First off, I don't know why Karl didn't take Birdman out of the game last night after he aggravated his knee.

He was walking quite gingerly, and it was obviously the same knee he had been having problems with, as it had a neoprene brace on it. I play basketball and have had tendinitis on/off for the past 5-6 years - if I've learned one thing, its that if I feel a twinge or sharp pain, STOP PLAYING.

Patella tendinitis is common in basketball, and can be re-aggravated very easily. If I stopped when it started to hurt and iced it, I'd be good to go 100% in 2-3 days, or even the next day if I was lucky. But when I played through the pain, I'd usually be looking at at least 1-3 weeks of mild inflammation and pain.

...

On to Petro, I think the guy is starting to show a little more polish. I still think he is mediocre at best, but he is starting gain some confidence and looks more and more like he belongs in the NBA, especially at home.

At this point, I think that he should get minutes over Malik Allen as an occasional rotational big. Lets face it, Allen hasn't done much of anything this season, and despite what was promised of his jump shooting this season, the only thing he does better than Petro at this point is set screens. The way he passed and moved the ball looked much improved, and he was showing decent positioning under the basket and the ability to hit the midrange j. Obviously he isn't the sole answer to our frontcourt problems, but I think he's now worth a look.

At only 23, I think Petro has room to improve. I don't believe he will ever be more than a role player, but even that would be a huge step. I'd like to see what he can do with 5-8 min on the court during something other than garbage time, especially if Birdman's knees start bothering him again.

We all know that we need another stiff - and so does the front office.

Since Denver is winning now, the FO isn't in a huge rush to bring someone in at the moment. They are waiting for the right move, and a bad move could disrupt team chemistry or morale.

Instead of writing up a far fetched wish list, I'm going to drop some names that we may actually be able to bring in. I'm also scoring each big, 1-10, for how easy it will be to get them and how well they fit our needs. (10 being the most likely/best fit)

The Stiffs:

DJ Mbenga - Chance: 3 Need: 7.  He is averaging 3.9 rebounds in 11.1 minutes - good for a 16.8 RP40min rate. He has size, athleticism, and shot blocking ability to go with his rebounding. He has been a rotation player on a championship team, and has experience against Gasol and Bynum as well as the dreaded Magic and Celtics. Since he plays regularly for the Lakers, I don't know why they would trade him to a team they likely wouldn't want to see in the playoffs.

Nazr Mohammed - Chance: 5 Need: 8.  A big body and proven rebounder and shotblocker. He is a world-class underachiever, remaining one of the few overrated-underrated guys in the league. 5pts, 3.5 rebs, and 1 block in a meager 11.7 minutes per game.

Dan Gadzuric - Chance: 6 Need: 6. Averaging about 3 rebounds and 3 points in 10 minutes. He has some toughness and athletacism, and played under Karl back when he was the coach in Milwaukee. He isn't part of the Bucks future plans, and could help us out this season in spot duty.

Marcin Gortat - Chance: 2 Need: 9. His minutes are up slightly from last year, and so is his production. Since the George Karl likes to go small, I couldn't see him playing any more than he does in Orlando. However, he is a competent big man and tougher and more hard nosed (no pun intended) than any other potential bigs on the Nuggets radar. I could almost see the Magic trading him to us out of contempt for L.A. - but they will hold on to him to face other stacked frontcourts in the East and as insurance for when Dwight gets in foul trouble.

Etan Thomas - Chance: 7 Need: 5. He is shorter than Petro but stronger and a more capable defender in the post than both Petro and Allen. He doesn't bring a lot to the table, but would be a solid alternative to nothing. Right now he's averaging 4 pts, 4.1 rbs, 1blk in 18 min a game with the Thunder.

Hilton Armstrong - Chance: 7 Need: 5. Perhaps a bit slighter in build than we need, he is a capable center that has shown some flashes of game in his time with the Hornets. He can be inconsistent, but again would be an improvement over Petro and Allen. 3.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 15 mpg.

Other Notables: Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Richard Hendrix, Dwayne Jones, Hamed Haddadi, Chris Mihm, Robert Swift

Anyone else have anyone they'd like to see land with the Nuggets as a 4th big?

He would have been such a good pickup for us this summer - he would have definitely fit in as a fourth big, even though he wanted a bigger role.  I bet if the Nuggets were willing to spend just a bit more than they ended up offering, they could have signed him.

