First of all, put your 'What If' glasses on.

Ok. Ready?

Now, I know a lot of you have issues with George Karl. Suppose this: before All Star weekend, the Orldando Magic fire Stan Van Gundy under Dwight Howard's request (this may actually happen soon). Then, in turn, the Nuggets fire George Karl, and hire Van Gundy. The Magic respond by hiring Karl. How would the rest of the season, and postseason play out? Find out after the Jump.

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Not even a year away from the big Carmelo Anthony to NY trade, "Melo-Drama" is setting in in the Big Apple. I have to tip my hat to you guys - the way I have seen Anthony's game dissected on your boards (most tellingly after some bad losses) is spot on. Now, you've seen the good and the bad of 'Melo. What will happen from here?

I want to clear up one thing about 'Melo.

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"Playing Basketball" Isn't that fatiguing.

Competing at an NBA level is - that means not taking plays off, regular contact, holding, hacking, shoving matches, and battling nearly every minute you are on the floor.


Backing down and being backed down in the post night-in-night-out is comparable to an intense session of weight lifting, with added cardio to boot.

While dealing with muscle fatigue in back to back (to back) games, players will likely be less explosive and mobile, regardless of how in-shape they appear aesthetically.

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This kid is a prodigy.

We all know it. We have sensed his Chris Paul-esque potential to take over games due to the utter collapse of opposing defenses. You know, when he plays the one man role wrecking ball that is quick and slippery as a greased weasel and finishes with a pretty layup or creative pass to a cutting wing or big.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are watching that happen. We are at a point where we expect that to happen.

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I'm talking about Timofey Mozgov - and one potential style change that could turn him into the team's enforcer for the playoffs.

He should cut his hair.

But he would have to do something totally badass. Could you imagine him rocking a mowhawk?

What about a fade?

Ok, maybe not the fade. What about the Ivan Drago? Maybe that will get a few votes - I know many a Nuggets fan is relishing the "I must break you" interior play of Timofey.

I see him as a good alternate to Bird on nights when the Nuggets are forced into the half court. They could probably even play alongside eachother to form a long, athletic tandem of shot blockers who can come from the weak side, and both of them combined probably could spell Nene and Kenyon for a while.

A style change could help him bring that energy that Bird brings when he enters the game. It is good to have big guys that make defensive plays happen.

And now for the Golden Tidbits:

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We all know J.R. Smith has offensive capabilities. Including this.

J.R. Smith Of The Nuggets destroys Gary Neal of the San Antonio Spurs (via blazersedgeben)

But there is a lot more to his game - and I don't just mean that in a good way.

One thing that I do have to say, however, is he has become a good defender. I didn't say great defender - he still has his lapses: as we all call them, "J.R. moments". At least he bends his knees on defense now. He used to ball watch a lot more and spends a lot of time exerting effort to slow down the guy he is guarding. He's not at AAA's level of defense at the guard position, but he is solid, and can get by more often than not. Again, you couldn't say that in the past.

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The Denver Nuggets have become an extension of the NCAA Tarheel team - featuring George Karl,  Ty Lawson, and Raymond Felton (Now, if only before the deadline they had flipped Al Harrington's contract, Kosta Koufos, an Al-Harrington-sized-wad-of-cash and a first to get Tyler Handsborough and Dhantay Jones from the pacers.) This team is primed to compete at a high level, and do it playing college style ball. NBA, let the March Madness begin.

That along with how the new Nuggets are meshing, and a little Beast Mode...

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I'm gonna tell you a little story about a guy on our team. It involves him hitting game winning shots against two conference rivals. It starts like this:

Drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the first round (27th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft … Traded by Detroit along with Walter Sharpe to Denver in exchange for a future second round draft pick (7/13/09).

Thank you again, Joe Dumars. With Afflalo, we have a guy who admits he loves the challenge of hitting game winning shots. If you took a piece of Kobe Bryant's work ethic, style of play, and  defense and mix it with and Ryan Bowen's motor, hustle, and coachability - you'd have AAA.

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I want to see more J.R. at the end of games.

I think he is ready. I honestly think he is more disciplined than any of the Knicks that came over as far as shot selection - at least as compared to their skill level/difficulty ratio (Felton). I hope to see Ty Lawson, Aaron Afflalo, J.R., Gallo, Nene in a situation like tonight where they need to score a hoop. I like Lawson and Felton together in doses, as I know Karl will continue to dabble with - he is notorious for playing dual point guards.

