SB Nation - Chauncey Billups

No lead is safe... (Nuggets/Hornets recap)

Nate Timmons — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:45:57 -0000

In the preview I said the Hornets were having a "hide your face" start to their season, but tonight it was the Nuggets who should be looking to cover their heads after the stink bomb they unleashed in NOLA.

The Nuggets are now 1-1 without Chauncey Billups since he arrived in Denver last season and 0-1 this season without their floor leader. But in Billups' absence the Nuggets found out one thing for sure ... Ty Lawson deserves the bulk of the time at point guard if Billups isn't able to go on Sunday and 26 minutes was not enough for the young guard.

I really don't want to knock Anthony Carter's game because he can be a game manager, but he cannot be a difference maker like Lawson can and was tonight against the Hornets. When Lawson was on the floor Denver's offense seemed to move the ball better and got more opportunities to get out on the fastbreak.

But if you want to point out some areas where the Nuggets failed tonight you have plenty to look at. Ball movement seemed to slow when the ball found it's way to Carmelo Anthony, missed shots/free throws were costly and as the old saying goes live by the three, die by the three.

I completely understand that superstars need to get themselves involved in the game, but Melo's unwillingness to pass the ball tonight was a frustration. When Melo did give up the rock he had success (4 assists), but too often he was trying to force his way to the basket or force up highly contested shots. A good amount of blame also has to be put on Melo's teammates because as double teams came nobody was cutting through the lane. I've played with guys who dominate the ball and sometimes you start to refuse to cut because you know you wont see the ball and that could be what some of the Nuggets think, but at the same time there is no excuse for players to stand around or for Melo to hold the ball as much as he does. The Nuggets are not going to win too many games when Melo shoots jusst 31.2% from the field. Melo did get himself to the foul line (7-9) and got the benefit of some whistles (as did Chris Paul ... it's good to be a star in the NBA).

The Nuggets didn't enjoy a good night shooting the ball. From the field Denver shot a semi-respectable 46.8%, from the foul line just 73.9% and from beyond the arc an atrocious 18.8% (3-16) from downtown. Poor Arron Afflalo was the main dud from beyond the arc tonight going 0-6 from deep ... a very off night for Double-A, who has been playing pretty great for the Nuggets this season.

Without question the Nuggets best lineup tonight featured Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith. The duo combined for 39 points (14 and 25 respectively) and helped build a big lead and helped erase a fourth quarter deficit (79-71) on four straight possessions to start the final period. When Lawson was pulled at the 8:17 mark of the fourth quarter and not re-inserted until the game was basically over I had a big cringe on my face. Lawson seemed to have it going tonight and I would have liked to see Karl ride that hot play a little more than he chose to.

Smith's 4-4 ridiculously hot shooting performance to start the fourth looked like it was going to be enough to get the Nuggets rolling and put the Bees to sleep, but after Smith tied the game at 79-79 the team just never got the offense going again.

I applaud the Hornets for fighting their way back into the game and pulling out the victory in the final period. The knock on the Nuggets is looking like a familiar one from the 2007-08 season ... even if you are down big, hang in because the Nuggets will let you back into the game and maybe even collapse mentally down the stretch just a bit.

Andrew and I discussed a few weeks ago that perhaps he was the jinx this season with his recaps all seeming to be tough losses and now the tide seems to be turning as I've been having to recap some tough ones lately. Never to fear, I'm always a glass half positive person and I expect yet another loss to help motivate the team. One trend seems to be glaring ... when Denver is missing a key player they lose.

Of the Nuggets 8 losses 5 of them have come when the team is not at full strength. The Nuggets feature a strong eight man rotation when 100%, but if any of those eight guys are out this team is going to struggle because the back end of the roster has been unable to step up and while is nearly impossible to replace a Billups or K-Mart you'd think the team would pull through at some point.

Nuggets not at 100%:

at Miami (K-Mart only plays 12 minutes): loss.

at Atlanta (K-Mart out): loss.

at Charlotte (K-Mart out): loss.

at Detroit (K-Mart out): loss.

at New Orleans (Billups out): loss.

Views you can use:

Ty Lawson started the game 6-6 from the field and finished the game 0-4 from the field
The Nuggets combined for just 18 team assists ... Chris Paul put up 19 assists himself
Denver out-rebounded the Hornets 45-43
The Nuggets bench outscored the Hornets 43-13 and yet somehow lost
The Nuggets starters were outscored by the Hornets 49-85

ntimmons73@yahoo.com
Twitter: Nate_Timmons

Photo courtesy of AP Photos: Bill Haber

Best start in Nuggets history?... (Nuggets/Rockets recap)

Andrew Feinstein — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:41:58 -0000

Sometimes games have absolutely no personality whatsoever. Tonight's relatively easy victory over the Rockets was one of those games. But sitting at 19-7, the best start in Nuggets NBA franchise history, who are we to complain?

First off, let's congratulate this band of Nuggets for completing the best 26-game start in Nuggets history. That's no small feat. Yes, they've had a pair of dreadful, alarming losses combined with a few more clunkers that we'd expect better from, but overall this is a damn good team. They still open games lethargically (as we witnessed again tonight), but there may not be a better third quarter team in the NBA right now. I remember just a few seasons ago when the third quarter was the Nuggets death knell. Oh how times have changed.

But is this really the best start in Nuggets history? Record-wise, yes. Through 26 games last season, the Nuggets stood at 17-9, but you could argue the first four games didn't count (no Carmelo Anthony for games one and two, versus the Lakers in game three and at Golden State in game four with no Allen Iverson). In the Nuggets first 26 games W.C. (with Chauncey), they were 18-8, one off this team's pace. But this season's Nuggets have lost five games to sub-.500 teams, including once at home, whereas last season's Nuggets (again, W.C.) didn't drop a single contest to a sub-.500 team in those first 26 games W.C. So while technically their records are almost a wash, I still liked the spirit and game-by-game seriousness of last season's Nuggets better at this point in the season.

From my seats at Pepsi Center, I don't think I saw the Nuggets break a sweat tonight. Yes, they dug themselves an early hole (I remember turning to my seat mate and saying "they only have 11 points with four minutes to go in the first quarter?!") and then suddenly they were up at the end of the first period and never looked back.

The Nuggets successfully completed what I labeled on Friday as their "no excuses week" (three home games against opponents playing them on the second of a back-to-back) with the record they should have had: 3-0. Part of being a great team is simply doing what you're expected to do, and the Nuggets have done so. Meeting expectations might be a tad boring, but we'll take these relatively easy victories any day.

The view from the not-so-cheap-seats...

...I didn't catch the Chauncey Billups groin injury but did see Chris Andersen limping a bit. The "Birdman" seemed to shake it off, however, and hold his own down the stretch.

...Melo did his best impersonation of Kevin Durant/Alex English by scoring the quietest 38 points I've ever seen him score. I guess that happens when you shoot an astoundingly high 20 free throws (and he promptly sank 19 of them). Convinced that this had to be Melo's career high for free throw attempts, I just looked it up and he amazingly had two 22-plus free throw attempt games during the 2005-06 season.

...believe it or not, watching J.R. Smith shoot threes lately had become cringe-worthy for some Pepsi Center fans. I won't proclaim that J.R. has ended his shooting slump, but tonight's 21-point effort was the most he had scored in 12 games. Eek.

...after Nene missed his wide open layup, he laughed at himself and had a "I can't believe I didn't just dunk the damn ball!" look on his face. So did we!

...did Ty Lawson's sick under-the-basket scoop layup look as good on TV as it did in person? Just wow.

