Denver Stiffs

I think he is mentally out of sync

More than physically out-of-shape.

Just my 2¢.

InboundingLobPass - January 2, 2012 reply

another side effect

of signing so late. I didn’t anticipate that sort of issue but it makes sense I guess.

El Scorcho! - January 2, 2012 reply

Yeah, I think it's mental too

Wouldn’t be the first to feel like they need to earn their new money and put too much pressure on themselves.

margabelle - January 2, 2012 reply

who know maybe now that he's a millionaire he'll totally sandbag...

I kid, I kid

He wouldn’t do that…. (I hope)

I'll let you get away with that

Since you actually posted something useful, like a box score.

Anyway, I was off by 9 minutes in my prediction that the 7-footers would only get 25 minutes between them.

It was the _fifth game in six nights_, Karl!

And with a starter out to boot!

Is there anything that will get Faried and Carroll off the bench?

Chrysicat - January 2, 2012 reply

A blow out

See the Utah game

Carroll was inactive.

Hamilton has been activated the last two games in his place.

Nate Timmons - January 2, 2012 reply

brewer needs to play more

yeah he’s not so great on offense, but apparently neither is Fernandez. Meanwhile he had two blocks and a steal and really sparked this team with his energy.

^This

Looking at that 'exhibition game' over on ESPN...

…and here I thought the Ducks and Badgers had no defense…

Chrysicat - January 2, 2012 reply

i'm happy to see we can win a slower game

and, more importantly, defend in a half-court game, but it seems like this team is better when we play at a fast pace.

El Scorcho! - January 2, 2012 reply

I'm a lot like you

I was pleased to see a game where they won more with defense than fast breaks or hot 3-point shooting.

They did get lucky in the last couple of minutes when Stephen Jackson missed a wide-open midrange shot.

ParkHillNative - January 3, 2012 reply

Gallo

If he ever gets his 3 point shot going, he’s going to be a good weapon on offense. He’s getting to hoop/drawing fouls well and rebounding and playing defense better this year. He’s just still having a tough time putting it all together on one night. Another rough night from outside the arc plus 4 turnovers tonight. I’m waiting for that 28, 10, and 4 night from him with 3-5 from outside the and no TOs. It’s there.

Wayne Crimi - January 2, 2012 reply

he will start hitting 3s

Once that happens I see him settling into a nice 20-25 points a night groove especially if he is knocking down 8-10 FTs a night also.

Jaybark7 - January 3, 2012 via iPhone app reply

I wish he'd stop shooting 3s entirely

unless it is completely, unquestionably wide open and his feet are set or there’s no time on the clock. He’s so good at getting to the line, and he’s the rare player that can get a dunk in the halfcourt game….its such a waste having him bomb awkward contested 3s. I know he’s a better shooter than this, but right now its just sad to watch.

Just confirms why I'll never pay for tickets...

….on the second (or in this case third) day of a back-to-back for the Nuggets. Just not very exciting to watch. But I’m sure happy to win the last two of the back-to-back-to-back. And more than happy to watch it on the TV.

bonaire - January 2, 2012 reply

What happened to Nene?

3nS - January 2, 2012 reply

Foot

Precautionary measures. Etc.

I got distracted by the game...

But I was reading through the game thread and some one noted that Galinari has basically been the exact opposite of who we thought we were getting. From what I remember Galinari was supposed to be a big inconsistent perimeter shooter who didn’t always use his size to his advantage and sometimes took mental days off. This year he has been one of the hardest hustlers and best rim-attackers we have had so far. And he hasn’t had a very good outside pass at all. Think of the open three point shot he could have taken at the end of the game and instead he threw to Big Al. It seems last year he would have just taken that shot.

Very unselfish play, some good passing.

It other news, K2 looked good. Moz did not. A couple missed dunks, and very poor defense against Bogut. I wonder if GK will consider using the two towers lineup even after Nene gets back… I think it could be very effective under certain situations. However it happens, I hope he at least gets a few minutes regularly going forward.

SurfaceThought - January 2, 2012 reply

OT: I like the Longs Peak photo in your avatar

Gallo should have taken that open 3 when he passed to Harrington who had a turnover that play

He was wide open but has confidence issues right now. Our shooters will find their groove and I can see the writers writing something about how the shooters got their groove back.

JR15 - January 2, 2012 reply

That’s one of the downsides of Gallo’s game at this stage. His confidence level fluctuates a lot based on short term results. Then it impacts his game and feeds into the pattern. I’ve seen that pattern repeated several times over the last couple of years. He can even get screwed up on the FT line where he starts jerking his form etc…. The thing is, he’s just as liable to hit 50% on 3s for two weeks and 40 FTs in a row at any time. He’ll have one great shooting game by accident and then all of a sudden his confidence will soar and his form will improve etc… He’s tough in a lot of ways, but I don’t think he’s mentally strong about his own game. Hopefully he’ll mature into it.

Wayne Crimi - January 3, 2012 reply

Mozgov struggled because he is still learning.

He just went up against the physical weapons that Bynum has, getting pounded with knees and elbows and long arms and rootouts in the post.

Bogut is almost the exact opposite. He has great footwork and an excellent left or right hook anywhere from <10 feet in and is virtually unguardable closer than that. He is a finesse more than power C and has a totally different style than Bynum.

Having to adjust to that would be pretty difficult if you’d never really done it before as the starting center (on this team), and he’ll figure it out. I like Mozgov but he definitely needs to show more offensive prowess for him to get more playing time. That awkward two handed missed dunk but saved off the rim was a good if somewhat nausea-inducing start.

Colin Neilson - January 2, 2012 reply

Its too early to write him off

but I haven’t seen much from Moz to think he can be more than a space filler. Which is fine, not every player can be expected to be an impact guy. He can be valuable as a limited minutes role guy. But hopefully our coaching staff can help him along, and quickly, becuase his game needs soooo much work.

big al

is saving this team.

roxintober - January 2, 2012 reply

Yeah we definitely would have lost vs. the Lakers and tonight without his play.

Colin Neilson - January 2, 2012 reply

Can anyone else remember a Nugget

Turning it around so spectacularly?

Assuming he continues to play at this level

I think it would be fair to say the plantar fasciatis was impacting him greatly last year.

ive heard a lot about that injury.

and its just about the hardest nagging injury to get over. nagging might be putting it lightly.

roxintober - January 2, 2012 reply

It's a bitch of an injury,

but actually absurdly simple to get over. I bought some vibram finger shoes to run in, and mine was gone in 2 weeks. I’ve probably talked to 8 or 9 people with the exact same experience.

Those shoes still crack me up

They are great for training.

But I laugh when I see runners wearing them for serious races.

Yeah they're silly,

but wonderful.

InboundingLobPass - January 2, 2012 reply

whats funny about reduced heal strike?

it can really contribute to fatigue in a long race.

It would have to be

I think that probably has a double impact because it not only hurt him in games but also made it harder for him to train effectively.

SurfaceThought - January 2, 2012 reply

Exactly

+1 on Big Al

I take back every bad thing I ever said about him, and thank heavens he wasn’t amnestied.

ParkHillNative - January 3, 2012 reply

It's crazy right?!?

Loving his game and work ethic.

I really hate being "that guy"

But NEENER, NEENER, NEENER! to everyone who wanted to give Big Al the boot.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Liar!

You know you love it. I can only claim middle ground on this. I wasn’t advocating for him to be amnestied, but I wasn’t saying they should keep him either. I did have hope he would improve if healthy.

In my best Miracle Max's wife voice

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

The guy

is our #2 MVP behind Ty at the moment. He needs to be on the floor in crunch time as he’s clearly the best halfcourt offensive player we have in terms of getting his own shots and he plays great within the system as well. Like the rest of the team, would prefer more dribble drives to 3s, but most of his long jumpers are good looks. Replacing his minutes with Koufos or Faried and we’d have 2 more losses, for sure.

You are popular

That is true.

Just not because you post a lot. I think you are generally friendly and welcoming and whatnot. But you have your moments of, um, shall we say “cattiness”.

Happy birthday, by the way.

Huh? It's not my birthday

It’s not cattiness. It’s snark.

Well, I missed your birthday

Snark is great. I like it. Keep up the good work.

Ah...well better late than never I guess!

you know I'm not surprised SDcat leads the boards

and it’s not because she is “chatty” as you wrongfully say. She’s a genuine person who people enjoy talking to. She’s got a good sense of humor and knows a lot about basketball. What’s more, she understands 99.9% of all non-related references. So check yourself before you wreck yourself my man.

She posts a lot

That makes her chatty.

But I don’t disagree with anything else you said.

I’m wrecked already. No point in checking.

Must..step...game..up

i would have had more

damn internet was hella slow

Army of Nugs - January 2, 2012 reply

I doubled you up

domination

TyLawsome had the highest quality posts though

Lets all be honest here.

I will not cede that to him

Sorry.

He had quantity and quality with one stroke

You have to give credit here, my man.

I retract the above statement

I was wrong.

that's what she said...

Thank you

8 green comments in one thread must be a DS record

GREEN IT!

a good rookie effort

from our new Denverstiffs user, Rph80.

true that

I'm amazed the coaches let him partake so much

Well, some of the veterans

were tired after two straight game threads. We need more depth.

Haha this shall be rec'd!

For you to perform at such a high level on night 3 is truly admirable

I was a DNP yesterday so I was fresh and ready

P=post

Heh. Nice

yeah where the hell was I last night!?

I just didn't want to dominate the entire conversation.

I didn’t know we’d be scored at the end. Just give me more minutes!

rph80 - January 2, 2012 reply

You have to sieze the opportunity, grasshopper

Now now

we do not need a Demarcus Cousins moment on the DS squad, your minutes will come

def most greens

moondoggie12 - January 2, 2012 reply

LOL....

I have work to do

Physical Fitness is a huge deal this season

This condensed season Especially
Big Al did Everything right off-season. He got over his plantar foot and he got himself to professional level of fitness with improved stamina and quickness.

AAA is maybe the highest quality character guy on the team. But if he did not get himself into pro shape because of his contract negotiations, he made a big mistake. World class fitness is an absolute must in this year’s NBA.

Nuggburg - January 2, 2012 via mobile reply

It was a very good win tonight

The Bucks are a pesky team and I have them in the playoffs. They are a very solid defense and fundamental team and for our depleted team to beat them in convincing fashion was very encouraging. Al Harrington is the opposite of what he was last season.

If he continues playing like this, I’ll take my diss article of him, put it in a paper shredder, get some terrible spaghetti sauce and eat it all and put it on youtube.

This sounds awesome!

But seeing as I was one of the ones defending him, I may just have to get a Harrington jersey this season.

I'm sorry but I was the BIGGEST Al defender....(not really)

but I was pretty vocal

Maybe so, but I loved that guy in GS and when he scored 43 on MElo's only 50 pt night.

Couldn’t help being disappointed last season, but always gave him the benefit of the doubt. And I’m serious about getting a Harrington jersey.

I too am being forced to eat crow by Big Al

He’s playing Big. Guarding centers, neutralizing them. He worked hard, is in shape and voila, amazing what can happen. Smart of him to get strong in the off-season when most other players wouldn’t be ready with short camps. Why didn’t he do it last year? He earned the Hamburgler nickname here by doing all the opposite. But, good for him and good for us. Way to – argh – go, Big Al. There, I wrote it.

he was hurt

plantar fasciitis (thursty?)

Nuggets

49 rebounds, to the Bucks 39.

22 assists to the Bucks 19.

We played good team basketball despite it being an off night.

Indeed!

We did play some good team defense but, did anyone notice that we occasionlly had “pre-trade” moments? I see times when there are three defensive guys under the basket and our guys are close to the free throw line watching them get the rebound.

TroyMack - January 3, 2012 reply

I missed the game.

So thanks for the recap. Getting a break down like this is way batter than just looking at the box score. Sounds like I did not miss much. But I’m glad we are beating teams we should even if it was a back to back to back

TopherYork - January 2, 2012 reply

Sloppy, but Gritty...

Nuggets still can’t shoot straight. Hope it doesn’t become a season long trend.

But.. these type of wins turn a good record into a great record. GK still doesn’t trust the big guys in the clutch. Wonder if he ever will. Big Al keeps playing the way he does it won’t matter. It will be Nene, Big Al and Gallo during crunch time.

djyoung71 - January 2, 2012 reply

2012 Denver Nuggets : The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

http://www.82games.com/1112/1112DEN.HTM

You guys might like this site for future statistical reference

Harrington leads the team in “Simple rating”, if you guys want more ideas on what all of the stats mean, they have help articles and whatnot to help you.

Thanks for this reference, but

before I look at it they’ll have to change their URL to 66games.com.

