I'll be honest, team photos were a difficult find for this team.

A very underappreciated player in both cities.

Still keepin' the seat warm for The Anchorman.

The sun finally emerged in Denver today, Just in time for the Suns.

Pre-Game Thoughts: The Suns are a young and talented team with a bonafide star in Booker so it would be foolhardy to write them off (see also 76ers, Philadelphia). Six of the last nine teams they have faced have learned this the hard way. They can't shoot straight for the most part but all young & talented teams are unpredictable, which is something that Denver tends to not perform well against.

The Suns haven't won vs a quality oponant since December 17th which works in the Nuggets favor. That opponent, Minnesota, is 2-0 vs Denver this year which tells you at least that the Suns are capable of winning against very good teams.

They are lead by the Duo of Booker & Warren who combine to score 45 points per game. A lot is said about Warren being less than great due to his poor three point shooting. Guess what? He's not a three point shooter! Was DeRozan "trash" all of these years because he didn't take and make many threes? Of course not! Warren shoots nearly 50% from the field and 80% at the line so clearly he can shoot/score and obviously plays within himself. He's a very good Robin to Booker's Batman.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, They could use another superhero or two graduating from Professor X's academy (if I may piss off nerds everywhere by crossing comic book universes.) On most nights it takes an outstanding performance from both of them as well as some good fortune to win as they lack ready-made punch beyond that. Jackson, Bender, Chriss and perhaps Len all have the potential to be great but none of them are potent enough at this point to add much on a consistent basis.

Denver would have to be embarrassed by losing at home, vs the Embiidless Sixers, so I doubt they'll have much trouble dispatching the Suns tonight unLESS they have the same mindset as me which is entirely likely.

Go Nuggets!

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And now what none of you come here for; how about some basketball nerdery?!?!

(After these messages... Er Nicknames)

Phoenix Suns Roster

Coach: "Apparently" Jay Triano

Denver Nuggets Roster

Coach: Michael "Mr Imagination" Malone

Update: Millsap had successful left wrist surgery and is expected back some time around the all star break. Mudiay is improbable due to dog house (see also Faried, Kenneth) and Plumlee is playing through a twice dislocated finger for the Nuggets. As for Phoenix, Dudley is questionable with flu-like symptoms, House is questionable with a foot injury, Reed & Williams are both out with knee injuries, Knight is done for the year, or until Booker is no longer a Sun and Chandler is out due to being Old.

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Data: Open this link in a new tab for the definition of TPM™

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TPM™ Game 37 PHO

Jamal Murray: +3

Emmanuel Mudiay: +9

Monte Morris: N/A

Gary Harris: +31

Will Barton: +20

Malik Beasley: +14

Torrey Craig: -3

Wilson Chandler: +23

Juancho Hernangomez: N/A

Richard Jefferson: +0

Paul Millsap: N/A

Kenneth Faried: -3

Trey Lyles: +16

Darrell Arthur: N/A

Tyler Lydon: N/A

Nikola Jokic: +7

Mason Plumlee: +7

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Total TPM™ starting Game 1 vs. Uta

Jamal Murray: 37 Games +370

Emmanuel Mudiay: 31 Games +302

Monte Morris: 1 Game +1

Gary Harris: 34 Games +510

Will Barton: 36 Games +376

Malik Beasley: 32 Games +80

Torrey Craig: 10 Games -8

Wilson Chandler: 33 Games +256

Juancho Hernangomez: 16 Games -14

Richard Jefferson: 10 Games -2

Paul Millsap: 16 Games +173

Kenneth Faried: 26 Games +43

Trey Lyles: 31 Games +229

Darrell Arthur: 5 Games -14

Tyler Lydon: 1 Games -3

Nikola Jokic: 30 Games +435

Mason Plumlee: 37 Games +96

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Avg. TPM™ Per Game

Jamal Murray: +10.00

Emmanuel Mudiay: +9.74

Monte Morris: +1.00

Gary Harris: +15.00

Will Barton: +10.44

Malik Beasley: +2.50

Torrey Craig: -0.80

Wilson Chandler: +7.76

Juancho Hernangomez: -0.88

Richard Jefferson: -0.20

Paul Millsap: +10.81

Kenneth Faried: +1.65

Trey Lyles: +7.39

Darrell Arthur: -2.80

Tyler Lydon: -3.00

Nikola Jokic: +14.50

Mason Plumlee: +2.59

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TPM™ Per-Minute Splits Through Game 36:

