SB Nation User Blog: Hash

GAME THREAD #7: Warriors @ Pacers - ROAD TRIP!

Hash — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:24:02 -0000

Minnesota or not, Monday's game was a great way to close off our West Coast stand and head off for battles on the East Coast. Every now and then it really comes in handy to have a sacrificial lamb to beat up on.

Kind of the rest of the league is looking forward to doing to us...

But hey, the season is young and we're only two games out of .500. So let's pack our bags and head to Indiana to visit a few of our old friends, shall we?

LET THE ROAD TRIP BEGIN!

Remember this guy?

Warriors: 2-4

Pacers: 2-3

Tip-Off: 4:00pm

Radio: KNBR 680

TV: CSN Bay Area

Blog Buddy: Indy Cornrows

Here's a decent test in consistency. One peek at the posts at our friends over at Indy Cornrows, and you would think they were talking about the Warriors. Injured players. Slow start. Lots of panic. Sound familiar?

Despite the fun we always get seeing our friend Dunleavy and Murphy again, we may not be treated to their presence on the court. Dun is out with a knee injury, Murphy is listed as day to day. Add to that the fact that Danny Granger is out with a bruised heel and we're going to be up against a limping opponen.

Not that that has stopped them before...

JUMP!

Indiana, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, then Boston.

Some potential good games, some potential bad games, and some potential UGLY games. But yes, I'd say that we are capable of walking away from this journey with 3 out of 5 W's. I'm sure you can guess where they will come from.

That being said, today is one game that we really should be able to put away if we are as good as we would like to think that we are. One can only hope that the team chemistry we saw against Minnesota will display itself as we square off against this incomplete Pacers squad.

Win or lose, we're going to be in for a treat. GSoM friend Feltbot has stepped in to cover the recap on today's events. While we're not going to get any classic Funleavy Foto Fun, rest assured you're in for some quality analysis.

(Hopefully it's in the wake of a win)

Predictions:

Monta goes for 25+
Randolph pulls in a double double
Warriors by 5

Poll

Would you trade Captain Jack back to Indy for Dunleavy?

GAME THREAD: Preseason Game #2- Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers - Take Two.

Hash — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:05:11 -0000

Originally posted Oct 9, 2009 1:05 PM PDT

Did I say Warriors by 3?! Nah. Couldn't be. You must have misread the prediction.

No need to scroll down. Trust me. It was you.

"HMMMMMM. No sir. I don't like it."

(Bonus points if you get that reference.)

Warriors (Preseason W-L) - 1-1

Lakers (Preseason W-L) - 1-0

Blog Buddy: Silver Screen and Roll

Tip-Off: 7:00 PM PST

TV: None Scheduled

Radio: KNBR 680

Lakers v. Warriors. Take 2! JUMP.

The Good

Randolph looked great out there last game. 4 blocks = BEAST.
Nice offensive showing by Morrow.
Nice surprise from Acie Law. I'll take it!
Team went 31-35 from the charity stripe. Free points! Get your free point here!!

The Bad

Monta injuring his ankle before the season? At least it was playing basketball this time.
Kelenna riding pine.
Wright riding pine.
Turiaf riding pine.
Devean George. 'Nuff said.

The Ugly

6 turnovers for Curry
5 turnovers for Mags
Stephen Jackson - 1 for 9. Uncross those eyes fella.

Predictions:

Ellis (listed as probable) plays. Drops 20+
Acie Law does NOT drop 16 again.
*ahem* let's try this again! WARRIORS BY 3!

GAME THREAD: Preseason Game #2- Golden State Warriors @ LA Lakers - Meaningless Wednesday Fun

Hash — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:39:36 -0000

It's going to be big trouble in little L.A. tonight! The big bad Warriors are coming to town in a showdown that carries about as much weight as I do at the gym.

The answer you were looking for is: Not much.

It's okay. I know I'm weak. I'll impress the girls with my Mario Kart skills.

Crap. This guy is going to be there, isn't he? We're toast.

Warriors (Preseason W-L) - 1-0

Lakers (Preseason W-L) - 0-0

Blog Buddy: Silver Screen and Roll

Tip-Off: 7:00 PM PST

TV: None Scheduled

Radio: None Scheduled

Yahoo! LIVE Box Score

Make the jump to see what we may be in store for in tonight's meaningless battle down south!

