Restoring the Glory: A Modern-Day New York Knicks Dynasty (DDS:PB)

[Izulde]

World's Best Damn 6th Man Turns Ninja
Nuggets set to take on Jazz in Opening Round

David Jackson hasn't been as noticeable a presence this season in the statlines and that's just fine with the outspoken 26 year old. In fact, it's led the former self-proclaimed World's Best Damn 6th Man to give himself a new nickname: 50 Ninja.

"See, people don't know I'm there; opponents don't know I'm there. But then you look, you see I'm shooting over 50% from the floor. That's me, man. I'm all invisible, stealthy like ninja, killing you with my shots before you know what hit you. 50 Cent don't got nothing on me man, cuz I've got the mad hoops ninja skills. I'm 50 Ninja and ain't nobody can hang with me", Jackson recently commented in an interview.

When it was pointed out that he's only averaging 9.4 points a game, the lowest of the Nuggets starters, Jackson answered, "Well see, that's just because we got my homeboys Marcelino Augusto and Mateen Yeaton to put up the action while I'm sneaky down low, sniping those unsuspecting fools. You put me on a team without those two, I'd be hitting 15-20 points a game, easy."

The wildly popular starting SF also has a rap album coming out titled Hoops Ninja and he gave us a lyrics sample of the title track "Hoops Ninja".

My shots be sharp like motherf---in' shruikens
I'm more mysterious than the Rosicrucians
You don't get no stays of execution
What! Homeboy!
Didn't think ya could win, now didja?
Cuz I'm the numba one, macdaddy hoops ninja.

While it's uncertain how Jackson's music career will pan out, what does seem clear is that the Nuggets stand a good chance of defending their title. As it did last year, the playoff run begins against a divisional opponent, in this case the Jazz.

Point Guard
Zelipe Gama vs. A.J. Dunkley
Head coach Jim O'Brien told Gama over the offseason to focus on returning to his roots as a passer and the Spainard was largely successful, putting up 12.7 points, 10 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.5 steals in the regular season. More significantly, he cut his turnovers per game, going from 3.2 last season to 2.5 this year.

Dunkley's an extremely talented passer and a better scorer than Gama, averaging 12.6 points, 10.4 assists and 1.2 steals in the regular season. However, the Nuggets PG has better defensive skills than Dunkley and a size advantage, making this matchup a wash.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. Chris Gearheart
Last year's Finals MVP picked up right where he left off in the postseason, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.6 steals in the regular season. He's a highlight reel on both ends of the court and he's hungry to win another title in addition to last year's long-awaited championship. He may be 31, but there's no signs of slippage.

Gearheart was a blockbuster free agent signing for the Jazz and he posted a career high 19.2 points, block and 1.3 steals in the regular season. He's a dynamite scorer who, much to the worriment of Nuggets fans, has the size (6'7, 222 lbs) and the defensive skill to match up with Yeaton, the superstar's Achilles heel. Gearheart, whose game GM Jestor has long publically lauded, is also a proven playoff warrior.

Advantage: Draw

Small Forward
David Jackson vs. Grant Fomby
50 Ninja has quiet regular-season averages of 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and a block, but he shot 53% in the regular season and knows how to pick his spots carefully. He's also a great passer and ballhandler for a forward and keeps getting better with more starts. His defense is, much like the rest of his game, underrated.

Fomby's not quite as choosy a shooter as Jackson, but he takes more of them, as evidenced by his 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds line. There's almost an 80 pound difference between the two and Fomby's defense isn't as good as Jackson's, so it's clear to see that the path of the Ninja will have the advantage here, even if they're pretty evenly matched in all other areas. Even better for Jackson, he recently signed a 5 year contract extension with a $6 million base and a 9% raise each year after that.

Advantage: Nuggets

Power Forward
Marcelino Augusto vs. Henry Fisher
The league scoring champion and MVP candidate needs no introduction. 26.9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal per game and continual improvemnt on the few weak areas of his game. Actually, let's face it, the only -real- weakness Augusto has is that he's 6'9, 217, but he has the overwhelming talent to play like he's 7', 300 lbs. Just a brilliant player, the greatest of his generation.

Jestor once called Fisher the best PF of a weak class and he's gone on to fulfill that prophecy. A dazzling tour de force on offense, the 23 year old, 5th year Jazz PF, taken 10th overall in 2015 by the Trailblazers, has developed into a 23.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game player. But his shining offensive exploits are counterbalanced by mediocre ballhandling ability and absolutely atrocious defense. He's also not the biggest PF at 6'8, 245 lbs and the matchup between these two great fours is going to be fascinating to watch.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Andrew Bogut vs. Terrence Howard
At 35, Bogut is a good, but no longer great center. He averaged 9.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and a steal during the regular season, split between Milwaukee and Denver. The nice thing is, unlike the Bucks, he doesn't have to generate much offense; he can just concentrate on grabbing rebounds and using his 7' frame to be a space-eater and draw defenders off of Augusto.

Howard, another former 1st round Trailblazers pick who made his way to the Jazz (12th overall, 2012), is, like Fisher, an underrated player who's blossomed into a fine athlete. 17.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks testify to the quality well-roundedness of his game as well as to the validity of his being selected to five straight All-Star teams. Terrible free throw shooter though and not the best defender. Still more than a match for the taller Bogut, though.

Advantage: Jazz

Bench
Rico Wolfe is still the sublime sniper off the bench, averaging 8.7 points and bringing toughness and solid perimeter defense. Victor Gipson averaged 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks and while not as flashy as a sub as David Jackson was, the former starter is still a bruising nightmare against weaker bench competition. Louis Mertens averaged 4.5 points and 4 assists as a reserve and is absolutely dazzling to watch direct the offense.

Marvin Williams is the every-position reserve who averaged 7 points a game thanks to his versatility. Not exceptional by any means, though. Andris Biedrins averaged 4.1 points and 5.1 rebounds and should be a good challenger to Gipson in second unit time. Kyle Lowry posted regular season averages of 4.2 points and 3.9 assists and while nowhere near the ball wizard that Mertens is, he's also a much more accomplished defender.

Advantage: Nuggets

Final Thoughts
Utah matches up very well with Denver, with not much separating the teams even in the areas the Nuggets have the advantage. This is a tough draw, but in the end, the composite talent level and depth favors the defending champions. This isn't going to be any sweep, though.
Prediction: Nuggets in 6

That's actually fair and I wouldn't have been surprised to see the pick be us in the full 7. This is not a fun match for us by any means.

Game One
Great statement game to open the series as we can't miss anything, shooting 54.4% on the night. Mateen Yeaton showed the hunger's still there, netting 30 points. Marcelino Augusto has something to prove as well and he starts off with 28 points. Andrew Bogut grabs 15 points and 12 rebounds, Zelipe Gama 12 points and 10 assists. Terrence Howard abuses Bogut for 23 points and 10 rebounds and Kyle Lowry scores 10 points off the bench, but it still can't stop our emphatic victory.
Final - Utah 87 Denver 105

Game Two
High-scoring game as Henry Fisher kicks into gear for 22 points, Terrence Howard adds 16 points and 14 rebounds and Utah's reserves continue to outplay our bench, Marvin Williams with 14 points and Kyle Lowry with 12. But who needs a good bench when you've got 4 players with 20+ points. Mateen Yeaton scores 25, Marcelino Augusto 23 and David Jackson and Zelipe Gama both 20. 50 Ninja also puts up 9 rebounds as we win the shootout by a comfortable margin, taking the 2-0 lead.
Final - Utah 100 Denver 113

Game Three
Now, I'm not thinking in terms of sweep as we head to Utah. It'd be nice, but as I said before, the Jazz are much better than their record and seeding. Or maybe not. Henry Fisher is absolutely astounding with 24 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 8 blocks and a steal, but nobody helps him out and that's not going to cut it when Marcelino Augusto's scoring 29 points, Zelipe Gama's surging for 20 points and 13 assists and our bench is ending their silence with 10 and 12 points respectively from Victor Gipson and Rico Wolfe. It's a rout and we may be looking at a sweep after all.
Final - Denver 111 Utah 92

Bad news on the injury front. Mateen Yeaton's back flares up and Victor Gipson sprains his wrist. We need to get this series done quickly.

Game Four
A fired-up Jazz team in front of their homecourt and our superstar SG hurt. Yeah, this isn't a good recipe for a sweep. Henry Fisher scores 20 points and Marvin Williams and Andris Biedrins lead Utah's second team with 13 and 10 points a piece. Like what always happens when Mateen Yeaton's hurt, we fall apart on offense, even with Marcelino Augusto's 22 points and 10 rebounds and Andrew Bogut's 11 points and 14 rebounds. Even though it's going to be Augusto that gets the MVP consideration, Yeaton's truly our most valuable player. 3-1 and we go to a fifth game.
Final - Denver 86 Utah 91

The good news is, the only sweep was in the East, Atlanta sending Cleveland home in four. It's too bad the Hawks don't have a legitimate superstar or they'd be truly scary.

Game Five
Back in Denver and I'd really like to close it out here to give Mateen Yeaton time to heal up. What follows is the most evenly matched game of this series so far. Marcelino Augusto rises up for 29 points and 13 rebounds and Zelipe Gama goes on a hot shooting streak for 25 points. But Henry Fisher continues his lights out series with 20 points and 11 rebounds, Grant Fomby gets 11 points and 10 rebounds, Chris Gearheart finally breaks out for 20 points and A.J. Dunkley plays his way to 17 points and 11 assists. But the true dagger in the heart is the ressurected spectre of Shawne Williams, who reprises his Nugget Killer role with 10 bench points to give the Jazz the 2-point win. Now it's 3-2 and we're suddenly facing a real challenge.
Final - Utah 108 Denver 106

Every other series is going at least six games, save for the Knicks eliminating the Bucks in five. New York's become an interesting team the last few years and really are back as a good, legit playoff team again. Good news for the NBA, I guess, though not as good as a continued Toronto/Denver Finals rivalry would be.

Game Six
And so off we go to Salt Lake City again. I'm going to feel really salty if we lose. Marcelino Augusto scores 21 points, Victor Gipson snags 11 bench rebounds and I'd feel remiss if I failed to point out David "50 Ninja" Jackson's 19 points on 8 of 11 from the floor, particularly given the low-scoring game. We hold the Jazz to 38.8% shooting, even with Chris Gearheart's 21 points and Terrence Howard's 16 points and 10 rebounds. It's not a pretty win, but it gets us the series victory and critical healing time for Mateen Yeaton.
Final - Denver 99 Utah 77

Orlando eliminates Philadelphia, Dallas punts Portland and Minnesota knocks off San Antonio. Yep, that's exactly what it means. Toronto's being taken to a Game 7 by the Pistons. Sacramento and Seattle are also going the full seven.

The high seed wins out in both cases, the Raptors disposing of the Pistons 103-89 and the Kings taking care of the Sonics 97-86. I'm glad to see Toronto win, because despite our 1-4 record in the Finals against them, it's been a thrilling rivalry, good for basketball.

D-League
The Timberjacks crush the Sea Dogs 92-56 in Round 1 and our Tzvetan Kishishev wins Game MVP with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Great to see and it really gives me high hopes that he'll be a presence on next year's Nuggets.

[Izulde]

I like our chances against Sacramento. Even more than I did our shot against the Jazz, to be honest. But let's just see what the article says. I've decided to cut out the fluff this time and go straight to the position by position previews.

Point Guard
Zelipe Gama vs. Carlton Goree
Gama really stepped up when the team needed him to in the first round and averaged 18 points, 9 assists, 2.3 steals and a block against Utah. That same type of production will be extremely helpful against the Kings.

The rookie Goree, who almost got drafted by Denver, has proven a revelation and another Sacramento 1st round steal. He averaged 13.1 points, 8.9 assists and 2.4 steals in the first round. A smart, good all around point guard. Not flashy and doesn't have the upside to be elite, but he's got great stealing instincts and excellent shooting mechanics.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. Justin Barnes
Yeaton was hampered by injuries most of the first round, but still gritted his way through to 17.8 points, a steal and 2 blocks versus the Jazz. He's back to full health and that's got to scare Sacramento.

We've really been impressed by Barnes's work ethic on defense this year and he's now an adequate defender. But he's still just 6'2 against Yeaton's 6'8, the kind of smaller guard last year's Finals MVP loves to abuse. Sensational first round for Barnes: 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He won't duplicate those numbers against Denver, though.

Advantage: Nuggets

Small Forward
David Jackson vs. Sean Griffin
Quietly effective first round by 50 Ninja for 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Shot a blistering 65.1% from the floor. If he can reduce his foul tendency a bit and be more aggressive with his shot taking, he could easily be a 15 points a game player.

3 inches and 40 pounds separate Jackson and Griffin, which is a huge disadvantage for the Kings. Griffin averaged 9.9 points, 6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in the first round, but he's not liable to have much more success against the bigger, outspoken Jackson.

