Golden Nuggets: Nuggets limp into All-Star break

This will be a relatively short Golden Nuggets as I'm currently on the road in Alabama.

After a 1-3 road trip, the Nuggets will have a five day break (until February 19th) when they play the Boston Celtics at the Pepsi Center. While the Nuggets suffered three disappointing losses at the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets, it's difficult for me to feel too upset with them. Call it excuse making if you like, I don't care. The team was minus Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Andre Iguodala for the game at Toronto, and were without Iguodala and Gallinari again at the Brooklyn Nets, and pushed a battle-tested Celtics team to triple overtime at home even after losing Iguodala early (also on the second night of a back to back after their road victory at Cleveland).

While I am still concerned that the Nuggets may not be able to rise above a sub-par road record, they are still tied for the third best home record in the league, behind just the Miami Heat (23-3), Oklahoma City Thunder (23-3) and San Antonio Spurs (22-2). As long as the Nuggets continue their winning ways at home, they should be able to secure home court advantage in the playoffs.

Daily Links

Rose may sit entire season - In what must be a blow to a Chicago team and fanbase with high hopes for superstar point Derrick Rose's eventual return, it appears more and more likely that he will not provide much if any help to the Bulls this year.

Hedo Turkoglu banned 20 games for positive steroid test - Hedo joins another Magic player (Rashard Lewis) to be suspended in the last four years for taking banned substances. Sure to be a "disappointment" to a struggling Magic team, Hedo will essentially miss the remainder of the season as the Magic continue their tanking.

"Just a matter of time", says Mike Brown of Lakers success - Is Mike Brown delusional, or just trying to get back into the good graces of the Lakers organization?