What's in store for us? Likely, a beat down.

Positivity is all well and good, but this offseason the league's best actually got better. With the addition of Ron Artest, this squad boasts some serious defensive capabilities to add to their already impressive offensive forces. There is little reason to believe that this team isn't headed back to the Western Conference Finals (if not beyond).

That being said, it certainly would make a great statement to come out against a team this stacked and walk away with a W. Preseason or not, the Lakers will be looking to stretch their wings in their first preseason game.

Let's give them a run for their money.

GO WARRIORS!

Predictions:

Curry dunks on Kobe.
Kobe dunks on everyone else.
Warriors by 3.

Corey Maggette - The 6th Wonder of the Oracle :: 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Recap and Previews

Hash — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:55:15 -0000

Sure he's a little overpaid... maybe a lot overpaid. But the real question is, what is in store for Corey Maggette this year?!

Hopefully 70+ games. Please please please 70+ games...

*clunk* "Ahhhh! My head!" Out 10 games.

Okay, all joking aside. If we can manage to have Maggette on the floor for the better part of the season, we're going to have a powerful scoring backup forward that knows how to get to the line. And I have no problem with that.

Check out some Maggette after the jump!

Like his heavy contract or not, it's tough to deny that Maggette isn't a offensive force. Last year Mags averaged 18.6 ppg, and 5.6 boards per game, a considerable contribution for our leading non-starter.

The issue with Mags is, is he capable of making a bid for more? Before the dabaucle that was media day, Nellie had already come out and said that Maggette will be starting the season in the role of 6th man again.

Corey Maggette will be the sixth man. If Curry starts, Ellis plays the 2; if Azubuike starts, Ellis plays point and Jackson plays the 2; if Morrow starts, Ellis plays point and Jackson plays 3; and if Wright starts, Randolph moves to the 3 and Jackson plays the 2.

That's a lot of options. All of which put Maggette at the six.

It's clear that Nellie is going to bring in his scoring capabilities when needed, but the priority this season will be building up the young guns to run this team. Poor Maggette. But then again, just because he's paid $9 million doesn't mean we're going to get $9 million worth of talent, right?

Corey Maggette travels six times in 1 play (via srntv)

That's an average of $1.5 million per travel!

All in all, nothing much has changed in the world of Corey. As an inside bruiser, we can only hope that he can stay healthy for more than 51 games (last year) so our go-to-guy off of the bench isn't *shudder* Devean George.

C'mon Mags. Tough it out! We need you!

2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview

Anthony Morrow: Ammo + Chocolate Rain
Stephen Jackson: O Captain, My Captain
Speedy Claxton/ Devean George, Acie Law: Wouldn't Count on It
Brandan Wright: Injury Prone
Stephen Curry: Let There Be Hope
Monta Ellis: Back in the Saddle
Kelenna Azubuike
Corey Maggette
Andris Biedrins
Anthony Randolph
Ronny Turiaf
C.J. Watson
Mikki Moore

Coming 10.26.09 to a web browser near you...

Golden State Warriors 2k9-2k10 Super Preview Blowout Special!

Stephen Curry - Let There Be Hope :: 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Recap and Previews

Hash — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:45:47 -0000

And now we come to the new kid on the block. One thing we have to give this Warriors organization is their ability to pick up raw talent and allow it to blossom (before trading it away). Unfortunately, our current batch of raw talent hasn't yet learned to play cohesively enough together to form any kind of consistency, but it's tough to argue that players like Ellis, Biedrins, and Randolph haven't had the room to discover themselves.

As I was talking with Atma the other day, I shared a concern I've had with Nellie in recent years. What if Nellie sees a potential successful season in front of him without letting Curry stretch his wings? Atma brought up some solid points in this realm. Historically, if Nellie hasn't let a rookie or new addition to the roster breathe (POB, Diogu), they haven't really moved on elsewhere in the league to excel. If the talent is there, Nellie has and will let them cultivate their skill on the Arena floor.

That being said, we're going to be seeing a lot of Curry at the Arena this year.

Wrong Curry. But equally as exciting!

Make the jump and let's check out some of the reasons why this kid might change the course of this already tumultuous season.

