While I wish him a speedy recovery, The Nuggets should count themselves as exceedingly fortunate that Anthony Davis is out of action tonight.

Dammit! I was looking forward to this showdown!

Keepin' the seat warm for Barton, who seems to be in a best case time-frame in terms of returning from an injury that required surgery. He should be back in the lineup by around December 15th.

Nuggets vs New Orleans: Low-Brow / wing in a sling.

I'm not gonna lie, this game became substantially less interesting with the news that perhaps the most sought after, if not the greatest player in today's NBA will not be suiting up. I've always questioned that phrase... suiting up. I mean, he will be amongst the very few players likely adorned in a suit while most everyone else wears tank tops and shorts. I digress. Yes, it was going to be an intriguing match-up of big men between AD and Big Honey but as they say in NOLA, Ce'est la vie.

When last these two teams squared off... I've got nothing as my piece from all the way back in game 29 of last season was inexplicably and unceremoniously deleted and SBnation had trouble piecing it's fragments back together for me. As they say in Nola, les chiens baisent le pape, pas de faute de ma part.

Denver without question enjoyed double digit TPM performances from players, led by individuals, no doubt. Certain players were likely in the red, led by Torrey Craig (I'm assuming) and the Nuggets either won or lost. No way of knowing really.

As for this game, Nicola Mirotic is off to a career-best start and sans The Brow and Elfrid Payton, Denver has to be on the lookout for Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle in the P&R, in what has all of a sudden emerged as a trap game for the well-rested Nuggets, vs an otherwise worthy opponent.

Normally I've more to say and I hate to disappoint but I'm getting to this late, as I've been working to publish/promote my new music video today. It's my recording of the song "Thirteen" by Big Star (you're likely more familiar with the version by Elliot Smith.) Please feel free to check out my version at this link if you are so inclined.

Prediction: Denver 117 -New Orleans 105

Go Nuggets!

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If you are viewing the pre-game version of the TPM piece; and you enjoy Gonzo-basketball reporting, I invite you to please join me after the game where the same link will lead you to the post game version. In it, all of the disjointed/unsightly blanks below will be filled, complete with data/analysis and more snark than "Snarknado VI: Snakenado", which I'm told is about a pessimistic, albino, black mamba who emerges from micro-bursts to torment the people of Los Angeles with shady tweets.

There be monsters; shameless, personal plug alert! (by permission of Denver Stiffs): If you are in the market for clothing, featuring the four major Denver sports franchises as well as CU, please open this link in a new tab to see if there is anything you are interested in. You don't have to order from the link of course if you are in the Denver Metro area, as I'm more than happy to meet up with you (please refrain from bringing rotten tomatoes), drastically lowering the cost, as Poshmark takes a healthy cut as well as shipping & handling. Thanks in advance!

Unique, hard to find, one of a kind and custom gear of your favorite team

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

(After these messages... Er Nicknames)

New Orleans Pelicans Roster

Denver Nuggets Roster

Update:MPJ and I.T. are sleeping on Ice, awaiting intel as to when their services will be required. Rookie Jared Vanderbilt will have to wait to make his rookie debut until long after R.O.Y. candidate Thomas Welsh, as he recovers from an actual injury. Finally, Barton had successful surgery on his abductor and hip. He will be evaluated for return in mid-December. As for Nola, Le Brow est sorti avec un mauvais arc, Randle a un fasciite plantaire mais devrait jouer et Miller a un boo boo. I'll eventually stop that, I promise, but for now Pavlov's dog/OCD win the day.