Advantage: Nuggets

Power Forward
Marcelino Augusto vs. Mike Vines
Breathtaking showing by Augusto in the first round, averaging 25.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 3.8 blocks. He's transitioned beautifully into the Nuggets #1 option on offense this year and will probably stay that way for most of the rest of his career. Just a special, special player, the kind whose number hangs in the rafters someday.

Vines deserves credit as a great, silent defender with terrific scoring talents inside, but 16 points a game as he did in the first round won't be enough against this high-powered Denver offense. On top of that, he has to contain the NBA scoring leader. It's going to be a tough outing for Sacramento here as well.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Andrew Bogut vs. Patrick Riley
Bogut's averaging a near double-double in the playoffs thus far with 9.8 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks. He's doing exactly what the Nuggets coaching staff wants him to do and he should do more of the same this series.

Getting Riley in offseason free agency was a major coup for the Kings, as he can score, rebound, and defend in addition to being one of the league's best blockers. He's averaging 14.3 points, 12 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 3.7 blocks so far in the playoffs. A big plus for Sacramento here.

Advantage: Kings

Bench
Victor Gipson's hobbled by a sprained wrist, but he's filling Jackson's old role in averaging 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks off the bench. A big body and a terrific reserve to have. Rico Wolfe's chipping in 7.3 points and Louis Mertens is averaging 5 points a game, giving the Nuggets three solid bench players who can really rack up the points.

Third year Slovenian Cene Kovacs is a solid all-around reserve, averaging 7.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in the first round. Winston Smith is a giant at 7'4, 267 lbs and a phenomenal defender with some upside still waiting to be filled. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in the first round and should be successful here as well. Deron Williams can still pass and score at 37, as his 6.7 points in the postseason thus far illustrate.

Advantage: Draw

Final Thoughts
The Kings do have some nice players and a solid bench, but the Nuggets are simply too talented for Sacramento to overcome. This series will be shorter than the Denver/Utah one. In fact, we'll call the sweep.
Prediction: Nuggets in 4

Yeah, like I said. Easy matchup here.

Game One
Or maybe not. Patrick Riley explodes for 27 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks, Mike Vines puts up 16 points and 10 rebounds and Deron Williams scores 11 off the bench. On our end, Mateen Yeaton scores 31 and Zelipe Gama -just- misses the triple-double with 9 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in addition to Victor Gipson's 8 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. But the rest of our reserves suck, Marcelino Augusto has a god-awful 2 for 12 night and the Kings steal the opening game win.
Final - Sacramento 86 Denver 77

Game Two
Patrick Riley comes up with 10 points and 12 rebounds and the Kings continue to get stellar play off their bench, as four Sacramento reserves score 8 points or more, led by Raymond Felton and Winston Smith with 10 points a piece. Mateen Yeaton gets in foul trouble and I'm swearing up a storm. Marcelino Augusto breaks out for 26 points and 13 rebounds and David Jackson doubles for 12 points and 12 rebounds, but the story of this game is Louis Mertens, who goes a crazy 11/15 for 29 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals to win Player of the Game and carry us to a series-tying victory. I -knew- there was a reason why I liked the Belgian kid's game so much!!
Final - Sacramento 92 Denver 106

Game Three
In Sacramento now and we need at least a split to reasonably stay alive in this one. A sweep would obviously be preferred. It won't be easy though, as Justin Barnes finally cracks the 20 point mark with 21, Patrick Riley gets 10 points and 11 rebounds and the Kings' bench continues to amaze me, Deron Williams and Winston Smith scoring 14 and 10 respectively. We counter with Marcelino Augusto's 19 points and 20 rebounds, Andrew Bogut's 12 points and 19 rebounds and Rico Wolfe's 13 bench points. The clincher, however, belongs to Mateen Yeaton, who, unfettered by foul trouble, blitzes the Kings for 34 points and we're in good shape with the 2-1 series lead.
Denver 95 Sacramento 78

Game Four
Just win, baby. It's a mantra Mateen Yeaton's looking to fill as he goes out and scores 40. Zelipe Gama puts together 11 points and 10 assists and Rico Wolfe adds 16 points off the bench. But Mike Vines tears us apart for 32 points and 11 rebounds, Patrick Riley had yet another solid game of 16 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks and Carlton Goree issues 14 points and 10 assists. In the end, we're doomed by Andrew Bogut's 1 for 11 night and we're forced into a brawl, losing by 5 to send this thing to another tie of 2-2.
Final - Denver 101 Sacramento 106

Toronto shrugs off the first round scare by the Pistons, punching out the Knicks in a sweep. The Raptors are doing their part; now why can't we do ours?

Game Five
Back in Denver, this is pretty much a must-win right here if we want to defend our title, particularly since the other semi-final round is at 3 games to 1. We get it by the slimmest of margins, rallying in the fourth quarter behind 20 points from Marcelino Augusto, 22 points from Mateen Yeaton and heroic bench showings of 16 and 11 points from Rico Wolfe and Louis Mertens. Justin Barnes was unbelievable with 32 points, Patrick Riley pulled down 16 points and 11 rebounds, while 3 Kings subs had 9 points or more, led by Winston Smith's 12 points. 3 narrow points, but it's a crucial 3-2 series lead.
Final - Sacramento 107 Denver 110

Dallas ousts the Timberwolves in 5, setting up a renewal of an old playoff rivalry. Not good, as I like our chances against Minnesota considerably more. But we have to play the hand we're dealt.

Game Six
Worry about the Mavs later. Let's just concentrate on getting this win right here in Sacramento and moving on. The Kings play balanced offense here, all five starters save one scoring 14 or 17 points. Patrick Riley led the way with 17 points and 9 rebounds and Deron Williams scored 15 off the bench. It's a terrible shooting night from our starters, our top performers Zelipe Gama with 13 points and 10 assists and 10 bench points from Louis Mertens. Terrible shooting night that is, except for David "50 Ninja" Jackson, who sneaks past Sacramento and stabs them with sweet shot after sweet shot until he's put up a game-high 24 points and led us to the clinching win!!!! 50 Ninja!!!!
Final - Denver 103 Sacramento 95

Huge, huge relief.

The Hawks continue their dream season by ridding the playoffs of the Magic in six games, setting up a fascinating East Conference Finals matchup with the Raptors.

Atlanta/Toronto
Dallas/Denver

This is going to be one fun set of conference finals.

[Izulde]

This matchup against Dallas is going to be interesting. For the first time in years, we won't be seeing Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Terry on the Mavs. Makes it a little difficult to get a feel for the team, with the exception of Jonte Jones.

I also forgot to mention that Bakersfield bounced Colorado in the West Conference finals. 96-83 and Tzvetan Kishishev had an off night, with just 10 points and 5 rebounds. Truth is, the Timberjacks were never in it as the Otters controlled the game from the opening tipoff. Oh well. Good run by Kishishev and his boys. They've nothing to be disappointed about.

The article:

"Things are moving right on course for a fifth straight Toronto/Denver Finals matchup, but the Raptors have a tough draw in the deep, balanced, team-playing Hawks and the Nuggets will have to overcome the Mavericks, who have upset Denver here before. Both conference finals look to be exciting, close contests at first glance.

Point Guard
Zelipe Gama vs. Jamar Barnes
Denver's Spainard point man is in the midst of his best statistical postseason ever, averaging 13.6 points, 10 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2 steals. Will this finally be the year he breaks through in the Finals, should Denver get that far? That's not certain, but what is certain is that Gama's playing extremely well right now.

Barnes is an average PG in every way, averaging 9.8 points, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals in the playoffs. Not a bigtime scorer, not a great passer. He's also below average on defense, which presents huge opportunities for Gama to put up glitzy numbers.

Advantage: Nuggets

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. Larry Bannister
Yeaton gets healthy and jacks up his postseason scoring average to 21.7 points and 1.8 blocks. He's looking in prime form right now, the kind of performance that garnered him the Finals MVP a season ago.

Bannister is one of the top fundamental defenders in the entire game, even if he can't make the highlight reel play on D. He's another small SG (6'2) that Yeaton's going to absolutely brutalize. Can't contribute on offense at all and is averaging a humdrum 6.7 points. That's not a good thing when your starter's having that low an output.

Advantage: Nuggets

Small Forward
David Jackson vs. Devone Allen
50 Ninja's 24 point outburst to lead the Nuggets past the Kings in Game 6 testifies to his ability to bust out with a big game when Denver's other starters are struggling. 12 points, 6.3 rebounds, a steal and 1.2 blocks illustrate his well-rounded ability and his sensational 55.8% shooting is simply beautiful.

Allen's just a rookie, but the 19 year old burst on to the scene after being taken with the 8th pick in the draft. There's 7 teams now kicking themselves for passing on them, as the youngster raised eyebrows around the league with excellent regular season play and absolutely jaw-dropping showing in the playoffs. In fact, he's averaging 20.5 points and 1.1 steals in the postseason and has an exceptional all-around game with no real weaknesses. In short, he's like an upgraded version of Jackson, even bordering on Marcelino Augusto levels.

Advantage: Mavericks

Power Forward
Marcelino Augusto vs. Al Horford
If there's one criticism of Augusto, it's that he still hasn't completely mastered how to be clutch in the playoffs. He had a very rough outing against Mike Vines in the last round as the superior defender limited him night after night. That said, the Brazilian's still posting averages of 21.8 points, 9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.9 blocks and can't be dismissed so readily.

Horford's a decent, but not great all-around player. 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals in the playoffs attest to his ordinariness. He's a respectable defender, but going from Vines to Horford opens up a huge opportunity for Augusto to bust out with a huge series.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Andrew Bogut vs. Jonte Jones
Bogut's going to have his hands full against Jones and he's in for a very rough series. That 8.4 points, 13.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks are liable to go down and the Nuggets are just hoping he can find a way to get Jones in foul trouble.

The one player GM Jestor almost traded Marcelino Augusto for already has 2 MVP awards to his credit (2015, 2017) and has been otherworldly this playoffs, averaging 25.1 points, 16.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.7 blocks. In terms of rebounding in the league, only Toronto's Greg Oden is better. Jones is so good, he singlehandedly sells out Mavericks games wherever he goes. No holes at all.

Advantage: Mavericks

Bench
Rico Wolfe's once again the most valuable sniper and bench defender the Nuggets have, averaging 8.4 points this postseason. He and Louis Mertens are both capable of huge games, as the Belgian's 29 point Game 2 performance against Sacramento after Yeaton's foul trouble shows. Mertens is averaging 7.1 points and 4.4 assists and if he ever improves his defense, he could easily be a great starting PG, especially in a system like Denver's. Victor Gipson's 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds have been invaluable inside.

Mike Patterson may be 33, but he doesn't like it, averaging 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds as the team's 6th man. Fourth year man David Tucker should be a starter someday, but for now the still developing 23 year old is averaging 9.7 points and 1.4 steals off the bench. The only problem with Dallas's reserves is that as explosive as they are at scoring, they're that weak on defense.

Advantage: Draw

Final Thoughts
Denver's backcourt is superior, but the Mavericks hold a significant edge in the frontcourt and the firepower of their bench is going to be hard to contain. These are two very evenly matched teams and we see it going the distance, with homecourt advantage sending the Nuggets back to the Finals to defend their title.
Prediction: Nuggets in 7

A reasonable assessment. I'm just hoping we advance.

Game One
A close series like this and what do we go out and do? Play the worst game we have all postseason. Yes, Marcelino Augusto had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Mateen Yeaton was sensational with 35 points, but when the rest of the starters are shooting like their hands are made of ice and Rico Wolfe's the only reserve stepping up with 11 points, we're not going to win. Not when Jonte Jones is dominant with 33 points and 16 rebounds, Jamar Barnes has 11 points and 11 assists and that scary bench tosses in 13 and 14 points from David Tucker and Damian Giesen. In the end, the tale of the tape boils down to this: Dallas - 54.9% shooting, Denver - 44.3% shooting. It's hard to imagine a worse start to the series.
Final - Dallas 112 Denver 98

Game Two
It's a complete reversal here, Dallas shooting 40.2% while we hit 53.2% of our shots. Jonte Jones was impressive again with 21 points and 17 rebounds, the Mavericks reserves producing 10 points and 8 rebounds from Mike Patterson and 12 points from David Tucker, but Marcelino Augusto and Mateen Yeaton match with 24 and 22 points respectively, Rico Wolfe providing the calvary support with 13 points. We needed to win this one and we did, evening things up.
Final - Dallas 85 Denver 109

Game Three
The Mavericks aren't about to forget that 24 point beating in Game 2 and they're out for blood in Dallas. Jonte Jones rampages for 30 points and 18 rebounds, but he gets absolutely no support and that's not going to cut it when Marcelino Augusto's scoring 34, Zelipe Gama's dishing 13 points and 11 assists and Rico Wolfe's adding 11 bench points. David Jackson contributes to our 58.8% shooting night by going 7/7 for 15 points while Emeka Okafor looks anything but old in grabbing 10 bench boards. Dallas shoots 38.2% and we stun them in a 30 point slaughter, seizing the 2-1 series lead.
Final - Denver 108 Dallas 78

Game Four
If we can steal the road sweep, we're in excellent shape. Once again, the winning team shoots over 50% and it's unfortunately Dallas, hitting 53.7% in a game that featured sensational play by both benches. Devone Allen and Jonte Jones score 21 and 20 points a piece and 3 Mavericks reserves break double-digits: Mike Patterson (10 points, 8 rebounds), Damian Giesen (13 points) and David Tucker (12 points). Marcelino Augusto did his damnedest for us with 33 points, Victor Gipson scored an amazing 19 points off the bench (that was mitigated by Andrew Bogut's dreadful 0 for 5 evening) and Rico Wolfe stayed steady with 11 bench points. But it's all a wash and we're knotted up at 2 a piece.
Final - Denver 96 Dallas 111

It's a dogfight in both finals as Toronto and Atlanta are tied at 2 themselves.

