I've missed several recent games for reasons alternately happy and sad. Furthermore, I will shortly be leaving the country for a time. Hopefully, this post will tide over HyTop's increasingly rabid readership.
Saw the Milwaukee game. It was very nearly art. The pieces, for one brief moment, fit together, and the universe made sense. Psychedelics have this same effect, until the inevitable comedown. For now, I am still high.
Let's look at the blueprint (while remembering that blueprints exist only in the realm of the mind, while the Spurs and the Celtics are flesh and bone). The front office had some ideas, y'all.
BIG MEN
Marcus Camby: Savvy Vet. Plays a phenomenal finesse game on both ends of the court. Best weakside shotblocker in the game. Best passing center in the league. Rebounds like a motherfucker (but never boxes out). Decent slashing to the basket. Owns a somewhat shaky jumpshot that he trusts too much. Never loses his cool. Team spokesman.
Kenyon Martin: Junkyard Dog. Best man-to-man defender. Intimidator. Nasty finisher (in the half court). Can't do much in isolation situations. Tends to get out of control. Plays as hard as anyone in the world. An emotional leader.
Nene: Legit Big Man. Can guard the behemoths, score with his back to the basket, box out for rebounds. Runs the floor exceptionally well. Best pick and roll big on the squad (by a long shot). Seems to be in shape and healthy (knock wood).
Eduardo Najera: Glue Guy. Hustles, makes plays when he shouldn't, lends his energy to everyone around him. Plays within himself. Guards the pick and roll and loves to pressure guards in the backcourt. Moves without the ball better than anyone on the squad. Would be a valuable contributor to literally any squad in the league. Finishes fairly well for his size (reverse layups!) and now can shoot threes.
WINGS
Carmelo Anthony: Finisher. Moves without the ball, catches everything thrown his way, makes shots from all different angles and positions. A decent passer and an exceptional rebounder (when he wants to, which he recently has). The best post player on the team who commands automatic double teams (and often triple teams). Can't get a step on anyone off the dribble this year (tired legs from consecutive USA Basketball summers?). Decent man-to-man defender who loses interest when his man gives up the rock. Dominates and puts tons of pressure on the defense if he gives consistent effort. Seems to be morphing into more and more of a big man as he matures. This is not a problem. It makes him unique.
Linas Kleiza: Sharpshooter. Makes threes and runs better than anyone on the team. Earnest defender who is exploited on mismatches. Solid rebounder. Can kind of create his own shot off the dribble and in the post, but everything works off the threat of his jumper. Confidence is always on the edge, but he seems to realize that he belongs now. Hard worker. A bad but improving passer. Probably the Nuggets best young assets (Melo is part of the core), a lot of teams would love him and I think he could get 15 and 7 as a starter (on very good percentages). Basketball IQ has always been suspect with LK, but he's got a huge heart and wants so badly to succeed.
J.R. Smith: Whipping Boy. With Dermarr gone, Coach Karl has started fucking with JR in order to prove to himself and the world that his penis is longer than his thumb (he hasn't seen it in years, you see). JR can play, but honestly headcase projects are only valuable on marginal teams. JR is not needed if this team plays to potential. He's dead weight wrapped in bad karma, and it's not like he hasn't been given opportunities.
POINTS
Allen Iverson: Superstar. Everyone listens when he speaks (except the refs, who are deaf to his constant "AND1s" by now). Is finishing again, and taking less time to do it. Can do whatever he wants on the court. Needs to figure out what's best for the team. Really seems to want this to work. Easiest dude to root for this side of Barry Obama. It's his team, even though he'll pretent it's not. He remembers what it was like to be Melo. It wasn't easy, still isn't.
Chucky Atkins: Swagger. He's a real point guard, talking and pointing and directing traffic. Not a superior passer, but a guy who understands the game. He and AI have fun playing together (witness the behind-the-back-a-thon of the other night), and he recognizes how good Nene is in the pick and roll. His shot isn't there, but dude is a shooter. Can't guard anyone, doesn't rebound, but provides this team with some shit it just hasn't had since Saint Van Exel left town.
Anthony Carter: Plugger (in honor of the Simulator's favorite single-panel comic). Fills the gaps. Hits those ugly jumpers from Avery Johnson's favorite spots, gets unexpected steals and rebounds, throws long passes ahead to Melo for easy baskets (RIP Andre Miller). Best perimeter defender on the team (not a good thing). Plays within himself. Listens to the coach.