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

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TPM™ Game 6 NOLA

Jamal Murray: +17

Isaiah Thomas: N/A

Monte Morris: +7

Gary Harris: +23

Malik Beasley: +11

Torrey Craig: -1

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell: N/A

Will Barton: N/A

Juancho Hernangomez: +3

Michael Porter Jr.: N/A

Jared Vanderbilt: N/A

Paul Millsap: +9

Trey Lyles: +13

Tyler Lydon: N/A

Nikola Jokic: +19

Mason Plumlee: -2

Thomas Welsh: N/A

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Total TPM™

Jamal Murray: 6 games +97

Isaiah Thomas: 0 games +0

Monte Morris: 6 games +81

Gary Harris: 6 games +110

Malik Beasley: 6 games +18

Torrey Craig: 5 games -14

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell: 1 games +1

Will Barton: 2 games +33

Juancho Hernangomez: 6 games -2

Michael Porter Jr.: 0 games +0

Jared Vanderbilt: 0 games +0

Paul Millsap: 6 games +41

Trey Lyles: 6 games +45

Tyler Lydon: 2 games +2

Nikola Jokic: 6 games +134

Mason Plumlee: 6 games +33

Thomas Welsh: 3 games -1

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Avg. TPM™ Per Game

Jamal Murray: +16.17

Isaiah Thomas: N/A

Monte Morris: +13.50

Gary Harris: +18.33

Malik Beasley:+3.00

Torrey Craig: -2.80

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell: 1.00

Will Barton: +16.50

Juancho Hernangomez: -0.33

Michael Porter Jr.: N/A

Jared Vanderbilt: N/A

Paul Millsap: +6.83

Trey Lyles:+7.50

Tyler Lydon: +1.00

Nikola Jokic: +22.33

Mason Plumlee: +5.55

Thomas Welsh: -0.33

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TPM™ Per-Minute Splits Through Game 5:

*Credit DomP on the Spreadsheet. It's as if my (nerdy) baby (TPM™) learned to speak

Analysis:

Qtr1- The Nuggets trot out their injury-replacement starting five, consisting of The Blue Arrow, Just Gary Harris, Torrey FUCKING Craig, The Anchorman & Big Honey. The Pels counter with Moore, Holiday, Mirotic, Hill & Okafor. Interestingly, 6'7 Millsap jumps center for the Nuggets. This hearkens back to a 6th-8th grade Patrick Rasmussen, plucky PG in the Denver catholic school circuit who took the opening tip for his team. Murray is hot out of the gate with the first five points for Denver. The score however is 9-7 NOLA as they head into the initial break of the game at 6:35. As feared, Denver appears to be sluggish, perhaps looking past an injury depleted Pelicans squad.

Somebody needs to remind them that New Orleans still has some excellent players with pride and that this is the NBA, which stands for "no bitch-ass taking games off!" OK, that might have been non-poetic license. The lead is up to four as they backslide into the second break at 5:05. Juancho, Lyles and Morris are in at this point. Plumlee is next to enter at 3:15, now down six. Murray's shooting aside, this is some seriously ugly offense being exhibited by the good guys tonight. Holiday earns his 2nd foul with under two minutes to play. The Nuggets are paced in TPM by Lyles +5, as they trail 24-20 after one.

Qtr2- The Blue Arrow is the first Nugget to top double figures in scoring as he drains a three, bringing Denver to within one. Monte's stroke is starting to look true more often than not from distance. He sticks a three and it's knotted up at 26 with 9:45 to go. Beasley finally checks in at 9:24. As order is slowly restored for the Nuggets, Lyles is showing himself to be a bright spot in this one. The spacing has been an issue nearly every time down the floor for the Nuggets. The Pepsi Center crowd is as quiet as Denver's offense. Denver finally takes a lead at 6:55, on the strength of Trey Lyles' excellent play which is obviously a welcome change.

The Nuggets bench has outplayed the starting unit by a substantial margin thus-far. Trey is the 2nd Nugget to reach double digits. Beasley looks fantastic defensively and there is no doubt in my mind that he and Juancho need to be eating into Craig's minutes, entirely so. Holiday nabs his third foul but remains in the game at 3:45. Absolutely absurd, circus-layup by Randle. He was entirely in control of his body as he was fouled and flung it up and in. Very impressive indeed! Two straight from distance for Denver and they all of a sudden have a 10 point lead. Beasley's 3&D style has been the catalyst for the renaissance. The Blue Arrow has a high-degree-of-difficulty drive of his own for the Nuggets as he is fouled, creating a three point play, ABA style. Denver is paced in TPM by Harris +10, Murray +12 & Lyles/Jokic +14 as they lead 58-45 at the half.

