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Pretty much every post we write from here out has some type of countdown to when training camp begins - so why break from that pattern? We are just eight days away from the start of Nuggets camp!
-When you review the injury history of Darrell Arthur, the one name that comes to mind is Kenyon Martin. That isn't to say that the two have had similar injuries, but they each have missed ample amounts of games due to injury. Consider that Arthur has appeared in 247 of a possible 410 regular season games in his five year career. The trouble spots? The 2009-10 season that was cut short (32 games played) due to a torn pectoral, missing the entire 2011-12 season with a torn Achilles, and then last season playing in just 59 games due to the Achilles recovery and also a stress fracture suffered in his left leg while playing some pickup basketball.
Nuggets fans all recall how Martin missed 203 regular season games in his seven year stint with the team. Some players are just unlucky with injuries and Arthur's follow suit. The pectoral, the Achilles and the stress fracture didn't have anything to do with one another, but they still happened. It would be fantastic if he were to have a healthy season, but the signing of J.J. Hickson makes more sense when you consider the injury history of Arthur.
-Aaron Lopez has a nice feature up on Timofey Mozgov that you can read - here. The big takeaway for me was the following quote:
"It was a hard decision to not go to the national team," he said. "I feel like I needed to skip it because I need a good season. It's an important season for me. I don't want to be so tired (from the Olympics) like last season. I was not ready. It was hard (not playing this summer), but it's what I need. It's good for my body, good for my mind."
Definitely not going to argue with Mozzy on this one. It's the Nuggets who are paying him to play and for him to respect the Nuggets commitment to him says a lot. He does need to have a good season and he could be pressed into a lot more action that he was used to last season. Moz will likely be the primary backup to JaVale McGee and might see anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes a night, depending on the game and situation. Hickson and even Arthur can play some center, but with what Brian Shaw may want to do - Moz needs to succeed and he's setting himself up to do just that.
-Shaquille O'Neal is now a part owner with the Sacramento Kings. Yep, he has purchased a stake in the team he once dubbed the "Queens". Will this mean he's moving on from his TNT gig? One thing is for sure, it sounds like he'll try to mentor the talented, but troubled center DeMarcus Cousins.
-Paul George is nearing a deal to sign an extension with the Pacers - five years and $90 million. The fine folks over at Indy Cornrows have tons of reaction to that deal. That's about on par with what we've seen from today's rising stars and George is certainly among them, with tons of room to grow.
-The Nuggets ranked No. 43 is some type of confusing poll on ESPN among all sports franchises. That puts them ahead of the Indians, Celtics, Clippers, Dodgers, and more. Check it out here and see if you can make any sense of it.