Game Five
Home sweet home. Big mo shift potential here and the frenzied fans in Denver know it. But not even that extra man can compensate for Andrew Bogut's 1 for 8 night and not even Marcelino Augusto (25 points) and Zelipe Gama (10 points, 13 assists) can prevent a crushing loss. The question on everyone's mind: Where's Mateen Yeaton? Jonte Jones thunders for 31 points and Pau Gasol rises from the dead for 10 bench points. Our backs are now to the wall. 50%'s still the signifier for success, as the Mavericks shoot 51.2%.
Final - Dallas 100 Denver 85

Toronto loses Game 5 as well and suddenly it's looking like we'll both be taken out of the title picture.

Game Six
We must win, obviously, or our dynastic dreams turn to so much smoke. It's an eager, high-decibel, sellout crowd that assaults us in Dallas. But just like Game 5, the crowd's a non-factor as Marcelino Augusto fights through the noise for 25 points and 11 rebounds and Zelipe Gama electrifies with 23 points and 11 assists. Old man Emeka Okafor contributes 11 bench rebounds and we shoot an amazing 59.5%. In counterpoint, Devone Allen scores 24, Jonte Jones double-doubles with 20 points and 12 rebounds and David Tucker scores 13 off the bench. Just 10 points combined from the Mavericks backcourt as we force a Game 7.
Final - Denver 111 Dallas 97

The Hawks pull off the biggest upset of the year, sending home the Toronto Raptors in 6 games. For the first time in nearly a decade, it'll be someone other than the Raptors representing the East. I only hope we avoid the same fate in the West.

Game Seven
Home court advantage has been anything but this series. I can barely stand to watch the game from the skybox, but watch I do. But it means something this time as Marcelino Augusto plays sensationally for 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 8 blocks and a steal and Mateen Yeaton finally snaps out of his slump for 23 points. Zelipe Gama garners 15 points and 11 assists and Rico Wolfe and Victor Gipson headline the reserves with 15 and 12 points a piece. In the end, all the Mavericks can do is watch Jonte Jones's 27 points and 16 rebounds go to waste, the NBA's most magnificient center forced to watch us celebrate our 20 point win. We're going on to defend our title!!!!
Final - Dallas 93 Denver 113

Another miraculous escape and we're on to face arguably the deadliest team in the league. Who says you need superstars to win a conference title? The Atlanta Hawks certainly don't.

[Autumn]

Yowzers. I thought that Jonte was going to bring you down, but your boys pulled it out. Nice to see it was Augusto coming up clutch there.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Autumn

Yowzers. I thought that Jonte was going to bring you down, but your boys pulled it out. Nice to see it was Augusto coming up clutch there.

I thought sure I was going to lose too, once that horrible Game 5 loss came in. And yes, I'm definitely starting to think I need to keep Augusto around, though it's going to cost some serious coin to keep one of the league's top players and the scoring champion around.

[Izulde]

So here we are. Our 5th straight Finals appearance, a streak reached only by the 1957-1965 Celtics (9 consecutive Finals, 8 championships). That puts us in very select company, even if we don't have the fistfuls of rings to show for it that Boston does. Close, but no cigar to 5 straight Finals were the 1981-1984 Lakers, who made it to four Finals in a row, winning two titles and of course, our own 2015-2018 Toronto Raptors, who won three straight championships over us before losing last year. All the rest have been 3 or less Finals in a row, though it must be noted that in several cases, teams with 3 consecutive Finals were also threepeat champions, including:

1951-1953 Minneapolis Lakers (who, incidentally, just missed appearing in six Finals in a row and winning at least 5 out of 6 titles when they failed to make the 1950 Finals)

1990-1992 Chicago Bulls
1995-1997 Chicago Bulls
1999-2001 Los Angeles Lakers

It'd make a great What-If dynasty to pair all of these teams against each other and see which one comes out on top. To be honest, I'm not sure who'd win. All the contestants would have their strengths and weaknesses.

But I ramble on too much. Time to see what the press says.

"For the first time in 60 years, a team is going to the NBA Finals for the fifth year in a row. That team is the defending champion Denver Nuggets, who certainly have the starpower advantage over the surprising Atlanta Hawks, but do they have the depth and balance?

Point Guard
Zelipe Gama vs. Kelvin Johnson
Gama continues to very quietly contribute a solid all-around postseason game of 13.8 points, 9.7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. Perhaps now that he's finally not playing Toronto, he can have an impact in the Finals.

Johnson, taken 6th overall last year, didn't win a starting spot until late in the season. He's an excellent shooter, with good defense and an understanding of the game not found in many 21 year olds. He's actually more suited to SG, because he's not a good passer, but it's hard to argue with his team-leading 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.4 steals in the playoffs.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. Ray Fields
Nuggets fans everywhere are trying to figure out just what happened to Yeaton against the Mavericks. While he's still averaging 21.2 points, 4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks, he was virtually invisible for almost the entire series. That doesn't bode well for Denver if the trend continues.

Fields is one of the most charismatic players in the league. He's also a good passer and ballhandler, better suited to the point, where he played before Johnson came to the starting five late in the year. Like Johnson, the 25 year old 6th year man is a surpreme shooter and intelligent, but a defensive downgrade from the other. Still, the Hawks are banking that the extra two inches Fields provides (6'4), will give Yeaton some trouble. It's not looking terribly likely, however. Postseason averages: 18.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.4 steals.

Advantage: Nuggets

Small Forward
David Jackson vs. Vince Murray
11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks aren't flashy playoff numbers, but as we've said all along, 50 Ninja is capable of a breakout game at any time, especially when he's converting 55.7% of his shots.

Murray has the type of skill set that should be generating a lot more points per game than he is. But when you're 6'4, 192 lbs and having to go up against guys like Jackson who have 7 inches and 90 lbs on you, it's tough to make a go of it. Still, Murray's managed to average 13.2 points and 1.8 steals in the playoffs despite facing brutal mismatches every round. A subpar defender though and only an average rebounder.

Advantage: Nuggets

Power Forward
Marcelino Augusto vs. Chris Borman
Augusto's sensational series against Dallas in the conference finals, where he carried the Nuggets to victory in Game 7, went a long to proving that he might finally be ready to be a force in the Finals. His playoff averages of 23.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.8 blocks are impressive and the 21 year old vows to be a differencemaker this series.

Borman's the perfect example of a player who's good at just about everything (except passing), but he isn't great at anything, except that he's a very disciplined player who doesn't try to do more than he's capable of. The former 2nd round pick (2nd in 2nd round, 2014 - Chicago Bulls) is one of the few non-1st rounders who's a legitimate starter in the NBA and he's been that for the Hawks since 2016. 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 3.4 blocks illustrate his well-rounded effectiveness, but he's got a Herculean task going up against Augusto, since Borman himself is only 6'8, 239 lbs.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Andrew Bogut vs. Garick Reece
Bogut bombed badly against Dallas, knocking his playoff averages down to 7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. He also got brutalized by Jonte Jones all series long and looked every one of his 35 years.

The good news for Denver is that Reece is no Jones. In fact, he's one of the worst starting centers in the league, a glorified shotblocker who somehow manages to keep his starting job that he's had since his rookie year in 2015, when the Hawks drafted him 8th overall. He's never averaged more than 9.3 points or 8.4 rebounds in the regular season and he's shown the same inability to be a force in the playoffs, averaging 7.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Atlanta's here in spite of him, not because of him.

Advantage: Nuggets

Bench
Rico Wolfe keeps on raining down the points, averaging 9.3 off the bench. Victor Gipson's averaging 6.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, while Louis Mertens has postseason averages of 5.7 points and 4.3 assists, giving the Nuggets a fair amount of depth and the ability to cover all the bases.

Michael Blunt is a good all around reserve and the sniper off the bench, with 8.4 playoff point average. Zaza Pachulia is still a skilled player at 34, posting 7.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in the postseason. Acie Law is no Mertens, but he can still be an extremely effective floor general. 38 year old Andrei Kirilenko is no longer the great defender he was, but he's still a very good one.

Advantage: Draw

Final Thoughts
Atlanta's miracle season stops here. Yes, the Hawks have balance and arguably the greatest coaching staff in the league, but they can't compete with the sheer firepower of the Nuggets, particularly not when they don't have defenders who can frustrate Yeaton and Augusto. There's going to be no drama here. In fact, this might be the most lopsided Finals we've seen since 2010, when the Raptors swept the Nuggets and it wasn't even close.
Prediction: Nuggets in 4

I'm not so sure about the sweep, but I really like our chances at a title defense. No way the Hawks should even have made it this far.

Game One
Maybe it's that we were overconfident or maybe it's because we opened in Atlanta, but we get stunned by the Hawks in the first game. Mateen Yeaton scores 22 points and our bench played their hearts out: Victor Gipson with 10 points and 10 rebounds, Louis Mertens with 12 points and Rico Wolfe with 10 points, but nobody else showed up. What's even more embarassing is that we outshot the Hawks 44.9% to 38.9% and still lost by 13. I tip my hat to Kelvin Johnson, who burned us for 29 points and former draftee of mine Acie Law, who took pleasure in scoring 12 off the bench. Absolutely disgraceful.
Final - Denver 85 Atlanta 98

Game Two
Jim O'Brien told the boys to snap out of it before Game 2, but we go out and shoot a dreadful 32.5%. Only Marcelino Augusto came through for us with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Atlanta kicked our butts up and down the court all night long, Ray Fields and Vince Murray doing the most damage with 24 points and 21 points and 10 rebounds respectively. I'm in shock and we're in the hole 2-0.
Final - Denver 64 Atlanta 99

Game Three
Maybe playing in Denver can produce a change in fortune. It'd better, or we'll be the laughingstock of the entire league. We've officially hit bipolar territory as we go from 32.5% in Game 2 to 60.5% in Game 3. Once again, Marcelino Augusto leads us with 27 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks, as he's doing everything he can to shed the Finals bust label. Zelipe Gama uncorks for 23 points and 10 assists, Andrew Bogut scrapes together 10 points and 11 rebounds and Rico Wolfe scores 12 off the bench. This is what Nuggets basketball is about! Atlanta's sole counter was Vince Murray's 26 points. We're back in this thing at 2-1.
Final - Atlanta 88 Denver 116

Game Four
But we're not out of the woods yet. We need to tie it up and turn this thing into a whole new series. And for the first time in what seems like forever, Mateen Yeaton and Marcelino Augusto are in sync on the same night. Augusto is breathtaking with 35 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks and 2 steals, while Yeaton hammers the Hawks for 35 points. Zelipe Gama joins the fun with the first triple-double by a Nugget in my tenure. 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. It couldn't have come at a more opportune time as we crush Atlanta, plummeting them to a knotted series. Lost in the shuffle are Kelvin Johnson's 22 points and Emmitt Kincaid's 12 bench points for the Hawks.
Final - Atlanta 94 Denver 118

Game Five
Our third straight home game and the most pivotal contest of this series. Win and all we have to do is get a split in Atlanta. Lose and we have to try and pull off the miracle by sweeping in that carnival of horrors. Kelvin Johnson continues his fine Finals with 27 points, but that's all the Hawks can muster in highlights. Mateen Yeaton more than matches Johnson with 36 points, Marcelino Augusto adds 21 points and Rico Wolfe scores 16 off the bench. We now hold the all-important 3-2 series edge and have run off three straight victories.
Final - Atlanta 97 Denver 118

Game Six
Just one win. That's all we need is one road win and we've defended our title. Will our restored confidence from three straight routs in Denver give us the boost we need to finally tame the Hawks in their home nest and repeat as champions? Kelvin Johnson erupts for 33 points, Ray Fields scores 21 and Chris Borman makes it three Hawks with 20+ points, netting 20 points and 12 rebounds. Marcelino Augusto leads the counterattack with 39 points, Rico Wolfe scores 20 points off the bench, Louis Mertens chips in 10 points and 11 assists and Victor Gipson grabs 12 boards to lead the reserves in rebounding. But in the end, it's not enough, as we lose by a measly four points. Worse yet, Mateen Yeaton played just 9 minutes, fouling out and scoring ZERO POINTS. What a heartbreaking loss.
Final - Denver 102 Atlanta 106

Game Seven
And here we go again. Another Game 7 for everything. Only this time, we're in hostile territory and Victor Gipson's starting at C, Andrew Bogut having strained his knee in Game 6. This final game's even harder to watch than the one against the Mavericks. Four of five Atlanta's starters score 15 points or more: Chris Borman with 15, Ray Fields with 16, Kelvin Johnson and Vince Murray with 19 a piece. In short, it's precisely the type of balanced ball that got the Hawks this far. Can we match it? Marcelino Augusto puts up 22 points and 11 rebounds, Victor Gipson is a force down low with 13 points and 15 rebounds and Zelipe Gama adds in 13 points and 13 assists. But the game's not decided until Mateen Yeaton, last year's hero, adds another chapter in his legendary saga, scoring 32 points and winning his second straight NBA Finals MVP!!!! NUGGETS WIN!!! NUGGETS WIN!!!! WE DEFEND OUR TITLE!!! WE DEFEND OUR TITLE!!!!!!
Final - Denver 100 Atlanta 95

I walk slowly down to the court this time, savoring the sight of the Nuggets' celebrations. Jim O'Brien and Patrick Ewing hugging on the bench. Mateen Yeaton laid out exhausted on the floor after a night of converting all 10 free throw shots and leading us to our second straight title. David Jackson doing an insane victory dance I'm sure will be in his next music video. Louis Mertens just sitting on a chair and quietly savoring the moment.