SCRUBS
I'm not doing the scrubs, I'm busy today. Y'all know I love Bobby Jones, hate Diawara, and am ambivalent on the rest. I guess JR is a scrub now, but I think his situation has meaning for the team as a whole, which is why I included him.
HOLES
No Playmaker. The Nugs aren't a great passing team.
Bad perimeter defense. This is why Tony Parker runs layup drills every time we see him.
Shooting. LK is solid. Melo and AI will surprise you. Eddie's been great. Chucky could make this a non-issue.
Basically, trade for Kirk Hinrich and this team could win it all. Shit, they still might, how they looked the other night. I'll watch tonight then fly away in the morning.
Happy New Year. Make it better than the last.
28.12.07
17.12.07
San Antonio, Portland
San Antonio.
You people think I'm pessimistic. You think I love to worry, love to suffer, secretly love pain. I love none of those things. My problem is simple: I have a good relationship with my eyes. They never deceive me.
This San Antonio game is why I considered a 14-8 team (going into the game) a failure. They made it look so easy. San Antonio is pretty much all old guys now. Even Ginobili rocks the bald spot. Tony Parker is their young legs, and he was out.
What do they do? Carve the Nuggets up. With the same shit they've been doing for almost a decade. Halfcourt defence. Three-point shooting. Crisp ball movement. That's it. That's what they do.
Yeah, Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward ever. He was hobbling, didn't want the ball, sat out most of the second half. Let Oberto take over, Timmy said. And Fab fucking did. Ow.
The Nuggets don't defend the perimeter very well, and are especially weak closing out on three-point shooters. Brent Barry. Swish. Mike Finley. Swish. Bruce Bowen. Swish. Horry threw up some hilarious bricks to lighten the mood.
Offensively, no one on the Nugs can throw a proper entry pass (RIP ANDRE MILLER). So the Spurs doubled Melo hard, all night, sometimes even without the ball. He didn't do shit. They let AI do what he wanted. Guess what: AI's been doing that for a decade. No tan lines on his fingers. Makes you think. Or it oughta.
Bright spot: BOBBY JONES YALL. I was on this cat before Hastings had looked at the roster. HE MAKES PLAYS YALL. He's a football player out there, herky-jerky and awkward, but always around the ball. Play the man!
Portland.
This hurts less, cause Portland was making any crazy bullshit they threw up there. One of those games. The Outlaw kid is filthy. Stevie Blake got his. Brandon Roy is savvy. Pryzbilla swatted our best player.
Melo got pissed and started working really hard on the boards. Got a bunch of fouls called for his trouble. Then, when he'd get the ball, he'd dribble off his foot or get his shot blocked. Melo's on some kind of NBA Live system, where he has only a certain number of points to distribute. When he puts it into Effort, his Skills all deteriorate. When he plays half-assed, all his jumpers are wet, his passes are crisp. Goofy.
I do take issue with Coach on one defensive strategy. Why the fuck were Roy and Jack, two relatively quick perimeter players, being guarded by bigs all fucking night long? Seriously, Brandon Roy (aka Portland's best player) saw Kleiza, Najera, and then K-Mart in crunch time. Those guys are all decent to excellent defenders, but THEY ARE BIG MEN. THEY ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH CROSSOVERS AND HESITATION DRIBBLES. They did the best they can. Roy got layups, Jack got layups, mid-range jumpers were falling.
Meanwhile, HyTop fave Bobby Jones (who played with Roy in college and probably has an idea of what he can do) and Khouba Diawara (who I don't much like, but who can defend the perimeter) sitting on the bench in sweatpants.
IN CONCLUSION:
We're watching the same team as last year. And the year before. Solid in the regular season. Wait til they put together a big winning streak, get a nice Sportscenter segment. Denver's all smiles. Roll into the playoffs, and suddenly they don't speak the language. A mansion built on sand.
You people think I'm pessimistic. You think I love to worry, love to suffer, secretly love pain. I love none of those things. My problem is simple: I have a good relationship with my eyes. They never deceive me.