He hit 6 3s tonight. 25 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals.

And he has a ton of upside. I'm not saying he's Dirk Nowitzki yet, but Frye could have really helped this team with his shooting and to some extent rebounding. Imagine Frye playing pick-n-pop with Ty Lawson or Carmelo.

Like an episode of "Unsolved Mysteries", by the end of reading this, you won't know any more concrete fact than when you started. We'll have to wait for the season to get underway for that (just six more days!!!).

However, I think the Nuggets have improved over the last season. Lets break down their key losses and additions from this off season.

Key Losses:

Dahntay Jones - His defense, intensity, and courage will be missed. He is also among the most prolific finishers at the rim in the league. I think his great attitude and contagious enthusiasm and cheerleader spirit will be most sorely missed, but hopefully will be picked up by other players by example.

Linas Kleiza - Aside from sporadic games of being clutch and/or exhibiting a will and effort to outwork the opponent the ability to outrun the other team and cherry-pick on fast breaks(about 1 in 10 games), he is a fairly average filler player with above average talent on offense and below average defense and basketball IQ. That sounds like all too many free agents, D-league players, and the majority of NBA players - his role won't be hard to fill. His scoring will be missed, but his shot selection and lapses on defense won't.

Age (Another Year Older) - We will see how the aging bodies of Chris Andersen, Kenyon Martin, Anthony Carter, and most importantly, Chauncey Billups holld up over the course of the season. Andersen and Martin seem to be in great shape, and I'm not going to even mention Carter... Billups is the only one I am worried about - I think he may suffer with consistency on some plays, but I expect his savvy, leadership, and decision making to allow him to be nearly as productive in slightly reduced minutes from last season.

Promises - Okay, I lied, I am going to talk about Anthony Carter. George Karl gave him his version of a promise ring in the bromance that we will see continuing at least for another season, to the chagrin of many a Nuggets fan. According to this excerpt from an article by Chris Dempsey at the Denver Post, our favorite postseason in bounds passer will likely remain a fixture in the Nuggets lineup.

"I'm sure you guys are going to have fun criticizing me on that one," Karl said. "I still love (Anthony Carter). I think A.C. is a big part of why we've been successful here. But the kid's good. The kid's had a very good summer, and he's had a very good September in our gym."

According to Carter, Karl told him this summer his minutes would not be reduced this season, even with the presence of Lawson, who is regarded as the heir apparent at point guard. Carter, who signed a one-year contract with the team in August, averaged 22.9 minutes per game last season.

Don't get me wrong, I am actually a big Anthony Carter supporter. I love his energy, effort, leadership, and hard work. However, him playing above 12-18 minutes a game will be an impediment to the Nuggets success this season.

Okay, now on to this years positives!

Key Additions:

Malik Allen - A capable rebounder and mid-range shooter who knows the game and doesn't hold the ball. Despite having very little ability in the low post, he has a toughness to him and can set good picks. I expect him to fit in well in George Karl's system and become a good role player in limited minutes.

Arron Afflalo - It seems like we're all high on this guy and no one needs much convincing. Another hard worker who is a good defender and more willing to crash the boards from what I've heard - which we will need from our guards this season. He should see time at the 2 and 3 spots, and is capable of hitting the three, mid-range J, or taking the ball to the rim. Expect him to improve in virtually every category this season, especially scoring and rebounding.

Joey Graham - If he does indeed start, as most signs are pointing to, he will fill a similar (but distinctly different) role to what Dhantay Jones had last year at the starting shooting guard, but likely in less minutes. I also see him having a harder time staying in front of quicker shooting guards, but he should fit in well since he is an intelligent player and George Karl insists on switching so often on screens.Think about it: if a pick is set on Graham's man by a forward or center, he has the strength to bang them in the paint and keep them away from the rim. He played PF and C in college, so that will be familiar territory.

Ty Lawson - We have all seen what he can do given the chance, and know his accomplishments and pedigree. I have always been a fan of adding players who won the National Championship in college. He will be a good compliment to Billups and Carter in the time that he gets, as he is lightning quick and far more athletic. I don't expect his size to be a problem, as he will adjust to the shot blocking ability of the NBA and is strong enough to not be pushed around by larger guards.