Okay. Before we begin, I would be remiss to not mention that if you have any percentage of South Asian blood in you, or if you just happen to like Indian food, go out and buy a Curry jersey. Long after this kid starts to average 25 ppg and goes to another team for $20 more because Rowell refuses to match the offer, a jersey that says "Curry" on the back will bring you endless joy. Also, discounts among Indian restaurants across the greater Bay Area. It's really the gift that keeps on giving.

Now - if you got excited by that, check this out:

Stephen Curry Mix (HQ) (via pennixballer92)

Sick.

No doubt. It's always tough to focus on a college phenom and predict his success in the bigs, but so far all signs point to yes. According to Marcus Thompson at the San Jose Mercury:

It's too early, by most accounts, to give him a thorough analysis. But rookie guard Stephen Curry has members of the Warriors organization feeling good about his development.

"He's holding his own very nicely," coach Don Nelson said Wednesday.

Let's look at reality though. Despite Monta being out of line with his claims that he can't play with Curry in the backcourt, having the two of these guys together really can lead to us getting bumped and bruised around. What happens when the Warriors are put into this position? Historically, three point shot after shot after shot. Morrow aside, we haven't proved to be a team good enough to rest our game on the long bomb.

Curry's real value as a point is going to be getting the rock to our ever growing big guys. I predict that Biedrins, Randolph, Turiaf, and now, Mikki Moore will eventually come to enjoy a player of this nature who can has the ability to develop his passing as well as the rest of his game.

Not that anyone in the Warriors organization is going to mind if he takes a shot or two.

Despite the rough introduction to the NBA, Curry doesn't seem to be losing confidence. He's usually running the point when he's in the game, and the Warriors have encouraged him to continue being aggressive looking for his shot, and he's followed orders.

But at the end of the day, year 1 in this league is exactly what it is. Year 1. Right now our very own organization isn't even sure how they want to use his talents, which will make it extremely tough to cultivate his game in any sort of focused direction. Perhaps this kind of breathing room is needed, however. Am I expecting big things out of this kid? Yes. I am. Am I expecting it in the first 30 games of the year? No. But it sure would be nice!

Will this be the year of Curry? DISCUSS!

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Oklahoma Thunder: The X Factors

Hash — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:14:50 -0000

Why the X factors? Well, let's just put it this way. There is very little down, even among the casual NBA fan that Oklahoma has a roster that will grow to do some pretty big things. Centered around the phenom that is Kevin Durant, the thunder also play home to Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and (now) James Harden, this team is only on their way up as this core unit learns the ins and outs of each others' games.

So again, why X factor?

When you have a team that everyone generally agrees can be great, every season is the potential breakout year. Even though Oklahoma is only playing it's second year in its new home, this could really be a team to watch. If, for no other reason than for Kevin Durant.

Kevin Durant Mix (via maurixjames23)

Honestly, I have no idea what to tell you about where this team can go. Lord knows how much work went into forming a better cohesiveness among the core talent that will hopefully propel them above their inaugural record of 23-59. This is a team that is simply in the start of rebuilding since they peaked as the Supersonics in 1996 by losing against Jordan's Bulls. Don't feel too bad for them. They've still been to the Playoffs more often that us during that time. (That's a hard feat to overcome, isn't it?)

With this group of young guns, the Thunder may be poised for a great run.

Will this be the year or Durant?! My guess is yes and no. Yes, KD is going to have another ridiculous season - and although I see the Thundar vastly improving upon last seasons' record, I'm not sure they're going to be quite where they need to be to make a dent in the Western Conference this year.

2008-2009 Rewind

Closed out the season 23-59
KD averaged 25.7 ppg.
Stole the Warriors' mascot. Weak sauce.