This San Antonio game is why I considered a 14-8 team (going into the game) a failure. They made it look so easy. San Antonio is pretty much all old guys now. Even Ginobili rocks the bald spot. Tony Parker is their young legs, and he was out.
What do they do? Carve the Nuggets up. With the same shit they've been doing for almost a decade. Halfcourt defence. Three-point shooting. Crisp ball movement. That's it. That's what they do.
Yeah, Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward ever. He was hobbling, didn't want the ball, sat out most of the second half. Let Oberto take over, Timmy said. And Fab fucking did. Ow.
The Nuggets don't defend the perimeter very well, and are especially weak closing out on three-point shooters. Brent Barry. Swish. Mike Finley. Swish. Bruce Bowen. Swish. Horry threw up some hilarious bricks to lighten the mood.
Offensively, no one on the Nugs can throw a proper entry pass (RIP ANDRE MILLER). So the Spurs doubled Melo hard, all night, sometimes even without the ball. He didn't do shit. They let AI do what he wanted. Guess what: AI's been doing that for a decade. No tan lines on his fingers. Makes you think. Or it oughta.
Bright spot: BOBBY JONES YALL. I was on this cat before Hastings had looked at the roster. HE MAKES PLAYS YALL. He's a football player out there, herky-jerky and awkward, but always around the ball. Play the man!
Portland.
This hurts less, cause Portland was making any crazy bullshit they threw up there. One of those games. The Outlaw kid is filthy. Stevie Blake got his. Brandon Roy is savvy. Pryzbilla swatted our best player.
Melo got pissed and started working really hard on the boards. Got a bunch of fouls called for his trouble. Then, when he'd get the ball, he'd dribble off his foot or get his shot blocked. Melo's on some kind of NBA Live system, where he has only a certain number of points to distribute. When he puts it into Effort, his Skills all deteriorate. When he plays half-assed, all his jumpers are wet, his passes are crisp. Goofy.
I do take issue with Coach on one defensive strategy. Why the fuck were Roy and Jack, two relatively quick perimeter players, being guarded by bigs all fucking night long? Seriously, Brandon Roy (aka Portland's best player) saw Kleiza, Najera, and then K-Mart in crunch time. Those guys are all decent to excellent defenders, but THEY ARE BIG MEN. THEY ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH CROSSOVERS AND HESITATION DRIBBLES. They did the best they can. Roy got layups, Jack got layups, mid-range jumpers were falling.
Meanwhile, HyTop fave Bobby Jones (who played with Roy in college and probably has an idea of what he can do) and Khouba Diawara (who I don't much like, but who can defend the perimeter) sitting on the bench in sweatpants.
IN CONCLUSION:
We're watching the same team as last year. And the year before. Solid in the regular season. Wait til they put together a big winning streak, get a nice Sportscenter segment. Denver's all smiles. Roll into the playoffs, and suddenly they don't speak the language. A mansion built on sand.
13.12.07
The Rundown: Sacramento, New Orleans
Sacto Game: Nugz rely on talent to squeak by. Inspiring philosophy, that.
Everyone on the Nugz squad seems to be friends with Ron Artest. In Melo's more docile moments, I briefly fantasized about trading him for Ron-Ron. Artest is easy to root for. Melo, sometimes, is difficult. But it was a flight of fancy.
N.O. Game: Revenge game. The Nugz played pretty hard. Camby realized that Tyson Chandler outplayed him last time, and hustled all game. Chris Paul is a problem when his jumper/floater game is sharp. I still maintain that his assist numbers are inflated from playing on a squad of jumpshooters. How tough is it to find David West for an 18 footer? That's an A.C. type assist right there.
Melo couldn't get a call all game, so he started rebounding a little harder. It paid off. Never stopped bitching at the refs, though. In the fourth, he kind of 'took over'. Although it was mostly on run-outs, it was nice to see some fire.
Despite that spark, it has become clear that, in the last two weeks, Melo has fully ceded the Alpha position to A.I. Allen didn't even really have to go get it. It was there all year long; Iverson just finally started finishing.
It's interesting to see a little guard on the other side of 30 still figuring it out. He's stopped settling for the jumper at the free throw line; he's taking it deep like he used to. And it's working. It's like he's learning the angles of the game all over again.