Looks like the way to beat the Heat is to play the zone

ATL utilized it well. Also love that OKC lost and may lose to Portland tomorrow.

JR15 - January 2, 2012 reply

This

chantech - January 2, 2012 reply

The Nuggets competed...

On a B2B2B where really good teams aren’t competing, it’s really encouraging and says a lot about the makeup of this team. Especially continuing to push the pace and compete on defense in a game most teams would easily just give up on.

Karl is still playing some bad lineups and I’m with you all, i’m not sure why he’s not playing AAA more but we’re playing really well, competed against some good teams, blown out the teams we’re suppose to blowout, and winning without Nene.

Enjoy the ride guys – I know Jeff was disappointed to have to cover this game but the crowd came alive in the 4th and we pulled out the win.

chantech - January 2, 2012 reply

serious question

how much burn would you give Afflalo? He’s averaging 27 minutes per game (4 more than Rudy) and he’s playing pretty poorly. I would agree if the suggestion is that Rudy is also playing poorly so AAA should get a few more of his minutes. But overall the guy does not appear to be quite in shape and is playing at a level that warrants less, not more, minutes. Certainly I don’t want him taking any more of Miller’s minutes unless/until some SG really starts exploiting Miller on defense.

If anything right now I’d give Brewer some of both AAA and Rudy’s minutes, if only just to try to light a fire under those guys. The shooting has been just so brutal, though obviously Brewer is not a solution to that.

+1

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Honestly

I’d give Fernandez’s minutes to Koufus at this point. Stop playing AAA at 3. Stop Playing Harrington at 4 and 5. Bench Fernandez and give his minutes to kouf. Make the whole lineup bigger.

This team is at its best when playing fast

more minutes for Koufos is not going to help IMO, unless we are getting eaten up on the glass and/or in the post on defense.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Playing fast is stupid (not calling you stupid)

and they are getting killed on rebounds. When is the last time a team that relied on the fast break type offense won anything? Exactly. The fast break gets shut down in the playoffs. This team needs to learn to execute in the half court. Running works in the regular season, then you get knocked out in the first round.

The team is third in the league in defensive rebound rate

so your premise there is wrong. Rebounding has been just fine.

In fact, per Hollinger, the Nuggets are fourth overall in defense despite playing at the fastest pace in the league. This is how they will win. Its not a team build for the halfcourt because (a) shooting is very suspect and (b) we have very few iso/halfcourt players. As the Laker games showed, this team is not great at getting easy buckets when not on the move. Playing slow, underskilled Cs more is not the solution.

That said, I agree overall that we will need to develop a better halfcourt set to win in the playoffs, but that should be added to our present fastbreak approach — which is what makes us good. Getting better at what we do is the answer, not changing what works.

Good rebuttal

I want to point out that the Nuggets are a good — not great — defensive team. But that makes them way more complete than the other run and gun teams that have failed in the playoffs.

How is top 5 not a great defensive team?

OK

They are great. Still doesn’t change my point. That you can succeed with a fast, high-scoring offense if you are also playing good — er, great! — defense.

And even though historical precedent is not on my side, I think a team like the Nuggets can succeed in the post season.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

We'll agree to disagree

In case you care, Phil Jackson, who knows a little about basketball, agrees with me that you can’t win the playoffs with the fast break offense.

And rebounds are a major problem. They didn’t get their first offensive rebound until the third quarter yesterday, and getting out rebounded 50 to 30 as they did against the Lakers is a recipe for losing.

Basketball is won

By scoring more points than the other team. It’s that simple.

A great way to score a lot of points is to play at a fast pace. The problem, historically, is that these teams also give up a lot of points. Right now, the Nuggets aren’t doing that. If you score a lot of points and don’t give up many, you are going to have success.

You have history and Phil Jackson on your side. Chances are you are right. But I feel good about Denver’s chances to run and defend. Always a pleasure to disagree with you.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

I agree on the defend part

the running part breaks down in the playoffs. Even the oldest and slowest team can scout you and focus on getting back on defense. There is also more time between games so fatigue is less of an issue. No reason this can’t be effective in the half court. Even bird is good on the pick and roll.

to be fair

the more they focus on stopping the fast break, the easier it will be to rebound. Also, the more they focus on stopping the fast break, the more they have to run. Our youth and depth will benefit from that.

I also think that especially in Denver

it’s kind of silly to not run.

The U.N. Fab Five - January 3, 2012 reply

Your theory about playoff fatigue is true

EXCEPT this year. It was already stated that there will be b2b in the playoffs and potential b2b2b in the second round. Fatigue will be a factor this year.

WHAT?

for real???

The U.N. Fab Five - January 3, 2012 reply

Yep it was part of the schedule release

The only way there would be b2b2b in the second round would be if the first round goes to 7 games nearly across the board

The Finals will still be in Early June. The regular season ends 12 days later then normal. Have to squeeze the games in

The U.N. Fab Five - January 3, 2012 reply

I hadn't heard that...

I thought the playoffs would be the same ol’ same ol’

Actually I like that for the playoffs

I’ve always been of the mind that basketball, much like baseball, builds on momentum. I think too much time between games is a problem.

And I agree that running is hard against some teams

Look at San Antonio. They release their guards after every shot to stop the break.

I don’t deny that Denver has to get better at the half-court game. I mean, look how poorly they played at Portland and LA at the end of two winnable games. Their offense disappeared.

I’m a big fan of freelance, free-wheeling, fast-paced offense. But sometimes you need to be able to execute in the half court. And, I agree, that Denver will not succeed in the playoffs if they can’t run some plays against some savvy, veteran teams.

This weekend against San Antonio, even without Manu, will be a great test.

That's one of the reasons why I'm so excited about Andre

I think this dude will help our half court offense a lot, especially come playoffs.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

We'll also see a test of the theory

in Miami this year. Only team running more than Denver. I will laugh my ass off if they lose in the first round. Looked at Denvers offense the last few years and said “yeah, we need to be like that.”

San Antonio's defense isn't as great this year

Not a great test. Milwaukee was actually a good defensive team when we played them and we still somehow managed 23 fastbreak points on really tired legs.
I don’t like it if we are a one-dimensional fast break team, but that is right now.
If our 3 point shooters can shoot like they are supposed to our dribble drive in the half court can be effective too. Gallo and Ty can create shots or opportunities for others in the half court and Nene still has post moves. Not a conventional half court set, but I think we have the personnel to manage it even if George doesn’t have any plays.

Also I think Ujiri knows what he was doing when he traded Felton for Dre

He knows how Karl will coach and has cleverly placed players that will work in Karl’s system.
I think the purpose of Moz and Kouf is to get rebounds, and defend with their offense coming from put back dunks.
Nene is our post offense because we all know Karl doesn’t like forcing the ball inside versus driving the ball inside.
Ujiri is the Poppovich of GMs that magnificent bastard knows what he is doing. I think he knows Karl’s weaknesses and getting players that play to Karl’s strengths.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

I agree with this post

and this is why I won’t be stunned to see Harrington traded for a bigger 4. Karl wants to play Harrington at center, we’ll just see about that. Force Karl to play proper rotations by giving him no other choice.

The fact that we are 4-2 while bricking 3 pointers

Is a minor miracle and a good sign. We are shooting about 25% on 3 pointers (4- 19 tonite) which is 5th worst in the NBA, while chucking up the 5th most 3 pt attempts. Bricklaying our way to victory.

Imagine what happens when Gallo Rudy and AAA find their range.

Nuggburg - January 2, 2012 reply

Anyone listen to the post game on the radio?

As always they went around the locker room doing interviews with players and coaches..They wanted to interview Al Buckets Harrington but he was apparently in the weight room. So wait, let me get this straight after a back-to-back-to-back against tough competition and all close games Al goes straight to the weight room? WOW! He is just incredible now. I have so much respect for him.

stan_26 - January 3, 2012 via iPhone app reply

Yeah I think "the weight room" might be the bathroom

Dropping some weight.

InboundingLobPass - January 3, 2012 reply

That's what Ben Wallace used to do

Do we stop calling him fat Al or ham burglar yet?

InboundingLobPass - January 3, 2012 reply

I guess we need to come up with a new nickname

Clankington turns into Swishington

Hamburglar turns into… ? Ronald McDunkald!

recd for his one finger salute.

calvin brodus - January 3, 2012 reply

THIS... is funny.

taking a deuce!

Take Five ... you said you'd laugh at me after this game, as if to say the Nuggets would be making their 3-pointers.

Well, 4-19 (21%) is still not good. Looks like I was correct, on the third game in a back-to-b-to-b the tired legs prevailed! Booya! Well, I wanted to see the makes, just didn’t think the legs would let it happen tonight or last night.

Interesting

CloudBurst - January 3, 2012 reply

Well that's why George uses them to close out the game.

InboundingLobPass - January 3, 2012 reply

weren't we supposed to see a lineup where MOZ played alongside Nene?

Wheres that one? Didn’t make the list?

been thinking the same thing tho no one is surprised

Wonder how Nene feels about his new power forward position?

It's happened for a few minutes at a time

At the start of each half when Nene’s been healthy.

Then Moz picks up a few fouls and too the bench he goes. And to the 5 spot slides Nene.

Is this a surprise though?

I can’t imagine anyone, from Karl to Nene and on down, really expected Moz/Kouf/Bird to hold down 48 minuts of C position. And I, for one, certainly don’t want to see that because it means better players are on the bench. Nene should play 30-35 per, and about 15 of that time should be at C.

Never said I was surprised

I still think K2 can offer solid minutes off the bench in relief of Moz, instead of the undersized Bird.

I’d like to limit Nene to 10 minutes at center. Mostly at the end of games. He is without a doubt the closer at the C spot.

Ideally

you are right on. Hopefully KK and Moz can make it work.

I can indeed imagine a more traditional center rotation

And wish for it day and night. But I agree that until Moz and/or KK can become reliably effective, the players to close the game should be some combination of these six: Nene, Harrington, Gallinari, Lawson, Miller and Afflalo. At the same time, I can imagine Moz or KK in as a defensive substitution if the clock gets stopped.

The ongoing debate about small vs big and running vs halfcourt (yes, too simplistic a characterization) is fascinating, both here and the above sparked by chantech/Teekalong, with TID, Fly and others participating. Stupendous stuff. We have to assume that Karl will play small and run run run, so we’ll see how well it works out. It has worked pretty well so far, though I’m far from convinced. And when you toss in the need for player development…

Did anyone notice that in the game, Birdman had a minus 14 differential

and the next lowest was afflalo at zero. Not sure whether its a direct relationship but whatever its saying – thats not good!

newsman35 - January 3, 2012 reply

Yup Kouf over Bird please!

Scott Hastings, Post game comments

“It (was) like taking an ugly date to the prom; may not be real proud, but you got to go”

And in reference to Benjamin Hochman’s (premature, in my opinion) assessment of Gallo in Sunday morning’s Denver Post:
“And then you have Gallinari, who gets ripped in the paper by a guy who finally decided to travel and actually watch a game, follows back with another double double tonight.”

Classic.

I’m very pleased to see Big Al Buckets having fun with this team (Dora the Explorer and Hello Kitty backpacks and a Post Fan Jam scrimmage dance off for the rookies). I’m also happy to see this team trying to play team basketball in the post-Melo era… But please… Run like Ty, Andre!

timoptic - January 3, 2012 via mobile reply

the trend of replacing everyone's last name with buckets is an epic fail

like the phrase epic fail.

besides, invisible dread head is al's real name

ever noticed the lines on the top of his head? looks like he has dreads but he’s obviously bald. maybe he used to, but pulled them too tight.

yep, makes him look like a ninja turtle

it only works for Rodrigue Beaubois

Roddy Buckets

that one i'm ok with

el origional.

thursty'd

el original, however Beabuois is from Guadeloupe so Spanish is not his first language.

thursty'd is right on par with "buckets" fyi.

and i was speaking spanish because i know a very small amount of it. not because of rodrique. i’ll let you google the original in french if you care to.

how is thursty'd on par with buckets exactly?

You speak a very small amount of it indeed.

bandwagon lack of originality

You might be confusing bandwagon lack of originality

with the meme concept. Many people that comment in the blogosphere enjoy memes.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

This just screams for

a picture of a rainbow unicorn tattoo. Only I promised not to do those anymore. Dammit.

Pat is anti-fun

I don’t think “Thurstying” is unoriginal so much as I think it is poor form.

I’ve never even heard anyone but Al called “Buckets”. Don’t even care.

Sports is so repetitive and cyclical that clichés in sportswriting — and no doubt fan commenting — are always going to be hard to avoid. Don’t see the big deal in repeating a common, if not stupid, nickname. Don’t see the big deal, either, in misspelling a word here and there.

Some people.

i don't ,mind misspelling or typos,

i am annoyed that everyone from al, to rodrique, to marcus thornton, to nick young is being called buckets not just in here, but on tv too.

not anti fun, just easily annoyed by lack of imagination.

memes=bandwagon lack of originality

Not really...but to each their own

MEMES ROCK DUDE!!

JBnuggs - January 3, 2012 reply

I could have sworn...

You just denied being anti-fun.

Dude, saying "Thursty'd" is as old school as it gets on Denver Stiffs!

Thursty is a long-time reader who, very much enjoyed, correcting my errors in my posts – as well as Andrew’s. He will even let loose in the comment sections. He comes to the Denver Stiffs events and is an awesome guy.

You can’t knock the THRUSTY’D!!!!! Blasphemy!

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Rec'd

MAKE IT GREEN!

Make you green

You just earned another Pulitzer!!!

Another? Where’s the first one? Did you steal it?

Wasn't Patrick's first comment ever a rant/criticism...

… of a commenter saying you deserved a Pulitzer for one of your posts and how lame all of uscommenters were?

Ha, I believe the Pulitzer comment was from one of Feinstein’s columns. What do you get if you win a Pulitzer? A Kia?

that was a very minor part of it and admitedly an error on my part

but i don’t back off of my brown nosing statements now a couple weeks in. that was just a bad example. remember that was after three days. the fact that the rest of my diatribe still holds true in that time is telling.

-margabelle

It's all I choose to remember

"a man hears what he wants to hear and disregars the rest

hmm mmm hmmmm."

well thanks for the back story.

it’s still pretty over used.

UNPOSSIBLE

me fail english?

Overused to you.

Fun for others. Beep, bop, bope!

no nate, my opinions are all tht matter

muahahaha now excuse me while i piss on my face to put out the fire :P

tht = that

THRUSTY’D!!!! HAHAHA

Oh no he didn't!!!!

JBnuggs - January 3, 2012 reply

100% intentional

tht = the hack timmons… ok not really.

nah, i've never been accused of being an accurate typist/speller

but i AM deadly from three point land.

I shoot a nice three-ball myself, lots of errors in my posts too!

THT, The Hack Timmons, now that’s original! Booya!

Patrick KB. Nugget: Got anything positive to type? Since you’ve joined this blog, the majority of your posts are negative or critical. I appreciate a Sandy Klough-like rebuttal when it’s necessary, but it is becomIng tiresome. Let’s try and find positives in people and posters here on Denver Stiffs.

What I was referring to was 950Fan’s pregame vs. the Lakers on New Years Night. Jason Koz asked Al how he got his nickname of Buckets. Maybe do some research before posting, eh? Thanks in advance.

timoptic - January 3, 2012 via mobile reply

no

not really.

and i wasn't inditing you, just saying i hate the bandwagon lack of originality

in applying one players nickname to 15 different players i.e. everyone named jake is the snake.

just once for example,

i’d like for someone named jake being called “for fucks sake jake”.

Name your first born

well i'm not likely to have any kids with my current idea of a romantic evening am i?

my contribution to the world

Please use another phrase for "bandwagon lack of originality"

you have used it thrice now, quite unoriginal.

Phil H. - January 3, 2012 reply

you don't suppose that was intientionally cut and pasted to illustrate my point now do you?

I don't

Boom!!!

well you are entitled to be wrong i suppose :)

talk about unoriginal bandwagon speak

i see you can cut and paste too. jolly good.

Nah...I can type and stuff. FAST

Miller is never gonna be a runner

ever. Half court offense will always be how he plays and Karl won’t change it. He plays great using his style, he is the only player I feel comfortable about not doing something bone-headed on the court. The only up-tempo plays Miller will do are the up the court heaves to other players.

Frankly I like the contrast between both players.

CloudBurst - January 3, 2012 reply

Worked for Dallas

I agree with cloudburst on this one.

Kosta Koufos > Mozgov

Anybody with me?

Lucas Navarrete - January 3, 2012 reply

At this stage yes.

K2 is the better player but Moz may have the higher ceiling.

stan_26 - January 3, 2012 via iPhone app reply

Come on, k2 is not an old player

He was drafted a couple of years ago, so he could improve as well. I just don’t see anything in Moz besides the size, I might be blind or something, poor hands and no courage…

Lucas Navarrete - January 3, 2012 reply

He certainly seemed better tonight

but neither one is really making a case for heavy minutes.

been sayin that since the trade

skithebert - January 3, 2012 reply

Right now,

K2 is a more refined offensive player than moz

moondoggie12 - January 3, 2012 reply

i agree 100%

If Al was playing like this last year

Would Melo have stayed?

Caseyboo - January 3, 2012 reply

I hope not

The 7 footers combine for 34 min

and we out-rebound a team by 11. Shocking.

KK is 3 years younger than Moz and has a higher offensive ceiling. Moz clearly more coordinated and quicker.

NugzD - January 3, 2012 reply

Moz is also stronger

Monkfish - January 3, 2012 reply

Melo: 35 pts..... Knicks lose to Raptors

Sound familiar?

no only because the Raptors win so rarely

Zing!

On 31 shots, no less. He did get 11 boards, but he’s a fool’s gold leader.

timoptic - January 3, 2012 via mobile reply

In fairness, Stoudemire is hurt.

Nene was hurt for us and we beat a decent Bucks team on a b2b2b

The Knicks will always have excuses. That is why I see them as a lottery team as soon as Stoudemire or Chandler goes down. I used to think it was both, but now only one of them has to go down for that team to suck air.

what year 1st rounder do we have from NYK again?

nm i checked

2014

http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2011/12/30/2671378/this-is-whats-wrong-with-the-knicks

It doesn't matter

The don’t play well together anyway. You can’t effectively have two offensive powerhouses who are only effective when they have the ball work well on the court at the same time.

SurfaceThought - January 3, 2012 reply

ParkHillNative - January 3, 2012 reply

sounds vaguely familiar

swmrkev - January 3, 2012 reply

Yeah blowing games against teams you are supposed to beat

The new twist here is that they lose to good teams too, so even worse than the Melo Nuggets.

I don't think it is easy to trade Melo or Stoudemire for another star

Chuckers are not looked upon favorably as they used to be. Wow things in New York are already looking dim… Dolan will screw up that team even if Sam Presti or R.C. DUIford of the Spurs ran the team.

Denver and OKC are the only western conference teams ....

…. with more than 3 wins (Portland has only played 4 games though and is 3-1).