 I think J.R. is a good enough ball handler and passer that he qualifies as a 3rd point guard in a pinch. I also think he operates the offense closer to the free throw line than Felton or even Lawson. He is known for those long threes, but generally tries to get to the paint and has developed a underrated, and quite stellar, midrange jumper.

He's not ready to be that go to guy, and Karl might not trust him, but he and Afflalo and everyone else who steps up can fill the void as our go to scorer in those situations.

The Nuggets part ways with Smith and Nene and welcome Chris Bosh and Larry Brown to D town. However...

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I know sports fans like to complain about referees.

But honestly, how can we be happy with the officiating that has gone on during this series?

I'm pretty sure David Stern can't slap a fine on me for saying this, but right now, the 2nd biggest story in the series is the inconsistent (yet consistently poor) officiating. (oh, and if you're wondering, the 1st is D-Will's coming out party as the NBA's top PG)

Unfortunately for the other team in powder blue (Nuggets), the stoppage of play affects their chemistry, momentum, and rhythm more than the Jazz. Utah runs more set plays, and focuses on both effort and execution - Denver has a rough time even doing one of those at any given time. However, sometimes the Nuggets are capable of wreaking havoc and eating opponents alive - we all know you've seen it before.

The problem is, that usually happens when they are working the fast break and knocking down 3's. Til last night, Denver has struggled woefully from the 3pt line, and not done a great job of forcing steals without fouling or going after loose balls. In fact, far more often than not in this series, going for steals or loose balls has resulted in fouls on the Nuggets (and often the Jazz too, the Nuggets just pick bad timing, a la Carmelo's moronic tackle last night).

This would be less of a problem if Karl were on the bench. At least he would be able to adjust and help the players given the inconsistency and Jazz up (pardon the pun) their play calling and MO. However, Dantley is the one calling the shots, and he is putting more energy into trying to replicate what George Karl does for the team than innovating on the fly to help them win the series.

Fortunately for Utah, their game plan from the 1st day of training camp is better equipped to handle these circumstances. Jerry Sloan knows basketball, and he knows how to win games no matter who is on his team. Even so, I was surprised to see how things went after Okur went down with AK-47 already out.

I just want to get to see more chemistry on the floor.

Let the refs swallow their whistles.

Let Denver beat Utah by making random plays and running them into the ground.

Or, - far more likely - let the Jazz play hard, run their sets, and play their trademark hard-nosed basketball and finish off the series in style.

Whatever. I'm just frustrated for the fans of both teams, or any other fans watching these past games. Nobody likes a series to be this marked by sporadic refereeing.

Frankly, I think with all the complaining from both sides, the refereeing has been adjusted - out of necessity.

However, the refereeing "style" this past game was geared more towards the Nuggets, in my opinion.

Fear not - you can breath a sigh of relief.

Just like a make-up call after a poorly called foul or bad no call, Mr. Stern will instruct the referee crew to adjust.

We all know what that means: just like the previous five games, the fans, and the players for that matter, won't know how tight the refs are going to call the game.

Gosh...

Why couldn't this have been the season of "Replacement Refs"?

1) Nene doesn't really care about basketball. His focus is on god, and on returning to Brazil some day with his millions to build churches and provide for the underprivileged. I can't really fault him for that, but its time we got a real rebounder in the middle and stop saying "but he is quicker than (insert name of opposing starting center here) and should have a good game".

2) Chauncey isn't always on. He can't carry a team, and should Ideally be the 3rd best player. Also, he is a sub-par passer and should play more minutes at the 2 guard than the point.

3) Teams are more important than Players - a fact that most NBA teams and their fans have forgotten over the last decade and a half.

4) Derron Williams is the best PG in the NBA.

5) NBA officiating is the poorest of all major professional sports. Partly because of the difficulty of calling the sport, partly because of the bevy of primadonna officials, and partly because of David Stern.

6) The Northwest Division will be the best in basketball for years.

7) Advertising in pro sports has officially begun to consume more air time than the sports themselves.

8) Carmelo is clutch. Just ask Antoine Wright... poor guy.

9) With Rondo and KG, the Celtics are the "elbow-iest" team in basketball.

10) Any team coached by Don Nelson will be more fun to watch than the teams seeded 5-8 in the East. Go ahead and plug that in for next year too.

11) Basketball really isn't that important. Unless your team is winning.

A friend of mine calls saying she has a special through her work  (the Olympic Training Center) where she can get decent upper-level seats to a Nuggets game for $10, and we get to play on the court after the game. I don't get to go to as many games as I'd like to, so I'm so there!