Offseason Moves

Snatched up rookie James Harden
Added Kevin Ollie to the roster
Added Etan Thomas

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder check out Welcome to Loud City:

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons: The Return of the Bay Boys
Houston Rockets: Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt
Indiana Pacers: A One Man Show
Los Angeles Clippers: Warriors South No More
Los Angeles Lakers: Big Brother, Little Brother
Memphis Grizzlies: Going Back to Vancouver
Miami Heat: Need to get the point
Milwaukee Bucks: Saving a few buck$
Minnesota Timberwolves: Donde esta Senor Rubio?
New Jersey Nets: The Year of the Yi
New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard
New York Knicks: Is it summatime yet?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic: Are they Vinsane? You be the judge
Philadelphia 76ers: Are they (Elton) Brand New?
Phoenix Suns: Who knows?
Portland TrailBlazers: The Fire Keeps Burning
Sacramento Kings: It's all up from here
San Antonio Spurs: An Apple a Day...
Toronto Raptors: So International
Utah Jazz: Reset Button
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Utah Jazz - Reset Button.

Hash — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:28:19 -0000

I suppose one of the toughest things to do with an above average team is to step into the trading ring and make some giant trades to shake-up the roster. Aside from relatively sure bets, I can imagine it would be tough for a front office to look back on the previous year and simply expect a higher caliber of play from the team that they have.

Looks like this is the offseason strategy the Utah Jazz have employed. Despite loads of debate on whether or not Carlos Boozer would opt out of his contract (or after he said he was staying, whether the Jazz would try to trade him away), when the smoke settled. the Jazz didn't really have a lot of stand out moves that are going to separate them from the 8th seed - first round exit team that we saw last year.

And as a Warriors fan that saw the Jazz knock us out in the second round of our playoff run; I have no problem with their direction.

I'll take any excuse I can get to post this picture...

Okay, personal jabs aside, the Jazz do have the tools to enter the postseason. Let's not forget that their rock is sent around by one of the best points in the league, Deron Williams. And aside from the offseason drama, the Jazz are moving into 2009-2010 with Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, AK-47 still on the roster. These guys still have the board pounding big brusiers that seem to serve as the perfect achilles heel for the run and gunners.

As much trash as I gave the Jazz for their first round exit, the truth is that, last year aside, this core group has posed to be a very potent force in this league. Last year Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur, and Carlos Boozer all missed a significant amount of games, resulting in the Jazz being in a less that opportune position in the first round of the Playoffs. (read: Playing the Lakers)

Ultimately, the question must be posed. Is this Jazz team good enough to win an NBA title? Probably not. But they're good enough to get up there to fight.

Wonder what that feels like...

2008-2009 Rewind

Finished the season 48-34
Entered the NBA Playoffs as the 8th seed in the west.
Dispatched in the first round by the LA Lakers, 4 games to 1.

2009 Offseason Moves

Resigned Power Forward Paul Milsap
Received player option from Mehmet Okur
Received player option from Carlos Boozer
Received player option from Kyle Korver

For more on the Utah Jazz check out SLC Dunk:

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons: The Return of the Bay Boys
Houston Rockets: Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt
Indiana Pacers: A One Man Show
Los Angeles Clippers: Warriors South No More
Los Angeles Lakers: Big Brother, Little Brother
Memphis Grizzlies: Going Back to Vancouver
Miami Heat: Need to get the point
Milwaukee Bucks: Saving a few buck$
Minnesota Timberwolves: Donde esta Senor Rubio?
New Jersey Nets: The Year of the Yi
New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard
New York Knicks: Is it summatime yet?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic: Are they Vinsane? You be the judge
Philadelphia 76ers: Are they (Elton) Brand New?
Phoenix Suns: Who knows?
Portland TrailBlazers: The Fire Keeps Burning
Sacramento Kings: It's all up from here
San Antonio Spurs: An Apple a Day...
Toronto Raptors: So International
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Orlando Magic - Are they Vinsane? You be the judge.

Hash — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:51:23 -0000

I have to be honest, for a team that made it's way to the NBA Finals last year, the Magic have made some major moves beyond expectations. I'm not saying that the direction that Orlando is heading is bad, but it's clear that they are making their move for the ring now - potentially leveraging longevity for a shot at it all. At the end of the day, it comes down to the two options in the philosophy of building a professional sports team. Design a team that can win a championship or design a team that can win a string of championships?

"Okay Vince, if I win this thumb war, you come over and play for us next year."

While the Magic seemed to have taken advantage of the feeding frenzy of next years' Uber draft they have indeed acquired an aging Vince Carter in exchange some potential future producers (Alston and Courtney Lee most notably). Now, this isn't to say that Vince doesn't have anything left in the tank; he did just come off of a season of 20.8 points per game and 4.7 dimes per game.