*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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Qtr2- Faried's lack of defensive aptitude is causing his regression to the mean already. Craig hasn't had a good game since his first two in which he started and yet he's somehow ahead of Mudiay on the depth chart. It makes zero sense to me. Beasley, I get. As a result, this all bench unit that came out to start the 2nd is failing and PHO cuts it to 5 at 10:15. Barton is a good passer... For a 2 Guard... He's incapable of creating off the dribble for anyone but himself and equally inept at defending PG's. We (Malone) need(s) to keep that in mind. Is it ok to stop using the "we're winning" excuse now that we aren't? The lead is down to two at 8:22. PHO takes the lead at 7:50 and Malone has yet to make an adjustment in terms of personnel. Denver's PG-less lineup is predictably Iso at the moment. Jokic and Harris FINALLY check in at 7:11, down by two. Bender gets his 3rd foul and must (thankfully) sit at this point. His outside shooting has been impressive thus far. Big Honey FINALLY scores at 5:55. Plumlee's TPM stock is plummleting. It seems that he and Jokic are incapable of both being effective at any given moment as Jokic is finally starting to figure things out. Chandler is the 2nd Nugget in double digits. PHO leads by 4 at 2:27. To his credit, Malone makes a wise substitution, removing Plumlee and his 2 fouls and inserting Lyles at 1:45. PHO is getting anything they want on offense. Denver's defensive rotations to the arch are atrocious tonight. Harris' 28 points are the most in a half by any Nugget over the course of the last two seasons. Denver is paced in TPM by Chandler +11 & Harris +22 but trail at the half, 61-67.

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Halftime: Smoke break? Not tonight. Under the weather and the weather is under as well.

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Qtr3- A brilliant no look pass from Jokic to Chandler starts the scoring at 10:15. PHO is completely out of sorts and Denver takes the lead at 9:01. The Nuggets are equally disjointed but the difference at the moment is shooting. I don't want to jinx it but Big Honey could be looking at his first 3d of the season. That is as hard to believe as I type it as is the fact that it could occur on a night in which he started so poorly. Murray is the third Nugget in double figures and Denver leads by 3 at 6:15. PHO is ice cold now that they are no longer getting wide open threes vs the Nuggets 2nd unit. They are however pounding the offensive glass which is keeping them in the game. This is becoming a bit of a trend for Denver's opponents lately and the Suns are excellent at it. Denver leads by 5 at 3:15 on the strength of an 8-1 run. Bender is really shooting the ball well from distance tonight. Barton does not look well and kudos to him for gutting it out through illness but Mudiay should be in there for this one. I JUST SAW JOKIC HEDGE ON A SCREEN! Not only that but he followed it with a steal and delicious behind the back pass leading to a Beasley dunk! Denver is starting to look like an NBA squad. Jokic & Lyles are the fourth and fifth Nuggets in double digits. No players for either team are in any sort of serious foul trouble. Denver is paced in TPM by Jokic & Barton +10, Beasley +11, Chandler +18 & Harris +27 as they lead 98-85 after three.

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Qtr4- The Main thing that necessitates watching at this point is the Big Honey 3D watch. He has 14-9-8 at 8:45 as Denver leads by 15. He makes the worlds least graceful attempt at saving a ball from going out of bounds and slams his chin on the floor in his belly-floppery. Barton is redeeming himself nicely offensively but I see absolutely no reason he should be in there at this point with an illness when Murray is perfectly healthy, not to mention... Aw forget it. Beasley has played excellent ball tonight and I'm still baffled as to why he was ever removed from the rotation to begin with. The Denver lead is 14 at 7:07. Barton is the 6th Nugget in double digits at 4:41. Harris ties his career high 36 with a 4 point play and Denver leads by 21 at 4:00. Lyles has a 2D at 2:15. Jokic checks out at this time and with it, any intrigue remaining in the game but it's the correct call by Malone. You never want to chase stats in a blowout. Mudiay checks in and immediately assists on and then drills a three of his own. PLAY THIS MAN! Beasley makes seven Nuggets in double figures. Denver is paced in TPM by Beasley +14 Lyles +16, Barton +20 , Chandler +23 & Harris +31 and win going away, 134-111.

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Final Thoughts: The TPM pieces for Friday and Saturday will both be submitted in the wee hours of the AM and sans analysis unfortunately, as will also be the case on January 13th due to a busy schedule but I'll track all data. Good win for the Nuggets tonight, one they had no excuse to lose. Harris has taken over the team lead in TPM per game!

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The Nuggets Win!

Denver Nuggets Suns vs Nuggets coverage Bright Side Of The Sun