I'm a Little LA/A little disgusted

Hytop and I had a retarded night out in Boulder watching this Nuggets game. He drank beer and I stuck to sugar-free Redbulls; We met a girl who got whipped by her mom with a belt and a bunch of Asians who didn't take kindly to our loud disrespectful ways. As Parcells would say, we mean no disrespect to the Orientals (I'm asian, I can say it). As a result of the Redbulls, I didn't sleep a wink and am wide awake. I'm sure Hytop will hit you up later for a more in-depth analysis but this is should hold you over.

Let me start this post by saying that the -*Sim-u-l8r*- is a little LA. I know this might rub the hardcore Nuggets fan the wrong way-- but -*Sim-u-l8r*- LIVED IN LA FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR. Actually he lived in Marina Del Rey which is way more upscale. But the -*Sim-u-l8r*- listened to the realest LA Talk Radio. He actually listened to a show hosted by former Laker and current Bahamian "Blackman" Micheal Thompson (who loves Hockey, the Republican Party and Mayonnaise) and Vick "the Brick" Jacobs who is the second most famous "Brick" in LA talk radio (LA's a big market- it can support 2 baseball, 2 basketball teams and 2 Bricks on the airwaves). And that show I think was broadcasted from the OC. . .but. . .um. . . it seemed like some real shit at the time.

But the -*Sim-u-l8r* Totally was physically nearer to the City of LA than he is now. That's something you can't deny.

Thus -*Sim-u-l8r*-, no matter which way you slice it, is a little LA.

The Nuggets are my child; the Lakers, a mere stepson whose mom has implants.

You always want your biological to beat your step. You want it more than anything.

Unfortunately, what I saw yesterday was my stepson beating the crap out of my biological.

THAT WHOLE SECOND HALF I FELT LIKE SHAQ CAUSE MY BIOLOGICAL DIDN'T BOTHER!

That ain't right. No father should have to see his son slaughtered on the court. No father should outlive his seed.

The game can be summed up with this-- the Nuggets lost to the LAKERS by a bigger margin than they lost to the Celtics!! The Lakers about doubled the Nuggets up in the 4th quarter with KOBE ON THE BENCH!!

And I don't want to hear that the Lakers are still a competitive team with Kobe on the Bench.
Because, Ladies and Gentlemen, I hate to break it to you, but Kwame was on the bench too.



I could go on. I don't need to-- Hytop will break it down. Hytop wants to blow up the team; he was spouting this with the Nuggets leading. Yes the worst part: the Nuggets actually dominated in parts of the first half. Unfortunately, much of it was with 'Melo getting his 'half man half amazing' on and hitting a bunch of jumpers. But that can't last-- you can't imagine Cindy Crawford while fucking Anuka Brown and expect to stay hard (it's been awhile since I been laid but you get the point). At some point you gotta man up and CUT TO THE INSIDE.

After this game, I'm thinking Hytop might be onto something. The best this team can do is the first round of the playoffs. They're a good team on paper-- Not in practice. There going to do there ups and downs, win their classic 15=17 straight games at the end of the season and enter into the playoffs as the "hottest team nobody wants to face", and then get there jaw kicked in by the Spurs, Suns, Mavs, Fuck even Utah and the Clippers. . .AND Fuck, now even the Lakers.

Oh but rest, assured, they'll totally win 1 game. THEY WILL NOT BE SWEPT.

That's the best this teams going to do-- win a game in the first round of the playoffs. Hopefully it'll be the first one on the road-- at least then it's a "statement."

And if your biological son gets torched by the step- don't be suprised when in life and in the playoffs the stepson proudly displays his Alpha Male Seed.

RE:PLEASE GIVE A WARM ROCKY MTN WELCOME...

One Important fact about Jelani Mccoy you left out: An accomplished singer, McCoy's voice and style are often compared to those of Meat Loaf, and he is well known in the Bay Area night clubs.

If he can keep his voice together in the Altitude, he about to be known in a few clubs up here too!!

PLEASE GIVE A WARM ROCKY MTN WELCOME...

TO JELANI MCCOY!


(Certain SuperStar Centers are already aware of what J-Mac can do.)

C-WEBB? PJ BROWN? FUCK THAT NOISE. JAMAL SAMPSON DIDNT EVEN GET A CALL!

FOR THIS MAKE OR BREAK SEASON, THA NUGZ WENT STR8 TO THA TOP OF OLYMPUS!!

HERE IS JELANI IN THE VIP SECTION OF A VERY EXCLUSIVE CLUB:


HE JUST JOINED ANOTHER VERY EXCLUSIVE CLUB:

Indiana v. 2.0

Once more the Nuggets meet the whitest squad this side of the Celtics cheerleaders. Once more it is ugly. But this time, there was no redemption to be found in the end. More blood, more flames.

The big story coming out of this one is the last second, almost-comeback, led by JR’s multiple desperation makes. This should not be the story, but give the media a break. They’re old and they don’t know much anymore. Their world has gone to hell.



Unfortunately for Nuggets fans, our squad, as well, is adrift in a lake of fire. Forget the ‘comeback.’ That was silliness. Lots of games end like that. That wasn’t basketball, it was a cute little game of Truth or Dare.

Last night’s game was the single worst effort of the season. No one* was running hard, no one was guarding anyone, everyone was settling for long jumpers. These fat fucks don’t deserve a breakdown. Everyone sucked.

Well, Kleiza played alright. He remains an idiot, but looks more and more comfortable every game. His hard won skills are showing, and he’s developing a nice bag of tricks: jump hooks, midrange jumpers, finger rolls, and plenty of hard dunks. LK’s never been afraid to dunk: a rarity in a Modern White.



Melo—starting to seem like a genuine dick—froze Kleiza out for a bit in this game. He seems to want to ghettoize Kleiza into the ‘three-point-shooter’ role, even when LK was the only one finishing around the bucket. A team source mentioned that LK is the player most asked about by opposing GMs. Don’t tell him, he might just try to jump. Wouldn’t you?

Melo played no defense, made some jumpers, didn’t even pass well. As Sim mentioned earlier, he’s decided to go out Vince Carter style. You heard me. With AI, the spirit is willing, but the flesh can no longer finish around the rim. Nobody gives him calls anymore, perhaps vengeance by dorky referees who were never the cool kids. This team is worrisome. Lakers on Thursday.

*A Word On Anthony Carter

The only conclusion I come to is this: AC reads HyTop. Respect to AC. He was flat out balling last night. It's called standing tall.