Let's just say that the clock is officially ticking for the Magic to grab that trophy.

JUMP!

Vince Carter. Dwight Howard. Jameer Nelson. Rashard Lewis. Those are four extremely potent bullets in a now fully loaded gun. Even for a team that made the NBA finals last year, it's tough to argue that they didn't get better with the addition of Vinsinity.

The only issue I see is the loss of the depth of their bench. In order to get Carter over, Orlando dealt away Rafer Alston, a solid backup to Jameer Nelson. (To their credit on this hole, they did sign Jason Williams away from the Heat) Additionally, they moved away Courtney Lee, their rookie guard who showed the league that he can play with the elite in last years' postseason. Add to all of this the fact that Orlando did not succeed in keeping Hedo Turkoglu, a key cog in their success in their 2008-2009 season and one is left wondering if having Carter is truly greater than the potential holes they have created in their already proven roster.

Can Orlando get it done this year?! Despite some of these issues, I don't see why not. This will definitely be a team to watch.

2008-2009 Rewind

Finished Season 59 and 23
Beat Cleveland to win the Eastern Conference Championship
Lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals

Offseason Moves

Traded Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee to the New Jersey Nets for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson
Offered a 4 year deal to Brandon Bass (from the Dallas Mavericks)
Signed ex Warrior (who then went to the Suns) Matt Barnes
Signed Jason Williams from the Miami Heat

Recent Ex Warriors on current roster:

For more on the Orlando Magic check out Third Quarter Collapse:

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons: The Return of the Bay Boys
Houston Rockets: Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt
Indiana Pacers: A One Man Show
Los Angeles Clippers: Warriors South No More
Los Angeles Lakers: Big Brother, Little Brother
Memphis Grizzlies: Going Back to Vancouver
Miami Heat: Need to get the point
Milwaukee Bucks: Saving a few buck$
Minnesota Timberwolves: Donde esta Senor Rubio?
New Jersey Nets: The Year of the Yi
New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard
New York Knicks: Is it summatime yet?
Oklahoma City Super Sonics
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia Sixers
Phoenix Suns
Portland TrailBlazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Around the Associaton: 2009-2010 Miami Heat - Need to get the point.

Hash — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:48:30 -0000

Aaaahhhh the Heat. The team that logged the abysmal 15 and 67 record in the 2007-2008 season really did a decent job of turning things around last year. On the wings of Dwayne Wade's 30+ ppg as well as solid performances by Michael Beasley, Jermaine O'Neal, Udonis Haslem, and company these guys improved their wins by nearly 30 last year - landing as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference.

When you see improvement of that caliber from one season to the next, admittedly it can be hard to really determine what gaps need to be filled in order to further improve the caliber of this team. That being said, Pat Riley ain't no fool; even as I write this the Heat front office is likely still working on a few things to propel this team to the next level.

Can't say he's not doing his part!

What does the 2009-2010 Season hold for Miami? Make the jump to see our humble thoughts!

Offseason Moves - Miami Heat

Re-signed center Joel Anthony
Re-signed center Jamaal Magloire
Declined to match Jamario Moon's offer, sending him to the Cavs
Acquired Quentin Richardson from the Wolves (who got him from the Clippers - who got him from the Knicks) for center Mark Blount
Michael Beasley checked into rehab (granted not an offseason move - but worth bringing up.)

2008-2009 Rewind

Ended the regular season with a 43-39 record, an astonishing improvement from their previous years' record of 15-67.
Entered the NBA Playoffs as the 5th seeded team in the East.
Dispatched in the first rounfd by 4th seeded Atlanta Hawks in 7 games.

So far the biggeest move that the Heat have made this offseason is the acquisition of Quentin Richardson. While he certainly isn't a player that you can build a franchise around, with a career 11.5 ppg and 5 rpg, Q is definitely going to make a difference on the floor night in and night out for the Heat.

The major issue I see here is; this was the only notable move that they have made so far.

