There should be no Ill Wil in this one...

Denver can expect a steady diet of Galo however.

They'll be a fun team to watch once Chandler is healthy and props to Balmer for spitting on the notion of tanking!

The band is NEARLY back together! Harris may not start and will be on restricted minutes but the only players who are currently inactive due to injury are Trey Lyles and MPJ. Denver is healthier than they have been at any point in this season, just in time for a brutal second half schedule.

Nuggets vs Clippers IV: Battle between best bench ballers.

Or:

Jamychal "Green is the Colour."

When last these two teams squared off in game 40 of this season the Nuggets (lap) enjoyed double figure TPM contributions from five players led by Mason Plumlee: +25. Only Trey Lyles: -7 was in the red for that match-up as the Nuggets won in impressive fashion, by a final score of 121-100.


This season, as with that game, the (at the time) best bench in the NBA put the Nuggets to the test by making hockey line-changes to wear down the depleted Denver dudes. Not so this evening, as the Nuggets are healthier than they have been all season long with the returns of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Paul Millsap and Isaiah Thomas. Green is now the color of your kind, non-Nuggets fans.

As for this game, while the battle of the benches is the most intriguing aspect of this afternoon's game, The outcome should most likely hinge on who's starters reign supreme. In Denver's first game after the All-Star break vs Dallas, the Nuggets had the luxury of bringing Monte Morris, IT, Harris and Plumlee off the bench. These are four players who would all start for the majority of teams in the NBA. The Clippers meanwhile, have Lou, Harrell, Green & Temple amongst their formidable bench squad. Harrell is a Jokic-anti-venum but notable in absence is the other Nugget killer Boban Marjanovic, since jettisoned to Philly.

The aforementioned starting five however, is where Denver has a decided advantage as the Nuggets, on paper at least, win the positional battle at all five spots. An argument can be made I suppose that Galo for what he provides his team, is as good or better than Millsap but I think that argument in reverse is more compelling in favor of The Anchorman as the Nuggets go from being a very bad defensive team to an above average team defensively with his mere inclusion, while also increasing incrementally on the other end. Add to this that since his return from the second (ankle) injury, he's looked as fresh as at any point in his Nuggets tenure so it may have actually been a blessing in disguise which allowed his still broken toe to hear.

Here are some numbers you can use:

LA gives up 113.7 PPG by their opponents on average, to Denver's 107.0

The Clippers average 114.2 PPG offensively to the Nuggets 112.0

This results in a net rating for LA of +0.6 and +5.0 for Denver

LA is 17-15 on the road while Denver is an NBA best 25-4 in the friendly confines of The Pepsi Can.

In terms of conference record, the Clippers are 21-18 to the Nuggets 25-10 mark which is important only in as much as understanding the strength of schedule involved as the Western Conference has been as much as ever, the stiffer competition.

Denver of course is 2nd in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games behind the Warriors while LA currently resides in 8th place in the Western Conference, 9.5 games out.

When it comes to the other meaningful statistical box-score production the comparison is as follows:

(team with advantage in bold)
LAC: RPG 45.2 APG 23.3 SPG 6.5 BPG 4.8 FG% 47.2 FT% 79.2 3% 38.6

DEN: RPG 46.6 APG 27.7 SPG 7.8 BPG 4.5 FG% 47.0 FT% 75.6 3% 35.5

The numbers on whole favor the Nuggets but as anyone who reads my piece knows, I don't believe any statistic or even a complex, predictive conglomeration of statistics are nearly as accurate in indicating actual results as are the unquantifiable variables of "Mo & flow™" momentum and the ability to find the zone.

To that end, The Nuggets have won 14 of their last 20 & 7 of their last 10 games, while the Clippers have been victorious in 9 of their last 20 & 5 of their last 10.

For this young Nuggets group, (fourth youngest in the NBA; they were the youngest at the start of the season but tank-moves made by CHI/NY/PHO have rendered them younger, since) individual consistency is simply not a thing so it's more difficult to predict how a player will contribute based upon trends; particularly so as the starters begin filtering back from injury and roles are altered/redefined in the coming games. Jokic has been consistently good but in different ways seemingly every night.