...I'm embarrassed to admit this but I had no idea who David Andersen was until tonight (off the top of my head, I can go 10-11 deep on any NBA roster...12 might be a stretch). But this (legitimately) 6'11" kid from Australia has some game. And believe it or not, his 17 points against our Nuggets tonight wasn't his career high: he put up 19 against the Lakers earlier in the season.

Non-Stiff of the Night

-Carmelo Anthony: Melo didn't shoot particularly well, but as noted above - when you score 38 points and no one really notices - you've ascended to an Alex English-type level in this game. It's become expected/assumed that Melo will go for 30 nightly and anything short is considered an off night. That in itself is the definition of a super star player.

Stiff of the Night

-Chase Budinger: Pardon the reverse racism here, but if you're a white American (i.e. non-Euro), second round draft pick and you're still playing in the NBA you have one job to do: hit wide open shots. And Budinger - who deserves a lot of credit for working his way into the Rockets rotation - couldn't hit any of his shots tonight ending up 0-4 from the field.

Photo courtesy of AP Photos: David Zalubowski

Game 24 Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons - 7:30PM CST

UofTOrange — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:06:04 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Browse more photos »

This is going to be quick and maybe sweet. I'll be at the game in section 405 tonight with my 3 year old and we plan to have a blast.

Point Guard
Aaron Brooks - Last preview I asked if he is a top 10 PG, I think it is pretty definitive that he is. He's slotted number 9 on my ballot. Can he pick it up even more with Ariza out? Will the Rockets even ask him to?
vs.
Rodney Stuckey - Good player, fun to watch and always plays hard when I see him. He's the future in Detroit, and while he's one of the few bright spots in that future, it's a good start.
Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard
Shane Battier - It is hard to say anything more about Shane Battier, we are at the saturation point with his awesomeness. Now it's time for Shane to back all that talk up (not his talk obviously) and get his shooting percentages north of Rafer-esque.
vs.
Richard Hamilton - Came back last game from an injury and had a solid game. He's still a really good basketball player but doesn't seem the same without Chauncey Billups. I know he still regrets signing that extension.
Edge: Pistons

Small Forward
Chase Budinger - I can only assume that he's getting the start at small forward to keep Landry doing his work off the bench. Obviously that's open to interpretation. But the future NBA rookie of the year has played well all season and should get this reward.
vs.
Jonas Jerebko - I didn't even know he was an NBA player. What is going on? That's three teams in a row that I honestly didn't know a player. I mean, I vaguely remember him getting drafted in the second round, but that's it.
Edge: Rockets

Power Forward
Luis Scola - There are a few guys in the NBA that I just enjoy watching, and Scola is clearly in my top 5 on that list. He works hard every single possession and much like Battier, you have to work hard to truly quantify his value. I'd love to see him get his scoring up 3-5 points a game, but that's not really in the cards given how strong Landry is with the second team and how the offense runs with the first.
vs.
Jason Maxiell - I expected more of him since Pistons fans have been touting him about as much as Lakers fans tout Andrew Bynum. Instead his production has dropped off pretty much across the board, and it really didn't have a long way to fall.
Edge: Rockets

Center
Chuck Hayes - If you asked me, given how they are paid, and their production, I'd take Chuck 100 times out of 100 over Ben Wallace.
vs.
Ben Wallace - Never have I been a fan of Ben Wallace making more than 5-6MM a year. Not because he hasn't been a hard worker, but because he is an extremely limited player. His rebounding and defense are still strong, but not what they used to be. The only reason the Pistons get the edge is because he is a better rebounder than Hayes because of his size.
Edge: Pistons, but not by very much

Injuries/Suspensions
Houston Rockets
OUT - Trevor Ariza is suspended for tonight's game and Tracy McGrady is still serving his penance.
Detroit Pistons
DTD - Tayshaun Prince looks to be out for tonight's game and half of the team is nursing some ailment or other.

My Prediction: Rockets win by 4

Game 23 Preview: Oklahoma City at Denver

Zorgon — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:07:21 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

It looks like Nene just woke up to discover that he was dunking a basketball. Huh?

Browse more photos »

This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 7:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Altitude Sports

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Denver Stiffs, The Nugg Doctor, Roundball Mining Company

Backstory: After enduring a brutal loss to Cleveland, the Thunder look to bounce back with what would be an extremely major win against the Nuggets. Most would call this game inconsequential, but when you look at the fact that Dallas is coming up and the fact that 3 losses in a row would put us back at .500, the game suddenly has meaning.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets are in the midst of what could become their best season ever. After last year's surprise trip to the finals, it's no surprise. They rely on their extremely proficient scoring and a deep bench to knock out their opponents. And with recent losses against Charlotte and Detroit, there's no way the Nuggets will have the luxury of overlooking the Thunder.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

Matchups:

Center: Nenad Krstic vs. Nene Hilario

Nene has this matchup, hands down. He'll overpower Krstic in the lane, and I don't think Krstic will get many opportunities for jumpers.

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Kenyon Martin

Jeff Green faces yet another matchup against a more physical center. Kenyon Martin has lost a lot of his athleticism though, so it's not too far out of the realm of possibility that this could be the matchup where he breaks the trend.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Carmelo Anthony

Lots of scoring, lots of scoring. Oh my.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. Aaron Affalo

Affalo is a 3-Point Specialist, and Thabo Sefolosha closes out well against shooters. Expect him to have the upper hand, especially against a role player like Affalo.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Chauncey Billups

Chauncey Billups is one of the best scorers, game managers, and defenders in the NBA. He'll undoubtedly use his Better Basketball powers to dominate Russell Westbrook in every facet of the game, no question.

Battle of the Benches:

The Nuggets bench is deeper, and more talented by far.

Coaching and Intangibles:

The Nuggets are at home, have arguably the better coach, and really need this win in order to keep contending for the second spot in the West. I'd say almost everything is in their favour, especially since the Thunder are on the tail end of a road back to back.

Bottom Line:

This game is going to rest on whether Jeff Green can overcome Kenyon Martin, whether Russell Westbrook can have a decent night against Chauncey Billups, and whether the Nugget bench can be kept at bay. A lot of things have to go right for the Thunder to win, and I just don't see it happening.

Prediction: Nuggets 117, Thunder 98

How do you think the game will go? Vote in the Poll!

And, again, feel free to drop any comments you might have during, before, or after the game below. I might be by during the game to drop my thoughts as well. Go Thunder!

Poll

Who's going to win tonight?

10 YEARS OF STIFFDOM: A Decade Retrospective...

Andrew Feinstein — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:04:03 -0000

Who knew that at the beginning of the '00s - with none other than Dan Issel in charge - that the Nuggets would end up having a successful and often thrilling decade? Here's a look back at the last 10 years of Denver Nuggets basketball...

At the conclusion of the 1990s, the Nuggets were in utter disarray. As documented in detail here at Denver Stiffs, this once proud and respected franchise had been turned into an NBA laughingstock thanks to a lethal combination of ineptitude, incompetence, and ignorance. Between 1990 and 1999, the Nuggets made the playoffs just twice and Nuggets fans were forced to endure seasons with win totals under 40 games eight times (including the lockout shortened 1998-99 season in which the Nuggets would likely have "won" about 25 games had an 82-game season been played out). We witnessed five seasons in which the Nuggets won less than 24 games, and in 1997-98 the 11-win Nuggets won less games than the Broncos that year.

