Denver is exactly like us last year. Won a lot of games and jumped up in the standings yet they don't really scare anybody. You can sense that arrogant, "I hope we play Denver/Houston" vibe.
The nuggets always have a guy that can protect the basket and alter shots. Once yao sits, the rox have no one. Chuck Hayes can be bill russell, but no one is afraid or pump faking hayes. They just jump over him like they do scola and landry. When you have guys that can react quick and contest shots inside, it makes a difference. If you don't have guys like that, you better be lockdown on the perimeter.
A LOT can change in the next 7 games or so. Nobody 2 through 8 is locked in yet. The position that every team 2-8 is in right now could be entirely different after 82 games. Denver does look pretty good for the 2 spot though.
Paul Millsap is a really underrated flopper. You never hear anybody list him among the main floppers of the Jazz, but he's steadily climbing the ranks. I noticed he seemed to hit the deck rather easy when we played them, but I watched really carefully and he straight out flopped like 3 or 4 times I can remember. Also the AK take down of Nene' was pretty weak. Nene was off balance contesting the shot and AK drops his arm across Nene's neck and drags them both down. That's freaking dangerous. That guy is a bigger douche than John Edward.
Chuck's great at blocking shots ... below the shoulders. But you're right that contesting shots up high is a problem when Yao is out.
And the Nuggets don't scare anybody because they rely on isolation wing players getting hot. If Andersen and Smith don't have career nights then they probably lose that game. They are a team of Von Wafers.
Chuck's ability to strip the ball from players is uncanny. It gets me hyped every time I see it. His length is obviously a shortcoming though. I hate using "what ifs" but if Hayes was 6'9 or 6'10 and all else was roughly equal...
Let me rephrase that. They are a team of really good Von Wafers. I don't want anybody getting confused saying I'm comparing Carmelo to Wafer. I just mean they're chuckers who just stand around and dribble by themselves. Billups is really good though.
That's exactly my point. Everybody suspected and kind of knew we overachieved and were vulnerable. I sense that same vibe in Denver.
The 08-09 Denver Nuggets, a.k.a. Billups and The Thugs. I'm just playin but there is a certain amount of truth to it. Billups' intelligence can only compensate for so much. Denver has plenty of talent but too many players that lose focus or their temper. I can't see them doing more than getting to the 2nd round. Even that may not happen.
They had like 3 techs tonight. They simply don't scare me in the slightest. If Smith isn't feeling it then he is a liability. Carmelo is basically the same, he just has star status. They can be dangerous in spurts, but I don't fear them in a 7 game series.
Charles STILL thinks Utah is a elite team. Said the only teams that have a shot at beating the Lakers are the Nuggets,Spurs, and Jazz... and said that the Mavs have no shot at beating the Lakers...yet the Jazz do and the Jazz are only one game up on the Mavs right now. Are the Suns about 4 games behind the Jazz?
This is how I see series, if everyone plays their best, who wins? Now rarely does everfyone play their best in the playoffs. Also who has the best 8 players. If you lined denver up with houston, After yao, when is the next rocket? That's even debateable. The nuggets are a good team that make mental errors like tonight. They're kinda like the old adelman blazers in a way, but when they have it going, they have more going on than the rockets in my opinion.
The problem is you can count on the Nuggets to NOT put it together in the playoffs. Melo, K-Mart and Nene will disappear and Chauncey's recent playoff history (probably due to his age) isn't promising. The Nuggets will finish with the #2 seed but I'd bet anything they get knocked off before the WCFs. If they don't, the Lakers will have a guaranteed cakewalk into the Finals.
I don't disagree with you about them not being able to put it together in the playoffs, but if they have home court against the Rockets it's possible for them to beat us with their athleticism and depth.
Jazz have a pretty rough schedule remaining. It would be so sweet to see Phoenix barely edge them out.
I'd be content with the Jazz falling to 8 and take on the Lakers in round 1. I really think the Rockets are gonna be 4/5 and hope that a 1st round victory is followed by a roughed up Lakers team.