PS: Kleiza made the best pass of his career, a one-hander to a Najera under the bucket. L.K.'s not much of a passer. Also, Kenyon's fucking awesome, as always. Nobody defends harder, nobody dunks cleaner.
PIPE DREAM POST SCRIPT:
I don't play fantasy hoops (it's pornographic, perverts the game), but I do like to assemble fantasy squads. What I mean is: realistic combinations of players that I believe could succeed.
HyTop Dream Team 1:
PG: Hinrich
SG: A.I.
SF: Artest
PF: Rasheed
C: Nene (in shape version)
Sixth Man: Kenyon
I know that's blasphemy. But could you swing that, using Melo, Camby, J.R. and L.K. as bait? Just an idle thought. That would be the best defensive team in the league. Nene and Ron-Ron can both defend and score in the post. Rasheed and Hinrich would give the offense ball-movement, shooting and smarts. Also, both can defend like crazy. A.I. would continue to be A.I., and this team would rally around him like nothing you've seen.
Banged up Spurs team next. Actually, forget the 'banged up' part. The Spurs are always playing possum, and it always gets you.
Everyone on the Nugz squad seems to be friends with Ron Artest. In Melo's more docile moments, I briefly fantasized about trading him for Ron-Ron. Artest is easy to root for. Melo, sometimes, is difficult. But it was a flight of fancy.
N.O. Game: Revenge game. The Nugz played pretty hard. Camby realized that Tyson Chandler outplayed him last time, and hustled all game. Chris Paul is a problem when his jumper/floater game is sharp. I still maintain that his assist numbers are inflated from playing on a squad of jumpshooters. How tough is it to find David West for an 18 footer? That's an A.C. type assist right there.
Melo couldn't get a call all game, so he started rebounding a little harder. It paid off. Never stopped bitching at the refs, though. In the fourth, he kind of 'took over'. Although it was mostly on run-outs, it was nice to see some fire.
Despite that spark, it has become clear that, in the last two weeks, Melo has fully ceded the Alpha position to A.I. Allen didn't even really have to go get it. It was there all year long; Iverson just finally started finishing.
It's interesting to see a little guard on the other side of 30 still figuring it out. He's stopped settling for the jumper at the free throw line; he's taking it deep like he used to. And it's working. It's like he's learning the angles of the game all over again.
PS: Kleiza made the best pass of his career, a one-hander to a Najera under the bucket. L.K.'s not much of a passer. Also, Kenyon's fucking awesome, as always. Nobody defends harder, nobody dunks cleaner.
PIPE DREAM POST SCRIPT:
I don't play fantasy hoops (it's pornographic, perverts the game), but I do like to assemble fantasy squads. What I mean is: realistic combinations of players that I believe could succeed.
HyTop Dream Team 1:
PG: Hinrich
SG: A.I.
SF: Artest
PF: Rasheed
C: Nene (in shape version)
Sixth Man: Kenyon
I know that's blasphemy. But could you swing that, using Melo, Camby, J.R. and L.K. as bait? Just an idle thought. That would be the best defensive team in the league. Nene and Ron-Ron can both defend and score in the post. Rasheed and Hinrich would give the offense ball-movement, shooting and smarts. Also, both can defend like crazy. A.I. would continue to be A.I., and this team would rally around him like nothing you've seen.
Banged up Spurs team next. Actually, forget the 'banged up' part. The Spurs are always playing possum, and it always gets you.
7.12.07
6.12.07
That's Nuggets Basketball!!!
A.I. drops 50! He didn’t even need to get to the rim to do it; the midrange jumper was there!! Then Philthy Phil has the nerve to put TWO guys on him! TWO MEN GUARDING ONE MAN! How is that fair? Of course that stopped A.I. in the fourth: it’s simple mathematics.
Carmelo dropped an effortless 26 points, and got some other numbers too! Camby effortlessly collected 20 rebounds! I’m telling you, with this team, we don’t need guys to run through a brick wall to put up All-Star numbers (which are the foundation of winning basketball)! Contract extensions for all!
Coach Karl didn’t move much, even in Hi-Def, but that’s because you couldn’t see all the movement in his GIGANTIC, BASKETBALL-SHAPED BRAIN! He shortened up his bench tonight, like he does when he REALLY WANTS TO WIN (like in the first Knicks game)!! Believe me when I say, you won’t play a lot for George unless you can fill up a box score with your eyes closed and wicked cottonmouth. Sometimes I wonder why Kenyon and Eduardo are in there: they barely score at all!! But I don’t question George, he gives a great interview on AM 950 THE FAN!!!