Here stands a man, stooped over, as if his head and shoulders are too big, flecks of grey in his gnarled goatee, acting as both font of wisdom and young legs at once. Attempting to force feed an identity to a resentful band of assholes. An old man** with far too many tattoos and a contract for the minimum.

It was a special performance. AC’s the only one who doesn’t deserve the loss. I knew he could guard people, and he did that. His aforementioned top heaviness lets him battle with much bigger players, bump other point guards off their lines, and muscle away steals at an astounding clip. His feet are just quick enough to let him gamble. This early in his season, the spindly legs are still fresh.

What I did not know was this: AC can pass the ball. Like any journeyman point guard with a “can’t-shoot” letter pinned to his sleeve, AC concentrates really hard and sticks a lot of his midrange jumpers. This game, he’s feeling it and he pops a three. But the passing was something special. These weren’t Marbury style drive-and-dishes, or Steve Nash style pick-and-roll wizardry. These were fundamental, old school passes.

A headfake here, a laser into the paint there. Leading people with bounce passes on the break. AC seemed to find a kindred spirit in Kleiza, and set him up like 5 times in a row for a stretch in the 2nd quarter.

This gets Mike Wilks cut. A shame, I liked Mike: he played with scrappiness, athleticism, and stuck his midrange jumpers. But he can’t really handle or pass, so he’s doomed to be a journeyman, a simulacrum of a point guard lacking that fire in his belly. Good luck, Mike. You hardly made me cringe.



Now they’re fixing to sign a veteran big man: PJ Brown? Dare I say it: C-Webb? Sim just got a boner.

**I realize he is only 32, but doesn't AC seem old? Maybe it's just my memories of his glory days with Miami. Remember that ridiculous game winner?

Now he's doing horse. It's June.

So three pieces of shit in a row. Slowly circling the drain. Now these are the Nuggets I grew up with. Feels real warm and cozy, like I’ve got family in town.

I was at the Minnesota game with Sim, and it nearly ruined my weekend. Nearly ruined the entire holiday season. It counts as a win, but don't get it twisted: this was a travesty, a Pyrrhic victory. Almost tracked down the scalper for a refund.

Do not—-I repeat DO NOT—-believe G. Karl’s postgame spin: “We were pretty special defensively in the fourth quarter.” You must think the fans are pretty ‘special’ to say that shit out loud, Coach. Antoine Walker and Marko Jaric missing point blank layups is not good defense. They weren’t bricking open threes because Carmelo was running around being special. It was a bad team realizing who they are at the worst possible time (for them).

Anthony Carter is getting plenty of burn. He is Switzerland out there, not bringing anything to the table, not taking anything away. Finally, a force for Neutral. Because Mike Wilks was apparently the problem.

I caught parts of the Houston debacle, enough to see it for what it was: a public castration. Of course, with Kenyon going down early, we were left with Stretch Camby and a bevy of small forwards to contain the giant Yao, so Houston was kind of set up to beat a run down Nuggets team.

Except why are they run down? We’re approximately 8 days into the season. Before Minnesota, I thought the Nugs could at least consistently dominate the shit teams. Now any little good sign that the optimistic side of my brain had highlighted in previous games has been eliminated. There is no good with this team. You bring in good players to the Nuggets, they don’t impose their will and pull this shitbox of a franchise up from the depths. Instead, alas, they find themselves haunted by the twin spirits of Donnel Harvey and Junior Harrington.

The sky is fucking falling, believe it.

Thanks For What?

So hey, I'm a little drunk and I only caught half of the game, on Sim's pixelated ass laptop. But I still need to speak on some shit:

1. So the Nuggets are one of those teams who can beat the bad teams and who lose convincingly to the decent and good teams? WTF? I know it's a back to back on the road, but that was fully unimpressive. I saw Kaman manhandling our pint sized frontcourt, random Clips hitting jumpers, and the offense stagnating. Kleiza hobbling off the court. Melo hitting a jumper, then giving it back on the other end with a weak challenge. Iverson had a nice statistical game, but what are we, in eighth grade? I only care about wins, okay? Back in the day, I'd watch numbers: Van Exel might just have enough to be an All-Star! McDyess could get third team All-NBA if he keeps his rebounds above 10! Nene might make the Rookie/Sophomore Game if he keeps this up! No longer. I expect a good team. Don't get happy after blowing out like 7 shitty East teams in a row, then lay down for Don Sterling's brainchild. Jesus, this is the New ORleans game revisited.

2. The Sim-u-l8r wants to get, and I quote, a "Jet black ferret." What the fuck, y'all, what the fuck? So if you see some clown motherfucker walking around Boulder with a fourteen inch black ferret in a tiny, handcrafted Kobe jersey, yell some shit at him.

3. Someone took a shit in my bathroom. I'm writing this post while i wait for it to air out. HyTop doesn't lie about this type of thing. This type of shit, if you will. Ha. Not so funny when you can smell it, but i hope you enjoyed it.

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll. Melo and Nene: easy on the pie. Coach: when breathing becomes difficult (aka after plate #3), take a couple minutes to rest. That's why they call it a 'breather.'

We Invented The Wheel To Roll

Nuggets beat the Bulls. Easily. The scheduling has been very kind to Denver at this point, but, unlike in previous years, they’re capitalizing on it. Here's a long post without any pictures. Enjoy.

NUGGETS QUICK HITS:

AI did his thing, hit some ridiculous shots, got some steals, dribbled too much. Kenyon had a nice game scoring the ball against a Bulls frontcourt that was playing scared. Melo’s jumper was off (reports of a migraine) but he still got his, going inside a lot and finishing pretty well.

Again, the Bulls frontcourt is horrible: all complementary pieces with nothing to complement. No center piece. Elton Brand or Ed Curry would be nice, don’t you think?

Without any semblance of a post threat to worry about, Camby did whatever the fuck he wanted all game long, and ended up with one of those unique statlines that I could pick out of a lineup: 12 pts, 20 rebs, 5 ast, 5 blocks, a steal and two turnovers. Only Camby.

The bench was alright, and they got the whole final period to go nuts in. If JR got big minutes and kept playing with this intensity, he could lead the league in steals. Dude has every skill in the world and now he’s starting to put it together. Kleiza shoots every time he gets the ball, but he’s put in the work and developed a diverse enough offensive arsenal that it’s usually a good shot.

Bob Jones University hustled and got some bad calls. Ed hit back to back threes. That’s a nice skill he’s developed, especially since the wheels are gonna be falling off in the next couple years. Mike Wilks didn’t bring too much to the table, but didn’t take anything away. Khouba played D like he always does.

