"Denver has no choice but to battle, after devastating injury news"
Pre-Game Thoughts: The News of Paul Millsap's injury makes me sick to my stomach. This seems to always be the case; the Nuggets get a good thing going and a key power forward falls to a long term injury just as they start to get comfortable.
My fan-dom (better described as an obsession with Denver Nuggets basketball) began as a youth, in the English, Adams, Lever & Rasmussen days, but took off in earnest in when I was 13 and they drafted the man who would wind up being my all time favorite player, Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (then Chris Jackson) with the 3rd overall pick and my Nuggetry was solidified during the Mutombo era.
I was lucky enough as a 16 year old to attend every game against George Karl's Seattle Supersonics in the '94 playoffs, the first time an 8th seed ever defeated a #1 and I was immediately hooked. I continued through to attend all home games against the Utah Jazz in the playoffs that same year, was as euphoric as I have ever been when not in the company of a beautiful woman, on illicit mind-altering remedies or both, when I saw John Elway command center court and urge the fans and indeed the Nuggets on to victory and I have had season tickets or shared season tickets in many different years since until I had to stop attending games due to spinal issues.
One thing that has seemed to plague the franchise ever since my teenage, basketball Jones years has been injuries to key players at the 3-4-5 positions but eerily PF-centric in nature, are the injuries. From the Phonz, to Dice, to Nene, to K-Mart, to Gallo, to Ill-Will, invariably if the Nuggets are good and have a PF with a catchy nickname, he's toast. I finally understand why Kenneth ascribed a ridiculous nickname unto himself. We'll miss the Anchorman, but we'll keep his seat warm for what is hopefully a playoff run.
The ONLY silver linings to Sap's injury are that it is not a leg issue which could be the end for him at this stage in his career and it comes at the Nuggets deepest position.
Oh ya, they are also playing one of the top 3, certainly 5 teams in the entire league in the Houston Rockets tonight, on the road so that's fun. Houston gets to add CP3 to an already streaking team (won 8-10 & are tied with GS for 1st in the West). Nothing about this game says that the Nuggets have a prayer, which is precisely when most decent teams, not just Denver decide to turn it all the way up so I'm predicting a high scoring affair somewhere in the 117-114 range; Denver squeaks this one out behind Jokic's first 3d of the season, despite both Nene and Capella playing extremely well in what was lob city last year against Jokic even BEFORE the addition of CP3, Harden will for no reason at all struggle with his shot. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Denver Roster:
Will "The People's Champion" Barton,
Juancho "Ironically, No Room For A Nickname" Hernangomez
Richard "The Dragon Slayer" Jefferson
Kenneth "The Manimal" Faried
Trey "Bien" Lyles
Darrell "Darth" Arthur
Tyler "Not just Anunobody" Lydon
Nikola "Big Honey" Jokic
Mason "Plumdog Millionaire" Plumlee
Michael "Mr Imagination" Malone
Houston Roster:
Chris "I Wish He Wore #30 'Cause I'm A Dyslexic Star Wars Fan" Paul
"Superfluous" Demetrius Jackson
Trevor "Inbound Defense" Ariza
Luc Mbah a Moute "She's Mah Babay"
Chinanu Onuaku "Come On Ya Wanna Lay Me" (Wayne's World reference, for the younger nerds.)
Update: Millsap is out after wrist surgery (false report, he's still mulling his options, but out indefinitely. "Don't believe everything that you breathe"). Chandler is probable with a sore back. Michael Malone will return to coaching for the Nuggets. As for the Rockets, it appears they are "finally healthy" just as the Nuggets became unhealthy. Terrific. Amendment- Anderson and Gordon are out with unnamed maladies.
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Data: Open this link in a new tab for the definition of TPM™
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TPM™ Game 18 Hou
Jamal Murray: +1
Emmanuel Mudiay: -6
Monte Morris: N/A
Gary Harris: +2
Will Barton: +7
Malik Beasley: +9
Torrey Craig: N/A
Wilson Chandler: +0
Juancho Hernangomez: +3
Richard Jefferson: N/A
Paul Millsap: N/A
Kenneth Faried: N/A
Trey Lyles: -5
Darrell Arthur: N/A
Tyler Lydon: N/A
Nikola Jokic: +7
Mason Plumlee -2
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Total TPM™ starting Game 1 vs. Uta
Jamal Murray: 18 Games +175
Emmanuel Mudiay: 18 Games +212
Monte Morris: 0 Games +0
Gary Harris: 16 Games +196
Will Barton: 18 Games +174
Malik Beasley: 17 Games +32
Torrey Craig: 0 Games +0
Wilson Chandler: 17 Games +101
Juancho Hernangomez: 7 Games -6
Richard Jefferson: 5 Games -7
Paul Millsap: 16 Games +173
Kenneth Faried: 15 Games +37
Trey Lyles: 13 Games +28
Darrell Arthur: 2 Games -4
Tyler Lydon: 1 Games -3
Nikola Jokic: 18 Games +261
Mason Plumlee: 18 Games +43
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Avg. TPM™ Per Game
Jamal Murray: +9.72
Emmanuel Mudiay: +11.78
Monte Morris: N/A
Gary Harris: +12.25
Will Barton: +9.67
Malik Beasley: +1.88
Torrey Craig: N/A
Wilson Chandler: +5.94
Juancho Hernangomez: -0.86
Richard Jefferson: -1.40
Paul Millsap: +10.81
Kenneth Faried: +2.47
Trey Lyles: +2.15
Darrell Arthur: -2.00
Tyler Lydon: -3.00
Nikola Jokic: +14.50
Mason Plumlee: +2.39
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TPM™ Per-Minute Splits Through Game 17:
*Credit DomP on the Spreadsheet. It's as if my (nerdy) baby (TPM™) learned to speak
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Analysis:
