for the team. Unfortunately, rumors of this trade only reinforce Smith’s image as an immature, foolish, and un-coachable young player — a malcontent. (more…)

OK - here’s where I put my money where my mouth is. My playoff predictions for the upcoming NBA season, in order of seed:

1) Phoenix Suns - With all the angst from last season, these guys have got a big chip on their shoulder that should translate to the best record in the league. (more…)