BULLS BREAKDOWN:

I really have a problem with this Bulls team, mostly because I like nearly all of the players they’ve assembled. But they’re followed this profoundly conservative plan of drafting dudes who stay in college for 3 or 4 years, guys without any attitude problems. But that also means guys without swagger, second banana type guys. This seems to be mostly because of Skiles, who is an old school, hardass coach who demands that everyone avert their eyes in practice and shit. This isn’t college, Scotty, you win with men in this league, can’t treat ‘em like boys.

On the roster, Deng’s the only dude with anything close to superstar ability, and he was out tonight. I also think he may have reached his offensive ceiling. Ben Gordon is a chucker like AI, but he doesn’t get to the rim, he settles for jumpers. I love Hinrich’s defense, and I love a white boy who doesn’t back down, but he’s never been able to finish around the rim or create much for his teammates. His shooting is also overrated (also because of the white boy factor).

Joakim Noah would be great on a good team where he could hustle, play help D, and make timely passes. Here he tries to do too much, cuz who else is doing it? Ben Wallace is an albatross. Tyrus Thomas could be tight, but he totally backed down tonight when Kenyon started muscling up on him. That was funny. Everyone else on this squad is a placeholder.

They could’ve traded for KG, they could’ve trade for Kobe, but they haven’t. They should have. They might still be able to get Kobe. They need to. Because what I see is a team full of pieces, nice pieces, but sort of

They were never gonna be better than a nice playoff test for the team that eventually wins the East. The luxury that Chicago has is that they won’t have to burn it to the ground and suffer through any more rebuilding years (something Nugz fans know all to well). They have enough talent to make a shrewd move and become a real contender. But standing pat is not longer shrewd.

Clipps game tonight. I'ma watch it, if my fragile social life permits it.
HYTOP IS OUT.

Something's Gotta Give Pretty Soon

That Knicks game was nice—-you can tell everyone wanted to make daddy happy-—but it doesn’t change the fact that these Nugz lost to the Knicks. Isiah won the war, y’all. It’s gross, I know.



Kenyon might be out. I hope Mike Wilks starts in his place. Coach Karl likes to keep his starting lineups petite, perhaps playing out his own body image issues out there on the court, for the world to see.



HYTOP NBA XMAS LIST – pleas to the basketball gods (or to the scientists who are fucking with the human genome) (note: these may be the same thing)

HyTop is currently praying for:

1. A quick little Asian point guard. Yao and Yi are cool and all, but Yuta Tabuse ain’t getting it done. Message to the Far East: Raise yr game. Tony Jaa might have the tools…



2. A white American with post moves: Look at the white bigs in the league right now: all Jeff Fosters, David Lees, Mark Madsens. Hustle, ‘deceptive’ athleticism, intensity, sure. But where are the damn post moves? Those are fundamentals, you know? White dudes are supposed to be good at fundamentals. I know Kevin Love is coming up at UCLA, but when a dude is like 6’8”, with weight problems and quickness issues, I’m gonna have to see it to believe it.



3. A true point guard 6’7” or taller. Yeah, me and the rest of the world, I know. But seriously, now that Lebron has decided that Global Icons need to put points on the board, we’re left with a one legged Shawn Livingston and not much else. (Wasn’t there a big Chinese fella with alleged PG skills? Sun Yue?) Livingston’s knee turning backwards just confirmed it: The gods hate tall point guards. Penny Hardaway: derailed by injuries. Jalen Rose: more effective as a scorer. George McCloud: not actually a good player, scraped by as a three point specialist. And Magic: well, you know how they got to him…Still, someone needs to come back. Men reach their greatest heights when they are challenging the infinite. (Full Disclosure: such a player would fit very nicely next to a certain pint-sized, declining shooting guard on the Nugs roster.)



4. An Englishman playing in the NBA. I mean a white dude, obviously, cuz J. Amaechi was English and the sun never sets on Luol Deng. I just think this would be funny. Bonus point if he’s good, or named Rupert or some shit like that.



5. A hook shot specialist. Like both hands, sweeping hooks, jump hooks, half hooks, sky hooks. Doesn’t even fuck with dunking or jump shots. Just full on hookin, 24/7. That would be fresh. Bonus points if he’s a small forward and is described by scouts as ‘smooth.’

The Emperor Strategizes Tact

An empire is heavy business. Empire creation involves the unenviable task of placing the correct people at the right spots, spinning the relentless media assault to your advantage, and strategizing against competing enterprises as well as attending to the prodigious inefficient minutia that aggregates with any large undertaking.

And yet CREATION is the EASY half. How do you keep your empire afloat- that's the 77 million dollar question. When you're on top, you must EVOLVE to stay in the same place-- an idea that the uninitiated emperor learns expeditiously or dies by the wayside.

Jeff Bzdelik and Kiki Vandeweghe created an Empire in Denver.

George Karl has sustained it.



Yet he knows any mistake can bring the deck of cards tumbling down. Any misstep can transform today's triumph into tomorrow's forgotten memory. He stays up at night knowing that his is the team to beat.

He knows that this team has ruled the Northwestern Division for almost the better part of the decade; The worst kept secret in the Northwest is that the Nuggets are for real finishing in the top 2 spots the last 4 years.

That's a fact that doesn't go down too well in other parts of the Northwestern United States-- a region synonymous with basketball. At year 1 it was a fluke. Year 2 it was consistency. Now, at year 4 and counting, it's nothing short of a Northwestern dynasty.

The symbiotic relationship that is the Nuggets begins and ends with George Karl. Karl is at the helm of this Nugget's dynasty; this dynasty is the centerpiece to his empire, and his empire can only grow if the dynasty continues which implies the team must win.

And as with all empires, the trick is to sustain.

Not to mention the pressure. Make no mistake about it, football town or not, the local Denver Media Circus has no problem reporting on the Nuggets. If you're lucky and do something good, maybe Zappolo will talk about it. Bad, maybe Kiszla will pick it up. Horrible-- you're squarely in Paige territory.

You don't think Karl feels the pressure? Rest assured, Karl knows this. In fact, if you see him, don't tell him this. He doesn't want to hear your comments. He doesn't care what you think. He's focused. He's loaded. He's ready to go. Just shut the fuck up and enjoy what he's built. He built it for you.

And now, as the season starts picking up, the dynasty of finishing respectable in the Northwestern Division must continue. The team knows full well they have a young feisty Portland team and a confident Utah to contend with. They also know they have something neither of those other teams have: A Ruthless Genius at the helm.

