2013 Nuggets Playoff Preview

In my Nuggets mid-season report, I blathered on for 1900 words about how the quality of this year’s team was a refreshing surprise even to the most optimistic Nuggets fan (me).  I predicted 55 wins, a three seed in this year’s playoffs, and an NBA Championship.  Well, the NBA regular season is over, and YOUR DENVER NUGGETS finished with 57 wins and a three seed.  Are the Nuggets going to win an NBA championship?  I have no doubt that they are. 

As I see it, the only real question is can we hoist the National Basketball Association's coveted golden orb without Danilo Gallinari?  That’s not a real question; I’m being dramatic.  OF COURSE the Nuggets can win without their sharp-shooting small forward.  Galo is clutch, and I’m not trying to insult anyone here, but a healthy, driven Wilson Chandler is a better fit for the 2013 Nuggets squad. 

Again, trying to spare as many feelings as possible, but I’m not convinced that Anthony Randolph isn’t an adequate replacement for the basketball player formerly known as Italian Ice.  At 6’11, Randolph creates some match up problems in the three spot, and his takes are SO STRONG.  We don’t have to get into that part of Danilo Gallinari’s game- let’s just say I’d rather have Randolph touching my rack. 

With his rebounding prowess, an absent Kenneth Faried would be a impediment to our championship hopes, but living up to his nickname, the Manimal has stated, “if I can walk I can play,” and he figures to be back by game two of the first round.  Will his injury affect our team’s playoff chances?  I kindly doubt it, we’re talking about Kenneth Faried, NOT Kobe Bryant. 

Believe it or not readers, I’ve found myself at a loss for words.  This is by FAR the best Nuggets squad that I’ve ever seen. There is literally nothing that I can say to do this team justice.  All I know is that I am going to have the loudest, most obnoxious fan in the Pepsi Center during the playoffs.  I’m going to have the most-clever sign at our championship parade.  I can’t wait for the playoffs to start this afternoon.  

First round prediction:

 

Nuggets in 4. 

2012 Nuggets Mid-Season Report

In the spring of 2008 I dropped out of college. I worked in a warehouse, and wrote about the Nuggets at night, because I wanted to keep my brain sharp. I stumbled upon my Nuggets blogs last night, it made me think about how much I’ve devolved; both as a Nuggets fan and as a blogger.

Its 2012. I’ve been out of college for 2 years. I work as a writer (in a very broad sense,) and 21 year old me is essentially living the dream. I’m parked behind a desk from 8-4. Thanks to my squash league, and a great group of friends that humor my requests for pick-up basketball games, my muscles haven’t atrophied. If you’ll allow me to gloat, I have HBO.

Hindsight is 20-20, but as far as my Nuggets writing is concerned, I was better off in the warehouse. I mean my back hurt sometimes, but my blog was well informed, and pretty clever. I had a great online presence, people texted me nuggets news and asked me to weigh-in. 24 year old me will be lucky to catch 40 Nug’s games this year. I don’t even have a fucking fantasy team.

I’m a bad fan, and I’m sorry. I love the Nuggets, but it’s not the all consuming love I had before the Mello trade. Honestly, I feel like I’m watching season 4 of The OC. Remember how bad the show was without Marissa?

Earlier tonight I walked away from a game with 41 seconds left in the 4th quarter. The Nuggets were up five points, and a hostess, in fashion glasses, at a trendy wine-bar, had just informed me that my table was ready. I ambled back through the bar with confidence; it’s difficult to lose on the + side of a two-possession game with the clock ticking 40 39 38…

Of course, it’s also difficult to beat the Oklahoma Thunder, and impossible to beat them at home. My Nuggies lost in overtime. I uttered my condolences and went to bed at a reasonable hour. 21 year-old me would never have missed the end of that game.

Who am I kidding?

21 year-old me would have destroyed my neighbors patio set. 21 year old me would have been hung-over, exhausted and distraught the next day. I’d like to think that I’ve grown up, not soft. Change is inevitable; I just never meant to outgrow my favorite basketball team.

Two nights later The Nuggets lost to the LA Clippers when they collapsed at the end of a tight game. Tonight they got blown out by the Spurs at home.

 I was discussing The Nugget’s troubled times with my roommate Mike, who’s a real jerk. He chalked the string of losses up to the Nuggets being no good. Per usual, Mike is wrong. The deepest team in the NBA has been sorely tested this year. Before the all star break we were playing without our starting center, our backup center, our starting point guard, our top scorer, and our best pure scorer. The Nuggets also played the first half of this season without a loyal fan base.

Initially I meant the fan base thing as a barb; I was just trying to shut up my asshole roommate. Now I can’t ignore the barb's implications; our fans suck. The Carmellotastraphy followed by a lock out and Nene playing hard to get was a worst case scenario for our boys in blue, but that’s finished, we need to get over it.

So here’s my mid season report. 14-4 start, nuggets played hard smart and fast. 4-14 finish, let’s blame it on an exactly equal mixture of injuries, and fan apathy.

So I’ll take credit for nine of the games in the loss column, the other nine loses fall squarely on the tan shoulders of Steve Hess. I promise to be a better nuggets fan. PULL IT TOGETHER STEVE HESS!

Prediction for the rest of the season: Nuggets go 27-9 advance to Western Conference Semi's, where they lose to the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.