Denver Nuggets news and notes before tipoff

Today is an unofficial state holiday, Nuggets New Year.  Being that it is such a sacred day, many of Denver's best sports writers have been providing some interesting and insightful commentary on the NBA season ahead.  Here are some of the best news and notes from around the web.

• Chris Marlow went on Mile High Sports radio, AM 1340 to discus the Nuggets and their strategy of scouring Europe for NBA prospects.  It's an interesting talk and you can hear it below.
  
  
• It's been fun to read the Denver Post's Mark Kiszla talk about Emmanuel Mudiay.  Known for being a bit of a curmudgeon at times and a writer who tends to see the glass half empty, Kiz has been surprisngly positive about Mudiay.  This article has it's fair share of cynicism, including outright saying that Carmelo Anthony  at 19 was better than Mudiay at 19 (which is probably true), but Kiz also maps out a roadmap for Mudiay's career.  It's a good read.
  
  
• Chris Dempsey broke down each player on the Nuggets roster, giving breif glimpses of what to expect.  Dempsey is one of, if not the best Nuggets writers out there so it's an interesting read.  I think Stiffs will agree with most of it but this paragraph on JJ Hickson is a bit... disagreeable.
  
  
  "Hickson has lived out the bulk of his career as one of the most underappreciated players on any roster he has been on. This Nuggets team is no different. When given enough minutes, Hickson can be a double-double machine. But the numbers game in the Nuggets' frontcourt looks to limit his time."
  
• Our friends at Mile High Sports have a couple of good articles out today including Fred Drier's look at 5 stories he'll be following around the team this year.  4 of them are really interesting (I think you can guess which one I'm not counting, lol).
  
  
• Also at MHS, Michael Jaycox ranks the 7 best players on the Nuggets roster. This is sure to kick up some controversy! I agree with #1 and #2 but I think I differ after that. 
  
  
• Kevin Keller of BSN Denver asks "Can the Malone, Mudiay combo fix the Nuggets offense?"
  
• Lastly, I went on with Gil Whitley this afternoon to discuss the game tonight.  Quick interview and a quick listen!  Check it out.