The Nuggets have had an interesting first 10 games. They've had flashes of brilliance and, yet, in many respects, haven't turned the corner into an elite team many thought they would be. They're over .500, however, were blown out by the Celtics and choked against the Knicks. Recently, they've played much better, but one can't help but wonder if that old mediocre Nuggets team will return at the worst possible moment.

Regardless of this good team/bad team Nuggets dichotomy, one thing remains the same-- George's ability to lead.

As Karl plans and strategizes before, after, and most importantly during the games, one can be assured that the gameplay of the Nuggets will improve throughout the season. No matter who they play, regardless of the 10 players on the floor-- just looking at the coach of the Nuggets as compared to their opponent's, it's obvious that there's always at least 1 mismatch in Denver's favor.

That's a nice wrap up. Yep, that's naturally where the article should end. But no. That's not gonna happen is it? Nope. You're gonna bring up stupid shit. You want to talk about what you see as George's Shortcomings.

Fucking Fine.

I'm gonna make you feel stupid just this once, and then please, for the remainder of the season, shut the fuck up and accept that Karl is one of the greatest coaches of all time. Now let me prove it.

First off, Don't talk about Karl's timeout demeanor and expect me to understand. He doesn't want to hear it. I Don't fucking want to hear it. Nor do I want to talk about how lethargic Karl looks on the sidelines. If you want a sympathetic ear to air your fallacious statements-- take that crap to Hytop or possibly the smug doctor. You'll get no love from the -*Sim-u-l8r*-.

But since you asked, let's take a closer look--

The timeout is interesting. Your team isn't performing, maybe they just blew a big lead so you call a timeout. Let's say you're not drawing up a play: in that case, can you really say something in 20 seconds or 2 minutes that can't be said better by NOT saying anything? Answer honestly. During a timeout aren't you better served by just walking away. By realizing you're the leader and taking the high road rather than confronting your underlings about matters of which they have proven time and again that they neither possess the cranial capacity nor the attention span to comprehend.

If you built this empire and you sustained this empire and then your troops fucked up, how would you react?! Would you scream at them like children, or would you do the sensible thing and just walk away from them not acknowledging their existence. Wouldn't you eventually realize that you're on a higher plane than they'll ever be and that their mediocrity can at best bring you down; Realize that maybe your aim is to mitigate the amount their inability hurts the team?

Put yourself in Karl's shoes. Imagine you had more knowledge than everyone you worked with.

Is it not beneficial for you to accept that the player's minds possess and processes maybe 1/10th of the thoughts your mind does? Understand that no matter how hard you try, no matter what, your unlimited intelligence and effort is only as strong as your weakest link-- namely the players.

Would you honestly not walk 10 feet onto the court and silently think to yourself that your empire was being held up by your own gargantuan body in spite of the team you had.

Would you not contemplate leaving during the timeout? Atlas shrugged if you will-- walk away from the thankless enterprise that only exists because of your blood sweat and tears? Maybe you get 10 steps out, look at the assistant coaches scurrying out to meet you, and think to yourself, "Man, if I had the ability to run, I'd totally bolt right now. One day, I'll be in shape, and I'll just take off leaving it all behind. One day I'll be free." Maybe the next game take 12 steps out as you longingly look past the crowd towards the exits.

But yet that's the furthest you'll ever get from leaving your responsibility. Because if you are George Karl, you know that an emperor cannot leave without leaving an empire in disarray. And people are depending on you. A city is depending on you to win the most cutthroat division in basketball. Right now, that city needs a leader.

Over time, The player screw ups wouldn't kill you, per say, but the energy you once had would slowly just sap out of your body. As the ref signaled play was back on, you might feel the wind escaping your sails as you lethargically crawl to the bench and slump into your seat unable to move a muscle for the rest of the game.

I know I would. I've heard Jesus didn't move from the cross, Gandhi didn't eat during violence, and Moses sat up on Mount Sinai staring at the weak willed monstrosity that he was leading and wondering what the fuck was going on.



And yet, for an empire to evolve, the emperor must also evolve.

Flash to a few games ago in Indiana. The Pacers go into halftime up 18 points.

The Nuggets players seemed to still be in Washington. Thank God George showed up.

Then again George always shows.

And as great coaches often do, he adapts.

As the 2nd quarter horn sounded signaling halftime, George Karl was no longer crawling. Instead, he slowly slithered into the locker-room. He stood in the corner and waited until everyone was seated. Then, he took all that emotion, blood, sweat, tears, and energy he crafted into making a dynasty, his infinite wisdom, and his infinite understanding-- Taking the sum total of all his powers-- he bundled it up and looked at his children for what was, in essence, the last time. Then, George Karl obliterated his players.

The third quarter started. The Nuggets came out swinging. They overcame the deficit despite shoddy play. They won the game. They had taken advantage of a key matchup-- The coaching mismatch. And in the end, they had prevailed.

After the game, the corpses of the Nuggets lined the visitor's locker room. In their place stood the confident team we see today. The same team that's intent on sustaining the empire. It's no secret that the ultimate starting lineup would consist of 5 George Karls with physical ability to match the wisdom; the team that emerged from the first half in Indiana is a very close second.

Interviewed after the game a solemn Carmelo gave his analysis. "He cursed us out," Anthony said. Then Anthony pushed the mic away and sobbed like a child. Good. The screaming was a means of teaching. The sobbing. . . well that means they're learning. Though I've never been a fan of cursing out underlings, I also have never been a fan of people fucking up something beautiful. For now,It seems that destruction has been averted and something incredible has, instead, been salvaged. And there's only one man you can thank for that.

Once again, this season, the Nuggets are looking to be the empire built by a city and sustained by the Emperor. Given this new Nuggets team under the direction of the greatest leadership in recent sports history, it would not at all be surprising if this chapter ended up being immortalized on the rafters at Pepsi Center for years to come.

Northwestern Division Champions '07-'08.

-*Sim-u-l8r*-

Blazers Game Report

Another day another dollar.

I think our Nuggets have stumbled upon an indentity. It's like this:

I. The starters--four of whom have all-star type ability--all respect each other and play unselfishly and pretty hard for the first quarter, getting a lead. They're not killing themselves with hustle, but they play within themselves, confident in the fact that they are among the best starting lineups in the league.

Kenyon brings the fierce defense, letting AI and Marcus roam for steals and blocks, respectively. Khouba mans up on the best wing player, hustles everywhere, and keeps his head down. The other guys love him, cause he's the most humble dude on the squad (possibly in the world).