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Qtr1- The Nuggets insert Barton into the starting unit and slide Chandler over to the 4 which I believe is the correct call. Houston counters with a profoundly frightening starting unit of CP3, Harden, Ariza, Tucker & Capella. Their bench is perhaps the scariest in the NBA as well but thankfully less so with the absences of Anderson and Gordon, shortening their rotation. Ally is pretty in pink tonight. Shockingly, the entire first 2 minutes pass with no scoring for either squad. Jokic is the first to score at 9:30. HOU leads 6-4 after 7:00. Everyone for both teams are getting good shots, just not sticking them. Barton is ice cold thus far, and not moving the ball. Sudden linchpin Chander nabs his 2nd at 6:29 & is replaced by Lyles as opposed to Faried. I like it! At some point Murray picked up his 2nd and I missed it. He's replaced by Mudiay at this time as well. None of my pre-game predictions look to be likely factoring in this one. Houston takes a 22-10 lead on the strength of an 11-2 run and Denver looks awful tonight. Plumlee comes in for Big Honey at 4:08. Nene apparently started using "Just for Men". He's one of my all time favorite Nuggets; likely third behind the aforementioned Abdul-Rauf and Rodney Rodgers. Ok, my Nene prediction is true so far. I'm surprised we haven't seen Faried or Juancho thus far but I suspect they'll start the 2nd. Plumlee just shot a three! We're fucked! Juancho is in at 1:11. HOU is P&R-ing Denver to death and has a 19 point lead at :45. The Nuggets are pathetically paced in TPM by Chandler +1 and all other Nuggets who have played are in the negative! Seriously ugly basketball. HOU leads after one, 36-17
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Qtr2- Still no Faried. I speculate he may have had a bad reaction to Malone informing him he wouldn't start, after it was Kenneth who presented Wes Unseld with the game ball in the last one (not because of this mind you, it's just included for context);This is pure conjecture but something to think about. Denver looks like the worst defensive team in the league against HOU sans Millsap. They are pathetic against two P&R maestros like CP3 & the Beard. HOU extends it's lead to 25 at 8:51. Big Honey is down and in pain! He looks to have rolled his ankle. Just what they needed! He's heads to the locker room, but is persuaded by the trainer to go to the bench instead. I have no idea how to speculate upon that. Thanksgiving dinner is starting to sound pretty good right about now. Hey if the Nuggets can check out, why can't I? Jokic is the first Nugget in double figures btw. Juancho is looking much better defensively tonight than he has to date. Jokic did in fact enter the locker room on the break, but seemed not to have a limp at least. Murray gets his third foul on a CP three attempt, and is replaced by Mudiay. On any given possession, HOU has the ability to get all 5 Nuggets to guard the exact man they wish them to. Harris is the 2nd Nugget in double digits. Can anyone recall the last time Mudiay had a decent 1st half? He is completely out of sorts yet again tonight. Jokic is back on the bench. Good to see. Ok, my Capella prediction now applies. Jokic checks in and we can all breathe a sigh of relief on that front at least. If HOU avoids injury and doesn't run out of gas, they are my pick to win it all this year. I've seen enough. Denver is paced by Harris +4 & Jokic +5 TPM and all other Nuggets who have played are still in the negative, as HOU has already won, 75-40 at the half.
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Halftime: Smoke break? Going for the triple smoke. This team is going to kill me!
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Qtr3- Jokic opens the half with a three. HOU seems utterly disinterested but for the most part Denver is not capitalizing. With that being said, they have the first 10 points of the QTR forcing the Rockets to call a time out. My Jokic prediction may be in play after all and Harden is shooting 50% so all but the outcome could actually come to fruition. Houston's lead is cut to 25 at 8:55. "Chris Andersen is also known as Burdmen" -Ally. Jokic's chin viciously hacks Nene's elbow in the process of shooting, Nene makes one of two at the line and the Rockets drought is over at 8:00. Hou is now picking up the D finally and forcing Denver into iso; never good. Barton is finally contributing and in fact carrying the team on both ends at the moment. The Nuggets are in the bonus at 4:55 & Barton is the third Nugget in double figures. Barton is going hero-ball predictably and Ariza who is guarding him, is taking it personally and trading Barton bricks for made threes in the flow of the offense on the other end. Nene picks up his 4th foul at :35 to go along with Ariza's 4th seconds earlier. Denver is paced by Jokic +7 & Barton +9 (but hey, three other Nuggets are no longer in the red) and still trail big, 101-67 after three.
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Qtr4- Recycling time players are now trickling in from both sides as the 4th starts. You'll forgive me if my analysis isn't at it's peak during this shit show of a game's 4th QTR, no? Apparently there are palm trees in HOU; I had no idear. I'm not quite sure why C3PO (the answer to his above nickname for those of you who failed to grasp that) and Ariza are still in at 9:00. I think we can officially call this Lyles' first negative contribution on the year, in a night of little but. Malone calls a timeout at 8:13, I reckon as a means to encourage HOU to take out their two starters in this 47 point game. I realize they would like CP3 to get his feet under him after his absence, but this is still borderline classless, and there is NO reason for Ariza, the star of the game to still be in. Malone's invitation was accepted, so I'll step off of my soapbox. I'll say it again as I've pointed out his deficiencies in the area often, Juancho's D looks relatively sound tonight. I believe that I and a select few were correct in saying that Denver should have gone after coach Pringles when he was available. Pupkin pie won the poll which is utter bullshit. The obvious answer is Cherry. Lyles is starting to redeem himself nicely in amongst the scrubs. Denver is paced in TPM by Barton & Jokic +7, Beasley +9 and loose in a knee hauling, 125-90.
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Final Thoughts: I retire as a predictor of things.
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