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Qtr3- The Nuggets are switching everything on the perimeter which makes sense vs the undermanned Pels. Beasley is being rewarded for his first half play and he enters extremely early, at 10:07. Obviously, I'm in favor of the move. I stand by my statement that he is the superior defender between he and Craig and is the demonstrably better scorer. 'Sap looks every bit the elite defender that Denver rewarded with the large pay-day, two off-seasons ago. It's nice to see him finally healthy and getting used to his teammates. He and Jokic become the fourth and fifth Nuggets to eclipse double figures in scoring as Denver pushes the spread to 17 at 8:11. Beasley just looks like the correct fit and I expect to hear his name announced as the starter when next this team plays.

Big Honey is officially on 3D watch with a line of 10-7-7, though he may not play much, if at all in the fourth. Holiday picks up his 4th foul and again remains in at 5:48. Harris joins four Denver teammates in double digits and the lead is 15 at 4:10. There is no other way to put it; Jokic looks lazy/disinterested on the defensive end of the court tonight. The lead is down to 12 on the strength of a 14-4 run by NOLA. Mon coeur a brisé. I'm noticing that I have a preternatural, hypnotic reaction to the term NOLA. Je ne parle même pas français! Denver is paced in TPM by Harris +11, Jokic +12, Murray +15 & Lyles+16 as they lead 84-76 after three.

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Qtr4- The Nuggets would be wise to rest the starters if at all possible in the fourth with a hectic schedule looming this week. Mirotic is having a tough outing from the floor tonight. I couldn't possibly exaggerate the effect Beasley has had on this game. He just looks like a complete player and a tremendous athlete, especially in comparison to Craig. I know it sounds like I'm picking on Torrey and I'm not trying to, the differential is simply that stark. I'm not helping am I? Incredibly, the lead is down to just four at 8:45 and there will be no rest for the wicked on this unseasonably warm evening in the Mile High City. Lyles has regressed mightily in the second half. Harris is asserting himself and the lead is back up to 9 at 6:49. The good news is that Jokic is now likely to get another 3D but I'd venture to say it'd likely be the least impressive of such, in his brief career. He checks back in at this juncture. Harris is one of those players that just has this dream-like levitation, as he contorts in his acrobatic layup attempts. Don't get this statement twisted but it's reminiscent of Air Jordan. I'll see myself out. The lead is just two as the listless Nuggets are doing all they can to deftly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, not to take anything away from the feisty Pels.

Big Honey's lackluster D is seeping into his offensive game and I have to wonder if he may be under the weather or something. Perhaps he contracted the bird flu? Holiday gets his fifth foul at 4:40 and surprisingly, this could wind up being huge. Beasley was due after missing several jumpers, he drills a spot up three from Jokic and the lead is five at 3:31, as he is now the sixth Nugget to reach double figures. Jokic is one dime and one board away from a ho-hum 3d. He's 2/3rds of the way there with 10-9-10 at 2:40, while Denver nurses a nine point lead. The Nuggets, in particular Harris picks up the D, resulting in two straight steals vs NOLA. C'est plus comme ça. Mirotic is now as hot as he was cold previously in this game and two straight threes cut it to three. 'Sap sinks two at the line with :45 to go, followed by yet another fourth quarter steal by Harris, which should pretty much ice this one but the second half was nervous time essentially throughout. Holiday finally fouls out for good measure. Jokic falls one board shy of a 3D which frankly, he didn't really deserve (not that those statistics share any correlation with my assessment in body language.) Denver is paced in TPM by Beasley +11, Lyles +13, Murray +17 Jokic +19 & Harris +23 as they win 116-111, vs the game, New Orleans Pelicans. It's no wonder why they are off to the hot start when you plug Anthony Davis into this arsenal.

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Final Thoughts: Let the Beasley era in Denver commence, in earnest. Harris was absolutely the team MVP tonight. The team dun made my ass work in the fourth. That's the NBA for ya; "never bitch asshole." Pardon my french. Baring a last second heave from 50 feet by Jackson, I'd have been off by just one point for each team on my prediction. Jokic has gone down in TPM following each game since his historic "-perfect 3d." Lyles has got to gain consistency. Perhaps he should follow Harris around chanting "I'll have what he's having" at every encounter.

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The Nuggets Win!

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