Melo and AI key the offense. Melo is getting doubled harder than ever, so he patiently waits for a cutter or makes a swing pass. This makes him the defacto point guard of the team on a lot of possessions. He's making good decisions. AI dribbles around and makes things happen on the other possessions. Camby shows clever interior passing, but sometimes stops the ball looking for his own shot. Kenyon lies in wait, finishing everything he can get his hands on with a dunk. Diawara will either swish all of his threes, or brick them all horribly.

II. Karl puts in the bench, which is made up of a bunch of 6-7 hustle guys who play with tremendous intensity mixed with a bit of skill. Jones, Najera and Kleiza all play with reckless abandon. I excuse their occasional bad shots because it's all so fun to watch. Mike Wilks is a little guy with no point guard skills, but he makes up for by making plays with his athleticism and sticking midrange jumpers.

The craziest phenomenon has been the emergence of JR Smith as the leader of this second unit. On offense, the other guys have limited skill sets, so it's up to JR to freelance and make decisions. If you told me this a month ago

This unit often extends the lead, cuz they're crazy. Also, you can throw Melo or AI in with these guys to give more of an offensive identity.

With Nene down and no other size to speak of, I am gonna go ahead and say that Karl made a gutsy, smart move going with these small guys. It's paying off already.

III. For the rest of the game, Karl can mix and match starters and bench players based on how they're playing. It's not rocket science, but he's been doing it well.

I think the Nugz might be the most athletic team in the league. They're small, but relentless, and Karl is taking advantage of that. So far so good.

Next step: Let's see it work against a good team.

Cuz the Blazers are not that good (I like their future a lot, but not their present), and the Nuggets are pretty good. So that game last night? That was just taking care of business. Still, it'd be nice to see a competent team for a full season. That's a starting point.

Cleveland @ Denver Game Report (with a dash of Indiana)

SIM drove down and we watched the Indiana game in a bar. True to his name and his nature, he studied throughout the game. Not even gentle harassment from a marginally attractive watiress could get him to look up from his equations. But then, he's from Boulder: you should see the underaged hippie chicks this dude pulls. It's sick.

Anyway, I was working on a pretty good buzz at the time, but I wasn't impressed. A bunch of shots started falling for cats like Khouba, Kleiza, and JR in the second half, and Indiana stopped playing above their heads. They are who we thought they were. I didn't see any great defense.

But, while the game wasn't a monument to great basketball, it seems to have carried some symbolic weight. Which, in a long season that's often near-meaningless, might be more important than a simple W. The players and the coaches have been rallying around that second half, all of them keenly aware that this team needs to forge an identity. Symbols matter. They're like pieces of your heart you can see.



Case in point: This Cavs game.

So that's what the Nuggets' shadowy front office had in mind? Okay. I can get with that.

The second and third quarters of tonight's contest were the best basketball this team has played all year. The team that showed up tonight would dominate any team that they've faced yet, with the exception of Boston, who they'd take down to the wire. I'm telling you.

The Good: Defense. Everyone--Melo, JR, Camby, every damn body--played with both brains and effort. When the game's outcome was still in question--the first three quarters basically--every

Bobby Jones is a playmaker. I know that's a football term, but that's what he is. Nose for the ball. All the physical tools to bother damn near anyone on defense. I stand by my Fast Najera assessment, but he's better one-on-one already than Eddie. He can play a little offense, too, but he's letting it come to him. Smart kid. Could be starting by the All-Star break, the way things are going.

Unless JR keeps his head straight. Which it suddenly is. Somehow. I mean, shit, he's playing the POINT and I'm only cringing on about a quarter of the possessions. He's playing defense like a man, passing it cuz he trusts his teammates to get it back to him. I love it. My personal preference is to keep him as a spark off the bench. I still don't trust he and Melo's tendencies toward defensive

That all swingmen and tweeners lineup of JR, LK, Melo, Ed, and Bobby was sick. The Nugs might be the most athletic team in the league. If everyone hustles and, more importantly, covers for each other's mistakes, they'll be a top five defensive team. There are many kinds of discipline. It doesn't always look like Sergeant Pop and Timmy-D. It doesn't have to.

Kenyon got no numbers, but he was huge, as he's been all season, on both sides of the floor. His hands and his touch aren't back yet on offense, but he's the leader on defense. To draw a shitty analogy, he's the unheralded offensive line, winning games in the trenches. Buy the man a watch.

You know what's funny? I've been hating on the Chucky Atkins signing since it was a glimmer in Bearup's beady black eyes, but one thing a team like this could use is a savvy point guard who makes all his shots and doesn't turn it over. Point to the Co-Op.



Melo boarded and defended hard, but laid back on offense a little and we won. Can't remember that happening before. So there was lots of good. AI should also be mentioned, but yall should read the box score yourself.

The Bad: Uh, Melo didn't get thirty? Seriously, anyone who knows HyTop knows that HyTop is a glass half empty motherfucker, but this game was nice.



(TUESDAY MORNING EDIT: The fast break does look a little sloppy. Lots of long passes flying over cats' heads and stuff. Stupid turnovers. This can be attributed partially to the fact that the team is still figuring out what they can and can't do (no Dre Miller to figure it out for all of them anymore) and to the fact that there's no point guards on the active roster, with the half-exception of Iverson. I'd rather have a turnover on an attempted fast break lob then Melo or JR getting charges when they try to break down the defense 1 on 5 off the dribble. I don't mind these kinds of turnovers for the first part of the season.)

So, after the win, they still talk about the Indiana game, cuz they need a turning point. People don't just change: they need a moment to hang it on, that time the picked up the Bible in the hotel room or that time they slapped their girl. Something important, burned into your brain, that's what does it, what sets it off. Or CAN do it, at least. Now they've got that, if they want it.

So now the question becomes: Is this a new beginning or a cover up? We shall see.

INjury REport!!

Nene is out for six weeks with a tore up thumb. This sucks. Hopefully this will at least hamper his snacking abilities, but I doubt it. We will likely be seeing a fat and sassy Brazilian in 6 weeks. I don't want to do the math, but this kind of throws a wrench in the 'play-into-shape' master plan that Nene has been working with.

Kenyon will have to play more, but they really shouldn't push it. Eddie's effectiveness diminishes if you play him over 20 minutes. Kleiza needs to start ordering dessert, he'll get minutes at the 4. Stephen Hunter: now is your time.

But, if I know our front office, we're gonna solve this bad boy with two words: desperation trade!!! Are you ready!? :D

(TRADE IDEA: JR SMITH AND PICKS FOR A "SAVVY VETERAN" BIG MAN WITH A LONG TERM CONTRACT WHOSE WHEELS ARE ABOUT TO FALL OFF!!! EXCITING STUFF!!!)