Last night? That thrilling game? THAT WAS NUGGETS BASKETBALL!!! HOOPS AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL!!!
Carmelo dropped an effortless 26 points, and got some other numbers too! Camby effortlessly collected 20 rebounds! I’m telling you, with this team, we don’t need guys to run through a brick wall to put up All-Star numbers (which are the foundation of winning basketball)! Contract extensions for all!
Coach Karl didn’t move much, even in Hi-Def, but that’s because you couldn’t see all the movement in his GIGANTIC, BASKETBALL-SHAPED BRAIN! He shortened up his bench tonight, like he does when he REALLY WANTS TO WIN (like in the first Knicks game)!! Believe me when I say, you won’t play a lot for George unless you can fill up a box score with your eyes closed and wicked cottonmouth. Sometimes I wonder why Kenyon and Eduardo are in there: they barely score at all!! But I don’t question George, he gives a great interview on AM 950 THE FAN!!!
Last night? That thrilling game? THAT WAS NUGGETS BASKETBALL!!! HOOPS AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL!!!
4.12.07
Playing Favorites
After my last (somewhat half-assed) post, Sim pointed out to me that "HyTop's Favorite Nugget" seems to change daily. Well, so does the hand I jerk off with. I am a fickle creature.
That said, I think the swings of my heart deserve to be immortalized here, on the seventh most popular Nuggets blog in the Western hemisphere*!
HYTOPS FAVE NUGGZ, episode 1:
1. Kenyon Martin - He has the worst contract in the league, and the biggest heart. Became a man sometime in the wasteland of the past two years, and now frequently looks like The Only One Who Really Cares Out There (Non-Roleplayer Edition). Ironically, is actually a roleplayer.
2. Eddie Najera - I like how he hustles, plays smart, surprises with his athleticism, and is Mexican. Is somewhat overpaid. Is a pro.
3. Bobby Jones - Shame he's not gonna see meaningful minutes for the rest of the year. I liked the chaos he brought to the floor, and his unearned swagger.
4. Linas Kleiza - I will write the definitive Kleiza piece in the coming weeks. I like the way he has reshaped himself--body, skills, mind--to become an NBA player. It's good to see hard work payoff, and even better to see a white kid** who's not afraid to dunk (and not afraid to fail).
5. Anthony Carter - I don't know how this happened. My plan was for him to be the butt of all my jokes this year. I mean, look at the dude; he cracks me up! Sometimes love sneaks up on you.
6. Carmelo Anthony - Even mailing in the season, he wows me more than anyone else. I mean, let's face it: he's pretty good. Fun to watch, too, especially when he's trying. Has the potential to skyrocket up this list. Also, to be a champion.
7. JR Smith - Figuring it out before our eyes. JR's not gonna grow up on anyone's terms but his own. That means he'll always scare us, because we'll never be sure. That also means, if he does come out the other end, he'll be stronger than anyone else could've made him. It's gonna be fun to watch.
8. Allen Iverson - I feel like I'm hurting his warrior spirit putting him down here. But he is not, how you say, 'aging gracefully.' Somehow, he can still get wherever he wants, but now he can't finish at the rim. It's made him timid and indecisive. Also, he shouts "AND ONE" every time he shoots it. Sometimes when he passes. The refs don't like that, Allen. It's all conntected.
9. Marcus Camby - The passion he inspires is roughly equal to the passion he plays with. HyTop appreciates a cool, calculating motherfucker, but I ain't going to war for him. Nice to have around, though, to make some plays.
AND, IN A TIE FOR 10th PLACE:
10. Mike Wilks - He was a good sport about it, wasn't he?
10. Jelani McCoy - Earned this spot with his beautiful singing voice and well maintained beard.
NOT LISTED: Diawara (nice kid, completely lost), Von Wafer (seems popular with his teammates, gets the yips in garbage time) Stephen Hunter (...), and Chucky Atkins (we'll find out soon).
NOT MENTIONED: The Brazilian. Gotta earn it round these parts.
* Statement not evaluated by blogger.