Marcelino Augusto and Lindsey Williamson walking over to Yeaton and picking him up, carrying him on their shoulders to accept the gleaming, golden ball.

And the sight of our two-time NBA Finals MVP holding up the trophy, hoisted by two of the players I drafted, one reknowned, the other obscure, makes me smile.

Last year was excitement and frenzy.

This year is simply sublime happiness.

Denver Nuggets. Repeat champions.

Such simple, beautiful words.

[Coffee Warlord]

Whoo hoo!

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Whoo hoo!

Indeed.

[Izulde]

Augusto Wants Out

A stunning development has occurred in the wake of the Denver Nuggets' successful title defense. 21 year old star PF Marcelino Augusto has demanded a trade from Denver, claiming he doesn't feel he has the support that teammate Mateen Yeaton does.

"I performed at a higher and more consistent level than Mateen and I should've received the Finals MVP award, not him. There's constantly been trade rumors swirling around me and I'm tired of it. So I say to the GM and to the front office: Trade me. Trade me to some other team where I'll be appreciated, where I'll be the clear-cut number one and not have to play second fiddle to a man who's past his prime", Augusto said at a press conference announcing his desire to be dealt.

Nuggets captain Emeka Okafor has also publically expressed a wish to be moved to another team if he decides not to retire, but that isn't likely to happen.

GM Jestor declined comment on the Brazilian's outburst, but sources say there's a very high probability that the young superstar and regular season MVP candidate will get his wish and be traded.

If that happens, the fallout could be considerable for Denver, as the team will then have to find another scorer to pair with Yeaton. It also means that their future franchise fixture at PF will be gone. On the other hand, Yeaton will still be the only returning starter over 30 and there's every reason to believe the Nuggets can continue their dominance even without Augusto, depending on what Jestor can get back.

Augusto also indicated during the press conference that as a gesture to Nuggets fans, who've been so ardent in their enthusiasm for him during his three years in the league, he's willing to a sign 2 year, $12 million base, 10% raise contract extension, but no more than that. It's uncertain as to how the Nuggets front office will respond to that offer.

What's certain is that this offseason just got a lot more intriguing for Nuggets fans.

***End Article***

Bastard. I knew I should've sold him sooner. But that's going to have to wait. We've the lottery first.

NBA Lottery
14. Boston Celtics
13. Chicago Bulls
12. New Jersey Nets
11. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Houston Rockets
9. Golden State Warriors
8. Charlotte Bobcats

7. Denver Nuggets (-1)

...Damn it. We dropped a spot as Miami sneaks into the top 3.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (-1)
5. Washington Wizards (-1)
4. New Orleans Hornets (-3)
3. Indiana Pacers
2. Phoenix Suns
1. Miami Heat (+6)

And so it's the Heat that come up lucky in the lottery. Oh well, it could've been worse. I'll take the #7 pick.

2019 NBA Awards
MVP
Andrew Bynum - Los Angeles Lakers - 18.1 PPG 11.9 RPG 3.6 APG 2.6 BPG 0.9 SPG
Defensive Player of the Year
Greg Oden - Toronto Raptors - 14.0 PPG 15.4 RPG 3.7 APG 2.7 BPG 1.0 SPG
Rookie of the Year
Devone Allen - Dallas Mavericks - 15.9 PPG 3.7 RPG 3.2 APG 1.4 BPG 1.2 SPG
6th Man of the Year
Kelvin Johnson - Atlanta Hawks - 15.3 PPG 4.4 APG 2.6 RPG 0.7 BPG 0.9 SPG
Coach of the Year
Sam Mitchell - Toronto Raptors

The media obsesses way too much with centers and keeps voting them as MVP even when they don't really deserve it. Poor form again, though not quite as egregious as the Greg Oden selections. Augusto was furious when he found out he'd be snubbed for the MVP award, though he did finish in second place.

All-NBA 1st Team
PG Kenny Graham - Detroit Pistons
SG Mateen Yeaton - Denver Nuggets
SF Kevin Durant - Portland Trailblazers
PF Marcelino Augusto - Denver Nuggets
C Andrew Bynum - Los Angeles Lakers

All-NBA 2nd Team
PG Paulinho Buboltz - Indiana Pacers
SG Justin Richler - Toronto Raptors
SF Rudy Gay - Memphis Grizzlies
PF Kelvin Moody - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Jonte Jones - Dallas Mavericks

All-NBA 3rd Team
PG Calvis Graham - Los Angeles Lakers
SG Lebron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
SF Charles Garren - Orlando Magic
PF Federico Gomez - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Greg Oden - Toronto Raptors

First time in my career I've had two All-First Team selections and I'm going to have to ship one of them out. Oh well, c'est 'la vie.

All-Defense 1st Team
PG Derrick Sterett - New Jersey Nets
SG Mateen Yeaton - Denver Nuggets
SF Jeremy Lemons - Orlando Magic
PF Tyrus Thomas - Philadelphia 76ers
C Greg Oden - Toronto Raptors

All-Defense 2nd Team
PG Brian Metcalfe - Philadelphia 76ers
SG Charles Seegars - Chicago Bulls
SF David Anyan - Toronto Raptors
PF Kelvin Moody - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Patrick Riley - Sacramento Kings

All-Rookie 1st Team
PG Keith Attaway - Indiana Pacers
SG Filip Mikulic - Houston Rockets
SF Devone Allen - Dallas Mavericks
PF Jeremy Bellairs - Golden State Warriors
C Charlie Joseph - Portland Trailblazers

All-Rookie 2nd Team
PG Carlton Goree - Sacramento Kings
SG Walter Hicks - New Jersey Nets
SF Steven Feaster - Miami Heat
PF Calvis Hatter - Memphis Grizzlies
C Leo Sinville - Orlando Magic

B.B. Dyer got a monster bid for the team and took it, figuring the time was right to sell high. Enter Bob Neal, who doesn't care at all about winning. He just wants the profit and he wants the profits -now-, especially after how much money he shelled out to get the Nuggets.

Luckily, Mr. Neal is fine with the same deep playoff run and 10-15 million over the cap that I've proposed to Mr. Dyer the last several years. I'm going to hold off on trading Augusto until I see exactly what this draft class looks like.

Coach Hiring

Jim O'Brien's rewarded with a 3 year, $2.3 million a year contract extension for leading us to two straight titles. By the time he retires, he should be over .500 careerwise.

Other than that, we sit tight and watch the usual musical chairs of coaches, including Scott Skiles going to the Heat. ...Yeah, his slow style is going to go over -real- well with Nigel Abel.

Mock Draft

For the most part, this is looking like a pretty weak class. Not one I'd pay much to move up in. SG Jon Ward, a 19 year old who just finished his freshman year at Syracuse, looks like the class of the crop from initial impressions.

I have some mild interest in Ward, SG Austin Forte, a 21 year old out of Notre Dame, and 21 year old PF Terry Vinson out of Indiana, especially since Mateen Yeaton's a Hoosier, but overall, this just isn't a great class in terms of star power at the top.

On the other hand, there looks to be enough depth in this class that a few second rounders could well make an impact.

Decisions, decisions to make as we head into the draft.

[Izulde]

After bringing a bunch of people in, I can only take back my comments about this draft being thin at the top, but fairly deep throughout.

It's just a terrible class, period. David Jackson-level draft crop. We may get out of this draft with Marcelino Augusto on our roster yet.

2020 NBA Draft 1st Round
1. PG Mark Johnson - Miami Heat

I actually facevault when I hear the pick. Admittedly, this is a -terrible- draft class and a lot of teams are parched for a good PG right now, but #1, Johnson's not a good PG and #2, Jon Ward is still sitting there.

2. SG Jon Ward - Phoenix Suns

The Suns send their fellow hot team a thank you card for passing on Ward. Not a guy worth moving up for in my opinion, but clearly the best of this anemic class.

3. C Lee McRae - Indiana Pacers

And so the search for a quality Pacers C continues. Hint: McRae ain't it.

4. PG Caleb James - New Orleans Hornets
5. SG Brad Smalls - Washington Wizards
6. SG Austin Forte - Los Angeles Clippers

The experts keep saying we'll go Antwan Carson, the SF we were tabbed to take in the mock drafts, but I don't like the looks of the kid at all. Instead, we go with a player who I think is a steal at this point.

7. PF Terry Vinson - Denver Nuggets

He can flat out score according to our workouts and he's a Hoosier, which thrills Mateen Yeaton. Also insurance in case we trade away Marcelino Augusto.

8. PG Sveto Lepinat - Charlotte Bobcats
9. PF Clifton Snyder - Golden State Warriors

Snyder's the guy I would've taken if Vinson was off the board. Not the explosive scorer that Vinson is, but a much more well-rounded game.

10. PG Adam Braun - Houston Rockets
11. SF Antwan Carson - Memphis Grizzlies
12. PG Travis Popp - New Jersey Nets
13. C Oswaldo Apolonario - Chicago Bulls

Brazilian C who was originally picked to go 3rd to the Pacers. Crashed 10 spots to the Bulls. Very raw and looked terrible in workouts.

14. SF LeRoy Romano - Boston Celtics
15. PF Chad Dobbins - Utah Jazz
16. PG Brett Archibald - Portland Trailblazers
17. C Jarion Calloway - San Antonio Spurs
18. SG Patrick Hawkins - Seattle Supersonics
19. PG Charles Lennox - Cleveland Cavaliers
20. SG Bill Esherick - Philadelphia 76ers
21. SG Dennis Jackson - Detroit Pistons
22. SG Mark Lyles - Sacramento Kings
23. SG Erick Lane - Milwaukee Bucks
24. SG Adam Jones - Minnesota Timberwolves
25. SG Ray Smith - New York Knicks
26. SG Dwayne DeManby - Washington Wizards
27. SG Chris Cross - Dallas Mavericks
28. SG Ronald King - Los Angeles Lakers
29. C Lionel Tice - Atlanta Hawks
30. PG Brad Pugh - Toronto Raptors

And right when we trade our own 2022 2nd round pick and the #36 pick to move up to the first pick in the second round, the comissioner steps up to the podium and announces the stunner of the evening:

"Because 2nd round picks regularly fail to make any impact in today's NBA, we will not be holding the second round this year. The Nuggets' trade to the Lakers will still stand, however."

...What?

I'm left jaw-dropped and absolutely flabbergasted. To me, it sounds like a screwjob to try and keep us from dominating. The first time in -years- we decide to have a 2nd round pick and actually trade up in it and they pull these shenanigans.

Heh. Then again, this is the same commish who imposed Schedulegate.

Anyway, first look after the draft says Vinson's going to be a good player. Not a superstar and not Marcelino Augusto by any means, but good.

We renounce our rights on everyone and free up enough cap room to give us $12.5 million to play with. Can you say big name free agent play? I knew you could!

Summer League
PF Tzvetan Kishishhev
PF Terry Vinson
C Victor Gipson

The good news about there being no second round, SG Jamie Keams, who I'd traded up to draft, is available as an undrafted rookie free agent and he accepts our summer league team invite. I plan on signing him on general principle.

We open the Summer League by crushing Dallas 104-86. Kelvin Johnson, the Hawks hero from our Finals match, scores 24 points after we found him wandering the availability list. Fantastic showing by the reserves: John Merton with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Roby Evans with 12 points and Garrett Honeycutt with 11 points. Evans could seriously be a solid player, but he didn't pick up basketball until his senior year in high school, so he's the rawest player I've ever seen. Great potential, though. Merton's a scrub. Honeycutt could be decent, with seasoning.