(I would say: sign Chris Webber (lol desperation), except we saw how he and AI got along in Philly.)

Melo will have to stop cherrypicking and grab a board or two.

Stay tuned. These are your Denver Nuggets!!

Post Game Report: Grasping At Straws Edition

There have been two perfect storms thus far in the Nuggets season.

The first was in either the Minnesota or N.O. game, when Nene intercepted an outlet pass and found himself ten feet away from the basket, with nothing in his path. He gingerly advanced toward the basket, silently mouthing "esquerda, direita" with each step. After a quick glance around to make sure no one was within ten feet of him, he planted both feet and completed his first dunk of the year. I'll be honest with you: I teared up.

The second was this Celts game. The Nuggets are still a team without an identity. Especially on the defensive end, where most everyone is trying, but no one knows where to be. The Celtics are still on the the honeymoon. A team that makes an extra pass will absolute destroy this scrambling, diving, swarming Nuggets team. And the Celtics were incredibly hot all game, converting not only the easy shots but also the difficult ones (some of Pierce's dipsy-do finger rolls were insane). It was bad, but it was (and is) November.

George Karl's 'let the players play' offense is nice, if your team is filled with acutal ball players. When it's full of Linas Kleiza and Nene running into each other or bringing defenders TO THE MAN WITH THE BALL (WHO IS LIKELY ALREADY FACING A DOUBLE TEAM!), then it's time to think about what you really believe in.

Karl can speak on a lack of 'spirit' or 'energy' all he wants, but that's just code for 'my players let me down'. Don't get it twisted: with the exception of Camby (sometimes) and Melo (on offense!?), everyone is playing hard. It's the system, or lack thereof. Coach 'em up, Georgie, or go back to ESPN.

Let's talk positives:

Von Wafer can flat out shoot the ball. And he made a pretty assist pass. Give this man some minutes.

Bobby Jones makes his impact felt. On defense, he's not a lockdown guy like Yakhouba. He's more like a small, fast Najera, disrupting all five opponents by running around like crazy and bothering people. He forced several turnovers in the open court just by flailing around. I like it. He looked very tentative off the dribble and lost the ball a couple times, but made 3 three-pointers. Minutes for him, too.

(The above two guys should get minutes instead of Khouba, who is flat out limited and will always be, and LK, if Kleiza continues his nightly crisis of confidence bullshit. I've already given up on J.R., who is what he is: the poor man's Ricky Davis.)

Stephen Hunter should play, once in a while, when we're outsized (like in New York maybe?). He's a live big body.

Kenyon played his ass off. He was the only guy to show any leadership. And he must've demanded to go back in the game, cause he played more than 20 for the first time last night. Now that I've accepted the contract, I'm really happy to have K on this team. He means it, at least.

Melo didn't ease my fears last night. He looked sort of content. I've never seen him so happy NOT to have the ball! I should stop praising his passing: yes, 6 assists (btw, assists: most bogus stat in hoops? yeah, probably), but he's also staring down his cutters, and lots of his passes are tipped, or poorly delivered. Don't telegraph your passes, C-lo, you'll end up with molasses. And you're already looking slow enough.

@ New York

So these Nuggets. Um. Yeah.

It looks like they're just feeling their way through the beginning of a long season, right? Fine. Fucking great. But don't start telling the papers about 60 wins, then come out and play like this. Pace yourself or go all out, you can't have it both ways. You don't sneak out of NYC, you burn it down.



Marcus Camby continues to dominate on paper. My coworker was just talking about how Camby was SUCH a savvy pick in his fantasty draft. P4P BEST FANTASY DEFENSIVE BIG MAN IN THE LAST TEN YEARS!! In reality, he goes up soft in crunch time and gets his layup swatted by the floorbound Ed Curry.



Melo, meanwhile, is passing (!) and defending (!!!) better than ever before. But he's making bad decisions in crunch time, forcing it when he shouldn't. He usually gets better as the year goes along, but shouldn't he have been a little pissed off last nite? Everybody knows we're consummate professionals here at HyTop's spot, but once in a while, even we show some emotion sometimes. I guess Melo doesn't know when to act out and when to lay back. Can't smile all the time, dude, it starts to look questionable.

Iverson is Iverson, which is no longer enough. He needs help. He's great to root for, though.

Kleiza and JR played well. On both ends. JR looked focused and intense and controlled. LK had a little swagger. Both of them need to remember what that felt like.

OMG YOU GUYS: I think I saw a muscle in Nene's arm!! It might've been a shadow. Still: Keep ordering the salad, big fella. (What infuriates me about Nene is this: Shaq Deez played the center position at a Top-5-All-Time level for a decade before he decided he could start playing his way into shape during the season. He won an MVP and 3 rings. Nene hasn't done shit, and already he's easing his way into it. If he understood English, I would suggest that Coach Karl give him a talking to.)

Of course, that might be difficult, cuz I think Coach Karl is high or something. At least Rush Limbaugh kept yelling when he was doped up. I'm not sure Karl has moved all year. Well, he stands up during timeouts, but just cuz his legs sometimes fall asleep. I hate that. One time I got out of my car, rolled my ankle, ran around like a madman, and didn't even feel it for like an hour.



But it hurt when I stopped. Don't get it twisted. There's a rumor around the town's medical community that Coach George, the Prince of Whales, has developed gout. So I'm going to give him some advice that applies to both his diet and his squad: MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS! MIX IT UP! Can't have steak every night.



Also, I keep harping on this, but Kenyon is very important to this team. And it's the height of arrogance to think that the win in NY is guaranteed, so let's save K for Boston. This franchise might be the most arrogant in the league. Be cool if that translated into wins. Used to work for Shanahan.

For real: the Knicks are kind of good. All their players do something extremely well. A couple of them can do two things. And all their players were hot last night. Ol' Snake Eyes here is laughing all the way to a first round exit, catch him if you can!



Still, Isiah ain't the happiest one in New York. Won't be for a while. Show 'em, girl!

HYTOP TRAVELS AROUND THE LEAGUE

I’ve watched three Nugs games this year, half of Suns-Sonics, and a quarter of Knicks-Wolves on the League Pass Preview (I’m a masochist), which means I’ve seen some squads by now. Here are some quick thoughts on the players we’ve seen.