Unfortunately, I see this game is against the Washington Wizards. In a back to back game for the Nuggets. Also, the game is a back to back for the Wizards.

Dear sweet Doug Moe's grandpa pants I was upset. Heavens to Betsy.

Watching it live was ugly - even from the "Oh-so-freaking-Cheap-Seats". Some players like 'Melo, JR, and Nene still put in an effort, but weren't in their usual form and it showed. It was like watching a preseason game, despite the Nugs being in the thick of battle for playoff position in a heavily stacked Western Conference and challenging for the top seed... The energy was just down that night and everyone kind of went through the motions to an uninspired yet predictable outcome.

So, I agree with Andrew - I think it was he - who thinks teams should charge less for back-to-back games. I think they should be discount nights or something. But, perhaps as many fans have alluded to, not as many people that actually know about basketball attend games anymore. The focus has been taken off the sport and put on to gag reels, dancing, poor impersonators, mascot stoogery, radio DJ style announcers and blaring pop music.

Ayhoo, playing on the court and shooting around with fans afterward was fun. I spent most of the time laughably positioning my 6'7" frame for rebounds as 6-12 year olds scuttled around for loose balls. It was kind of cool to swish a few NBA 3-pointers and one J.R. length one. Decidedly more fun than the 15 or so I clanked off the rim.

I learned two lessons that night: $7.25 frozen margaritas at the toucan bar are like a lime ICEE with tequila in it, and and if you are picking out tickets for an NBA game, don't go to a back to back.

You guys are great. I was thoroughly impressed by the crowd that turned out last night (judging from what I saw on TNT). Those of you who have posted at Denver Stiffs (I'm a Nuggets fan) have been for the most part very civil and insightful.

You are all really deserving of a better team - there are so many places that have not so great fans, but your players are lucky to have you! I saw the Monta Ellis interview talking about how fans get up for the game despite the team's record, and that's how I was back when the Nuggets were perennial losers. It'll happen though, but you'll need one versatile SF that can play both sides of the ball and a tough minded low post player that can hit the boards as well as the mid range J. I also think the Warriors really need a defensive minded guard who is both quick and strong to come off the bench - other than getting decent steal numbrers, the Dubs perimeter D is arguably more laughable than their interior D.

Until then, make the best of it, neigh, enjoy it! I know what its like to love a team that isn't even going to get a whiff of the playoffs. I watched almost every game for the 02-03, 17 win, we-sucked-so-bad-we-got-to-draft-melo season. Now I'll give you this: at least your team is fun to watch! That team played hard, which I respected a lot, but they were like what the 2004-07 Pistons would look like if you assembled the team with D-league talent. Roster

Just for fun, some of my favorite GSW moments (in no particular order):

1. Warriors beating the 1 seed Mavs

2. Baron Davis absolutely CRUSHING on Kirilenko - this may be my favorite playoffs dunk

3. Steph Curry shakin', bakin', and cookin' up the Birdman last night (now I'm really hungry for some reason)

4. Monta Ellis' Rookie Challenge game

5. Every game with 125+ points scored that resulted in a loss

On a closing note:

Now, I may be the only one who thinks this would be a good idea, but what would it take to get Kevin "Hercules" Sorbo to be your team mascot?

Think about it.

Why not?

Can anyone tell me a reason why not?

Just give a new reason each week why fans of every other team in the league also hate Lakers fans. We can ask around at other blogs and see what terrible Lakers fan stories some other people have.

Or, I at least propose there be a "Lakers Fan of the Week" column, where we find the douchebaggiest (excuse my language-I find it the only word that sums it up) thing that a Lakers fan does that week. Its not like they're hard to spot. They wear those yellow jerseys around everywhere that stick out like a pimp hat in a preschool.

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!

If anyone didn't know, now you do - NBA.com has nightly recaps of the days games, top 10 highlights, and other features.

However, whoever chooses the highlights must not watch the games. I tuned in to their recap of the Nuggets-Knicks game to watch the powerful follow dunk by Dahntay Jones, soaring over David Lee and Nene. It wasn't on the highlight reel.

(I YouTubed it, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZwD-jT6fjM)

In the past, I have enjoyed NBA.com's quality basketball analysis absence of Bill Hanzlik, but this is the 3rd or 4th time they haven't had video of one of the most impressive plays of the night.

What gives, NBA.com?

At least they aren't responsible for publishing Chris Marlowe's blog.