Golden State tops us 109-97 despite 25 points from Kelvin Johnson and 10 and 11 bench points from Garrett Honeycutt and Gary Burditt respectively. To be honest, Jamie Keams is kinda scrubby.

We -finally- get a breakout game from one of our young big men as Victor Gipson unloads on the Hawks for 25 points and 11 rebounds. John Merton and Gary Burditt highlight the reserves with 12 and 13 points a piece. I'm a little worried, to be honest, that we haven't seen anything major out of the other two, including our rookie.

111-97 loss to the Bulls, Victor Gipson our lone highlight with 15 points and 10 rebounds. I'm starting to see why Jim O'Brien told me after the draft that he sees David "50 Ninja" Jackson as our starting C next year over Gipson.

Defense rules in our 83-67 win over the Celtics to close out the summer league. Terry Vinson finally shows flashes of something with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Roby Evans scores 12 points off the bench. O'Brien sees Vinson as a possible starting SF next year. Says the kid's got potential, but needs the playing time to develop it.

Free Agency
Some big names this year. A lot of them hovering or well past the 30 year old mark, but still exciting. I've included a list below, noting the ones 30 or older. This bumper crop isn't as mindblowing as last year's because of the age factor, but there's still some seriously elite players out there.

Blue Chip Board
SG Kyle Hoiberg
SG Lebron James (36)
SF Carmelo Amthony (36)
PG Paulinho Buboltz
PF Mike Vines (31)
C Jonte Jones (30)
PG Gilbert Arenas (38)
PG Dwayne Wade (38)
PG Kenny Graham
C Chris Bosh (36)
PG Kelvin Johnson
PF Andrea Bargnani (36)
SG Ben Gordon (37)
SF Andre Iguodola (36)
PG Andre Moore

These old guys can all still play, by the way, though to be fair, Bargnani and Gordon are really only on here because of their name factor.

I'll give you three guesses as to who I'm sinking my money into.

Unfortunately, we can't match Dallas's money and Jonte Jones has no real interest in coming to play for us, so it's no surprise when he re-signs with the Mavericks. Paulinho Buboltz goes back to Indiana the same day for the max-level money.

No worries, though. There's still a lot of prime free agents to be had. In particular I'd like to boost our PG situation and there's still Kenny Graham, the Pistons PG who's been the All-NBA 1st Team PG for the last 3 years. He's made no secret of the fact that he'd love to come to Denver. He's a potential locker room disruption from what I've heard, but there's no better passer in the league and he's a borderline 20 point/10 assist average player.

It's his impassioned desire to play for the Nuggets that finally sways me and we offer all our cap money to him on a max-level contract. He signs immediately and the national press and Internet blogosphere goes into a frenzy over the news. Pistons fans everywhere are heartbroken as their PG of the last 6 and 1/2 years leaves for greener pastures.

But the fact of the matter was, Detroit took advantage of Graham's willingness to listen to lower contracts. He doesn't care about money, but at the same time, when you're a 3-time defending All-NBA 1st Team player and your ballclub is only offering you $10 million a year, far below the market rate of what you deserve, you'd probably be a little pissed at the lowballing too.

As for the Nuggets faithful, front office and the team as a whole, we couldn't be more ecstatic at the coup. I'm a little worried at how this is going to effect the team's chemistry, especially with Zelipe Gama now being moved to the 6th man role, but I think it'll work out.

Lebron James jumps to the Celtics the next day on a 1 year, $9.9 million contract. He may be 36, but you just heard screams from Lake Erie as Cavs fans committed mass suicide.

Most of the rest of the big names re-up with their teams, but Kelvin Johnson takes a 5 year, $44.4 million deal from the Sacramento Kings. We probably won't be seeing Atlanta in the Finals again, that's for sure. Also, Rico Wolfe got a nice 4 year, $24.7 million contract from the Orlando Magic.

One hell of a free agency by the Celtics. They not only got King James, but they're also snapped up Will Baron, the 22 year old 3rd year player and former #1 overall pick (2018 - Houston Rockets) on a 5 year, $48 million deal. Baron's extremely raw still, but he's improved greatly each season he's been in the league and he has Franchise Player Potential (FPP). There's no way in hell Boston's missing the playoffs this year and if the young kids they have (Baron, Jon Costello, Jermaine Butler) keep developing, they're going to be serious contenders for the East this season. Wow, just wow.

The insanity doesn't stop there, because the Celtic sign Andre Iguodola the next day on a $6 million, one year deal. Okay, Boston's just become my pick in the East this year. Talk about being serious about upgrading!

Chicago continues to be stupid, shelling out 4 years, $24 million for Andrew Bogut, who's even older and even less impressive than he was during the stretch run and playoffs for us. Oh how the Bulls have fallen since their 2009 fluke championship!

We grab Utah Sixer Julius Austin on a one year min-sal deal. Great defense is always a good thing. I'm pissed a few days later when Louis Mertens spurns us for the freaking New York Knicks. Ungrateful asshat! See how much PT you get in the Big Apple!

As a consolation prize, we bring back Shaun Livingston for his third Nuggets tour of duty on the same day we agree to terms with Paul Fisher. Yes, it's another big man, but we need rebounding help.

Training Camp

Marcelino Augusto keeps busting his ass and there's no question he's arguably the best player in the NBA right now. Tzvetan Kishishev showed much better understanding of the game. David Jackson looked slightly improved in a few areas, but the real story of camp was how damn impressive Terry Vinson looked. He's much more polished than we thought and legitimately earned the starting SF spot.

I also sign Jamie Keams to a one year deal after training camp. I'd meant to sign him in free agency but completely forgot. He'll start the year down in the D-Leagues.

And that's when it happens.

That's when I make the trade that stuns the league.

Denver Nuggets receive
C Jonte Jones
SG Sabit Suker
Dallas Mavericks 2021 1st round pick
Dallas Mavericks 2023 1st round pick

Dallas Mavericks receive
PF Marcelino Augusto
PG Zelipe Gama
PG Shaun Livingston
Miami Heat 2021 2nd round pick
Miami Heat 2022 2nd round pick

What this means for the Nuggets
When GM Jestor wants a player, he finds a way to get him and he just landed two players he's coveted for a very, very long time in Jones and Suker. Jones immediately takes over as the starting C spot, shifting David Jackson to one of the forward spots and putting rookie Terry Vinson, who the Nuggets are quite high on and who afforded the front office the luxury of dealing Augusto. We already know all about Jones's exploits. Suker is extremely raw, but the 20 year old 3rd year Turk has potential to at the very least be a serviceable 6th man, if not a borderline starter. Already with good defensive skills and a very good basketball IQ, he'll be the first guard off the bench and get the ample playing time he needs to develop. Suker's also 6'8 and almost 200 lbs, the type of big, imposing guard Jestor loves to have (see Mateen Yeaton, recent Nuggets signee Jamie Keams for other examples. The first round picks will be late selections, making them decidedly underwhelming.

What this means for the Mavericks
Augusto gets his wish and leaves Denver for Dallas, where he'll be the unquestioned #1 option of offense and not have to share with a Mateen Yeaton, although he may have a challenger soon in last season's Rookie of the Year Devone Allen. Gama takes over at the point, allowing the Mavericks to push Chris Paul to the bench as the 6th man. Livingston's roster filler to make the salaries fit.

Winner: Dallas
With this trade, the Mavericks instantaneously become one of the top teams in the West. It doesn't matter that Al Horford is undersized at 6'9, 245 or that Augusto is also small. This is a team that's going to have extremely low 1st round picks in 2021 and 2023, so Jestor just basically gave up one of the Top 3 players in the NBA and a bona fide future Hall of Famer, along with his beloved Spanish starting PG for relative chump change.

I do feel bad about dealing Gama, but Kenny Graham's signing made Gama expendable and besides, I look at this way. Before us, Zelipe toiled in obscurity. He became a name player with us, so much so that when he did leave us for his new team, he was an unquestioned starter. That says a lot right there.

To keep Keams in the D-league, I sign 34 year old Mackel Greenleaf off the free agent scrap heap. He was the best passing guard available, for when we need it.

In the season previews, Seattle's picked as the top choice in the West, which is a joke. The Clippers are #2, which is even funnier. Portland's third, which is iffy, but at least somewhat arguable. Dallas is fourth and the consensus pick to run away with their division. The Mavericks are definitely going to win the division. It's a terrible crop this year, no doubt about that. We're slated 6th, which is idiotic.

Out in the East, I'm laughing my ass off as the Bulls are tabbed to win the conference. Fat chance of that. They're a borderline playoff team if anything. New York's #2, which sounds about right. The Raptors are slated for third, which makes sense to me. That lineup is really getting old. Boston's in the same spot we are, 6th, and I actually agree with that. The Celtics have no big man depth to speak of and that's going to hurt them, especially if there's any injuries.

2020 Denver Nuggets Opening Night Lineup
PG Kenny Graham
SG Mateen Yeaton
SF David Jackson
PF Terry Vinson
C Jonte Jones
6th Victor Gipson (SF/PF/C)
7th Tzevtan Kishishev (SF/PF/C
8th Sabit Suker (PG/SG/SF)
9th Paul Fisher (SF/PF/C)
10th Julius Austin (SF/PF)
11th Mackel Greenleaf (PG/SG)
12th Emeka Okafor (PF/C)
Inactive Jamie Keams (Starting PG for the Timberjacks)

[Barkeep49]

I guess Jones is a nice addition, but this fan is quite upset about the Augusto trade.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

I guess Jones is a nice addition, but this fan is quite upset about the Augusto trade.

You're not alone, either in the readership or in the story world in being quite upset.

I've been going over this trade a lot in the last few hours as I went for a smoke, lunch and a walk. I know a lot of people think and are going to think I'm absolute nuts for making this trade.

But the more I think about it, the more I'm happy with having made it. I've always wanted Jones and Suker on the team, this moves 50 Ninja back to SF where he's much more effective than at C and I really think Vinson's going to surprise a lot of people. Will he make anyone forget about Augusto? No. But I think he has the ability to become maybe become a star in his own right.

And remember, Augusto wasn't happy about not being the clear-cut #1 option on the team and was jealous about Yeaton's popularity with the front office, me especially. He also felt robbed of the Finals MVP, which went to Yeaton again. He wanted out and I gave him his wish, getting what I think is a good deal in return.

Absolute equal value? Well, no. There's no getting equal value for a 22 year old franchise player who just won his first scoring title and who plays solid defense, is a fan favorite, and doesn't care at all how much he makes.

But keep in mind that even with him, we -barely- defended our title. I feel like we're a lot more balanced team now with Jones. Also, a few readers thought I screwed up when I traded Buboltz for Yeaton back before the 2013 season and I think that turned out okay.

[Izulde]

The images are there, almost larger than life, on the television screen. I can almost smell the smoke, can almost feel my eyes searing from the flames, my ears bombarded by the angry shouts as I stare at the scene and listen to the reporter:

"It's a wild scene here in Rio, where Brazilians, angry at the Nuggets' trade of Marcelino Augusto to the Dallas Mavericks, are rioting in protest. It all started this morning.."

I hit the mute button, looking a few seconds more at the furious faces, the surreal, chilling puppets of me burning. The bonfire's a mixture of Nuggets hats, T-shirts, other Denver memorabilia. There's quite a few Pacers Buboltz jerseys and a handful of just delivered Mavericks Augusto jerseys.

No Nuggets jerseys in the pile I can see. None, that is, save one.

A #6. Mateen's number.

I turn around and look at the faces ringed around my desk.

"So there you have it, gentlemen. We're now Public Enemy #1 in Brazil. Or at least I am."

There's a subdued chuckle from the group. It's all the players and coaches, including Lindsey Williamson, who I re-signed after the deal. Paul Fisher isn't here, though. I cut him so Lindsey could be on the active roster and Emeka Okafor could get more playing time.

I continue after the low laugh dies down.

"We're in a situation where we have to win a third straight title. Anything less and it's a failed season."

They're silent for a moment, letting the import sink in.

Then Jim O'Brien speaks up.

"Listen, Mr. Jestor. I thought it'd be a good idea to bring everyone in once I saw that news story break, like I said. I just wanted you to know that we're all behind you and we're determined to bring that third championship home."

"Yeah!" David Jackson shouts, wearing a gold and black hoodie, the first item in his new 50 Ninja clothing line, "Screw Augusto! We barely won the title with his ass, so this year, we're going to win it boom boom style without his 'I wanna be #1!' emo ass!"

The laughter's louder and more real this time. Jonte Jones is smiling for the first time since he came to Denver and he speaks next.

"Look, you guys know I love Dallas. I't's always gonna be home to me and I wanted to bring the Mavericks a title."

There's a chorus of playful boos which our new center just grins and shakes his head at.

