[Izulde]

50 Ninja Guarantees Division Title; #2 Playoff Seed

David Jackson hasn't been back in Denver very long, but he's already back to his old voluble self after two half-seasons of silence in New Orleans.

"We're going to win the Northwest and get the number two seed", the outspoken Jackson said, "Dallas, it's too late in the season to catch them, but by the end of the year, Portland's gonna be looking up at us and we're going to be the #2 team."

Indeed, there's reason to believe in Jackson's optimism. The deal that returned 50 Ninja to the Nuggets also netted Tim Butler, a 24 year old PF in his 5th season who reminds a lot of people of a certain Brazilian that used to play in the Mile High City.

Unlike Augusto, Butler is a team player, a charismatic young man who recognizes that these are Yeaton's Nuggets and will be until the superstar shooting guard retires.

"That's the one thing Marcelino didn't recognize. This is Mateen's team and it's always been Mateen's team ever since he stepped on the court", Jackson noted, "And Timmy B is just the coolest cat ever. When we found out we were going to Denver, he started pumping me for information about everybody, what it was like, that kind of stuff. Then the first day we get here, he goes and introduces himself to like, everybody. The other players, the coaches, the GM, hell, even the ticket people and the janitors."

Not only did Butler introduce himself to virtually everyone in the organization, it was apparent from the first day of practice that he has natural leadership, the kind that will see him be named team captain once Yeaton retires. In short, he's the star on which Denver's future hangs. GM Jestor is said to be so taken with Butler that he may well stay on in Denver after Yeaton's retirement, rather than moving to another team as rumored.

"He's a special kind of player", Hornets GM Jeff Bower noted, "Jestor's been after him for a few seasons now, but we refused to give him up until we got the kind of package we were looking for and I'll be the first to admit that this may be our own Augusto moment."

Not only is Butler a perfect fit for the Nuggets, helping them to an excellent 6-2 run since coming to Denver, including a 4-0 mark since the All-Star break, he, rookie Deon Sterley, acquired earlier in the year from Indiana, and the expected lottery pick from the Hornets in next year's draft will pave the way for continued Denver divisional dominance.

While the season still has yet to finish playing out, Jestor certainly appears to have made the moves to make Denver capable of delivering on Jackson's bold prediction, if not challenge for a return to the Finals and a ring.

***End Article***

I still can't believe the Hornets finally gave up Timmy B and a lottery pick on top of it. Vinston Henry was getting more consistent, but still nowhere near what we expected out of him and Patrick Riley aggravated me a little bit with his underachieving relative to his ridiculous talent.

It's a terrific feeling as we head into March.

Let's see what else went down in the tradewinds.

Chicago Bulls receive
PF Antonio Sarchet
Phoenix Suns 2023 2nd round pick

Phoenix Suns receive
PG Filip Svorda
C Damon Fuhs

What this means for the Bulls
Sarchet, 26 and in his 7th season, is an obscenely good shooter, as in a career 60.7% good. He's also a supreme rebounder, though don't expect him to be anything more than average on the defensive end. At 6'8, 239 lbs, he's a short, young, muscular, high-scoring four in the mold of Marcelino Augusto and Tim Butler, even if those others differ in their secondary skill set. This acquisition shifts Terry Vinson to the bench, which will greatly enhance the Bulls' reserves.

What this means for the Suns
Fuhs can rebound and play some D, but that's all the 24 year old can do. Sadly enough, he's now Phoenix's starting C, as Milan Nouge was lost for the year with a torn MCL. Worse still for Suns fans, 38 year old Andrea Bargnani is now the starting PF. 26 year old Svorda's got good offense game, great passing and ballhandling skills, excellent stealing talents and a very good understanding of the game. Yet, the Suns aren't starting him at PG and having Jon Ward at the 2, which would make the most sense.

Winner: Chicago
The Bulls' wise use of Sarchet makes this a slam dunk, especially when the Suns are being equally foolish in their mishandling of Svorda, who also lost his starting job in Chicago to a less worthy guard. Can the Czech be destined for Denver in a season or two? He fits the GM Jestor mode of under-utilized pass-first PG.

Charlotte Bobcats receive
PG Caleb James

New Orleans Hornets receive
PG Tom Singletary
SG Larry Dove

What this means for the Bobcats
James is a pretty good PG right now at 22 and the third year man has the upside to become one of the top PGs in the league by the time he's done developing. A very sweet shooting stroke, good passing and handling skills and yet another possible master of the steal, who's locked in to a multi-year deal at an extremely reasonable rate.

What this means for the Hornets
The rookie Singletary is weak on the defensive end, but he's got enough scoring pop and floor generalship to be a worthy reserve, which is what he'll be for the Hornets. Dove is a $3.1 million inactive expiring contract.

Winner: Charlotte
Yes, New Orleans has a glut of promising young guards, but they could've gotten more value than what they did for James. Singletary should never be a starter and the money from Dove's contract won't even come close enough to making the Hornets a free agent player. Charlotte, in counterpoint, has their PG now and for the future.

Charlotte Bobcats receive
PF Brandan Wright
Houston Rockets 2023 2nd round pick

Houston Rockets receive
PF LaMarcus Aldridge
PF Tyrus Thomas
SF Jarrod Owens

What this means for the Bobcats
Owens was cut by Houston and re-signed with Charlotte, so they really only give up Aldridge and Thomas to get Wright and the 2nd rounder. The 34 year old is a very good all-around player, particularly on the defensive end and steps in as Charlotte's starting 3. Plus, Wright's expiring contract is worth $2 million more than Thomas + Aldridge combined.