Kevin Durant

The kid can shoot it, and that’s enough for him to be a strong NBA starter. He’s got a quick release and looks equally comfortable shooting off the dribble or off the catch. That right there is big time. Combine it with a gorgeous handle and a nice feel for the game (he can pass!), and he’s already a player. Can’t take any contact right now, so finishing inside is a big problem. All his moves are finesse moves with very little margin for error (runners, floaters, etc.). When they go in, it’s beautiful, but a lot of them don’t. Defensively, he’s pretty good if you try to sneak past him, cuz his arms are hella long and he wants it bad. So you should really just go right into his chest. He doesn’t have an answer for that yet.
A quicker Dirk? A stretched out Ray Allen? Watch and see.

Jeff Green

A Josh Howard type (a very good thing). Think if J-How shot jump hooks instead of runners. He’s athletic and at the right place. And he plays hard defense. Will be a player. However, he still traveled in the NCAA Tournament when he beat my Vandy Commodores. Don’t try to deny it, Jeffrey.

Delonte West

Always loved him. Very smart (you knew that), but bigger and more athletic than you think. He’s being wasted on all these bad teams. His gifts lend themselves perfectly to starting on a talented team and doing the little things. I wish the Nugs had him. He may be the ideal backcourt partner for AI (or maybe it’s Kirk Hinrich).

Al Jefferson

Overhyped by Simmons-types cuz he played in Boston—mecca for white dudes who liked hoops in the 80s—Al is a good young post player. Not the Best Young Post Player in the World, which is what he was dubbed prior to the KG trade. He’s got some moves, a nice jump hook, and can rebound the hell out of the ball. But he’s a little stiff, and in this era, that’s tough to do unless you’re Tim Duncan*. Amare and Dwight and even Nene have a flexibility and a bounce to their games that Al does not. In addition, Big Al doesn’t play defense or pass very well. Basically, he can score in the post, which is nice, but here’s where I damn him: Great Second Option. Book it.

* Who is one of the ten best defensive players of all time, in addition to having an extremely effective, stiff, awkward post game. Also he can pass out of double teams.

Chris Paul

I’ve never quite been convinced. They say, “Best Young True Point Guard,” and I think, “True?” Yesterday, I realized he’s more Iverson than Kidd. He can pass, yes, but he’s a drive and dish guy who weaves in and out of traffic, THEN finds you. If he had Iverson’s length and hops, he’d score a lot more. As it is, he’s a very nice player, but don’t kid yourself: this kid is as modern as Marbury. Always pleasantly surprised by his rebounding, but he can’t guard anyone. A hell of a player, just not how they want him to be.

SPECIAL CARMELO BREAKDOWN:

Carmelo is freaking me out this year. He looks like a different player this year. Not a better player, not a worse player, just very different. He’s not doing any of his herky-jerky Melo-moves. In fact, he’s not getting into the paint at all off the dribble. He’s having trouble getting post position, and once he does, the double teams are frustrating him. He’s turning it over A LOT. He’s pulled off a grand total of ONE successful power post move: a nice dropstep in the fourth quarter of the Hornets game. Everything else has been ugly.

(p.s. There may have been a bad call here and there, but HyTop does NOT blame the refs. That's like white dudes complaining that they didn't get the job because of affirmative action. Own your own bullshit. Own your failures and overcome them. Outside forces only affect you if secretly want them to.)



However, his jumper looks way better than ever before. He’s hitting Kobe-esque fadeaways all of a sudden, not to mention almost 40% of his threes. His passing keeps improving, too.

It’s almost like he got old all of a sudden. He looks a little fat this year, but in the open court, he’s doing all the same Melo shit we know about. I’m hoping it’s just rust, regaining his rhythm. If he can combine this jumper with the old ability to finish around the rim, he’ll be better than ever. But I can’t say I’m not concerned.

Perhaps I May, One Day, Strongly Consider Doing Julie Browman

"Say what you want about the nuggets. . . " my friend's voice trailed off as if interrupted. However, only the sound of the TV populated the background; it was the first game of the 2007 season, and it seemed like everyone was working out their in-game kinks. He took a sip of his drink and reloaded the thought which he attempted to espouse once again, "Say what you want about this nugget team but. . ." He trailed off again unable to complete his thought. This time, however, there was no need to try one more time. He didn't have to say anything, the silence spoke volumes to both of us.

On the television, the Nugget's Altitude halftime TV crew sat. Julie Browman and Bill Hanzlik were busy jawing about the first half. Losing one's train of thought during the Nugget's halftime show was not an uncommon occurrence. The mediocre analysis wasn't enough to hold one's attention. Often, someone new to the Altitude halftime show would be thrown off by Hanzlik's abortion of a mustache. Why Hanzlik kept the fetal remains of a mustache never to be on his face was anybody's guess. You would think Hastings Or Marlowe would throw a Mach 3 his direction; if not outright, through the guise of a secret santa at the Christmas party. But Altitude viewers had no such luck, and maybe, that was for the best; symbolically the unshaven placental mustache stood as a harsh reminder of the pre-Carmelo years, when Denver basketball wasn't so pretty, and yet, like the mustache, had no prospect for change.



But my friend and I had seen Hanzlik's upper lip monstrosity before, and though we found its presence offensive, its shock value had long since worn off. No, this was different-- it was almost like we were re-calibrating something. Our eyes were squarely on Julie Browman, and my friend, not in a manner meant to be creepy, but rather, in a way that indicated his genuine concern and confusion, broke the silence: "Man. .uhh. . .should I be Aroused right now. . .?"

Even though his tone was that of a bewildered child, my instinctive reaction reflected the awkwardness of the question. "JESUS man. What the fuck??!! ARE YOU AROUSED?!" His answer allayed my fears and coincided with my own thoughts "No. . no. . .but I mean. . . SHOULD I be?"

I completely understood. As people, we go through our whole lives with ratings. 5 stars. thumbs up. And when it comes to women, they fall into a neat 1 to 10 scale of do-ability. Consciously or subconsciously we rate every woman we encounter throughout our whole lives, and after a certain amount of time, each woman falls nicely into a number. Given enough data, nothing surprises us anymore-- some woman can jump up a few points, some woman can fall a few points, but these swings usually happen over weeks, months and years-- Not seconds. 2 months ago I would have considered this last statement gospel, now everything I had grown to know as true had to be thrown out because of one glaring counter-example: one Julie Browman.

With video camera shots at a distance, Browman is in the immediate 7-8-9 range depending on your specific likes. It's almost a no brainer- cute, chipper, can talk Nuggets- what's not to like? However when the camera gets a little closer, Browman drastically drops to the 4-5-6 range if not lower. It leads to a frustrating situation wherein all of your womanly calibrations gathered throughout your lifetime are thrown into question as various camera shots of the deceptive demi-goddess/sort of busted-faced girl flashes across the screen. You cannot peg this girl down, and you begin to realize despite the copious amounts of data, the tireless categorizing of everyone you encounter, and the nights spent pondering various degrees of hotness-- your life's work of rating the opposite sex is, at best, inadequate.

It's not just on different camera shots mind you. Mrs. Browman is just an Oddity (or is it Ms. Browman?. . .On those distance camera shots I'm hoping for 'Ms.' --Otherwise I hope it's 'Mrs.' cause "all of god's creatures need someone special" yknow?). Check Exhibit A below.




Both shots are Julie Browman. Both are even at approximately the same DISTANCE. However, the girl on the top is super hot; the girl on the bottom? ehhh "*shrugs*. . . she's a cool girl". The girl on top you can spend a day just silently gazing into her eyes; the girl on the bottom won't shut the fuck up as she loudly broadcasts her insecurities for anyone within earshot willing to listen. I want to do the girl on top; the girl on the bottom is her best friend that I settle for at the end of the night because 'topnotch' up there is outta my league.

And yet she IS the same person. We will go through the season, and 82+ times we will be presented with this anomaly. And the best we will be able to do each time is this inconsistent categorization. By game 10 it'll be an annoyance. By game 20 we'll be over it. By game 30, because we have long since discontinued our categorization attempts, we be will forced to cease seeing her in a sexual manner, but rather, as a eunuch or an asexual cherub. Possibly as a basketball loving nun who, out of sheer compassion and a duty to god, took in a man with a horribly disfigured upper lip and saved his life by starting a basketball halftime show in a football town. And, By the end of the season, it'll be a non issue.

Over the offseason we'll forget about Browman. We'll fall into the trap of hubris we do every offseason-- as the memory of Browman fades and we rate more and more woman, we'll forget about our rating system's inadequacies; the carefree days of summer among the backdrop of cloudless skies will allow us to believe nothing is wrong.

We know everything. We know all.

This will continue until the first game of the season wherein we'll be rudely awakened. Julie Browman will grace us with her presence and we'll have the horrid realization that all is not right. This is the exact point where my friend and I stood at the first halftime of the season. Our silence was merely the re-realization that our lifelong assumptions weren't all correct. The realization that, in life, nothing is for certain. Each of god's creatures are unique. You can never know everything; there is always room for improvement. And above all, there's always an exception to the rule.

My friend tried to speak one more time, but it was obvious his original thought had long since exited his mind. Instead his comment reflected the moment "Say what you will about this Nugget team. . .but we have one of the Most Compelling halftime shows in the league!!!" He was right. Our halftime hosts could sit silently at the desk for 15 minutes, and he would still be right. There was no such halftime show in any SPORT, let alone basketball, quite like this one.

And yet, as the second half started and we heard Hasting's voice, our relief was palpable. We had survived the first of the many halftimes this season, and in a weird way, we were better for it.

-*Sim-u-l8r*-

HyTop Game 1 Report

Ultimately, I liked what I saw. Granted, this was against a bad Sonics squad, but the Nugs played like a Very Good Team, especially down the stretch.

But first, the Bad:

- The Nugs played down to the Sonics’ level, especially in the second quarter. This is reminiscent of the last five years of Nugs teams. They played nice in the opening burst, then looked around and said, “oh, shit, it’s Seattle?!” and kind of chilled for a while. Luckily they were able to snap out of it. But that mentality is dangerous. If cats like Damien Wilkins and Chris Wilcox had stayed hot, the game could’ve been in doubt.

- Nene remains fat as fuck. There is a strong possibility that he can’t dunk right now. He’s 6-10 and he’s spinning out layups at the rim. But I don’t care about his offense. Wilcox got whatever he wanted in the paint. This is a direct result of Nene’s obesity. Despite Hubie’s sunshiney predictions about 20-10, Cox is not that good. Without

- Melo didn’t get to the paint. At all. I don’t think he posted up all game. Any time he tried to drive, it looked forced and ended in a blocked shot or a turnover. This was weird. I think the Sonics were packing it in a ton. But I’m gonna keep watching.

On the other hand, there was plenty of Good:

- Forcing turnovers. The Nugs are the best team in the league at Fantasy Defense: blocks and steals. A.I. was credited for 7 steals, and might’ve gotten more. Camby did his usual thing, and the rest of the team swatted another handful of shots. All these things lead to running opportunities, which lead to easy baskets, which is where the Nugz live. A.I. is one of the best in history in terms of the steals he goes for vs. the steals he gets. He can’t guard anyone 1 on 1, but he was wreaking havoc for all 36 of his minutes last night.

- Outside shooting. With Nene fat and Melo stymied, the Nugs had to become an outside shooting team for much of this game. Only AI and Khouba were getting to the cup, and AI was missing a lot of layups. So they started shooting. First Melo, who hit his customary jab step jumpers, but then started dropping threes like it was the Olympics. If he’s really improved his range this much, he will become the second player in the league who is literally unguardable (the first is Kobe, natch). Then LK started dropping them. For all his faults, Kleiza has transformed himself into a marksman. He’s gonna play a big role this year. The Nugz won the game yesterday by shooting the Sonics out of the building. When has that happened in the last decade?

- Eddie Najera. Fresh from SuperCuts, Ed reminded the city why he might be the league’s most likeable player. All he does is everything he should (defends, cuts to the basket, finishes his layups) and a couple of things he shouldn’t (swatting Durant in the open court, drilling 2 threes (!)). I love it.

- Yakhouba Diawara. Did a decent impression of an NBA shooting guard last night. He made some open shots and didn’t airball the ones he missed. He drove to the hoop and ran the court for some layups, which he didn’t blow. His passing remains an adventure, and the vets sometimes have to wave him away toward where he should be, but it was promising. Also, he had a handful of outstanding defensive possessions, which is why he was out there.

- Depth. With K back, even for limited minutes, this team is suddenly stacked. Check the chart, even with the current point guard injuries:
PG – AI, Wilks (who kinda sucks)
SG – Khouba, Bobby Jones, Von Wafer, JR (soon)
SF – Melo, LK
PF – K-Mart, Nene, Najera
C – Camby, Hunter
That’s nasty! One of the best groups of bigs in the league. 2 superstars who will be on the court for most of the game. All of the 2 guards have something to give, and play hard (except JR). When Chucky gets healthy (in 2 months! wtf!?), there will be two legit solid NBA players at every position, except 2 guard, where there are 4 projects.

- AI at point guard. This worked out. Keep it going. Chucky should be a backup. He can pass.