"I know, I know. But you know, I'm thinking we can do this thing. We can win a third straight title, shoot, maybe even a fourth or fifth. Stuff like what we saw on TV just now? That's total crap. Hate the trade if you want, but there's no reason to be a dick about it."

"Exactly", I cut in, "And that's part of the reason why we brought you here, Jonte. I want us to challenge the Boston Celtics' run of titles. Three? Four? Five? Hell, I want nine! I know not all of you will be here for that, but you can be a part of the road to it."

The group cheers, whoops and claps, a few stomping their feet.

"That's why I wanted to come here!" Kenny Graham shouts over the noise, "Well... that and the chance to be the first Mr. Jestor free agent signing to actually be a star player."

More laughter before our prize rookie, Terry Vinson, pipes up.

"Hey, I know I'm not going to make anyone forget Augusto. But I swear to you all right now, I'm going to bust my hump to show Mr. Jestor made the right decision. Devone Allen better watch out, because I'm coming up for his Rookie of the Year title!"

In the din of approval that follows, Emeka Okafor stands up and motions for all of us to get in a huddle and put our hands in the middle. After we do, our team captain speaks into the silence.

"Then let's all swear right here, right now, that we will do whatever it takes to chase the Celtics; this year, next year and the seasons beyond, no matter if we're still playing or if we've moved on to the next chapter in our lives."

Mateen Yeaton takes the last word.

"Remember the Musketeers. Let -that- be our creed. All for one, one for all--no.... better than that. All for nine, nine for all!"

"ALL FOR NINE, NINE FOR ALL!"

**********

And that's how the idea of the Nine Rings Quest was born. There, in my office, with two championship rings already on our hands, literally in a few of our cases. Born out of the fires of adversity, with a will to triumph, to title, to strike back against the criticism that surrounded me and us.

Whether we succeeded or failed, I was at peace for the moment. Although the coming season and the years that followed would dictate the outcome, I was now freed of the worries and anxieties that'd plagued me since I made the trade that earned me so much animosity from so many people.

We opened, as always, on Halloween night against the Lakers. Buoyed by our enthusiasm, we won an incredibly fun 123-112 shootout over the Purple and Gold on the road. Jonte Jones had an absolute stellar Nuggets debut with 37 points and 11 rebounds. Mateen Yeaton scored 26 points, Victor Gipson was a perfect 6/6 for 17 points off the bench and though Kenny Graham got into foul trouble and fouled out, Sabit Suker played extremely well in reserve time, with 8 points and 12 assists.

Jonte Jones was great again with 28 points and 16 rebounds, Kenny Graham issued 12 points and 11 assists, and David Jackson broke out with 22 points, but the bench played poorly and Terry Vinson had a hideous 2 for 12 night as the Timberwolves rallied in the 4th quarter to beat us 101-95.

Undeterred, we beat the Jazz 119-114 the next game as Mateen Yeaton dazzles with 40 points, Jonte Jones puts up 26 points and 11 rebounds, Kenny Graham gets 11 points and 19 assists and Victor Gipson powers the bench with 16 points.

But then we drop both games of the ensuing doubleheader. The Jazz embarass us 106-77 in the rematch, Jonte Jones's 14 points and 10 rebounds a lonely, pedestrian highlight and Seattle beats us at our own run and gun game, beating us 115-107 despite Mateen Yeaton's 35 points and Victor Gipson's reserve 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The horror continues as we fall 120-90 to the Pistons, 24 points from Mateen Yeaton, 14 points and 10 assists from Kenny Graham and 10 bench points from Victor Gipson not enough.

Terry Vinson's a main culprit, shooting an astoundingly awful 29.7%, but we're struggling as a team overall and we frankly shouldn't be. I know it's a small sample size, but I'm thinking maybe Vinson isn't the answer after all.

It's a riddle absent easy solutions, but I strike a deal for a player I think can be our PG of the future, one who's very unhappy on his current team.

Denver Nuggets receive
PG Nolan Hill
Chicago Bulls 2022 1st round pick
Chicago Bulls 2021 2nd round pick
Chicago Bulls 2022 2nd round pick
Chicago Bulls 2023 2nd round pick

Chicago Bulls receive
PF Terry Vinson
PG Mackel Greenleaf

What this means for the Nuggets
Denver's looked terrible to start the season and Vinson's gotten a lot of the blame for it, so off he goes, with Victor Gipson, who's off to a hot start, taking over as the starting PF. GM Jestor sees a possible PG of the future in Hill, a smooth-passing guard with nice all-around shooting and defensive skills. The 24 year old William & Mary grad never got a shot in Chicago, with a career-high 8.1 minutes per game average in 26 games in 2018. He'll definitely get his opportunities in Denver and Jestor now has another 1st round pick to play with.

What this means for the Bulls
Chicago's so terrible at C that Vinson will actually get the start at the five. We think it was far too early to give up on him, despite getting off to a woeful start his first few games (shooting 29.7% from the floor). Greenleaf is a scrub.

Winner: Draw
Both the main players are young guys who haven't had a fair chance with their old teams, so it's impossible to say how it's going to shake out. If we were forced to choose one side, though, we've give the nod to the Nuggets, who have rapidly been piling first round draft picks.

I sign Al Thornton off the street, hoping he still has some offensive boost in his 36 year old legs.

We snap the losing streak at three, edging the Kings 112-106 on the road on the backs of Mateen Yeaton (37 points), Kenny Graham (27 points, 12 assists) and Jonte Jones (17 points, 14 rebounds). Nolan Hill shoots an icky 1 for 8 in his Nuggets debut while Victor Gipson is an unimpressive 2 for 5 his first game in the lineup at PF. Still, a win's a win.

Toronto beats us 108-96 the next game, but we're playing a lot better now. Mateen Yeaton scores 20 and Jonte Jones puts up 16 points and 14 rebounds for our two highlights. I think we'll be okay once everyone gels together.

Our first genuine blowout victory of the year comes against the Bulls, 120-83. Jonte Jones rampages for 32 points and 13 rebounds, Victor Gipson chimes in for 13 points and 13 rebounds, Kenny Graham scores 23 and Nolan Hill leads the bench with 10 points.

It's an important morale boost going into our showdown against the Mavericks, a match I'm naturally dreading. You can imagine my glee when we knock off Dallas 114-104 to give us our first win streak of the season! The victory comes courtesy of Mateen Yeaton's 37 points, David Jackson's 21 points and Kenny Graham's 15 points and 17 assists. Marcelino Augusto scores 19 and Zelipe Gama put in 12 points and 13 assists, by the way.

We can't make it three in a row as the Nets top us 110-102. Mateen Yeaton played well with 22 points and we got perfect shooting nights from Tzvetan Kishishev (12 bench points) and Sabit Suker (10 bench points) but it wasn't enough.

The way the season's gone so far, I'm not all that upset about the doubleheader split that follows. We beat the Spurs 105-91, Jonte Jones leading the way with 27 points and 14 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scoring 24 and Victor Gipson garnering 10 points and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, the Rockets beat us 103-100 in a 4th quarter comeback in Houston. Damn shame too as Jonte Jones might finally be getting in the groove with 26 points and 16 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scoring 22.

Jim O'Brien switches up the lineup, starting Victor Gipson at SF and he responds beautifully, with a 25 point night in our 119-97 shelling of the Hornets. Jonte Jones scores 26, Mateen Yeaton 23 points and Kenny Graham distributed 16 points and 19 assists. Tzvetan Kishishev scored 10 off the bench.

The old lineup's back against Cleveland, but Jonte Jones crushes the Cavs for 40 points and 11 rebounds en route to a 132-116 win. Mateen Yeaton and Kenny Graham each score 29, our PG adding 18 assists to the equation for just our second mini-win streak.

I'm scared to look at the standings.

We're in last place in the division at 8-7, 3.5 games behind the 11-3 Portland Trailblazers. The boo birds are screaming for both me and Jim O'Brien to be fired, especially since the Mavericks are 12-5 and already 5.5 games up in their division over the 6-10 Spurs.

The Miami Heat are 0-16, primed for another top pick. Other than that, the East is a dogfight between the Nets, Raptors and Magic. The Pistons presently lead the Central at 9-5, 1.5 ahead of the 7-5 Bulls. Cleveland's lost without Lebron, already 5-11. Then again, Boston's 2-12 and doing a great job of sucking themselves.

What an absolutely deranged first month it's been.

[Coffee Warlord]

Fire Jestor!

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Fire Jestor!

I know, I know. I'm kicking myself now. I'm tempted to speed-post through the season to see where we end up.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Then again, Boston's 2-12 and doing a great job of sucking themselves.

Wow, I didn't see that coming at all. Injuries or something, or are they just not meshing at all?

[Autumn]

Shocking move, for sure, and you know I was a huge Augusto supporter. But shocking trades and team shake-ups has been your style and it's been working. I'll be interested to see how it all turns out.

[Izulde]

JoninMiddleGA: The Celtics decided to start Will Baron at SF and combined with Ben Searcy at PF, they have two guys who don't play defense. At all. Baron's not grown into his potential yet and Searcy just sucks. In my opinion, they should move Baron to PF and start Andre Iguodola at SF, but for some bizzare reason, they're not doing that.

It doesn't help that Jermaine Butler, their starting PG who's honestly a good 2, but a semi-sucky 1, has had nagging injuries both the first month and the second month (which I just played before responding to this post).

Lebron James is doing quite well as expected, but they have a grand total of -1- guy on the bench that can play C, 2 that can play PF and one of them's Paul Fisher, who I cut. The biggest problem, I think, is that nobody on the starting five can play defense well. I mean, King James and Spencer Hawes, who's been Boston's starting C for forever, do a decent job at it, but not great.

If they moved Igudola to SF and shifted Baron to the four, they'd at least have a legitimate stopper in the starting lineup (going by ratings anyway).

Autumn: Thanks for the support. As for the second month... well you'll see in about 10 min or so.

[Izulde]

Regret, oh so damned bittersweet regret, is filling me right now. Why oh -why- did I trade Marcelino Augusto? Our Vinson/Hill trade was the only one of the first month.

Well, we'll see how things go from here on out.

Miami's got to win sometime, but it won't be against us as Jonte Jones rambles for 37 points and 12 rebounds and Mateen Yeaton scores 34 in our 126-103 win. Julius Austin and Al Thornton score 12 and 11 points off the bench. I'm thinking David Jackson needs to shoot more, but Jim O'Brien isn't really listening. He's too distracted trying to turn this team around.

Our win streak hits 4 as we come from behind to barely nip Orlando 120-118. Jonte Jones scores 31 and that's the highlight. I'm sorely tempted to try and trade for a new starting SF, because David Jackson is foul-prone and much more effective on the bench. Unfortunately, I don't have the salary or ammunition to do that yet without upsetting the balance of our other starters.

But maybe we don't need to. We destroy Washington 115-80 as Mateen Yeaton's magnificient with 34 points and 13 rebounds. Jonte Jones scores 26 and Kenny Graham gets 12 points and 12 assists. At this point, maybe I should just let it go, let this team get used to each other.

Our string of victories ends, as expected, in a 101-88 loss to the Raptors. Jonte Jones produces 23 points and 17 rebounds, Kenny Graham 19 points and 10 assists, but they sic David Anyan on Mateen Yeaton, forcing our star into a 5/21 night. I hate how Sam Mitchell plays matchup chairs like that against us.

That was also the first two games of our East Coast road trip from Hell. 104-96 loss to the Knicks comes as Jonte Jones can only produce 15 points and 16 rebounds and Victor Gipson's 18 points and 10 rebounds can't go with Kenny Graham's 23 points and 13 assists for the win. Mateen Yeaton's having back problems to boot.

A doubleheader against the 76ers and Celtics proves most welcome. We pounce Philadelphia 100-80, Jonte Jones tearing things up with 25 points and 18 rebounds, Kenny Graham netting 18 points and 15 assists. Nolan Hill has his best game to date in a Nuggets uniform with 18 points off the bench. We bomb Boston 111-95 thanks to Jonte Jones again with 24 points and 13 rebounds, though Kenny Graham deserves equal due with 29 points and 14 assists. Nolan Hill scores 11 off the bench and this pair of victories is important because it's proving we can win with a gimped Mateen Yeaton.

I don't know if Miami's still looking for a win or not, but we trounce them 111-88 on Jonte Jones's 32 points and 11 rebounds and Kenny Graham's 23 points and 17 assists, guaranteeing us a winning record on the road trip. Unfortunately it's only a 4-3 margin as the Magic beat us 119-108, wasting Jonte Jones's 34 points and 20 rebounds, Victor Gipson's double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, Kenny Graham's of 18 points and 11 assists and Nolan Hill's 12 bench points.

We snap back for a 114-87 hosing of the Suns keyed by Jonte Jones with 20 points and 17 rebounds, Victor Gipson with 17 points and 12 rebounds and Kenny Graham with 13 points and 13 assists.