Improvement - Melo, Nene, and J.R., and to a lesser extent Balkman and Petro, have been given another off season to develop. I expect the biggest jump from J.R. - I see him scoring in the 17-21 ppg range and improving his defense, and rebounding while also dishing out 1-2.5 more assists per game.

More Minutes for Balkman - While now less certain with the emergence of Graham, Balkman should see more regular minutes sliding between the 3 and 4 position. Good things tend to happen when he is on the floor, and with another training camp under his belt, Karl will hopefully trust him a little more.

Conclusions:

I think that while it may not be in the form of picking up a star player a la the Spurs with Jefferson, Lakers with Artest, or to a lesser extent the Mavs and Blazers(with Marion and Andre Miller respectively), the Nuggets made improvements and have put themselves in position to make another prudent roster move at some point during the season if needed.

I fully expect Afflalo and Allen to combine to pick up the slack of Kleiza's scoring. Afflalo has demonstrated an improved scoring prowess during preseason, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if he came close to averaging double digits this season if given the minutes.

Joey Graham may not be the lockdown defender that Jones was, but I see him doing a more than capable job while still matching Dhantay's physicality. With J.R.'s constantly improving defense and Lawson's ability to stay in front of quicker guards if needed, I think we could be looking at an overall improved defense from last year.

I think that with the development of J.R., Melo, and the like, we can look at the roster and say there are quite a few good defenders and that there isn't really a bad defender on the team - with perhaps Malik Allen coming the closest.

While I don't expect the Nuggets to win the west, or get higher than the 3-4 seed, they should demonstrate a marked improvement over last years team. If so, they will need it come the playoffs as they are almost guaranteed a date with either the Lakers or Spurs by the 2nd round.

I'm not usually one to hold a grudge.

But there are exceptions.

Back in February of 2004, I was sitting in the lower bowl of the Pepsi Center for the first time and watching a scintillating battle between the Nuggets and Lakers. I remember it clearly - the nuggets were up by 2 with about 5 seconds left, and Andre Miller launches up a short jumper. It grazes (but obviously struck) the rim, and was going straight toward Carmelo for an easy rebound.

That's when it happened. Michael Henderson - unaware that the ball had (obviously) struck the rim, blew his whistle to signal a shot clock violation. Before the ball got into Melo's hands.

The refs huddled, and decided it was an inadvertant whistle. Since no one had possession of the ball when the whistle was blown, even though Carmelo clearly would have, they had to jump it up.

Nene vs. a Shaq in his early thirties - tip goes to Shaq. Kobe brings the ball up, takes a few dribbles, and kicks it to... Kareem Rush. Thats right, Nugget's summer league bench warmer Kareem Rush, who drills a dagger 3 to win the game.

What???

Pandemonium breaks loose at The Can - a rain of popcorn and beer follows the jubilant Lakers into the locker room and tithes of dejected fans make their way to the exits. A number of fights almost break loose between infuriated Nuggets fans and Lakers fans that are in their usual form of lowbrow gloating and superiority.

Henderson missed three games -- the union called it a suspension -- after he was called to league headquarters following an incorrect call in a game between Denver and the Lakers in February 2004.

I still have not forgiven Michael Henderson, even though it has been more than half a decade. In fact, about 3 years ago, I started a Facebook group called "I still haven't forgiven Michael Hendersen". Go ahead and join if you feel the same.

After the league publicly acknowledged the error, nearly all the officials responded the next night by wearing their jerseys inside-out with Henderson's No. 62 on the back.

The league would not say why Henderson was fired.

ESPN also covered the story, albeit with less personal loathing and reflection on a brilliant game that could have been but was ruined by Referee #62.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4487631

There are some questions that can't be answered yet, such as "What will happen in the Mavs series?" or "Do the Nuggets Stand a chance against the Lakers? Cavs?"

But there is one I'd like to look at:

Is this the best Denver Nuggets Basketball team ever?

It may be subjective, and there are a lot of other factors in play such as quality of competition, changes in game rules, etc. Your thoughts?

Bring in  Raymond Felton from Charlotte.