Making matters worse throughout the 1990s, the Nuggets never caught a break. Even though they participated in eight NBA Draft lotteries, twice sported the worst record in the NBA (1990-91 and again after that infamous 1997-98 campaign) and had a bottom-four record five total times, the highest pick they were ever rewarded was third (which Issel promptly screwed up by drafting Raef LaFrentz over Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison). We missed out on all the game-changing draftees of the 1990s: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber and Tim Duncan. And a freak knee injury sustained by rising star LaPhonso Ellis in 1994 would prove to be the undoing of the Nuggets only good team of the decade: the 1993-94 squad that had just stunned the NBA world by beating the number-one seeded Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs before taking the Utah Jazz to seven in Round 2.

But make no mistake about it, the Nuggets problems throughout the 1990s were self-inflicted. Cartoonish figures such as Peter Bynoe, Bertram Lee, the Comsat "Corporation," Paul Westhead, Bernie Bickerstaff, Allan Bristow and finally, Issel, made every wrong/bad decision possible, leaving the Nuggets organization in tatters until Stanley E. Kroenke rescued the franchise in 2000 with his purchase of the team. Upon arrival, Kroenke made it clear that he wanted to win and win now, and thus set in motion a series of events that produced one of the better decades in franchise history...

2000-2001 (40-42, no playoffs)

In an increasingly tough Western Conference, the Nuggets remarkably won 40 games but were still seven games off the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. While a 40-win season would normally be a good thing having come off a 35-win season, team "president", "head coach" and dictator Dan Issel had already mortgaged the Nuggets future by sending away numerous first round picks in order to build that 40-win team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Antonio McDyess

Coming off a gold-medal winning performance in the Sydney Olympics, McDyess was a stud in 2000-01. The quiet, dignified power forward averaged 20.8 ppg, 12.1 rpg and 1.5 bpg and even made the All-Star team.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

The aforementioned Issel had previously (and foolishly) traded away the Nuggets own first round picks for 1999, 2000 and 2001 - all lottery picks, mind you - and after an assortment of complicated, even more stupid deals, for those picks he essentially brought back Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Kevin Willis (on the very wrong side of his career), Voshon Lenard and Tracy Murray. But that was just off-the-court. On-the-court, Issel was a tyrant with his players and the refs. At one point, his players were so fed up with the way he was treating Raef LaFrentz (a draft bust of Issel's own making) and others, that point guard Nick Van Exel led a player boycott of practice.

2001-02 (27-55, no playoffs)

After years of overpaying for mediocre players and parting with valuable first round picks in exchange for nothing, the wheels finally came off the Issel Administration and the Nuggets fell apart in 2001-02, precipitated by a major knee injury to McDyess that caused him to miss all but 10 games of the season. Prior to the season starting, Kroenke - either sensing that Issel had too much power, was too incompetent or both - astutely hired Kiki Vandeweghe as GM to a five-year contract.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

After Issel "resigned" the day after Christmas (more on that shortly), Vandeweghe gutted out the roster and made a controversial move that would put the Nuggets on the path of success they still enjoy today. Knowing the Nuggets were going nowhere with the expensive roster he inherited, Vandeweghe boldly shipped out Van Exel, LaFrentz, Abdul-Wahad and Avery Johnson (another overpayee thanks to Issel) to Dallas in exchange for Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway, Donnell Harvey and a future first round pick. When the Nuggets eventually met the Mavericks in the 2009 playoffs second round, I detailed how that major trade actually brought the two once dormant franchises together.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

"Go drink another beer, you Mexican piece of shit!" Those nine words - uttered by Issel towards a heckling Hispanic Nuggets fan after a December 10th loss to the Charlotte Hornets - were exactly what Kroenke and Vandeweghe needed to kick Issel out the door. Issel, a Nuggets legend as a player, had built up so much great PR in the community (he still has some...note Woody Paige's ludicrous suggestion that the Nuggets bring Issel back to the organization last year) that he would have been tough to fire otherwise. After serving a four-game suspension, Issel "resigned" on December 26th, 2001 and unfortunately for Issel, things haven't exactly worked out for him since.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Tim Hardaway

Unlike Howard who - knowing playing in Denver would be a brutal, losing situation - accepted the trade to the Nuggets and behaved like a total professional during his time here (it helps when you're getting paid $18.8 and then $20.1 million per season!), Hardaway was a petulant, angry brat who never got over leaving Dallas where he was hoping to gravy train his way into an NBA Championship. After starting 14 games for the Nuggets, Hardaway unleashed his anger on a TV monitor by throwing it onto the floor and getting himself suspended two games.

2002-03 (17-65, no playoffs)

Entering the 2002-03 NBA season, Vandeweghe purposefully compiled the worst roster in modern NBA history in hopes of tanking enough games to win the first pick in the draft (knowing that on the horizon was one of the better drafts in NBA history). The Nuggets starting back court of Vincent Yarbrough and Junior Harrington couldn't crack a 14-man roster the following season, and the rest of the roster was littered with names you already don't remember. Armed with two lottery picks - thanks to a great trade that sent McDyess to New York in exchange for Marcus Camby and the Knicks lottery pick - Vandeweghe drafted Nene and some skinny kid from Georgia, and I'm not talking about the university (more on him shortly).

Non-Stiff of the Year: Jeff Bzdelik

In spite of being dealt the worst hand ever dealt a coach in modern NBA history, rookie head coach Jeff Bzdelik refused to make excuses, worked his ass off and was able to get 17 wins out of our Nuggets. I'd argue that was 17 more wins than they should have had and Bzdelik should have gotten Coach of the Year consideration. The Nuggets were awful talent-wise, but they played harder than their opponent almost every night.

Stiff of the Year: Nikoloz Tskitishvili

Drafted fifth overall out of the Republic of Georgia, "Skita" has since gone down in history as the worst fifth overall pick of all time (and believe me, there have been some bad fifth overall picks). Given ample opportunity to succeed in his first season, Skita - listed at seven-feet tall - shot 29.3% from the field as a rookie. At a game in Los Angeles against the Lakers, I once saw Skita shoot a wide open shot in which the ball hit the shot clock first before getting anywhere near the backboard or rim.

2003-04 (43-39, 1-4 in the playoffs)

A full 10 years after upsetting the Sonics in the playoffs, the Nuggets finally got their act together and Coloradoans cared about basketball again. Unable to shake the Nuggets streak of bad luck with the Draft Lottery, Vandeweghe got lucky nonetheless thanks to Detroit GM Joe Dumars' stupidly drafting Darko Milicic (i.e. Skita 2.0), leaving Syracuse star/stud Carmelo Anthony available with the third overall pick. And with Howard's giant contract coming off the books, Vandeweghe was finally able to spend Kroenke's money. Free agent signees Andre Miller, Jon Barry and Earl Boykins joined Melo, Nene and a healthy Camby. Under Bzdelik's stewardship, the Nuggets won 43 games and put up a respectable fight against the Timberwolves in the playoffs first round. As fans, we were happy just to be in the playoffs!

Non-Stiff of the Year: Carmelo Anthony

For the first time since Alex English last donned a rainbow jersey, the Nuggets had a perennial All-Star caliber player in Melo. As a rookie, Melo averaged 21 ppg and 6.1 rpg while giving fellow rookie phenom LeBron James a run for the Rookie of the Year Award. But more importantly, Melo led the Nuggets back to the postseason in a hyper-competitive Western Conference, whereas LBJ couldn't do the same in Cleveland in the weakened Eastern Conference.

Stiff of the Year: Rodney White

Playing for his next contract after his rookie deal was due to expire in two seasons, White gave the Nuggets next-to-nothing in 2003-04 even though he appeared in 72 games and received 14 minutes of playing time per game. Just a few years removed from being the ninth overall pick to Detroit (ahem...Joe Dumars again), White would be out of the NBA completely after the 2004-05 campaign. But hey, at least he was nominated for the Denver Stiffs Hall of Fame!

2004-05 (49-33, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Wanting to build upon the Nuggets newly found success (and at Kroenke's alleged insistence), Vandeweghe spent the entire 2004 offseason shopping for a big name free agent to bring to Denver. After being turned down by Manu Ginobili and Brad Miller, Vandeweghe panicked and got duped into sending three number one picks to New Jersey for Kenyon Martin in a sign-and-trade deal. K-Mart's price tag? $90 million over seven seasons. Under immense pressure to win more games, Bzdelik and the Nuggets floundered out of the gate, starting out 13-15 before Bzdelik got sacked and replaced by a former WNBA coach (Michael Cooper) who went 4-10 as coach of the team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Inheriting a 17-25 team loaded with talent but without any direction and big egos to boot, Karl's no-nonsense, "my way or the highway" approach immediately turned the Nuggets fortunes around. With only 40 games to work with, Karl guided the Nuggets to a 32-8 record (the best in NBA history after a mid-season coaching switch) and had the Nuggets playing the best basketball in the NBA down the stretch of the regular season.

Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

By acquiring K-Mart, Vandeweghe essentially panicked while throwing away all of the salary cap flexibility he had worked so hard and smartly to cultivate. But worse than that, Vandeweghe was eerily silent while Bzdelik was left to twist in the wind as the Nuggets struggled early in the season. Vandeweghe never publicly defended the one man willing to coach the dreadful 2002-03 roster that Vandeweghe had assembled, and Kiki made matters worse by bringing in Cooper to take over as head coach. The Cooper hire cost the Nuggets a higher playoff seed.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Carmelo Anthony

Melo couldn't stay out of trouble in 2004. First, he was cited for marijuana possession at DIA that his cousin conveniently took the blame for (the old "that wasn't my pot!" excuse). Second, he feuded with Olympic coach Larry Brown in Athens and found himself benched on the 2004 Team USA that embarrassingly finished with a bronze medal. Third - and perhaps the worst/dumbest - Melo was caught on a "Stop Snitching" DVD in which alleged drug dealers explain what happens to people who cooperate with the police. Melo didn't improve much on the floor, either, and found himself (rightfully) in Karl's doghouse early and often.

2005-06 (44-38, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Unable to build off the team's incredible run under Karl to conclude the previous season, injuries ravaged the Nuggets and they limped their way to a 44-38 record. K-Mart and Camby missed 26 games apiece and most tragically, Nene succumbed to the Nuggets power forward curse and was lost for the season with an ACL and MCL tear after just one game. At the time, the Nuggets marketing and PR team spun the season as as success under the guise of "Northwest Division Champs" and that the Nuggets were a three-seed entering the postseason. But this was before the NBA properly seeded division winners who have mediocre records. The Nuggets were such a weak three-seed, that the Clippers purposely tanked games to face them in the first round...and when they got their wish, the Clippers clocked the Nuggets in five games. Oh, and that was the Clippers only playoff series win since becoming the Clippers in 1978. Overall, the season was a mess from from the top down (as chronicled in detail at the time by the Denver Post's Thomas George). Vandeweghe would be let go at season's end and was replaced by Mark Warkentien (and eventually Rex Chapman, too). Dysfunction, egos and injuries had set the Nuggets back a few steps.

Non-Stiff of the Year: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller

Melo and Miller played in 80 and 82 games, respectively, and carried the Nuggets in 2005-06. Melo improved his scoring average by over six points per game and his field goal percentage went up, as well. Miller - the modern day NBA "iron man" even if he doesn't condition well in the offseason - was a steady hand as always, starting in all 82 games and dishing out over eight assists per game.

Stiff of the Year: Kenyon Martin

Recovering from microfracture surgery and frustrated by knee tendinitis, K-Mart was pretty surly for much of the season and was morphing into a locker room cancer. He allegedly didn't get along with coaches or teammates (according to George's article, K-Mart's teammates questioned his commitment to recovery and work ethic) and it all came to an ugly head during halftime of Game 2 at Los Angeles, when K-Mart went at it with Karl and several teammates. K-Mart was benched for the remainder of the game and eventually su spended for the duration of the series.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Reggie Evans

As perhaps a microcosm of the dysfunction and lack of respect for the game that was taking over the Nuggets, "The Joker" grabbed Clippers center Chris Kaman's testicles while fighting for a rebound during Game 1 of the Clippers series.

2006-07 (45-37, 1-4 in the playoffs)

In spite of it being K-Mart's turn to succumb to the Nuggets power forward curse (he would play just two games all season) and losing their first three straight games by a total of five points, the Nuggets would win 12 of their first 21 games with Melo playing the best basketball of his career. That all changed abruptly on Saturday, December 16th, 2006. In New York facing the Knicks (who had embarrassingly beaten the Nuggets in Denver in Game 3 of the season), the Nuggets found themselves up 19 with 75 seconds to go. Karl - alleged by some to want to rub the victory in Knicks coach Isiah Thomas' face (Thomas had recently sandbagged Karl's good friend Larry Brown) - left his starters on the floor, prompting Thomas to send in his "goon squad" and make the Nuggets pay. What began as a hard, unnecessary, dangerous, around-the-neck foul on J.R. Smith by the Knicks' Mardy Collins erupted into a full-scale brawl...culminating with Melo's cheap shot punch on Collins. Melo would be suspended 15 games and Smith 10, prompting Nuggets management to attempt to salvage the season by bringing in super star guard Allen Iverson from Philadelphia in exchange for Miller, Joe Smith and two first round picks. Little did we know that the fun was just beginning.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

Welcomed with open arms by Nuggets fans and his new teammates, Iverson made an immediate impact on the Nuggets (on and off the floor, in good ways and bad). But with Melo out 15 games, Iverson was able to keep the Nuggets afloat and competitive almost by himself. When Melo and Iverson finally got to play together for a long stretch, the Nuggets reeled off nine straight wins and 10 of 11 to finish out the season strong as the hottest team in the NBA.

Stiff of the Year: Isiah Thomas

In addition to sinking the Raptors as an incompetent vice president, sinking the CBA in a summer as an incompetent commissioner and sinking the Knicks as an incompetent president/coach/alleged sexual harrasser (hell, Isiah was an incompetent broadcaster, too), Isiah would sink the Nuggets season in one fell swoop by commandeering his players to take out the Nuggets starters in that game.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith

Even though Isiah "started it," Melo and J.R. were unable to keep their heads cool and unnecessarily exacerbated an already ugly situation, ruining the Nuggets entire season as a result.

2007-08 (50-32, 0-4 in the playoffs)

Entering 2007-08, the Nuggets would finally have a training camp with their full roster participating from the get-go. With Melo and Iverson having ample time to play together, optimism in Denver was higher than it had been since entering the 2004-05 campaign. So high was the optimism, in fact, that Kroenke had over $83 million invested in the team's payroll (second or third highest in the league at the time) and Melo and K-Mart started floating out "60 wins" as a realistic goal. But even with Iverson appearing in all 82 games, Camby playing 79, Melo 77, K-Mart 71 and vast improvements seen in the games of bench players J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza, the Nuggets weren't able to secure a playoff spot (an eighth seed no less) until the 79th game of the season with a big win at Golden State. As an eighth seed, the Nuggets got worked over by the Lakers in an embarrassing four-game sweep: a series which saw Melo bark at Karl "don't just sit there!" and the benching of Iverson early in Game 3 that didn't go over well. Prior to the Nuggets final regular season game, Melo would get arrested on suspicion of a DUI. It became evident that the A.I. experiment was an expensive failure.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Nene

After being diagnosed with testicular cancer and undergoing surgery to remove his right testicle, Nene remarkably returned to play again on March 27th against the Mavericks, giving the Nuggets a much needed emotional boost that helped them secure a playoff spot down the stretch.

Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Stuck in an admittedly tumultuous and difficult situation, Karl spent much of the 2007-08 sitting on his hands during games while the Nuggets unraveled on the court. While the Nuggets head coach got called for just one technical foul all season (second to last in the NBA), his players finished in the top two in personal fouls, technical fouls, flagrant fouls and ejections. The inmates were running the asylum as Karl's coaching record in Denver got extended to a paltry 3-16 over four years. Karl would later admit to SI.com that "...the last couple of years, I was confused." Watching Karl's Nuggets routinely take nights off that season, so were we.

2008-09 (54-28, 10-6 in the playoffs)

Disappointed with his lack of return on investment, Kroenke gave an edict to management to slash payroll during the 2008 offseason. Camby would be shipped out to the Clippers in exchange for a trade exception, coach and fan favorite Eduardo Najera would not be re-signed, Iverson's contract wouldn't be extended and things were looking grim entering the 2008-09 campaign. But what loomed as a disaster instead became a season of reformation and rejuvenation. Karl came into training camp as "Fiery George" again, Melo won a gold medal with Team USA and learned a thing or two from Kobe Bryant on what an NBA work ethic really is and K-Mart, fully healthy, came into camp with an apology to his coach and teammates and a vow to work harder and play better. With former NBA castaways Chris "Birdman" Andersen and Dahntay Jones added for next-to-nothing (by NBA salary standards) and Nene in real basketball shape for the first time ever, the Nuggets were quietly confident that they had a special season on their hands.

The lone chink in the Nuggets newfound armor would be Iverson who, upset by not receiving a contract extension, showed up to camp out of shape and several steps slow. Remarkably, Nuggets management was able to pull off one of the great trades in Nuggets history by shipping Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups. By adding Billups to a roster primed to take off, the Nuggets would shock the basketball world by tying a franchise record with 54 wins and going toe-to-toe with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Simply put, it was the greatest full season of Nuggets basketball since the 1984-85 Nuggets made it to the conference finals and hopefully a sign of more good things to come in the decade ahead.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Chauncey Billups

The Denver-born Billups - who had been cast off by Issel years earlier without ever given a fair hearing as a Nugget - immediately proved to be the perfect leader for the Nuggets. Coming off six consecutive conference finals appearances with the Pistons, Billups would make it seven when he led the Nuggets there.

Non-Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Nuggets Management and George Karl

After years of placing talent over character, the Nuggets GM "troika" of Warkentien, Chapman and team adviser Bret Bearup had assembled a roster stocked with good character guys and also deserve credit for not panicking after the 2008 playoff debacle. Warkentien would be rewarded with the NBA's Executive of the Year Award, but it should have been shared by all three guys. Karl, meanwhile, turned in one of his finest performances as an NBA head coach while bridging whatever gap had existed between him and his mercurial stars Melo, J.R. and K-Mart.

Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

The NBA will soon be announcing their "All Decade Team" and it will be fascinating to see if A.I. makes the squad. One of the greatest players of the decade, Iverson ultimately proved to be a bad fit for the Nuggets and a bad influence on Melo and J.R. This became painfully clear when the Pistons imploded after bringing Iverson on board in exchange for Billups.

Overall, the '00s were a great decade for Nuggets basketball: six straight playoff appearances, two 50-plus win seasons, All-Star players and thrilling performances (how many game-tying and game-winning shots has Melo made?!). And while it would have been nice to see a few more playoff series victories prior to last season, the memories of the Bickerstaff and Issel Administrations are still prominent enough for me to appreciate what's been going on recently.

Fortunately for Nuggets fans, four of our best players - Melo, J.R., Nene and rookie Ty Lawson - still have many seasons ahead of them and hopefully will remain in a Nuggets uniform into the next decade. At the very least, we're guaranteed that the new decade starts out reasonably well and it will be fascinating to see where this franchise is standing in 2020.

Thanks for the memories and Go Nuggets!!

Photos courtesy of AP and NBAE/Getty Images

Recap: It's Not Robbery If You Give It Away; Nuggets 105, Suns 99

Mike Lisboa — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:50:18 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Sweet Lou had a sweet game in his Colorado homecoming last night. Things didn't work out so well for the rest of the team however. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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[Note by Mike Lisboa, 12/13/09 8:50 AM PST ]

Sorry this didn't get published until the morning... I fell asleep re-watching the game last night before publishing.

***

At some point down the road, the Suns will probably look back on this loss and the Mavericks loss as two games they'd like to have back. Phoenix wasn't supposed to compete in this game, much less have a shot at winning, coming off a grueling win against the Orlando Magic last night. But someone forgot to tell Steve Nash.

1st Half

Nash hit his first 5 shots to help the Suns to an early 13-5 lead. He looked like a man possessed. The Suns would not roll over on the 2nd night of this particular back to back. However, the early momentum did not last long as Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets found their shooting touch, and eventually took 16-15 lead halfway through the quarter. From then on, the rest of the period was a back and forth dogfight resulting in a 29-26 Nugget lead. Nash and Amare Stoudemire accounted for nearly all the Suns 1st quarter points, but the real story might have been Robin Lopez' 3 fouls in just under 4 minutes of play.

After picking up 5 fouls in 5 minutes against the Magic, Robin proceeded to melt down defensively again, picking up all 3 of his fouls in quick succession in 1 quarter. It might have been the best thing to happen to the Suns in the first quarter as it allowed Lou Amundson to come off the bench and log some heavy minutes. Lou was everywhere in the 2nd quarter, starting things off with a block on the first play of the quarter.

The Suns started the 2nd quarter with a line-up of Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley, Grant Hill, Lou Amundson and Channing Frye and proceeded to go on a 19-2 run. Everything went the Suns' way during this stretch. Dragic was aggressive going to the hoop on one end and playing fearless defense on Ty Lawson at the other. Amundson was a beast on the boards, tipping balls back and pulling down everything in sight. Channing Frye was hitting from range and even drawing contact driving to the hoop.

Defensively, the Suns showed active hands, poking, prodding, blocking and tipping balls that Denver brought into the paint. Aggressiveness and activity were the Suns' hallmarks in the second quarter and they were rewarded. (It also didn't hurt that what open looks the Nuggets did get weren't falling.) The Nuggets did not score a field goal in the first 5:30 of the quarter. Nash checked back in around the 5 minute mark and continued his hot shooting. 1 minute later, the Suns had their largest lead of the game at 52-35. There was so much frustration with how the game was going for Denver that both Carmelo Anthony and George Karl received technical fouls complaining about the officiating. That shoe would soon enough be on the other foot.

This would be their high water mark as they shot 55% for the quarter while holding the Nuggets to 39% shooting and forcing 8 turnovers. Lou Amundson alone finished the 2nd with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Grant Hill defended Carmelo Anthony as well as anyone this season in the first half, holding him to 12 points on 4-12 shooting. The Suns would take a 60-47 lead into halftime on the strength of this performance.

[Note by Mike Lisboa, 12/13/09 9:10 AM PST ]

I don't know how I forgot to mention this: This might have been the best quarter of basketball the Suns have played all year. It was something to behold.

2nd Half

In the 3rd quarter the wheels came off for the Suns. Chauncey Billups and Melo both found their stroke scoring 10 points each. The Suns for their part went ice cold, shooting 36% and turning the ball over 6 times (after only committing 8 turnovers in the first half). While Steve Nash continued his blistering offense going 3-4 from the field, the rest of the Suns were a paltry 3-11. The Nuggets were far more aggressive in the 3rd quarter, slashing and cutting to the hoop and drawing contact. They almost matched the Suns run from the 2nd quarter with an 18-2 run of their own to cut the Suns lead to 1 point. The Suns had lead by as much as 17 early in the quarter.

The 4th quarter was a back and forth affair and the Suns had a chance right down to the wire. The Suns traded baskets with the Nuggets for the first 5 minutes of the 4th quarter until the Suns had a disastrous stretch of game where they turned it over on 3 consecutive trips down the floor. 2 of those turnovers were offensive fouls on Amare Stoudemire, also his 4th and 5th fouls for the game. Turnovers played a large part in the Suns' unraveling. They had 6 in the 4th quarter and 20 for the game. The Suns actually shot a scorching 69% in the 4th but had 6 fewer shots than the Nuggets due to turnovers and offensive rebounds (the Nuggets had 15 for the game, 6 in the 4th quarter).

With just under 4 minutes left, the Nuggets began to assert control. After yet another Suns turnover on a bad pass from Channing Frye to Lou Amundson, Carmelo Anthony came down and scored on a put-back of his own miss to put the Nuggets up 94-92. On the ensuing 4 possessions Steve Nash and Chauncey Billups put on a clinic in clutch, with Nash hitting a 3-ball and a jumper in the lane, while Mr. Big Shot hit a pair of 3s of his own to give the Nuggets a 100-97 lead. On the next trip down, Kenyon Martin got Nash on a switch and blocked his fadeaway attempt. On the ensuing Nuggets' possession with 1:36 to go, Billups missed a long jumper, but drew a blocking foul on Grant Hill after Denver collected the offensive rebound. He went 1 of 2 at the line to give the Nugs a 4 point lead with 1:18.

After Grant Hill nearly turned the ball over on an inbound pass a few seconds later, Nash layed in a finger-roll with 1:00 to go to pull the Suns within 2 points. Grant Hill force a Carmelo miss to get the Suns the ball back with 30 seconds to go.

Controversy!

With the Suns trailing by 2, on what would be the Suns' final meaningful possession, Steve Nash found himself covered by Nene at the arc. Nash drove left, had some arm-to-arm contact with Nene and had his lay-up attempt blocked by the Brazilian center. No foul was called on the play despite the obvious contact. What happened next truly doomed the Suns. After the miss, Carmelo Anthony rebounded the ball with 7.8 seconds left on the game clock. The nearest Sun to Anthony was Steve Nash. Angry about the non-call and complaining to the official underneath the basket, Nash did not turn and foul Anthony. Amare Stoudemire was the 2nd closest and seemed to not understand the need to foul until Anthony had already gotten around him. Jared Dudley, he of the high basketball IQ, came flying in to commit the foul, but overpursued and got screened away from Melo, allowing Anthony to get downcourt where he was eventually fouled by Channing Frye after running the clock down to 2.0 seconds.

At this point, the Suns were down by 2 with a career 80% free throw shooter going to the line. Standard practice here is to hope he misses 1 of 2 and do what you can with the remaining 2 seconds on the clock. Except the Suns never got the chance. Alvin Gentry went ballistic on the referees, getting ejected from the game. 2 technical free throws plus 2 free throws for the foul later and the Suns are down by 6 with not even a prayer of a chance at a last second shot.

My Take

To blame the Suns' loss on poor officiating at the end of the game is to ignore the several other glaring holes in the Suns' game in the second half: giving up 10 offensive rebounds, turning the ball over 12 times, scoring only 39 points while giving up 58. It also ignores how much better Denver played in the second half: only 3 turnovers, 8 steals, and a 20-13 rebounding edge. Sure, the Nuggets got to the line 15 more times than the Suns, but that was to be expected. The Nuggets are hands-down the most aggressive and effective team in the NBA at getting to the line, with a 40.8% Free Throw Rate (ratio of number of free throws made to number of field goals attempted). The Suns, by contrast, are in the middle of the pack in the NBA, with a 29.6% rate, which makes sense given the Suns' reliance on jumpers and 3 pointers.

These are the the things that the players on both teams have control over by how they play the game. They cannot control how and when the whistle does and does not blow. All they can do is execute and hope for the best. Last night, the Suns problems with execution were the same as they have been all season: giving up too many offensive rebounds and turnovers coupled with weak defensive rotations (J.R. Smith goes 0-8? Bullet dodged.). These are things that can be fixed and worked on and improved upon. So can in-game awareness of things like getting one's toes behind the line on a 3-pointer (see below in "Notes"). If Nash and Frye do that over the course of the game, the Suns are up by 1 when Nash makes his fateful drive. If, instead of wondering about the non-call, Nash or Amare makes a move to foul Carmelo Anthony, maybe the Suns have a shot at getting the ball back with 5-7 seconds left on the clock instead of 2. If Gentry doesn't lose his cool, if Amare takes better care of the ball, if J-Rich hits that shot, etc.

The Suns had ample opportunities to win this game even with a bad call or two going against them. Is NBA refereeing inconsistent and frustrating? Sometimes. Should it be more transparent and are reforms necessary? Definitely. Is it an over-riding factor in determining the outcome of games? Very, very rarely. And last night was not one of those times.

Random Notes

So much for bigger or longer defenders slowing down Steve Nash: 11-17 FG, 28 points and 7 assists with only 2 turnovers. I think the longer defenders do disrupt his ability to share the ball but it helps if the people he's passing it to make their shots, too.
Amare Stoudemire seems to be struggling to figure out when to take the jumper and when to take it to the hole. In the 3rd quarter when Denver was at the tail end of their big run, he made a pair of nice moves to the bucket, one that resulted in a score and the other in a trip to the line. However, his 7 turnovers for the game may make him a little gunshy about puttling the ball on the floor in the future.
For a team that likes to live and die by the 3 ball, the Suns did a poor job of making sure their feet were behind the line last night. 3 potential 3-pointers were ruled 2-pointers upon official review because of toes on the line. 1 by Nash, 2 by Frye.
It was nice to see Channing Frye have a strong offensive showing on the road and on the second night of a back to back.
Jason Richardson on the other hand continues to struggle. Over the last 10 games, J-Rich is shooting only 45.1% on is field goals and 33.3% from 3 point land. Over the last 5, it's even worse with 41.4 FG% and 25.0 3PT%.
Goran Dragic had a solid night with 4 points, 4 assists and a steal with only one turnover leading the 2nd unit as well as containing Ty Lawson (2 points, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, -18 for the game). Point guards were not the problem for the Suns last night.
Jared Dudley's 3 point shooting continues to impress. After going 2-3 from downtown last night, he leads the Suns, hitting 48.8% of his shots behind the arc.
If nothing else, the Suns showed they CAN be competitive against tough competition on the second night of back-to-backs when the spirit moves them. Nash, Hill, and Stoudemire all logged over 34 minutes in last night's game (with Grant Hill leading all Suns with 42:45).
Get ready for some congestion downtown: 8 of the Suns' next 10 games are at home... finally!

Other Links

A tale of two halves... (Nuggets/Suns recap) - Denver Stiffs

Suns vs Nuggets coverage

Suns vs Nuggets recap

Suns vs Nuggets boxscore

No Rip in the Chemistry: Pistons 104, Warriors 95

Packey — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Allen Einstein - NBAE/Getty Images

This was a friendly face to see warming up before the Warriors game. (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Last night marked Richard Hamilton's first action since the opening game of the season. After 21 games without the Pistons scoring machine and hearing originally he was not expected to return this month, it was a pleasant surprise to read about an hour before tip-off that he would be suiting up and playing against the Warriors.

Once I got past the general excitement about having Rip back in the lineup (and that I'd get to see it live at The Palace), I wondered how it would affect the team as a unit. After all, the Pistons have been rolling lately, winning four in a row and averaging 98.5 points in those four games. While his return to the lineup was certainly welcome, it wasn't at the most convenient time.

Luckily, Rip slipped back into the lineup seamlessly and the Pistons didn't miss a beat en route to their fifth straight victory of the season (and commenter Madpoopz Openwindow noticed this mid-game, as well). In the Pistons victory, Hamilton played a little over 36 minutes, dropped 18 points on 6-15 shooting, and was the Pistons leader in plus/minus at plus-17.

Rip's return wasn't all peachy, though. He was visibly rusty to start the game, as his ball handling was shaky (three turnovers), some shots were way off the mark, and he even missed his first two free throws, despite boasting a career 85% mark. I guess that can be attributed to him not being involved in any competitive practices since before the injury.

Once he got accustomed to actually playing basketball again, the ol' Rip started to show up down the stretch. He began knocking down the shots he was missing early on and his three-pointer with a little less than five minutes remaining in the 4th to put the Pistons up five was arguably the turning point in how this one would end for Detroit. Golden State didn't get closer than five the rest of the game and Rip extended the lead to seven the next time down the floor for the Pistons.

The best news, aside from his return itself and the Pistons winning, was that his return did not seem to have any ripple effect on Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey, who has been playing great basketball over the past six games in the two spot, moved back to the one to accommodate Hamilton's return to shooting guard. Stuckey responded by playing the best game of his latest hot streak, scoring 29 points on 10-18 shooting, dishing out seven dimes, and being plus-11 when on the floor. His only flaws were the seven turnovers (a few which were not his fault). I know this was just one game, but it's getting more and more clear that he's simply improving and his rise in numbers during his starts at the two spot were merely coincidental. In October, Stuckey averaged just 15 points per game. He upped that to 18 PPG in November and is now pouring in nearly 23 PPG in December.

All in all, it was a great night for the Pistons. They saw the return of one of the franchise's all-time leading scorers (Rip hit the 10,000 point mark to join just six others in Pistons history) and the rest of the Pistons took it in stride. There is no refuting that this team is better with Hamilton playing. As Chauncey Billups said about his former team the other night, the Pistons are a team nobody will want to face in the playoffs given all their weapons. If you had fun watching last night's game, just wait until the Pistons get their other three players back.

More musings after the jump.

I wanted to work this in above the jump, but oh well. Richard Hamilton's wife deserves high fives from all Pistons fans, as she was the one who ultimately convinced Rip to say "Yessirrr, I'll play" to Coach Kuester before the game.

At shootaround (Saturday) I told (Kuester) I wouldn’t be able to go because it wasn’t feeling right," Hamilton said. "I went home and talked to my wife and the one thing she told me was pretty much, ‘Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Go out there play. Go out there and give it a try. You never know how you’re going to feel till you go out there and try to play.

(H/T Pistons Point)

Charlie Villanueva, the other masked man on the roster, had 24 points on 9-14 shooting and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. He also threw down a sick one-handed alley oop, which he pimped gloriously.

Ben Wallace continues to be Ben Wallace. Nine rebounds, two blocks (one that put Stephen Curry to shame), and two steals. Try to imagine this team without him -- they wouldn't be very good. Interesting read over at Wages of Wins about just how bad the Pistons would be without him. (H/T to MLIVE)

Chucky continues to provide strong minutes, despite not having the prettiest lines in the box score (or shots in the games). He brings gritty defense and leadership that doesn't really translate to the post-game offerings. However, he did have six assists last night. I feel bad that he'll essentially be without a job once Bynum and Gordon return.

Austin Daye saw a little over 11 minutes of action. He was matched up with the 6'3" Stephen Curry for most of those minutes and I was hoping the Pistons would let him exploit the height advantage, as he did on his only bucket, but they didn't. Daye played Curry in college when my alma mater, Davidson, defeated Daye's Gonzaga squad in the first round of the 2008 NCAA tournament. I was happy Steph had 19 points tonight, but I obviously, can't root against my beloved Pistons. I'm glad Daye was on the right side of things tonight.

Pistons will now head out west again for three games before returning to The Palace to face the Lakers next Sunday. This isn't the same string of difficult games they faced following their three game win streak in November, but it might create problems all the same. Let's hope Detroit can pack the energy they've displayed lately in their carry on bags.

Apologies for not linking the opposition in the game thread. Golden State of Mind has their take on the game here.

Slightly off-topic: Thanks are in order to Madpoopz and Openwindow for keeping the game thread on life support last night. SB Nation's platform is great for commenting and mingling with fellow fans, as they pointed out last night. More fans will realize this soon, but thanks you two for being leaders in trying to get this community growing at a faster rate than any other new-ish blog.

Box score

Highlights:

A tale of two halves... (Nuggets/Suns recap)

Andrew Feinstein — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:03:41 -0000

So much for the walkover predicted here earlier. And while the Nuggets were able to pull out a victory tonight, trouble is afoot...

"Championship caliber" teams, as the Nuggets are purporting to be, don't find themselves down 13 at halftime to a team that's a) old, b) played the night before, or c) played a tough game the night before. And yet the Nuggets managed to dig themselves a 13-point deficit to a team that was all three of those things.

Thankfully, the Nuggets played like a championship caliber team...at least for the one half that really mattered. The Nuggets took off on a remarkable 18-2 run in the second stanza, bringing the game to an even 77 points apiece to set up a thrilling fourth quarter in which the Nuggets defense finally resembled the D we fell in love with last season.

Kenyon Martin - our defensive "quarterback" as Nate aptly describes him - proved yet again how valuable he is to the Nuggets and how scarily bad we are without him. Broken pinky finger or not, K-Mart must stay on the floor.

But while the ticket holders got their money's worth tonight thanks to a highly entertaining contest, the broader Nuggets Nation must be concerned with the Nuggets lack of focus in first halves this season. They've been able to escape with victories at home (sans the Minnesota debacle), but these lackadaisical first halves are biting them in the ass on the road. Some fans like to say that a W is a W, but tonight felt like more of an escape than a confidence-building victory.

Some observations from the not-so-cheap-seats...

...Carmelo Anthony's transition defense in the first half was atrocious. As my friend Keith whom I was with aptly pointed out, when Melo missed shots in the first half he bitched at the refs rather than getting back to cover his man...leaving Jared Dudley wide open for a pair of easy three's.

...having just watched Steve Nash play in person for the first time ever, I'm a bigger fan than I was entering the game. The guy is absolutely incredible and no Nugget could guard him (except Nene on the very last Suns' drive of the game...phew!). Nash is also an exceptionally good actor when it comes to drawing fouls.