It seems like after our first 2 games, we’ve played like poo. But here we are off to a good start.

Someone the other day said Karl was shooting for 10 victories in January

Considering that we have 2 victories in January by 1/3/2012, only 10 victories this month would kinda suck.

Speaking of OKC

They’re a great team. Fine. Someone please list ONE truly impressive victory they’ve had so far this season.

I wouldn't discount any of their close victories

Those are the wins that truly test the mettle of a team. Regardless of what team you are facing a win is a win. I would say our best victories were the ones against the Bucks and Lakers, because it becomes a game of possesions and cohesiveness at the very end. That is what great teams do.

minnesota?

They’ve since gone on to beat SAS and the Mavs

i bet you weren't expecting that answer though! ha!

SAS game was nuts

That game winner. damn

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

What a frustrating three games to watch

They managed to win two, should have won three, but 2-1 isn’t bad.

You could clearly see that the Lakers benefit either from a superior offensive system or from having played together longer. They run a lot of three man-two pass plays where the third person is already in motion before the first pass is made and the second pass is an automatic pass, often the third player was wide open. It was like the Lakers were playing Chess and the Nuggets checkers. The only saving grace is that the Lakers roster is so thin.

The team is winning, so Karl gets some slack, and it’s early and he’s figuring out what works, but the lineups are just crazy. Harrington is not a Center. AAA is not a SF or a PF. Kouf clearly needs more time. I’d put Kouf in as the fourth man in rotation for PF and C. Harrington would be the backup 3 and take most of Fernandez’s minutes. AAA, Lawson, and Miller would split the guard minutes. It’s almost unfortunate the playing Harrington at C yesterday worked, because now Karl thinks it’s a genius rotation and we’re sure to see more of it.

So yay, they are winning. Hopefully they are figuring out which rotations work. I still have no read on this team at all. I think they have the talent to compete for a top seed, if Karl doesn’t sabotage them. They may have to make a trade for a backup PF that Karl will play there instead of Harrington. Harrington has played great, but he isn’t big enough at PF.

Small ball won the 4th quarter last night

We should keep a tally of every time small ball and/or 2 point guards changes a game for better and for worse.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

I like the Miller/Lawson lineup

I just hate the three and four guard lineups. The fact that they got lucky with it and beat a bad team doesn’t mean it is a good lineup.

No disagreement here generally

But we were going to lose last night.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Glad they won

just worried that Karl will read it as a mandate going forward rather than the one-off it was. Without Nene as the focus, everyone outside of Lawson just seemed off.

Winning without Nene

is a big deal. He’s the only legitimately good post player we have.

AAA

Anyone have any old video clips that will remind me why AAA is worth his new contract – cause I need to be reminded.

hungryhead - January 3, 2012 reply

Give it time. He'll be fine.

Just getting his legs again…..I hope.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

CawCaw!

Huh?

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

I loved it when the announcers

said that after a bird dunk in the second Lakers game. I think it should be a new refrain around here.

It was also hilarious in "Horrible Bosses"

Hamstring

my bet is he had lingering hamstring issues throughout the lock out – and just decided to do nothing and try and let it heal…now he/we are screwed.

hungryhead - January 3, 2012 reply

His highlights have always consisted of him hitting his outside shots

I would be more opposed to overpaying him if it weren’t for the fact that there may not be a better SG on the market for the foreseeable future.

imo Marcus thornton is a better player

And he signed for a better deal than AAA. 4/33 vs 5/43 you be the judge.

Monkfish - January 3, 2012 reply

hes just trying to do too much

hes not a creator. i wonder if GK tells him “he is dribbling in place cutting grass” only to pass the ball back to the guy that gave it to him. right now his role should be defender and hit the corner 3.

Check vs Dallas last year

when MElo fouled out. Somebody get me Jason Terry.

the next back2back2back is crazy

@ Clippers
vs. Lakers
@ Portland

to open February. check that, we better win 14+ in january.

WHEN WILL TY LAWSON START GETTING CALLS?

HES GETTING MOLESTED OUT THERE.

better yet when will half our roster get calls

Nene- gets abused down low on a consistent basis
Miller- whenever he posts is getting slapped and bumped/pushed
Gallo- gets hammered every time he is driving

Gallo has been getting a lot of calls

I agree but

there are four or five I count every game that others would easily get

gallo is a bit of a flopper

but hes been gettin calls.

if nene wants to get to the line more, he has go up stronger to the basket. not fadeaway or put up a fingerroll while jumping parallel to the basket. 1 other thing that nene does that probably hurts him a bit, he always shields the defender w his off arm. close to an offensive foul all the time.

Im not worried about

when Nene doesn’t get calls, because he seems to be playing farther out than usual. However when we see him get to the basket, if he plays strong he should get calls. (like he did when he put barnes on a poster). The thing he shouldn’t do is complain after each possesion.

This in SPADES

Nene’s game would improve significantly if he would quit his bitching on the court. Accept reality and move on. Play in the moment.

He not only shields

He also does the hook around the defender’s back. And gets caught. It’s tough in there, but you gotta learn how to work inside without fouling most every time.

And

Sometimes Gallo is totally out-of-control in the lane.

I like his driving. But it isn’t always pretty.

Calls are missed all the time against a lot of players. officiating sucks in the NBA, period. Do stars get more calls? Probably. I don’t think it is an overt conspiracy against one team or certain players. I just think NBA officiating is some of the worst in all of pro sports and it keeps me from enjoying the game as much as I would like.

Agreed .

But, I like the way we continue to grind it out despite the lack of calls. Even when they aren’t getting calls, they continue to drive, they continue to push, they continue to fight, they continue to force refs into situations that a call must be made. That to me is much better than relying on a call every time one single person has the ball. The nuggets know they will not get superstar calls, but they are shaping the games with THEIR game. The calls will come when they play that way.

Nene should rest for the Kings game and maybe the NO game

And should come back when we play the Ginobili less Spurs.
I really think the Kings game will make us regain our 3 point groove. They will be coming off a b2b and we will start running them out of the building.
The shots will be WIDE open and I think AAA,Rudy, and Gallo just need some confidence for their 3s to start falling.

agree

gettin the kings off a b2b is clutch. i just hope there isnt a mental letdown after playing 5 in 6.

Yes

Kosta Koufus did exactly what I felt he could do. Count it. Put it in the bank. Plus he played great man to man against Bogut. He earned his minutes now throw him 10-12 per game and see what he can do.