Having said that, Big Honey is a legit MVP candidate and an emerging superstar, while Murray is coming into his own as Robin to The Joker's Batman (I'm not certain how that works either) while Millsap/Harris provide secondary options when things get problematic on offense; simultaneously carrying the bulk of the defensive burden and Barton is the much needed secondary ball handler/play-maker for when things go awry; a natural scorer/creator and the Nuggets boast one of the deepest benches in the league, even without Lyles and MPJ.

There are of course many other variables at play including match-ups; styles make fights. For example, the Combination of Boban and Harrell as well as the pestery of Gortat (who got Jokic ejected from a game earlier this year) give Jokic all he can handle defensively but with Boban/Gortat gone and Jokic emerging as a legit MVP/All-NBA player, there is no reason to believe he won't be his usual dominant self tonight. I see a low scoring 3D coming tonight from Big Honey but with gaudy rebound/assist totals.

Prediction: Denver (lap ) 119 - Clippers 105 as the two teams close out their season series with Denver getting the better of it 3-1

______________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Also, my DIY music production and videos can be heard/seen here if you don't value your ear-balls & eye-drums.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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

(After these messages... Er Nicknames)

LA Clippers Roster

NO	Name	POS	Age	HT	WT	College	Salary
21	Patrick "The Gatekeeper" Beverley	PG	30	6' 1"	185 lbs	Arkansas	$5,027,028
11	"Savory" Avery Bradley	SG	27	6' 2"	180 lbs	Texas	$12,000,000
31	Angel "El Diablo" Delgado	C	23	6' 10"	245 lbs	Seton Hall	G-Money
8	Danilo "Gallo" Gallinari	SF	30	6' 10"	225 lbs	Viva Italia	$21,587,579
2	"Gregarious, Yet Shy" Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	PG	20	6' 6"	181 lbs	Kentucky	$3,375,360
13	Marcin "Marcin, Marcin" Gortat	C	34	6' 11"	240 lbs	Mars	$13,565,218
5	Montrezl "The Silent L-Sassin" Harrell	PF	24	6' 8"	240 lbs	Louisville	$6,000,000
34	Tobias "Never-Nude" Harris	SF	26	6' 9"	235 lbs	Tennessee	$14,800,000
51	Boban "Todd" Marjanovic	C	30	7' 3"	290 lbs	Lilliput	$7,000,000
12	Luc Mbah a Moute "She's Ma' Babay"	PF	31	6' 8"	230 lbs	UCLA	$4,320,500
15	Johnathan "Ozo" Motley	PF	23	6' 10"	230 lbs	Baylor	G-Money
10	"Mama Don't Take My Kodachrome" Jerome Robinson	SG	21	6' 5"	190 lbs	Boston College	$3,046,200
30	Mike "That's What She Said" Scott	PF	30	6' 8"	237 lbs	Virginia	$4,320,500
4	Milos "The Foreman" Teodosic	PG	31	6' 5"	196 lbs	Cyrillja	$6,300,000
0	"Bob Sagat Presents: The Aristocrat" Sindarius Thornwell	SG	23	6' 5"	215 lbs	South Carolina	$1,378,242
9	Tyrone "Marcellus" Wallace	SG	24	6' 5"	198 lbs	California	$1,349,383
23	"Free Throwin" Lou Williams	SG	31	6' 1"	175 lbs	Parts Unknown	$8,000,000

