Alright, I haven't been this excited to watch Nuggets games in what seems like forever, but as I reflected, the Melo led team gave us some really great moments.
1. Melo's rookie year when we went from 17 wins to 43 and made the playoffs
2. GK taking over and our team going 25-4 and to make a late playoff push.
3. The Western Conference finals run. I still think we were the best team in the NBA that year. Call me a fan(atic), but that's my opinion.
However, after all that we have been through the past 2 seasons, this is a different feeling than all of those. Andrew said it best when he said that we finally have a team that seems to care more about winning than we do. I feel like I no longer have to will a team to play hard. I heard last night that we lost 10 games this season when we had a double digit lead. There is nothing worse than watching a team with so much talent give so little effort.
I think why I love watching this team play so much is that it gives me hope that we can win any type of game. I'm not dumb enough to think that we are going to win 22 straight or even make a championship run this year, but I do believe that what we've seen thus far makes me believe we can be scary. Here's why:
- A lineup of Felton, AAA, Gallodler (Gallo and Chandler are sort of interchangeable to me in a very good way), KMart, and Nene means that we can get a little nasty on D and play some eastern conference type ball (see Celtics game)
- Ty, JR, Gallodler, other Gallodler, and Nene can run up and down and score in bunches (Memphis game, I know we didn't have the Knicks guys then, but I think we can still play that style)
- Closers: I honestly think that AAA and Gallo are legit closers in this game. Sample size is small, but I think that they both have the moxie to man up in the moment and take the big shot. JR seems to have to idea of the moment which makes him a wild card down the stretch. All three seem to be able to create off the dribble and get to the line.
- The unknown: we still have no idea what Mozgov is going to bring. The sneaky, scary Russian who gets McDonald's married is fun to think about. It's not like the guy hasn't played though. He started 14 games with the Knickerbockers and I remember him playing very well in the world championships. Also, we don't what will happen with some money and draft picks. We will have cap space, a young core, and flexibility going forward.
Most importantly though, I feel like they give a damn. They are a talented team who is playing with a chip on the shoulder. It's like a bunch of talented Ryan Bowen's out there. Combine that with an ownership who seems to give a crap about us as fans (still can't believe they showed for Stiffs Night Out) and I am even more of a fan than before.
This stupid blog doesn't help that last sentence either. Damn you, blogosphere for taking up valuable work time!
The Rev., out.