The most interesting rotation from yesterday was

Harrington in for Mozgov, instead of Koufas. This was still with having Bird on the Bench

yea i liked that substitution

skithebert - January 3, 2012 reply

yes, Bird who was -14 in 15 minutes. He seems so skinny…

2 O/T questions...

When are we getting a new stiff list?

And, is the blogger who runs nugglove a regular poster here? The guy was given a courtside photography pass and posted them. I have room in my heart for 3 Nugget blogs.

I'm writing a new Stiffs List

Right now.

I’m sick of the old one. And sick of Nene’s name up there.

i nominate

demarcus cousins.
russell westbrook 0/13.
andray blatche/wizards.
tim tebow.
broncos for not sucking for luck.

Can only do one non-NBA thing

But I’ll have Westbrook and Cousins on there, for sure.

Not to sure about Blatche. His Twitter blow ups have been amusing, but he’s really a no one outside of Washington.

How about the Mavs defense

for not collapsing on KEVIN FREAKIN DURANT on the last shot. yeah he’s only made that shot, what 20 times before.

How about "Nuggets from 3"?

..or lack thereof.

^^this^^

or how about playing Bird before Kouf ;)

OK

I’ll put that in.

That’s pretty obvious. I was thinking of singling out Rudy at one point.

Gonna have to drop Westbrook, though.

Almost done!

I don't think you can single out Rudy

AAA and Gallo have been just as bad. AAA’s shot isn’t even close. I assume the 3’s will start to fall once he get his legs under him….and gets some confidence back.

Yeah

I didn’t think about it for long.

They’ve all been bad. My issue with Rudy is that unlike Gallo and Ty and AAA, he’s not driving the lane. He just hovers past the arc and chucks up bricks.

And Rudy is super athletic and should be able to get to the hoop. As much as JR can be maligned as a chucker, he could make things happen with his drives.

Speaking fo the 3 how freakin ridiculous will this team be when it starts falling

I know, we could be 6-0 if we made 3 point shots...

and, for that matter, I think we’d be 2-4 or 1-5 if Harrington was the 2010-2011 version of himself. He might be our MVP so far.

can't believe he was considered an amnesty candidate!

I was all for it if there hadn't been an 85% rule

Thought this photo in Brewhoops' recap was funny...

Doing Shakespeare to celebrate and and1 would certainly be a novel routine…

To dunk or not to dunk, that is the question.

"It is the east....

and the triple bacon cheeseburger is the sun."

win

Whether tis nobler

in the mind to runneth and blocketh

than to stoppeth and floppeth.

This would be a fun way to waste the day....

…. alas, billable hours doth call for my family’s livelihood.

Aye, tis the bane and verve of life

What is in a name? That which we call a victory by any other name would not smell as sweet

Harrington to Mbah

Et tu, A Moute?

what is the over under of Chandler actually continuing his career with the nuggets?

when he is dones with his China stint

I don't think it is too much

Denver needs a role player, off-the-bench guy.

Chandler does not want to come off the bench. I thought he played OK in spurts last year. But as his playing time waivered, I can’t say I became a fan of his body language / attitude.

Best hope is a sign and trade for picks.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

agree

I think the line would be set at zero. The only chance I see is if playing out the string in denver would earn him enough credit to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. I don’t know the official rules of the new CBA, but I doubt that showing up for two weeks of games would be enough.

If we're in the hunt in March, I can see him...

… being OK coming off the bench to put us over the top and then seeking greener pastures in free agency.

I'd be OK with that

With AAA and Rudy struggling, Denver needs some talent on the wing.

The only way he would get the type of contract HE wants

is to have a Tyson Chandler sized playoff run.

And boy does he shine come playoff time

Yeah, hopefully the expiring will motivate him to play hard.

Because if he does…. There’s not a single team I’m scared of.

I think the chances of JR coming back

is greater than that of Chandler coming back.

no way

with how George continually slams JR in the media even still.

skithebert - January 3, 2012 reply

You missed my analogy

Neither are coming back, IMO

I'd prefer JR

To be honest.

Pretty sure JR is used to being slammed by Karl in the media. It’d be like old times.

I like Karl. But that is my least favorite part of his coaching.

I wish JR could, would, might come back

but methinks that shipped has sailed. Hope I’m wrong

Oh

Prob not going to happen.

But while we are being whistful….

wistful (Thursty'd)!

Oh no you didn't

He has been iffy on Twitter

talking to a lot of Nuggets fans. One a few days ago said if the contract was right….

does he come back

before or after trade deadline? Ideally he’d come back before and give us a big stretch run chip (and/or we just use him for the run ourselves). If he comes back after, I assume he has to play with us or not at all. Ideally we’d somehow retain his rights for next year but I don’t see how that is possible.

Lol. Melvin Hunt.

When speaking with Maya he always jokes and does so in an honest way. I am really glad we retained this guy. He is always off the bench when we make a play and in someones face when they don’t.

FYI... FirstRowSports is back online

TakeFive - January 3, 2012 reply

This is the funniest reply I have heard in quite sometime.

How many championships does Denver have??……..that’s what I thought assss wipe…….Bucks 1971 champs!!

He was replying to another nuggets fan.

I guess he is techically correct.

Ha ha.

Reply “Dude, you live in Milwaukee”

Milwaukee is pretty sweet I hear.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Fresh Milwaukee's Best for everyone!

Love me some Beast!!!!

didn't the denver rockets win an aba title in that general time frame?

No. Cried my eyes out when Dr. J sand a gamewinner to ...

… beat the Nuggets in Game 6 to win the series 4-2.

Watching Gallo try to dribble and drive is painful to my eyeballs

It beats standing on the perimeter and chucking 3's that clang

He’s getting points by going to the hole and getting to the foul line. Good on him.

no i understand, but you have to admit its painful to watch him dribble. And then he gets bodied and its as if he gets hit by a semi truck doing 80 on the freeway. It works, and as a nuggs fan I love it, but damn is it painful.

Janauary schedule is ridiculous

Denver should emerge with the best record in the league. So much for going under the radar.

Karl says he wants 10 wins? Of 16 games, Denver should win 14, easy.

thats weird, I would want 16 wins as the coach of the team

George is lowering expectations, to contrast this Rex Ryan always says the Jets will win the superbowl

Has that worked?

I guess neither have worked, so it would be better if Karl didn't predict wins.

Karl always gets flack for his realism

But it doesn’t bother me. When he says he wants to go .500 on the road, people act like he’s surrendering.