Denver Nuggets Roster

NO	Name	POS	Age	HT	WT	College	Salary
5	Will "The People's Champion" Barton	SG	27	6' 6"	190 lbs	Memphis	$11,830,358
25	"Mutant" Malik Beasley	SG	22	6' 5"	195 lbs	Florida State	$1,773,840
3	Torrey "FUCKING" Craig	SF	27	6' 7"	215 lbs	USC Upstate	$2,000,000
2	Brandon "Hopefully Contributes To Many The" Goodwin	PG	23	6' 2"	180 lbs	Florida Gulf Coast	$630,032
14	"Just" Gary Harris	SG	24	6' 4"	210 lbs	Michigan State	$16,517,857
41	Juancho "The Mouthful" Hernangomez	PF	23	6' 9"	230 lbs	Espana	$2,166,360
15	Nikola "Big Honey" Jokic (AKA The Joker)	C	23	7' 0"	250 lbs	Gotham	$24,605,181
20	Tyler "Not just Anunobody" Lydon	PF	22	6' 10"	225 lbs	Syracuse	$1,874,640
7	Trey "The Swiss Army Spork" Lyles	PF	23	6' 10"	234 lbs	Kentucky	$3,364,249
4	Paul "The Anchorman" Millsap	PF	33	6' 8"	246 lbs	Louisiana Tech	$29,230,769
11	Monte "Ratio" Morris	PG	23	6' 3"	175 lbs	Iowa State	$1,349,383
27	Jamal "The Blue Arrow" Murray	PG	21	6' 4"	207 lbs	Kentucky	$3,499,800
24	Mason "Plumdog Millionaire" Plumlee	PF	28	6' 11"	235 lbs	Duke	$12,917,808
1	Michael "The Sleeper Cell" Porter Jr.	PF	20	6' 10"	210 lbs	Missouri	$2,894,160
0	Isaiah "Ice" Thomas	PG	29	5' 9"	185 lbs	Washington	$1,512,601
8	Jarred "The Amalgamated Version Of A Dude I Once Bought Weed From On Haight Ashbury" Vanderbilt	PF	19	6' 9"	214 lbs	Kentucky	$838,464
45	Thomas "Irvine" Welsh	C	22	7' 0"	255 lbs	UCLA	G-Money

Update: MPJ is still waiting to make his Denver Nuggets/pro debut as he rehabs from multiple back surgeries. Lyles is out with a Hammy. Wow! That was short! As for the Clippers, Ill Wil is still out, nursing a quad injury while Luc is out with a knee injury of his own.

Re-up: Yes I'm aware that trades have been made and the above roster for the opposing team is inaccurate. Hopefully you are aware that the fan-post format isn't equipped to make adjustments to the above template so it often results in entire pieces being destroyed and or hours of work being lost. Simply put, it's not worth the additional effort/risk to change once the Nuggets have faced an opponent once. No disrespect intended. Tune in next season and I assure you the first time Denver plays your team, the roster will be up to date :)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Data:

TPM™ Game 59 LAC

Nikola Jokic: +22

Jamal Murray: +21

Gary Harris: +14

Isaiah Thomas: +16

Monte Morris: +18

Paul Millsap: +19

Mason Plumlee: +14

Will Barton: +6

Malik Beasley: +9

Juancho: -1

Jared Vanderbilt: +2

Tyler Lydon: +0

Torrey Craig: +4

Thomas Welsh: G-league

Brandon Goodwin: G-league

Trey Lyles: Injured

Michael Porter Jr.: Injured

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Total TPM™

Nikola Jokic: 58 games +1338

Jamal Murray: 53 games +898

Gary Harris: 34 games +471

Isaiah Thomas: 3 games +37

Monte Morris: 59 games +723

Paul Millsap: 47 games +436

Mason Plumlee: 59 games +500

Will Barton: 20 games +163

Malik Beasley: 59 games +468

Juancho: 56 games +16

Jared Vanderbilt: 5 games +12

Tyler Lydon: 23 games -2

Torrey Craig: 55 games -12

Thomas Welsh: 9 games +18

Brandon Goodwin: 16 games +28

Trey Lyles: 55 games +303

Michael Porter Jr.: 0 games +0

Nick Young: 3 games -2

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell: 6 games +5

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Avg. TPM™ Per Game

Nikola Jokic: +23.07

Jamal Murray: +16.94

Gary Harris: +13.85

Isaiah Thomas:+12.33

Monte Morris: +12.25

Paul Millsap: +9.28

Mason Plumlee: +8.47

Will Barton: +8.15

Malik Beasley: +7.93

Juancho: +0.29

Jared Vanderbilt: +2.40

Tyler Lydon: -0.09

Torrey Craig: -0.22

Thomas Welsh: +2.00

Brandon Goodwin: +1.75

Trey Lyles: +5.70

Michael Porter Jr.: N/A

Nick Young: -0.67

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell: +0.83

__________________________________________________________________________________________

TPM™ Per-Minute Splits Through Game 57:

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

Qtr1- The Nuggets go with their 14th iteration of the starting five, consisting of Murray, Beasley, Barton, Millsap & Jokic. The Clippers counter with Beverly, Shamet, Alexander, Galo & Zubac.

