The Nuggets are hot. They’re on a six-game win streak, their longest of the season.
They still have their weaknesses. They tend to fall apart to some degree in the second half. They settle for jump shots too often. They get slow. Finally, though, their strengths are starting to outweigh their weaknesses. Melo and AI are making shots. Now that he’s healthy and in shape (and hot!) nobody can stop Nene. Camby is kicking ass with rebounds and blocks. Kleiza is, well, Lithuanian and deadly with the three-pointers and, along with J.R. Smith, awesome off the bench. Najera is bringing the energy. Blake was spotty for a while but seems to have it together again. He hasn’t gotten much playing time lately, but Reggie Evans was awesomely mentioned in a recent Sports Illustrated players’ poll. The poll asked NBA players to name the player with the best ball handling skills, and Evans was the only non-guard mentioned. Go here (it’s the last video posted) to see why. DerMarr Johnson’s hair is fabulous in a different way each time I see him.
They’re currently sitting at 6th in the West. If things stay as they are now, this means they’ll match up with San Antonio in the first round. Although this would present me with unparalleled heckling opportunities, I don’t like it one bit. The Nuggets are hot, but I don’t like their chances against the Spurs. I hate the Spurs and their stupid, slow play and the floppopotamus. The best thing I can say about Manu Ginobili is that he looks like Balki Bartokamous from Perfect Strangers.
Sure, he’ll be fun to heckle, and it will be awesome if the Nuggets win the series, but oh, the stress I’ll have worrying about his dumb ass and Tim Duncan taking my guys out of the playoffs. I can just picture him flopping every ten seconds and Kleiza getting called for the nonexistent foul.
The final Nuggets games are at Utah, at NO/OKC, at Memphis, Minnesota, and at San Antonio.
The one bad thing right now is that George Karl says there is a “small” chance he won’t be back next year. I love George Karl and want him to stick around, so this bums me out. If he does leave, I hope the coaching job goes to Adrian Dantley. But let’s not worry about that now — now is the time to enjoy the hell out of the Nuggets and hope they don’t implode in the playoffs.
April 12, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Haha, what’s for all the hate on the Spurs? They have just done nothing but win 3 titles over the last 8 years, that’s all. Well, remembering back from 2005 when the Spurs faced your Nuggets, you guys defeated San Antonio the first game, but dropped the next 4 (Also, remember in that first game when Ginobili just pretty much got knocked out by Melo and K-Mart? I’m sure that gave you joy). Sort of a similar setup this time for the post-season - the Nuggets, once again, going into the post season on a hot record. 19-6 in their last 25 while the Spurs are 22-3 in their last 25. I’m an all-out pure NBA fan, grew up watching a bunch of teams play (Sixers the first couple of years in the 80’s, Bird and Magic, the “Bad Boys” of Detroit, and the up-rising Chicago Bulls in the late decade to close out the 80’s. I always admired the Spurs’ “SLOW” (haha), fundamentally sound kind of play ever since Greg Poppovich started coaching them. Speaking of the Spurs, again, is it just me that thinks this, or does Robert Horry sort of resemble Will Smith?
April 13, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Would you rather play the Spurs or the Suns? Because we might end up playing the Suns. I don’t think it matters who we play. It’ll be a seven game series and the Nuggets will win. I love the Balki Bartokamous reference!
April 16, 2007 at 8:42 pm
I think my hatred for the Spurs comes mostly from my dislike of Texas in general — if you’re a Texas team, I automatically don’t like you unless you’re somehow cool. Other than that, I just think they’re really, really boring. Tim Duncan is boring. Manu Ginobili is boring and I really, really hate him. Brent Barry makes vanilla ice cream seem exciting. Tony Parker is boring and looks like a tadpole with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Robert Horry doesn’t bother me, but he does look like Will Smith’s older brother.
As for who I’d rather see the Nuggets play, Phoenix would be more fun to watch — I like fast-paced games. I suppose I think the Nugs have an equal chance against both teams.