** I know he's a Euro, but he went to high school in Jersey.
That said, I think the swings of my heart deserve to be immortalized here, on the seventh most popular Nuggets blog in the Western hemisphere*!
HYTOPS FAVE NUGGZ, episode 1:
1. Kenyon Martin - He has the worst contract in the league, and the biggest heart. Became a man sometime in the wasteland of the past two years, and now frequently looks like The Only One Who Really Cares Out There (Non-Roleplayer Edition). Ironically, is actually a roleplayer.
2. Eddie Najera - I like how he hustles, plays smart, surprises with his athleticism, and is Mexican. Is somewhat overpaid. Is a pro.
3. Bobby Jones - Shame he's not gonna see meaningful minutes for the rest of the year. I liked the chaos he brought to the floor, and his unearned swagger.
4. Linas Kleiza - I will write the definitive Kleiza piece in the coming weeks. I like the way he has reshaped himself--body, skills, mind--to become an NBA player. It's good to see hard work payoff, and even better to see a white kid** who's not afraid to dunk (and not afraid to fail).
5. Anthony Carter - I don't know how this happened. My plan was for him to be the butt of all my jokes this year. I mean, look at the dude; he cracks me up! Sometimes love sneaks up on you.
6. Carmelo Anthony - Even mailing in the season, he wows me more than anyone else. I mean, let's face it: he's pretty good. Fun to watch, too, especially when he's trying. Has the potential to skyrocket up this list. Also, to be a champion.
7. JR Smith - Figuring it out before our eyes. JR's not gonna grow up on anyone's terms but his own. That means he'll always scare us, because we'll never be sure. That also means, if he does come out the other end, he'll be stronger than anyone else could've made him. It's gonna be fun to watch.
8. Allen Iverson - I feel like I'm hurting his warrior spirit putting him down here. But he is not, how you say, 'aging gracefully.' Somehow, he can still get wherever he wants, but now he can't finish at the rim. It's made him timid and indecisive. Also, he shouts "AND ONE" every time he shoots it. Sometimes when he passes. The refs don't like that, Allen. It's all conntected.
9. Marcus Camby - The passion he inspires is roughly equal to the passion he plays with. HyTop appreciates a cool, calculating motherfucker, but I ain't going to war for him. Nice to have around, though, to make some plays.
AND, IN A TIE FOR 10th PLACE:
10. Mike Wilks - He was a good sport about it, wasn't he?
10. Jelani McCoy - Earned this spot with his beautiful singing voice and well maintained beard.
NOT LISTED: Diawara (nice kid, completely lost), Von Wafer (seems popular with his teammates, gets the yips in garbage time) Stephen Hunter (...), and Chucky Atkins (we'll find out soon).
NOT MENTIONED: The Brazilian. Gotta earn it round these parts.
* Statement not evaluated by blogger.
** I know he's a Euro, but he went to high school in Jersey.
3.12.07
L.A., L.A., Miami
No those are not the locations of HyTop’s three luxury condos. Those are the last three squads our schizophrenic Nuggets have played.
Sim broke down the L.A. game perfectly. It was shameful. I was drunk. I’m hoping Carmelo was, too.
The Clips game, Melo decided to play hard. A.I. does the same thing every game now. Sometimes the shots fall, sometimes they don’t. Camby plays his game every night. Kenyon always plays hard; sometimes people find him cutting through the lane (see Miami section below), other times not. AC and LK play hard. JR’s an enigma, but there’s enough talent here that he’s allowed to be.
So it’s on Melo now. The HOOD isn’t gonna move itself. In this Clips game, he was playing defense, pushing people around on the offensive glass, running hard and establishing early post position. It’s not a hard formula. If Melo plays hard like that, good things happen. He’s a plus defender, just based on his strength and quick hands, if he tries. He’s a solid defensive rebounder and a phenomenal offensive rebounder with effort.
You hear the term ‘plays big.’ HyTop himself is 6’1”, but plays bigger than that. Lebron James is both taller and heavier than Carmelo Anthony. But, when Melo puts effort into it, he plays much bigger. He is filthy inside, snatching offensive rebounds, catching lobs from a standstill, knocking away post defenders with a shrug. Now that his 20 footer is automatic, and his 3 is above average, dude is unguardable. But it's gotta start inside. Otherwise, you become Vince and nobody wants to end up like that (not even Vince).