From This Link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090415

Raymond Felton
The guy I'd pursue this summer if I ran an NBA team. Ten weeks of trade rumors bounced off him and he never held a grudge. He has lottery pick pedigree (fifth overall in 2005), and if we've learned anything over the years, it's that many blue-chip point guards take awhile to "ferment" (for lack of a better word). He's one of the five or six best people in the league by all accounts. I've never seen a Bobcats game where he didn't play as hard as he could. The arc of his first four years looks exactly like Chauncey Billups, and like Chauncey, his game will open up once he starts making 3s. Just a lot to like. Someone will steal him this summer just like Detroit stole Billups in 2002. You watch.

Thats right. Because knowing that he was that close to the first 50-10-10 game in over 30 years against the Knicks, he will try to go for it again. He is going to come out a man on a mission.

The next time LeBron comes to the garden, he will have the following stat line:

84 points

17 rebounds

14 assists

8 blocks

6 steals

27 turnovers

1 Knicks player eaten*

(all through 2 quarters, 24 minutes played)

*Nate Robinson is eaten when LeBron gets hungry during the second quarter, but it is Nate's feistyness and tenacity that continues to haunt LeBron with severe heartburn that keeps him out for the second half.

You heard it first, Knicks fans. Unfortunately, the Knicks get the last laugh when LeBron is punished for eating one of the Knicks players, and is forced to act as a replacement. The after making the playoffs next season, the Knicks win it all next season, before having to watch LeBron leave in 2010 when he signs with the Cleveland Browns, as shown in the savvy and quite prescient commercial.

I am a Nuggets fan. I have been since before their 17-win season that netted them Carmelo Anthony. I struggled through watching just about every game, because I love basketball and watching the young players develop over the course of the season.

I am disappointed to see Caron Butler as a DNP on the stat sheet night-in-night-out this season. I was looking forward to seeing Arenas come back from his knee injuries and otherwise. I wanted to see the Wizards do well this season - which I fully expected them to do, as one of the top 4 or 5 teams in the east.

I am upset I won't get to see another playoff battle between the Wizards and the Cavaliers - that match up has been one of the big highlights of the postseason for me in recent years, and I always root for the Wizards.

Heres to hoping the Wizards recoup from injuries and get back on the basketball map next year!

On another note, right now I believe the Nuggets are on the verge of looking like a contender - they have a lot to prove though, and are getting little consideration from the national media. What are your thoughts on this from over in the capitol city?

It was disappointing watching the kings, A. because they are a team I used to root for when they clashed with the Lakers in playoffs battles 5 or so years back, B. I like a lot of the players on the team, and feel they aren't giving all they could, and C. Sacramento used to have THE LOUDEST fans in the NBA, and they know basketball - they deserve a better team.

Jason Thompson is a real player. I had heard he was good, but had to see it for myself. I don't think he quite played up to his stats - they were inflated because he had some wide open plays where the Nuggets switched on a pick and roll and he had a free dunk. Nevertheless, he hustles and plays bigger and stronger than his frame would suggest. He reminds me of Udonis Haslem down in Miami, but I think he has a higher ceiling and more potential.

Kevin Martin is great when he is healthy. He needs to get a little stronger, tougher, and more durable. He is a very good player now, but since he is at his best as a spot up shooter, I don't think he should be a team's first option on offense.

The Kings sorely need a pass-first point guard. I'm sure a lot of Kings fans are clamoring for this.

They also need a strong and physical interior presence that has some bulk. JT works hard, but it isn't enough to make up for big men who are better shooters than defenders, i.e. Brad Miller and Hawes. Mikki Moore is adequate at best. He is long and athletic, but even Chauncey Billups could probably knock him around in the post.

The Kings also need slasher-type players. I could see Garcia and Salmons filling this role by committee, as both are   quite capable players. I like them a lot, and think they could be the solution if they could find a bit more consistency.

The Kings will be a perennial playoff team in 1-2 years if they do the following:

1) Grab up an experienced defensive minded coach (Jeff Van Gundy Please)

2) They use the draft to fill one of their holes with a pass first guard or a a powerful interior player (Ricky Rubio or Blake Griffin, please)

3) They dump some salary. If they decided to trade some expiring contracts to teams looking to bring in a big player in 2012, they could get rid of some bad contracts and bring in some great players in 2009-2011.

4) Players need to start playing up to their ability. Part of this is on them, part of this is on finding a coach that will encourage them to do so.

5) Through a combination of trades/draft/free agency, they need to bring in the afore mentioned pass first point guard, bruising big man, and a lock down defender/hustle player/glue guy.

Best of luck!