A crucial division game against the Supersonics results in a 104-85 loss where everyone played like shit and I'm not going to mention the highlights because I'm too pissed.

Fortunately, Christmas is pleasant as we grind out a holiday sweep, 3 points to each win. 104-101 over Dallas, Mateen Yeaton and Kenny Graham combining for 27 and 23 points a piece, Nolan Hill and Tzvetan Kishishev stepping up from the reserves with 15 and 12 points respectively. Marcelino Augusto blitzed us for 31 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, while Zelipe Gama garnered 15 points and 12 assists. The 958-95 victory against Golden State came thanks to Jonte Jones and Mateen Yeaton each breaking 30 points, Jones with 30 and 22 rebounds, Yeaton with 35. Kenny Graham kludged together 14 points and 14 assists.

I'm going to be totally honest here. We're really missing Zelipe Gama's ability to cause disruptions on defense. I mean, Kenny Graham's doing well running the offense so far, but he just doesn't have the -it- factor on the other side of the floor and he's as frustrated by it as we are.

And so, in the end, there's just one thing we can do.

Denver Nuggets receive
PF Mike Vines
Sacramento Kings 2023 2nd round pick

Sacramento Kings receive
PG Kenny Graham

What this means for the Nuggets
He's no Marcelino Augusto, but Vines is an excellent player and a torrid defender, who famously gave the Brazilian superstar fits in the second round of the playoffs last season. He instantly steps in at PF, allowing Victor Gipson to move to the 6th man role. Of course, this also means Nolan Hill now becomes the starting Nuggets PG and while he's acquitted himself well with increased minutes, we're not sure he's a starter just yet.

What this means for the Kings
Sacramento desperately needed a true PG after dealing Carlton Goree to the Raptors and along comes Graham, the three-time defending All-NBA 1st Team PG in their laps. The only problem is, this leaves the Kings with an extremely weak frontcourt and we know how well -that's- working out for the Celtics this season.

Winner: Denver
As strange as it may seem, the team getting the All-NBA player is the loser in this instance. Graham just did not fit the Nuggets system at all and GM Jestor pulls off a brilliant move to shore up Denver's frontcourt. We'll wait and see what Hill does or maybe there's another trade in the offing.

There may in fact be one soon, but I want to see what we have in Hill first.

Early returns are promising we blow out the 76ers 105-75. Mateen Yeaton scores 32 and Nolan Hill distributes 13 points, 13 assists and 0 turnovers. Obviously we're not expecting that out of him every night, but it's awesome to see. Mike Vines had 12 points and 9 rebounds in his Denver debut, offsetting an atrocious 2 for 7 night with shutdown defense on Tyrus Thomas, holding the 76ers star to 4 points on a 1 for 5 night.

New Year's is a festive, happy occasion as we get a convincing sweep of the Los Angeles teams. The Lakers can't counter 37 points from Mateen Yeaton, 17 points and 15 rebounds from Jonte Jones and 11 bench rebounds from Victor Gipson in our 105-90 win. I should also point out that Nolan Hill had 12 assists to one turnover, despite taking a shot only once all night, which he hit. A gritty defensive game on New Year's Day saw us prevail 91-71 over the Clippers, Mateen Yeaton's 23 points bailing us out along with 14 and 12 bench points respectively from Victor Gipson and Sabit Suker.

So where are we now? 20-11, a leading the Northwest by a half-game over the Jazz and a full game over the Trailblazers, who crashed and burned to an 18-11 record. We're also currently holding the #2 seed in the West, Sacramento on top at 20-8, 3.5 over the 18-13 Warriors. The Mavericks are 18-12, in front in their division by 4.5 because the Southwest sucks hard this year, kind of like how the Pacific was before Golden State actually got good.

Toronto and Orlando are fighting out for the top seed in the East, the Raptors at 23-9 and the Magic 21-8. The Nets really fell off during the month and are in third place in the Atlantic, just like the Trailblazers. New York's inserted themselves as the sandwich team, 2 back of the Raptors. Atlanta's surprising me by still hanging on to second place in the Southeast, 3 behind the Magic. Detroit, 19-11, isn't missing Kenny Graham at all as they're 2.5 half up on the Bucks.

Miami's 4-29, so they picked up a few wins and Boston's 4-27. I had someone ask on The Gold Mine, the Nuggets blog I write in a la Mark Cuban, just why the Celtics are doing so terribly. I'll post my answer to Jon here.

"The Celtics decided to start Will Baron at SF and combined with Ben Searcy at PF, they have two guys who don't play defense. At all. Baron's not grown into his potential yet and Searcy just sucks. In my opinion, they should move Baron to PF and start Andre Iguodola at SF, but for some bizzare reason, they're not doing that.

It doesn't help that Jermaine Butler, their starting PG who's honestly a good 2, but a semi-sucky 1, has had nagging injuries, especially all during December.

Lebron James is doing quite well as expected, but they have a grand total of -1- guy on the bench that can play C, 2 that can play PF and one of them's Paul Fisher, who I cut. The biggest problem, I think, is that nobody on the starting five can play defense well. I mean, King James and Spencer Hawes, who's been Boston's starting C for forever, do a decent job at it, but not great.

If they moved Igudola to SF and shifted Baron to the four, they'd at least have a legitimate stopper in the starting lineup and they could pick up a lot more wins. Unfortunately, at this point, I think their season is lost and the C's front office is probably thinking they're better off tanking."

I may need to make another deal at some point, because as much as I love Nolan Hill, he's too inconsistent in whether he feels like shooting that day or not to be a starter at this stage in his career.

Speaking of guards....

Paulinho Buboltz/Mateen Yeaton Comparison

Paulinho Buboltz
2013 Stats: 82 games/77 starts - 17.0 PPG 9.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.7 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.4 SPG
2015 Stats: 55 games/48 starts - 14.1 PPG 8.3 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 18.3 PPG 8.1 APG 3.3 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.5 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.5 PPG 8.3 APG 3.2 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.6 PPG 8.1 APG 3.5 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2020 Stats: 28 games/28 starts - 18.7 PPG 7.1 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 0.9 SPG

Mateen Yeaton
2013 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.4 APG 5.2 RPG 1.8 BPG 1.6 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/80 starts - 23.2 PPG 3.6 APG 5.2 RPG 1.7 BPG 1.3 SPG
2015 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.6 PPG 2.4 APG 4.5 RPG 1.6 BPG 1.5 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 25.0 PPG 3.1 APG 4.5 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.8 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 24.4 PPG 3.2 APG 4.9 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.6 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.8 PPG 2.4 APG 4.2 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.5 APG 4.7 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.6 SPG
2020 Stats: 31 games/31 starts - 23.2 PPG 2.4 APG 4.6 RPG 1.6 BPG 1.5 SPG

I should also add that the Pacers continue to suck and Buboltz is their only truly good player. He's not cut out for that kind of role and he's really been pressing, hence the lowered numbers.

Although this is going to be largely an irrelevant exercise given their age disparity, I'll track it for academic purposes.

Marcelino Augusto
2020 Stats: 30 games/30 starts - 28.1 PPG 9.0 RPG 2.6 APG 2.3 BPG 1.3 SPG

Jonte Jones
2020 Stats: 31 games/31 starts - 21.9 PPG 11.4 RPG 2.6 APG 1.4 BPG 1.3 SPG

....Yeah. Good thing we've got Mike Vines as a stopper.

Oh, that reminds me. I almost forgot.

D-League
Jamie Keams has been punted to the 6th man role in Colorado, but in 12 games (4 starts) he's averaging 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.2 blocks and 0.6 steals. Terrible shooter, hitting just 41% in the D-league. He won't get a contract back next year.

Bakersfield is -dominating- the West this year. They're 11-2 and the Timberjacks are in second place at 7-6, four games back.

[rjolley]

I must say, I wasn't totally surprised by the trade of Augusto, but I was very surprised you moved Graham so soon. Hope it all works out for you. Should be an interesting season.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by rjolley

I must say, I wasn't totally surprised by the trade of Augusto, but I was very surprised you moved Graham so soon. Hope it all works out for you. Should be an interesting season.

Graham was averaging 16.4 points, with 45% shooting and 35.5% from 3 point range, which was his lowest PPG average since 2013 with the Warriors (16.3 PPG), his lowest shooting %, both from the floor and 3 point range since his rookie season in 2011.

On the other hand, his assist average was at a career high, but for the amount of money we were paying him, I wanted to see a lot better statistics than that. Plus, I got the feeling that he just wasn't meshing well with our system.

It's also worth noting that we're 3-0 since the trade. *knocks on wood*. Vines, I should add, is the best interior defensive presence we've had since I took the Denver job and certainly the best since Emeka Okafor was in his prime.

[Izulde]

"You know how it is when you get back with somebody you've loved. It felt better than it ever was, better than it could ever be again."
-Junot Diaz's "Aurora" (As appears in the short story collection Drown)

It's Diaz on my mind as I stare at my cell phone. I just called Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks GM, about re-acquring Zelipe Gama.

"We'll take David Jackson and a couple 2nd round picks for him. Or you can come up with a package that includes Victor Gipson."

That was his answer. But I refused to trade 50 Ninja. The part of the fanbase that isn't still mad at me about shipping Marcelino Augusto to Dallas would call for my head if I sent Jackson to the Mavs. I just couldn't do it. Not when I really like his antics myself and his rap album actually managed not to be horrible.

The reason I didn't want to trade Gipson was because I'd have to give up too many players to match salaries, even when Nelson was willing to throw in their 2022 1st rounder. Victor's a pretty good center and his toughness went a long way to our two titles.

The Raptors beat me to Carlton Goree, so I decide to call the Knicks and see if I can get Louis Mertens back.

"Hello?"

"Hello there, Mr. Duncan."

"Good morning, Mr. Jestor. What can I do for you?" Tim Duncan's always been a pleasant guy, both when he was playing and now as GM for the Knicks. One hell of a job he's done rebuilding them too.

"You interested in negotiating something for Mertens?"

Tim's laugh doesn't reassure me.

"I'd love to, but we just traded him a few days ago to Golden State for their 2021 1st round pick."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"Yep. The Warriors haven't been to the playoffs since 2008. They want to end the 12 year drought and thanks to you, they were willing to overpay to get Mertens."

I'm confused. Thanks to me? I ask Tim to clarify.

"Well, think about it. You're the man, Mr. Jestor. Five straight Finals appearances, two straight championships. Before 2015, only the diehard fans and the Spanish could tell you who Zelipe Gama was after he got drafted. You acquire him and he turns into an instant star and a household name. Mertens was looking like a bust after being a Top 10 pick. You sign him, give him the minutes and suddenly he has a few breakout playoff performances and everybody wants him.

When you unearth a player and actually keep him, then people know he's worth having."

I rub my temples and chuckle a little dryly.

"Thanks. I just hope I've found another one in Nolan Hill."

"Oh, I think you have. I watched his first game as a starter with you guys and I thought to myself, well dang, Jestor's done it again. He's found yet another PG that everybody overlooked. I mean, the kid is just smooth with handling the basketball. He's not putting the points up, no, but he's still just 24 and he wasn't getting his minutes until, once again, you traded for him. He's still adjusting to the increased time and being a starter. Stick with him and give him a shot. You do that and I guarantee by the end of the season, everybody's going to know who Nolan Hill is."

"It looks like that's what we're going to have to do. There's a dearth of quality point guards in the league right now and I'd have to give up too much to get one, when Hill's got a lot of the attributes I like."

"Exactly."

We talk shop a while more. Tim tells me he makes it a point never to trade with me, because he knows it'd all be part of my grand master plan. I think he's just trying to build me up to rob me blind at some point, because he's a damn good GM in his own right. Sorting out the Knicks mess wasn't an easy job and he did it.

After we ring off, I decide to review the trades. I'm not going to review the Mertens for the 1st round pick deal. As you can expect, the press all gave that one to the Knicks. Christ... Mertens for a 1st round pick. That's just crazy.

Chicago Bulls receive
C Chris Adams

New Orleans Hornets receive
PG Rajon Rando
Chicago Bulls 2021 1st round pick

What this means for the Bulls
Adams, taken 5th overall in 2015 by the Hornets, is a decent, but not great all-around 27 year old C. It's a puzzling acquistion, given that Chicago already has promising rookie bigs Terry Vinson and Oswaldo Apolonario, in addition to Eric White at the PF spot. Even more amazing is that Adams, although he should be starting at C over Vinson, won't be.

What this means for the Hornets
Someday New Orleans will get back to the playoffs. It won't be this year, though. Rondo's 36 and while still capable, isn't as good as he used to be. On the other hand, he's a near-$7 million expiring contract and the extra 1st round pick could potentially be a lottery selection, though likely a late one. It's a great move to continue their rebuilding project that started with Tim Butler developing into a legitimate franchise player in this, his third season.

Winner: New Orleans
The Hornets have a great plan. The Bulls are confused and chaotic. New Orleans pulls off an absolute steal here.