...Chris "Birdman" Andersen's timing is way off. When he retrieves the ball on offense he's a step slow, allowing defenses to collapse on him quickly. And on defense, he's too jump-happy. It's clear that opposing teams have scouted him out thoroughly and he's not surprising anyone this season.

...the NBA's "disciplinarian tsar" Stu Jackson was in attendance. I was tempted to thank him for ruining USA Basketball from 2002 through 2004, but thought better of it and stayed in my seat.

Stiff of the Night (a new feature in my game recaps!)...

...Suns head coach Alvin Gentry. With two seconds remaining, the Suns down two and Melo on his way to the line for two potential seal-the-deal free throws, Gentry decides that's the time to erupt on the referees and get himself thrown out for the (correct) non-foul call on Nene when Nash drove to the rack on the prior possession. Had Melo missed one of those two free throws (very likely), the Suns would have had time to make a game-tying three if they corralled the rebound.

Non-Stiff of the Night...

...(tie) between K-Mart's fourth quarter defense and Chauncey Billups' stellar play in the third quarter. K-Mart's block on Nash near the end of the game may have been the best/signature play of the night.

Photo courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images: Garrett Ellwood

Game Preview - Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets

Mike Lisboa — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:29:12 -0000

More photos » by Barry Gossage - NBAE via Getty Images

More of this, please. (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

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There is absolutely no way this game ends well for the Phoenix Suns. Whatever your bar is for the Suns' performance in this game, lower it. I'm eschewing the typical "match-up" format for this preview in favor of bullet points, because while the Suns may have an edge here or there with regards to personnel, none of that has mattered so far on Second Nights.

I know that's not very Bright Side of me, but the deck is stacked heavily against the Suns tonight:

Denver is ranked 3rd in offensive efficiency. The Suns are ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency.
The Suns are on the second night of a back-to-back. They are 1-4 in these games, 0-4 against teams with a winning percentage higher than .217.
On second night games, ALL the Suns starters shoot notably worse except for one: Steve Nash. He actually has higher FG and 3PT percentages on the wrong side of back-to-backs than his season averages. His overall totals are down in these games, but so are his minutes as they've generally ended in blow-outs. Could Steve Nash be any more amazing?

Also, when the other 4 starters are not shooting well, that means fewer assists for Nash, which means he's reduced to being a scorer, which he does more than competently. At some point, Robin Williams is going to show up and hug Nash and tell him, "It's not your fault (unless your man went for a career-high again)."

The Nuggets are 1 of only 3 teams that plays at a faster pace than the Suns, so there is no "running these guys off the court." Oh yes, the game also takes place a mile above sea level. Winded won't even begin to cover how Phoenix will feel come the second half.

Guard play: As awesome as Chauncey Billups vs. Steve Nash sounds on paper, I doubt we'll see it very often. I expect we'll see lots of J-Rich on Billups (who is tough cover for Nash) and vice versa while the Nuggets continue the trend of putting longer defenders on Nash in the form of Arron "I'd Like To Buy A Vowel" Afflalo.

Guard play, part 2: The Suns badly need Jason Richardson to shake off his Second Night slumping if they hope to have a prayer in this game. His shooting percentage drops from .485 to .385 on Second Nights.

Guard play, part 3: Goran Dragic against Ty Lawson could be really, really fun if Dragon Frosty shows up. However, if it's Tragic Frosty, he will find himself in a couple of posters before the night is through. I have a hunch Dragon Frosty will be making an appearance tonight (though Dragon Frosty runs the risk of melting himself, so I don't really know how that works in the grand scheme of things).

Ditto Channing Frye whose 3PT percentage drops from .435 to .300 on Second Nights. If he's not hitting, that frees up Nene, Chris Andersen, and/or Kenyon Martin to stay in and protect the paint. It's an offensive double whammy for the Suns as it hurts both their perimeter and inside games when he is missing.

Jared Dudley and Grant Hill will have their hands full with Carmelo Anthony. And by "full" I mean "no one else has been able to guard him this season and I don't see that trend magically ending tonight." Carmelo has been downright Kobe-like in his ability to score from anywhere inside of half-court this season.

Amare Stoudemire has to get it going on down low, which is a tall order against Martin, Birdman and Nene. The Nuggets get more free throws per field goal attempt than any team in the NBA. A healthy dose of Amar'e And-1s would help things considerably tonight.

Unless the Suns suddenly start closing out on shooters, I can see J.R. "My Name Is Isn't Earl" Smith going to town on Phoenix tonight. Again.

The one true Bright Side I foresee going into this game is that since the Nuggets are a faster team than the Suns' more recent opponents, I expect to see heavier minutes for Lou Amundson and "My Name Really Is Earl" Clark. If 'Melo gets it going early, Gentry might give Earl a whirl on the Denver's scoring machine. And we all know how much Nene likes playing against Looooooooouuuuuuuu.

Predictions

This game has blow out written all over it. The Suns remaining competitive for more than 2 quarters, much less winning this game, flies in the face of everything we've seen from them so far this season. For the Suns to win, they have to somehow find that crazy offensive rhythm they had through the first 17 games of the season and Denver has to be commensurately ice cold from the field. A Suns victory isn't impossible tonight, just highly improbable. But that's why they play the games, eh? Denver wins 122-100 and the Suns get a moral taco victory.

P.S. - I have no problem being wrong about all of the above and the Suns pulling one out tonight.

[Note by Mike Lisboa, 12/12/09 11:55 AM PST ]

It's unfortunate this is a Second Night game, because with both teams well-rested, this match-up has the potential to be a fast-paced yet nasty shoot-out. Fortunately, the next couple of times these two teams it will be after a day or two's rest.

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Let's Make Deron Williams An All-Star

aramnath — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:55:23 -0000

More photos » by George Frey - AP

Even though he's a top-3 point guard in the NBA, Deron Williams still hasn't made it to the All-Star Game. Let's change that. (AP Photo/George Frey)

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I know the man plays in Salt Lake City, but it's time to show Deron Williams some love. The guy has been an absolute beast the past three seasons. Him and Chris Paul are the only 2 point guards in the NBA to average double digits in points and assists over the past three years. Steve Nash would be there, but there was that whole Shaq thing that happened in Phoenix.

Superstars are supposed to elevate the level of play of their teammates around them and there are few that do it better than Deron. This is a guy who's helped turn Carlos Boozer into a 20-10 machine since he's been in Utah. Then when Boozer was injured for much of last year he transformed 2nd round pick Paul Millsap into a 15-8 player. Millsap's good, but you better believe Deron makes him look that much better.

In a league where you need stars to win, no team has less lottery picks on their roster than the Utah Jazz who have two, Deron and the legendary Ronnie Brewer.

The Jazz have no ability to spread the floor, hitting a collective 33.6% of their three point attempts for the season. Still Williams penetrates into a congested lane (that's what she said?) and drops dimes to Boozer, Okur and the rest of his underwhelming supporting cast. Just imagine if they had anybody capable of scoring from outside of 15 feet other than Okur who doubles as their major three point threat.

The real reason Deron hasn't been voted as an All-Star, other than being stuck in the heart of Morman territory, is that he doesn't have a good nickname. D-Will is not a good nick name, I mean you can do that with anybody's name. David Lee's nickname is D-Lee it's just not very creative. Plus you can't just call him Williams because it's the most common name in the NBA.

In my push to get Deron voted to the All-Star game I've decided it's my duty to come up with a nickname for him. Here are a few I thought of . The Mormon Mack Daddy, Ill Will, Dub Weezy and the Shah of Utah. I could use some help.

Vote For Deron Here

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Let's Make Deron Williams An All-Star

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