Fortunately, according to our brothers at Peninsula is Mightier, the Heat aren't done making the moves to becoming a better team this coming year. The front office is still churning and buzzing with filling a major hole in their starting roster. The need to find a solid point. No stones at Mario Chalmers here, but this team deperately needs a PG of a higher caliber to get the rock into the hands of Wade, Beasley, O'Neal and Q. And Riley knows it.

Check out this article outlining the Miami's scouting for available PG talent. Sadly, the article was written before A.I. signed his year with Memphis, so he is still considered an option in this read. But guards like Jamaal Tinsley or Bobby Jackson may still be viable candidates for the role.

Assuming no other moves are made this offseason, the Heat really have to rely on some serious growth of golden child Michael Beasley. We've all seen talent liedormant until the second or third year in this league *cough Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins cough*, so maybe there is a chance that Beasley's abilities will start to do the same.

Long story short - the jury is still out on the fate of the Heat. Are they a playoff team with the roster they have right now? Yes. Can they deviate from their first round exit performace without making any other major shake-ups to this squad? Without some serious growth from their youth this year, not likely. Either way, I'll be keeping my eye on this team as the season opens!

For more on the Miami Heat check out Peninsula is Mightier:

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons: The Return of the Bay Boys
Houston Rockets: Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt
Indiana Pacers: A One Man Show
Los Angeles Clippers: Warriors South No More
Los Angeles Lakers: Big Brother, Little Brother
Memphis Grizzlies: Going Back to Vancouver
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
New Orleans Hornets
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Super Sonics
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia Sixers
Phoenix Suns
Portland TrailBlazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Denver Nuggets - If it ain't broke...

Hash — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:28:28 -0000

Damn, I'm starting to realize why no one jumped to sign up for an Around the Association look at the Denver Nuggets. Relatively speaking, these guys didn't do jack in the offseason. Short of the drafting of Ty Law, recent Tar Heel point guard, the Nuggets pretty much went out of their way to ensure that they held on to the components that took them into the 2008-2009 Western Conference Finals. When you look at it, why the hell not? While it seems like the Nuggets went on a bit of a dream run, 'Melo and company showed that this squad was more than capable of taking down anyone in the league.

...or at least, anyone in the league not called the Lakers. Zing!

Hey, if we had a team that could do this, we wouldn't change much either...

Make the jump for a quick glimps into the fate of the Nuggets for the 2009-2010 season!

Carmelo Anthony . Chauncey Billups. Nene Hilario. J.R. Smith. Kenyon Martin. Much like the Nuggets of years' past, this roster is full of talent, both among starters and on the bench. The question remains, can Denver pull off the powerhouse run that they did last year; raking in a dominant second seed in the mighty mighty West?

Okay, they're going to make the playoffs - that's a given. I mean, c'mon. Seriously. Who DOESN'T make the playoffs anymore? Can you think of a single team in recent history that has gone over 10 years without even one appearance?! Oh wait...

So far for Denver this offseason feels as though the subtle moves they've made re:changes in personnel have had a more of a base in cutting back the overall salary, rather than improvements in player talent. While George Karl and company hasn't really changed the meat and potatoes of this team, one can only wonder if the shakeup of the other components of the dish that is the Nuggets will be for the better or for the worse. They have a tough road ahead of them to duplicate (and exceed) last years' performance.

Offseason Moves:

Acquired Malik Allen from the Milwaukee Bucks
Drafted Ty Law from UNC
Acquired Aaron Afflalo from the Detroit Pistons
Resiged Chris "Birdman" Andersen (5 year contract)
Re-signed Anthony Carter (1 year contract)
Re-signed Johan Petro (1 year contract)

2008-2009 Rewind

Finished the season 54-28
Ranked #2 in the Western Conference.
Dispatched by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals - 4 games to 2 games

Hash's Prediction

They're an excellent dark horse team for the West again this year. Hopefully we will see them achieve wins with the same ferocity that they did last year, only to get swept by the Warriors in the Western Conference finals. While I'm at it, there will be a unicorn present at the final Warriors-Nuggets Western Conference Finals Game. He will spin the ball atop his horn, dazzling everyone who sees him. "Oooohs" and "Aaaaahs" will be heard by all.

For more on the Denver Nuggets check out Denver Stiffs:

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
New Orleans Hornets
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Super Sonics
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia Sixers
Phoenix Suns
Portland TrailBlazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind