Houston > Denver

[Mavs<Spurs]

I don't get why any rational human would pick Denver as the second best team in the West.

Spurs just owned them at the end of the game. Spurs took them in five last year.

What they have: Carmelo Anthony is a great player when he plays like he did last night and the latter half of last year. Camby is very athletic and a great shot blocker. Kmart has talent and can be a good post up player.
Boykins is a terrific shooter and quick as can be.

However, the Spurs revealed the Nuggets weaknesses. In the half court, Nuggets can get beaten up by physical play. They are not a great outside shooting team. Boykins can be taken advantage of by Parker. That tells you all you need to know about Boykins as a liability. That forced the Nuggets to remove Boykins which in turn made the Nuggets less effective.

They are a good team and the West is not as strong this year, especially with Amare recovering. Nevertheless, it appears hard to consider the Nuggets the second best team in the West. Sacramento was not impressive last night to lose by that many to the cellar dwellars who have other issues to think about right now.

That leaves Houston.



IMO, Houston is easily the second best team in the West.
Houston is probably better than any team in the East although I recognize that it is debatable.

TMac > Wade. Wade is a great player, but TMac is a leader now, plays defense. I would never have said that prior to the playoffs last year. Now, its just the plain, unvarnished truth. He made me a true believer. I am impressed with them.

They should have never lost that series against the Mavs. They won't this year if Dallas makes it to the playoffs and they play the Rockets.


Houston's front line is good with ( also Juwan Howard) Swift and Yao and Dikembe off the bench.
If Yao stays out of foul trouble and has improved his stamina, then as Shaq is getting older, Yao could cancel out Shaq.

TMac has the athleticism to help out on a Dirk or a small 4. Obviously, not Tim or Keven because of size and height.

They have two stars and a great supporting cast. TMac is the leader of the team. It was awesome when "he sucked the gravity right out of the building".

They can hit the outside shot.

They are a good defensive team. In fact, Doug Collins said that they were the best team in the NBA at defending the pain.

Van Gundy is a good coach.

In summary, there are solid all around and IMO should be considered the second best team in the West and considered at least the equal of the elite East teams.

[Phonzie20]

Quite an analysis. so much that I didn't even read it.

Owned in the fourth? You know there are 3 quarters in a game as well right? And to at least be in that game when the fourth starts says alot.

I completely question Scotty Brook's rotation last night. Watson didn't get a minute. earl started to get selfish again. DJ came in way too late for tubby.. I mean Vo.

And it didn't help that Nene went down. Either way. Congrats and I'm not going to break down Houston because I took enough of your time and I really don't care to.

[BigVee]

The big question after last night. Where was Watson when Parker was lighting up the place? Free agent signing and a very good defender. Makes no sense. Bet he plays tonight!!!

[Obstructed_View]

If the Nuggets got beat by the best team in the league, who is to say that they aren't the second best team?

[Brutalis]

Why are you commenting like this when we haven't seen Houston on the court yet? And people call me young and unwise.

[GoSpurs21]

lets just say that TMac has tendinitis in both his knees at the beginning of the season...doesnt sound like he will be playing all 82 games. Denver looked pretty scary last night. I'll wait till I see houston before making any statements about which team is better

[Phonzie20]

The big question after last night. Where was Watson when Parker was lighting up the place? Free agent signing and a very good defender. Makes no sense. Bet he plays tonight!!!

Exactly! I have yet to read any articles to glean some form of reason (due to the fact that we play the Lakers tonight and my nugg board is very active right now) but it makes no sense. Especially with earl going ball-hog as he usually does.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Who really cares about second place anyway?

[Phonzie20]

Who really cares about second place anyway?

You are spoiled. You must not have love for the actual game and compe ion. May I say.. :gasp: you are a bandwagon fan? You sure are coming off as one.

[Oh, Gee!!]

You are spoiled. You must not have love for the actual game and compe ion. May I say.. :gasp: you are a bandwagon fan? You sure are coming off as one.

Because I think that nothing matters except for winning the whole thing? That is why the game is played, right? To win it all?

You sound like (gasp, dare I say?) a ing sore loser.

[Phonzie20]

Because I think that nothing matters except for winning the whole thing? That is why the game is played, right? To win it all?

You sound like (gasp, dare I say?) a ing sore loser.

Well yeah, that's the pupose.

But what about the season in itself? Don't you like seeing it being played out over almost half a year? I really think someone is a little 'spoiled' here due to a very successful team.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Why are you commenting like this when we haven't seen Houston on the court yet? And people call me young and unwise.

Young = Unwise?

So, whoever is older is the person who is right.
What if I find somebody older than you who says the same thing?
Then am I right?

I'm not the only person who thinks this. I said it before I saw NBA shootaround. All three of the analysts there said the same thing about Houston- Tim Legler, Greg Anthony and Stephen A Smith. Barkley said it yesterday and I think Kenny agreed with him.

Look at the line up and the team. TMac had tendinitis last year too. He barely could move day before Game 2 and he showed up big against Dallas. It was not his fault that the Rockets lost in 7. We know they improved or let me say everybody but you knows that they improved. Dallas does not look any better, Amare is out for four months and if you look at Denver and you look at Houston, it seems pretty clear that Houston is the better team.

When Shaq went to the Heat, did anyone say hm, this team has not played together so we are not sure how good they will be?

If you want to say that people who have this opinion are young and unwise, well I guess that I am in pretty good company.

It was not the fact that they lost to the Spurs, it was how they lost. The loss exposed their weaknesses in a way that not every loss does.

Regarding the Spurs Nuggets "rivalry", you all have lost the last five games against us, we won it all last year, have the highest winning percentage of any professional team in any of the major sports in the Tim Duncan era, have three les in the last seven years, two in the last three, are almost unanimously picked to win it all again this year, and seriously improved our team over last year's team, which in case you missed it won the le. Winning five straight games, dismissing you all like we did in the playoffs, yeah Spurs own the Nuggets.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Besides, I am 91 years old and have 6 grandchildren, you young whippersnapper.

In my old age, you should have shown some respect to an old man my age.

[ALVAREZ6]

Houston > Denver

[Rubberducky]

Besides, I am 91 years old and have 6 grandchildren, you young whippersnapper.

In my old age, you should have shown some respect to an old man my age.

BURN!

[Rubberducky]

Well yeah, that's the pupose.

But what about the season in itself? Don't you like seeing it being played out over almost half a year? I really think someone is a little 'spoiled' here due to a very successful team.

couldn't agree with you more.denver will easily be a 1st round home team, although houston will have the better record now that nene is done for the season.

[Phonzie20]

I already know your bias. I've been lurking here. No need to get into it with you.

[Phonzie20]

couldn't agree with you more.denver will easily be a 1st round home team, although houston will have the better record now that nene is done for the season.

Nene wants to come back (prob because it's a contract year). I say sit him out all year.

[BigVee]

But again, where was Earl Watson? The guy can play and he is sitting. Has anyone from the Nuggets even addressed that question?

[Mavs<Spurs]

But again, where was Earl Watson? The guy can play and he is sitting. Has anyone from the Nuggets even addressed that question?

DNP can sometimes/ maybe most of the time mean the coach is upset with the player's effort or at ude.

I agree that it seems like Watson should have been playing.

[Phonzie20]

But again, where was Earl Watson? The guy can play and he is sitting. Has anyone from the Nuggets even addressed that question?

Not that I can find yet. Though there was a blurb from a Denver writer that Earl W is just as confused. Scotty Brooks did not help his cause of ever putting in for a head coaching job that's for sure.

[cheguevara]

Denver 0-2

[Phonzie20]

Denver 0-2

that's just mean man. I feel we should have at least went 1-1 but something is really going on that we don't know about. Midget started to get ball-hog as he always does and didn't get pulled. I'm very confused right now.

It's like Karl gave no instruction to Scotty whatsoever.

[Spurminator]

I'm really shocked that Watson didn't play. Since Scott Brooks is a human and likely has a brain between his ears, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume Watson was not completely healthy. Because there's no excuse for not bringing in your best defensive point guard when the oppositions PG is lighting you up.

[Trainwreck2100]

How could Denver let Smush Parker score so much. His name is smush. SMUSH HIM!!!!