I think .500 on the road is pretty good and aiming high. And Denver hasn’t done that too often.

But in January almost all the road games are going to be easy. That second night of a back-to-back on the road to the Spurs looked scary until Manu got hurt.

The Nuggets got this.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

He's setting expectations

so when they are above that, he can claim he’s doing a good job, when he often isn’t.

The goal should be to win every game. This team is 4-2 so far, but honestly, don’t you feel that they should be undefeated? The combination of things that lost them the first Lakers game was ridiculous. It is definitely on the coach when you take the last shot of the third quarter with 7 or 9 seconds left.

I don't think Karl liked it either

But he would bench JR for doing that. He inexplicably keeps Rudy in. I guess GK has a thing for Spanish quaffs.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Rudy should be planted at the end of the bench

and only get off it for garbage time. Give all of his minutes to KK.

i say win 17-16.

hey guys, thought occured in my head.

Have you guys seen the way the nets have opened up? 1-5. I say around traded deadline sign/trade chandler + JR to NJ for their pick. They’ll be desperate to find D-will help to convince him to resign, and both of those are solid wings for them.

At least Chandler

I don’t know if we can do it with JR because he is unrestricted.

yep, only reason for NJ to do it with JR

is if they wanted 5 years instead and/or they didn’t have cap space to straight up sign him

I think JR will be willing to do it because

1. we have his bird rights so a sign/trade will give him more $
2. most teams are over or at that minimum salary so hard to straight up sign him for close to $10 million i think he wants.
3. NJ is where he grew up.
4. He’d be the unquestioned starter there.

One sure way to lose D. Will

Trade a top 3 pick for Jr and Chandler. If they are patient, maybe they get a top 3 pick, plus D. Howard visa vie free agency. One problem with players demanding all these trades is that the teams that take the “star” give up way too much…especially if that player would have gone to that team the next summer regardless…I’m talking to you NY Knicks.

orlando isn't stupid

they are doing our own slow wait and trade at deadline method….

by that i mean don't expect D. Howard to be a FA

If Dwight waits

he is probably headed to Dallas

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Did you make access to Nuggets games

a condition of your 8 week 200 country trip?

haha

I will have my iphone and laptop. Most of the places I will be, the game will be around 2 am, so I should have access

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

does league pass work outside the US?

BBC, for example, will not allow access to their streaming outside the U.K. Which sucks.

i have dish network

so i can access it on my laptop or iphone

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

cool

I can’t use dish because no nfl package. Here’s hoping they lose exclusivity in 2015 and the price comes down.

What?

The season ticket is now open to all companies. Directv lost it after this season.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Where did you hear that?

they have a contract through 2014, at a billion per. Only way they lost it is if they failed to make payment.

No.

Contract was up this year. NFL Sunday Ticket declined the extension through Directv. They want to have it available to all markets.

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NFL-Scores-With-4-Billion-DirecTV-Sunday-Ticket-Extension-101511

I would love it if that were true

Do you have any links? The only information I have was a contract they made in 2009 that covers 2011 through 2014. As far as I’m aware, Directv is exclusive until then.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

I work for Directv and dish

and in your article, it stated the contract ended after the 2010 season, in which Directv got a 1 year extension on it. I believe in april it is open for all companies.

ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown - January 3, 2012 reply

Not what it says at all

Four year extension through 2014. There is a broadband option, not cable or dish. Broadband customers are still buying through directive.

Trust me

next year, all companies will have the sunday ticket

Does anybody know who Hollinger picks to win the West

I have a feeling its the Nuggets, but it could be Portland.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story?page=PERDiem-120103&slug=more-questions-answers-western-conference&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fstory%3fpage%3dPERDiem-120103%26_slug_%3dmore-questions-answers-western-conference

If it is not OKC

Hollinger is smoking something.

Even with their infighting, they got tons of talent. They win the Northwest.

If Hollinger is sipping the powder blue kool-aid

I’m on board. The Nuggets have honestly played atrocious and still have a 4-2 record, that says a lot.
OKC has been playing really good and they really haven’t had a true challenge yet (Memphis is overrated and so is Dallas), lets see how they do against the Blazers tonight…muhahahahaha.

Losing.

stein had denver 4th in his power rankings

so, we are not “flying under the radar”. The analysts remember what we did post melo.

Havin said that, ESPN's Nuggets headling this morning indicated...

“Nuggets beat the Hornets” ….oops.

This is for someone with insider access btw.

Its not much of a predictive article

he basically says all the conventional contenders (Dal, OKC, LAL, LAC, Mem) are struggling and that Denver and Portland look the best so far.

hollinger had okc #1 denver #2

Did he say so in that article? I missed that.

but it seems to be in line with his views.

oh i didn't know you were speaking of a new article

his preseason picks is what i was talking about.

you know at the end of our playoff run last year

I said Denver and OKC would meet up again this year in the WCF, so far I’m feeling good about that prediction.

Includes noteworthy interesting stats

I posted above, namely that Denver is 2nd in steals, 4th in defense and first in pace.

copy and paste exactlywhat he says in the article about Denver

I underestimated...actually 3rd in rebound rate:

Quote from Hollinger:

Which takes us to the only two Western teams that have actually looked worthy of a contender label so far: The two basically nobody believes in. The Portland Trail Blazers and the Nuggets — seen by most as nice, solid one-and-done outfits too lacking in star talent to contend for anything notable — are a combined 7-3 thus far, 6-2 when not playing each other. The Blazers’ lone blemish was by five at the Clippers, and the Nuggets lost two tough roadies — one in Portland, the other on the missed Gallo layup noted above.
Here’s the weird part: Neither looks remotely like what it was a year ago. In fact, each has become the rarest of NBA phenomena: an up-tempo defensive team. The Nuggets led the NBA in offensive efficiency last season, but this year they’re succeeding at the other end. Denver is fourth in defense in the early going — even while playing the league’s fastest pace — and is doing it largely by eliminating opposing shot attempts. Denver is second in forcing turnovers, creating miscues on 17.4 percent of opponent possessions, and third in defensive rebound rate. Between those two factors, foes can’t generate enough shots to do anything meaningful.

http://www.webpagescreenshot.info/img/632392-142012121558AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLAPJiETLCE

Andre may bring back the Thuggets

That hit on Udrih (sp?) was vicious. Just plain mean.

Go Andre!

Ski Bum - January 3, 2012 reply

Don't mess with Dre

He did it on purpose?

It looked like it was coincidental (classic dre)