What this means for the Rockets
Aldridge is an average all-around player at 37, but still manages to be a starting PF. We like Thomas a lot better, particularly for his defensive toughness, but the Rockets are making him a reserve. The decision to add a pair of 37 year olds and give up $2 million in expiring cap room is a strange one for a team that's destined for the lottery, but Houston hasn't been a good team since the days of Yao.

Winner: Charlotte
That's two great pickups by the Bobcats this month and they should be able to clinch the Southeast with ease now. We really applaud the work of Steve Kerr.

Crazy how many of Augusto's type have been traded for this year, but his success really revolutionized the league and changed a lot of GMs' thinking about just how big a PF needs to be to star in the NBA. Even mine, obviously, or I wouldn't be so enthused about Timmy B.

A thrilling shootout is March's opening act and it's a 131-120 victory over the Pacers. Mateen Yeaton scores 33, Deon Sterley shows some flash of promise with 25 points and 10 rebounds, Paulinho Buboltz distributes 13 points and 14 assists and Tzvetan Kishishev and Carlton Goree score 13 and 11 points off the bench respectively. Four in a row for our Bulgarian.

Defense dazzles in our 92-78 victory over the Clippers, as we finally give ourselves legitimacy by beating up one of the conference's best teams. Mateen Yeaton leads us with 31 points, Tim Butler puts up 21 points and 13 rebounds, Paulinho Buboltz adds 14 points and 12 assists and Tzvetan Kishishev makes it five games in a row with 11 bench points.

We blow out the Traiblazers 116-96 in one of our biggest games of the year, if not the biggest. Paulinho Buboltz garners 24 points and 14 assists, Mateen Yeaton scores 22, Deon Sterley doubles for 11 points and 10 rebounds, Carlton Goree scores a sensational 18 reserve points and Tzvetan Kishishev extends his double-digit point streak to six games, scoring 11.

Our torrid run continues with a doubleheader sweep. Mateen Yeaton lights up San Antonio for 39 points in our 100-87 win, Paulinho Buboltz his sidekick with 19 points and 13 assists, even as Tzvetan Kishishev's streak comes to an end with a goose egg. No worries. It's Mateen Yeaton who blisters the Suns for 27 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 blocks in our 111-98 trampling of Phoenix, Tim Butler contributing 24 points and 10 rebounds. Carlton Goree's our top reserve this time, scoring 12.

The Bobcats give us a hell of a fight, but we prevail 102-95 on Mateen Yeaton's 28 points, Paulinho Buboltz's 14 points and 12 assists and Carlton Goree's 10 bench points.

It's even sweeter when we out and out embarass the Clippers 110-77, as Paulinho Buboltz devastates the Red and White for 32 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals and Tim Butler hammers them for 30 points. Talk about the hammer and anvil!

Mateen Yeaton singlehandedly crushes the Bucks for 37 points in our 118-80 laugher over Milwaukee, but credit also goes to reserves Carlton Goree and Winston Smith with 11 and 12 points respectively.

A sensational second half comeback to tie it up in regulation and a heartstopping OT period writes the script for our electric 107-106 win over the Wizards to keep our unbeaten streak alive. Tim Butler thunders for 30 points and 14 rebounds and Paulinho Buboltz powers his way to 27 points and 13 assists.

We lose for the first time since the All-Star break in our next game, a heartbreaking 115-112 loss to the Lakers in which Mateen Yeaton scores 34, Tim Butler adds 21 points and Winston Smith leads the second team with 10 points. I'm not complaining one bit, though, because that win streak was good for 13 games, one of the longest consecutive victory runs we've had since I've been here. In a year where I thought we were finished as a dynamite team, that says and means a lot.

I'm thrilled to see us shrug off the loss and go out and whip Jonte Jones and Kenny Graham and the Kings 119-88 a couple nights later. Mateen Yeaton pumps in 33 points, Tim Butler scores 20, Paulinho Buboltz double-doubles for 13 points and 15 assists and Tzvetan Kishishev gets back to scoring form with 11 bench points.

The Suns stun us 107-89 in Phoenix as we suffer through an ironically icy night from everyone but Mateen Yeaton, who finishes with 27 points. I'm not concerned. Games like this happen.

But then we lose 108-99 to the Jazz in Utah and I'm starting to get a touch worried about our focus after our amazing 13 game stretch after the All-Star break. Hard to blame Mateen Yeaton (21 points), David Jackson (10 points, 18 rebounds), Carlton Goree (11 bench points) or Winston Smith (12 bench points), though.

We split the back-to-back at the end of the month. Smashing the Spurs 107-74 is good, David Jackson showing off his ninja skills with 22 points and 13 rebounds, Paulinho Buboltz cobbling together 10 points and 12 assists and Tzvetan Kishishev scoring 11 off the bench, but the Traiblazers destroy us 113-84 in Portland. Our road woes are creeping up on us again, as once again we play like crap except for Mateen Yeaton (20 points) away from Denver.

The really infuriating thing? Despite our electric performance, we're still 2 bloody games behind Portland!. Even more annoying, Utah's staying in contention, just four games back of us. Dallas has their division clinched at 56-16 and all but mathematically have the #1 seed, as Portland's 48-24. The Clippers are 42-31, 2.5 in front of the surging Kings, who have salvaged their season to a 40-34 record to this point.

Unless we totally bomb the last ten games, we should be able to have the #3 seed at least, although I'd feel a -lot- better if we could win the division and have the #2 seed, especially given our 17-19 road record.

New Orleans, incidentally, has the worst record in the West at 17-55 and are the second-worst team in the league behind 17-57 Miami.

Speaking of the East, 56-16 Toronto's clinched the Atlantic. Chicago, 51-21, is 6.5 in front of Cleveland and 43-29 Charlotte has expanded their lead over Orlando to 4.5 games.

I still feel like we can win the Northwest, but we have to heat up again and Portland needs to cool off some.