It's the offseason and there isn't much to do besides debate about which players the nuggets should or should not acquire (it's still no on Rasheed Wallace, btw).  Fairly tedious at times.  So, I'm bored and thought I'd throw something different at you.

Formerly I went by KarlSucks, promising to change only when Karls coaching improved or the team fired him.  No need to go back into that argument here.  When he got cancer, I changed to CancerSucks temporarily.  With the cancer, I have no desire to go back to KarlSucks, although my opinion remains that he needs to make some substantial changes in his coaching if the nuggets are ever going to win a title with him as coach.

I'm looking for fun, funny, irreverant, positive suggestions for a new screen name.  I live in Grand Lake, so references to snow and cold are appropriate.  I'm originally from Virginia and moved to CO in 1998, so transplant references are okay.  I've played a lot of volleyball and a fair amount of basketball.  And in basketball I am extremely right handed.  Can't take more than one dribble with the left, and even then I have to look at the ball.

Anyway, perhaps a little fun for the offseason.  Perhaps not...Best suggestion wins my undying gratitude and the knowledge that they are just a little better than everyone else on the board!

I read that Andrew Bynum has injured his knee and is expected to be out two weeks.  As we've seen with Lawson, two weeks could easily stretch out to longer.  I never root for injury (Okay, almost never, if the guy is a complete asshole, then maybe just a little) but this could help level the field in a potential matchup with the Lakers if K-Mart isn't able to come back or is much less than 100%.  Here's hoping we make it far enough to get a matchup with the Lakers.

is my Alma Mater.  One of five teams in the country to have been in existence at least 50 years and never made the tournament.  They lost in their conference finals and made the N.I.T. for only the second time.  Needless to say, I seldom get to see them play.  In college, a friend was dating a girl on the women's team, so a group of us would go watch.  There would be about 50 fans in the stands, and they had a contest to sit on a couch on the court behind one basket.  We won it about half the time and we would cram about 6 guys onto a three seat couch. 

I've gotten to see them play twice in the last week.  First in the conference final against ODU, then last night against North Carolina, in North Carolina.  They had the lead last night with three minutes left, then lost by a bunch as they were trying to catch up.  They run an unusual offense.  Basically, the coach runs out a center and four guys who can make three's.  The center runs a bunch of screens on the perimeter, trying to get guys open for a three.  The guy with the ball either passes to an open three pointer, or to the center rolling for a dunk.  That's all they do - threes and layups.  Nothing else.  At one point last night they had 21 assists on 24 made baskets.  The unassisted baskets were all put backs on offensive rebounds.  The coach runs this offense because it's the only thing they can be effective with the level of talent he can recruit.  I'm not sure why, but it's also the whitest team I've ever seen.  All but two guys were white.  I don't know if it's because they can't recruit anyone else or not, but it was weird watching. 

Probably not too exciting for you guys, but for me it's like the first year in Denver with Melo and they made the playoffs. 

It's not up yet, so I'm doing a fan post.

We can talk about effort, four games in five nights, the refs, whatever you want.  When it comes down to it, this game was lost in the second quarter with decisions a high school coach wouldn't make.

 

WHAT THE FUCK GEORGE KARL?!?!?!?!?!?

Non-Stiff of the night:  Nobody

 

Stiff of the Night: George Karl

Sorry, George, I was trying to go easy on you, but you need to remove yourself from in game situations until you are better.

On the Lakers game, you trotted out the lineup of A.C., J.R., Afflalo, Birdman, and Nene.  It didn't work and should never have been tried- not enough offense in that lineup.  Big contributor to losing that game.  Okay, anybody can make a mistake once, and really you just gave A.C. the minutes Lawson would normally get.

In come the suns.  First quarter arrives, and for some reason both J.R. and Birdman don't come into the game at their normal times.  Things are going good, maybe you are staying with a hot hand.  Up by thirteen, and in comes the A.C., Jr., Afflalo, Birdman, and KMart lineup.  Okay, the first time you did this was a mistake, but A.C. was not expected to play.  This time is not excusable.  At no point in this game should both Billups and Melo be on the bench at the same time.  Again, no offense, and the suns make a run, cutting the lead to 6 with two free throws coming.  Billups off the bench and all the fans are thinking, okay, here comes billups for AC to restore some order.  A little late to fix the lineup, but okay, we've still got the lead at least.  And Billups comes in for Birdman. 

A FOUR GUARD LINEUP?  REALLY?  WHAT THE FUCK?!

Stunningly, the four guard lineup was terrible, and soon the game was over.

Most places of employment have what are known as "firing offenses".  Turning in an assignment late, you get a dirty look from your boss.  Get caught banging a co-worker on your desk.  Fired.  The four guard lineup is a firing offense.  You get a pass because of your current condition, but if it happens again, A.D. is now authorized to relieve you from duty immiediately.  As in, in game, send you home. 

I don't know Karl, or how this treatment is affecting him.  When my father was getting chemo, it slowed him down a lot.  I think the same is happening with Karl, as evidenced by the late rotations of players and the weird lineups.  I think Karl should still go to games when he can, but he needs to turn over in game duties to someone who is fully healthy.  This is a difficult jog when you are 100%.  Karl is now likely somewhere between 50 and 75% and that's not enough.  Take some time and come back when you are healthy, George.

From ESPN the magazine.  Don't have insider, so I can't post the whol article.  Fun stories

 

Ty Lawson is so fast ... that when he was 4 he matched his age in goals in his first soccer game for the Andrews Air Force Base Terminators. Makes sense. His mom, Jackie Lawson, was the anchor leg on her high school relay team. But even she had trouble keeping up with her son as the Terminators' videographer. "If you blinked, you missed something," she says. "He'd take the ball from one end to the other and score."

 

Ty Lawson is so fast ... that at 11 he joined his dad, George Lawson, a tech sergeant at Andrews AFB near DC, for airmen's pickup games. "At first, nobody wanted him," says George. "At the base, guys stand on the side and talk trash while you're playing. But Ty just killed one guy. Then it was, 'Yeah, I'll pick the young fella.'"

 

Ty Lawson is so fast ... that standard modes of transportation cannot satisfy. "I used to ride my moped down a steep hill near my UNC apartment," Lawson says. "That scooter supposedly went only 35, but I swear I could get it up to 60." His amusement park ride of choice? The Joker's Jinx at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. "Zero to 60 in three seconds," he says.

 

Wed Feb 24,2010 12:48 PM ET By Rob Mahoney It takes a certain confidence for an opposing player to snipe at the indisputable Western Conference favorite Los Angeles Lakers, and something between arrogance and complete stupidity for an opposing player to take a shot at Kobe Bryant. If that's not a cue for the Nuggets' J.R. Smith, then I don't know what is. Here's what Smith had to say about Kobe on Twitter (via the OC Register):

"Dont get me wrong kobe is great but not when he play me"

Not only is Kobe one of the best players in the league, but he's competitive beyond belief and just about the last guy on the planet that you'd want to give bulletin board material to. Considering the Nuggets and Lakers could very well have a date in the Western Conference Finals, I wouldn't say it's the smartest thing in the world to give Bryant extra motivation...especially considering Smith's fleeting interest in defense.

And for the record, Kobe is averaging 26 points (46.2% FG, 45.5% 3FG), six rebounds, and an assist against Denver. That's technically a notch below his season averages of 28.0 points (46.5% FG, 35.5% 3FG), 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, though Bryant is averaging three less shot attempts per game against the Nuggets.

 

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