Data only tonight as these day games fuck my shit up and I'm in the middle of an artistic endeavor that I don't care to lose momentum on at the moment. All Apologies. The Data shall remain sounds and I'll return to providing in-game analysis on Tuesday.

Denver is paced in TPM by Nikola Jokic: +11 and lead 34-27 after one.

Nikola Jokic: +11 Jamal Murray: + Gary Harris: +3 Monte Morris: +1 Isaiah Thomas: +2 Paul Millsap: +4 Will Barton: +2 Mason Plumlee: -1 Malik Beasley: +3 Juancho: N/A Torrey Craig: N/A Jared Vanderbilt: N/A Tyler Lydon: N/A

Qtr2- The

Denver is paced in TPM by Nikola Jokic: +19 as they lead 64-56 at the half.

Nikola Jokic: +19 Jamal Murray: +13 Gary Harris: +4 Monte Morris: +6 Isaiah Thomas: +4 Paul Millsap: +6 Will Barton: +5 Mason Plumlee: -2 Malik Beasley: +2 Juancho: -2 Torrey Craig: +0 Jared Vanderbilt: N/A Tyler Lydon: N/A

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Qtr3- The

Denver is paced in TPM by Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray: +19 as they lead 97-77 after three.

Nikola Jokic: +19 Jamal Murray: +19 Gary Harris: +9 Monte Morris: +11 Isaiah Thomas: +9 Paul Millsap: +14 Will Barton: +7 Mason Plumlee: +10 Malik Beasley: +9 Juancho: -3 Torrey Craig: +0 Jared Vanderbilt: N/A Tyler Lydon: N/A

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Qtr4- The

Denver is paced in TPM by Nikola Jokic: +22 as they win going away, 123-96

Nikola Jokic: +22 Jamal Murray: +21 Gary Harris: +14 Monte Morris: +18 Isaiah Thomas: +16 Paul Millsap: +19 Will Barton: +6 Mason Plumlee: +14 Malik Beasley: +9 Juancho: -1 Torrey Craig: +4 Jared Vanderbilt: +2 Tyler Lydon: +0

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The Nuggets Win!

Final Thoughts: "Envy is the bond between the hopeful and the damned"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

For context pertaining to the statistical aspects of this piece, please open this link: TPM™

A brief statement with regard to this piece on whole:

As a means to avoid repeating myself I will include this descriptive diatribe in all TPM posts going forward.

Sure I like statistics; ever since I was a child collecting sports cards and later a pre-teen who ran pre-internet fantasy sports leagues on ink/paper/spreadsheet for the four major US pro-leagues, I've been fascinated by box-score stats but I'm by no means an expert.

I created TPM (which has been around longer than RPM incidentally and unlike them, I fully disclose my non-proprietary system and I contextualize the action rather than being a boring, mysterious, predictive metric) because it does add immediate and accessible context to what we see and what the numbers indicate, which I like.

While the data is meticulously tracked and demonstrably sound, I'm a creative type, not an engineer. Algorithm is the bane of my existence in fact. I'd far rather approach life with the intrigue of expected surprise than attempt to get to the bottom of why things are the way they are. There are many engineers in my family so I totally understand that joy can be derived from finding solutions to problems, I just can't relate. It's not fun for me. THIS is for the most part, not fun for me.

Now I'm a 42 year old man who was born the year after the team I love joined the NBA. I happen to have a lifetime of experience with this sport in several different capacities, including playing (highly underrated within the writing community) so I understand basketball theory in a way most (by no means all) pundits do not.

I was in this case interested in a data-driven approach, which if I'm honest has sapped nearly all fun out of taking in games for me. I get very few days/nights off during the season. One piece requires several hours of research and data entry and all tracking/analysis is done in real time and published mere moments after each game's completion, 82 times (more this season) per year.

As such, the analysis portion is about 90% (I've run the numbers) creative writing with sarcasm generally indicated through italics, non-sequitur humor and hyperbole, in an attempt to steal back some of the joy this endeavor has snatched away.

Hopefully there is a little something here for everyone but if you came just for data or are averse to colorful language, this is not the place for you. I have no way of knowing how many people even read this so I'll not be affected even remotely if you choose not to indulge. For those of you who do, I greatly thank you for the support.

Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets schedule Denver Nuggets roster Clippers vs Nuggets coverage Clips Nation