Of course, I’m drooling all over a grown ass man for doing his job two nights in a row. It’ll be cool when playing hard is the norm, and we can get all pissed when he takes the occasional night off.
The Miami game was similar to the Clips, only moreso. Miami kind of sucks, but they have Wade, and Shaq, and Pat Riley, so everyone gets up for them. Melo was in attack mode, played some defense, worked the boards. Everything fell into place. Insane respect to Kenyon (my favorite Nug it’s official) for the job he did inside. He dunked about 20 times and guarded freaking Shaq. Kenyon is Melo’s size, aka the size of Shaq’s leg + Shaq’s johnson. Eddie and Camby did their time on the big fella, too, to great effect. Combined, the 3 Nugs could fit in one of Shaq’s leather trench coats and impersonate him to get into Miami’s exclusive hot spots. Well maybe not last night, with the 6 points he threw up there. “O’Neal you say? NOPE NOT ON THE LIST.”
One thing I’m thinking about for the future: AC has impressed me. Chucky Atkins can’t guard or pass as well as AC (but boy can he shoot!). The front office dropped a significant chunk of change on Chuck. He’s the ‘prize’ of the offseason.
Whose minutes does Chucky take? JR’s? He’s playing well enough! AC’s? I think AC works better with the starters than Chucky will. LK? No way! He’s brought more energy than Eddie this season. It’s gonna be interesting. We’ve already seen Yakhouba and Bobby Jones lose their tick. Who’s next?
Sim broke down the L.A. game perfectly. It was shameful. I was drunk. I’m hoping Carmelo was, too.
The Clips game, Melo decided to play hard. A.I. does the same thing every game now. Sometimes the shots fall, sometimes they don’t. Camby plays his game every night. Kenyon always plays hard; sometimes people find him cutting through the lane (see Miami section below), other times not. AC and LK play hard. JR’s an enigma, but there’s enough talent here that he’s allowed to be.
So it’s on Melo now. The HOOD isn’t gonna move itself. In this Clips game, he was playing defense, pushing people around on the offensive glass, running hard and establishing early post position. It’s not a hard formula. If Melo plays hard like that, good things happen. He’s a plus defender, just based on his strength and quick hands, if he tries. He’s a solid defensive rebounder and a phenomenal offensive rebounder with effort.
You hear the term ‘plays big.’ HyTop himself is 6’1”, but plays bigger than that. Lebron James is both taller and heavier than Carmelo Anthony. But, when Melo puts effort into it, he plays much bigger. He is filthy inside, snatching offensive rebounds, catching lobs from a standstill, knocking away post defenders with a shrug. Now that his 20 footer is automatic, and his 3 is above average, dude is unguardable. But it's gotta start inside. Otherwise, you become Vince and nobody wants to end up like that (not even Vince).
Of course, I’m drooling all over a grown ass man for doing his job two nights in a row. It’ll be cool when playing hard is the norm, and we can get all pissed when he takes the occasional night off.
The Miami game was similar to the Clips, only moreso. Miami kind of sucks, but they have Wade, and Shaq, and Pat Riley, so everyone gets up for them. Melo was in attack mode, played some defense, worked the boards. Everything fell into place. Insane respect to Kenyon (my favorite Nug it’s official) for the job he did inside. He dunked about 20 times and guarded freaking Shaq. Kenyon is Melo’s size, aka the size of Shaq’s leg + Shaq’s johnson. Eddie and Camby did their time on the big fella, too, to great effect. Combined, the 3 Nugs could fit in one of Shaq’s leather trench coats and impersonate him to get into Miami’s exclusive hot spots. Well maybe not last night, with the 6 points he threw up there. “O’Neal you say? NOPE NOT ON THE LIST.”
One thing I’m thinking about for the future: AC has impressed me. Chucky Atkins can’t guard or pass as well as AC (but boy can he shoot!). The front office dropped a significant chunk of change on Chuck. He’s the ‘prize’ of the offseason.
Whose minutes does Chucky take? JR’s? He’s playing well enough! AC’s? I think AC works better with the starters than Chucky will. LK? No way! He’s brought more energy than Eddie this season. It’s gonna be interesting. We’ve already seen Yakhouba and Bobby Jones lose their tick. Who’s next?
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