Looking at Butler, I'm absolutely amazed. He was drafted 8th overall a few years ago and has gotten dramatically better each year he's been in. The kid's just 22 and he's looking like Marcelino Augusto out there at scoring and rebounding, despite being just 6'8. On the other hand, he's 228, so he's more muscular than Augusto.

Sacramento Kings receive
SG Andrew Bayno
Toronto Raptors 2021 2nd round pick

Toronto Raptors receive
PG Carlton Goree

What this means for the Kings
Bayno's a smart player, but he's nothing special. Just another guy. The second round pick is pretty worthless as well. $835,000 comes off the books next year for Bayno, but that doesn't mean much either.

What this means for the Raptors
Goree's a solid young point guard and an upgrade over the rookie Brad Pugh as a more complete player, but he's going to be buried on the Raptors bench.

Winner: Toronto
It's a lukewarm edge because of the plethora of guards on Toronto's bench, but Goree was very good as the Kings' starting PG last season and frankly, Sacramento's stupid for trading him, especially when they get so little back.

Toronto Raptors receive
SF Jason Tackett

New York Knicks receive
PG Jon Freeman

What this means for the Raptors
Goree's importation made Freeman expendable and Tackett steps in as the new SG. He won't generate anything in the way of offense, but he's 6'9, 204 lbs, intelligent and an absolutely ferocious defender. Can you say Mateen Yeaton killer? As an added bonus David Anyan can go back to his natural position of SF.

What this means for the Knicks
They flipped Louis Mertens to Golden State for a 1st rounder, so they wanted to pick up another young PG. Freeman's no Mertens and never will be a great floor general, but he's cerebral and can actually play some defense.

Winner: Toronto
This was a shrewd move to get someone to neutralize not only Yeaton, but all the other super SGs in the league. This trade alone may well be the one that sends the Raptors back to the Finals.

San Antonio Spurs receive
PF Andy Sola

Cleveland Cavaliers receive
SG Jason Neal
San Antonio Spurs 2021 2nd round pick

What this means for the Spurs
Sola's a very good defensive player. Not a rebounder, but he'll give you around 12-15 points a game and improve the locker room atmosphere. Underrated 25 year old, probably because of his small size, but Marcelino Augusto's done a lot to change GMs' thinking about having an undersized four in the lineup. A much-needed boost for young, talented players to the front line.

What this means for the Cavaliers
Neal's a good defensive presence and works his tail off in the gym, but he's really just a mid-bench player whose greatest asset for Cleveland is the $1.3 million coming off the cap. It's not much, but every little bit helps.

Winner: San Antonio
The Spurs rip the Cavs off here and get a shiny new starter that goes a long, long way to improving the quality of the team both now and in the future.

Los Angeles Clippers receive
SF Donte Whiting
Cleveland Cavaliers 2021 2nd round pick

Cleveland Cavaliers receive
SG Chauncey Thomas

What this means for the Clippers
Whiting's only value for the Clippers is his $4.8 million expiring contract. The 33 year old has never made an impact in his career and it's a wonder he keeps managing to get contracts and make the money that he does.

What this means for the Cavaliers
Thomas is a great technical defender with some scoring pop, but like the Clips with Whiting, his biggest value is his $5 million expiring contract. The question is, is a mid-level 2nd round pick worth an extra $200,000?

Winner: Cleveland
We say yes, not only because of the 2nd round pick, but because in making this trade, the Clippers have essentially thrown the towel in on the idea of trying for the playoffs this year and are tanking for a higher pick. There seems to be a lot of that lately. Not good for the league's image.

5 trades reviewed. 6 with ours. 7 with the Mertens deal.

That's 7 trades in one non-deadline month! I think that's a record, at least since I've been in the league.

I'm looking over the roster when I realize that Sabit Suker is the only guy on the bench who can play guard. I quickly rectify that by signing Leigh Nash, who played 21 games for us 2012. He's been in the D-Leagues since 2016, last playing the NBA in 2015 with the Hawks. I snapped him up from the Tejanos, where he'd started 9 games for Tulsa, averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 assists.

I notice Goree was traded to the Raptors on December 20th, which means he just -might- be available at the trade deadline. If he is, I'm going to see about getting him.

But first, there's January to focus on.

Our record since the Vines trade improves to 5-0 as we sweep the opening doubleheader. Mateen Yeaton rains on the Spurs for 27 points in our 108-94 win and Jonte Jones contributes 20 points and 14 rebounds. There's even two double-doubles off the bench, Victor Gipson with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Leigh Nash making a triumphant return to the Nuggets with 11 points and 11 assists. Houston falls 101-83 thanks to Mateen Yeaton's 36 points, Jonte Jones's 15 points and 16 rebounds and Nolan Hill's 14 points and 11 assists.

The thing about our 5-0 run is that we haven't played any of the league's top teams. That changes when we face the Kings on the front end of a back-to-back. We get the win, 119-112, as Jonte Jones abuses Sacramento for 38 points and 18 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scores 27, David Jackson just misses a bench double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds and Leigh Nash leads the reserves in scoring with 10 points. It's a sweep as we win against the Lakers the next night. Mike Vines came off the bench because of a bad back, so it was a frenzied, high scoring affair that saw us win 137-116. All five starters scored 15 points or better, led by Mateen Yeaton's 38 and Nolan Hill setting a career high as he put on a shooting clinic for 28 points. I'm beginning to think Tim Duncan was right after all.

8-0 since the trade after we wallop Minnesota 117-95 on Mateen Yeaton's 39 points, Jonte Jones's 28 points and 15 rebounds and Mike Vines's 13 bench points. Oh and just for the record, Nolan Hill -just- missed a double-double with 9 points and 10 assists. I'm tempted to give his A/T ratio, which is just absolutely sick right now, but I'll wait until the end of the month, I think.

We lose our first game since getting Mike Vines in the first game of a two-game road doubleheader. Golden State outscores us 38-12 in the 2nd quarter and though we bust ass in the second half, we can't catch up and fall 105-96. Mateen Yeaton scores 29, Victor Gipson puts up 17 points and 15 rebounds and Nolan Hill nets 16 points and 13 assists. Our bench played for absolute crap and David Jackson had an uncharacteristically cold 1 for 8 night. Mike Vines returns to the starting lineup the next night against Seattle and erupts for 21 points and 9 rebounds in the 99-74 squash of the Sonics. Mateen Yeaton stays on fire with 34 points and Jonte Jones adds 16 points and 18 rebounds. Jim O'Brien's also been doing a back and forth between Victor Gipson and David Jackson as the SF starter, riding whoever has the hottest hand at the 3.

Jonte Jones and Mateen Yeaton score 24 and 23 points in our 118-105 swatting of Memphis. Nolan Hill picks up a pair of 14s in points and assists, Victor Gipson nabs 15 points and 10 rebounds and David Jackson is a sniper off the bench for 17 points.

A five game road trip up next, mostly against the Central. But it starts with another marquee matchup against the Mavericks. All the other games we've played them this season have been close. This one isn't. We blow them out 111-98. Jonte Jones towers for 23 points and 12 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scores 24, Victor Gipson adds 20 points and Nolan Hill chimes in with 10 points and 16 assists. Despite the 16 dishes, it was a rough night for Hill, as he had 8 turnovers, a career high. Marcelino Augusto scored 22 for Dallas, while Zelipe Gama garnered 12 points and 14 assists.

That outing dropped Hill's A/TO ratio down by 0.2, but it's still an excellent ratio, better than Kenny Graham's and almost as good as Zelipe Gama's. In fact, of the starting PGs in the league, Gama ranks #2, Hill ranks #3 and Andre Moore, who I almost signed instead of Graham in free agency, is #1. We'll see how it shakes out at the end of the month and season, but I'm starting to see why Gama was so perfect for our system and why we've been on such a tear since Hill became our starting PG, even when Mike Vines sat.

Speaking of Bulls PGs both past and present, we get Chicago to start the first Central doubleheader and they give us all we can handle. We come out on top 95-90 though, thanks to 22 points from both Mateen Yeaton and the unexpected Mike Vines and 16 points and 15 rebounds from Jonte Jones. Detroit gives us fits the next night as well, but we come from behind in the second half to emerge with a 117-111 win keyed by Jonte Jones's near triple-double of 28 points, 20 rebounds, 8 assists, block and 2 steals. Mateen Yeaton scores 25, Nolan Hill hands out 14 points and 13 assists and David Jackson and Tzvetan Kishishev highlight the bench with 10 and 11 points respectively.

Road exhaustion and foul trouble set in and we lose 100-91 to the Bucks in spite of Victor Gipson's 20 points and 12 rebounds and Mateen Yeaton's 24 points. We're refreshed the next night in Indiana though, putting away the Pacers 112-93. Mateen Yeaton leads the charge with 26 points, Jonte Jones adds 17 points and 14 rebounds, Nolan Hill 17 points and 12 assists. Sabit Suker is a nice surprise off the bench with 16 points on a perfect 6 for 6, 4 for 4 from 3 point range night. The Turk hasn't exactly lit the world on fire or anything since coming here and there's reason to believe his ceiling isn't as high as I thought, but that's okay.

We unexpectedly bomb the last two games of the month, bowing out in both halves of a doubleheader. The Knicks stun us 119-108 and we waste Mike Vines's 30 points and Jonte Jones's 23 points when Mateen Yeaton bangs his hip hard and has a 3 for 16 night. When Yeaton's hurt, our whole team tends to come unglued. That was true even when Marcelino Augusto was here. So it's really no surprise when the Trailblazers top us 105-94 in Portland. Mike Vines (15 points, 10 rebounds), Jonte Jones (13 points, 14 rebounds) and Nolan Hill (13 points, 11 assists) played decently and Leigh Nash and Tzvetan Kishishev played well with 13 and 10 points off the bench, but nobody seems to have that killer instinct that players like Yeaton and Augusto do.

I have to admit, Jonte Jones has been something of a disappointment. I mean, as disappointing as a guy who's shooting 56% and averaging 21.4 points and 11.9 rebounds can be. It seems like he's maddeningly inconsistent, even more so than Nolan Hill, who's got that reputation.

I'm not complaining though. Not when we're 31-15 and hold the top seed. We've got competition within our own division, though. Portland's right tight on our butts, 2 games back after beating us and the Jazz are even closer, just a game behind. Even Minnesota and Seattle are only 5 and 7 games back. In fact, every team in the Northwest has a winning record and there's 10 teams over .500 in the conference.

Can you say the West is back? Oh yeah!

Dallas still leads their division at 25-19, 3.5 over the Rockets. The Pacific's even more white-knuckle than the Northwest, because although Sacramento's still leading, the Kings went 5-12 this month and are 6-13 since trading Mike Vines. As a result, they're 25-20 and every team is only 1 or 2 games behind. Hell, even the Suns are only 4.5 off the pace.

No such drama in the East, where every division leader has at least a 3.5 game lead. Toronto's kicking tail again at 34-12, 6.5 ahead of the Knicks in the Atlantic. Orlando's the #2 seed, leading Atlanta in the Southeast by 4.5. I credit their shrewd signing of Rico Wolfe for the Magic's success. Detroit's 29-17 in the Central, the 3.5 team ahead of the Bucks.

Chicago's treading water at 21-22, which is really surprising. Boston's finally starting to kick it in gear, but while a 10-5 month is a vast improvement for the C's, they're still 20 games out of a first place and a country mile from even a playoff berth in a conference of 9 +.500 teams, including the 24-22 Nets 10 games ahead of them for the next rung on the Atlantic ladder.

Paulinho Buboltz
2013 Stats: 82 games/77 starts - 17.0 PPG 9.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.7 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.4 SPG
2015 Stats: 55 games/48 starts - 14.1 PPG 8.3 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 18.3 PPG 8.1 APG 3.3 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.5 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.5 PPG 8.3 APG 3.2 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.6 PPG 8.1 APG 3.5 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2020 Stats: 44 games/44 starts - 18.5 PPG 7.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.6 BPG 1.2 SPG

Mateen Yeaton
2013 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.4 APG 5.2 RPG 1.8 BPG 1.6 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/80 starts - 23.2 PPG 3.6 APG 5.2 RPG 1.7 BPG 1.3 SPG
2015 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.6 PPG 2.4 APG 4.5 RPG 1.6 BPG 1.5 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 25.0 PPG 3.1 APG 4.5 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.8 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 24.4 PPG 3.2 APG 4.9 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.6 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.8 PPG 2.4 APG 4.2 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.5 APG 4.7 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.6 SPG
2020 Stats: 46 games/46 starts - 24.2 PPG 2.9 APG 4.6 RPG 1.8 BPG 1.6 SPG

Oh by the way, I mis-spoke last month. [b]Keith Attaway[b/], a 21 year old 2nd year PG, is also a good player on the Pacers. But he's only two inches taller than the 5'11 Buboltz and weighs about 10 pounds less. There's no way he should be at the 2, especially not when he's actually a better passer. Indiana's losing ways have really upset last year's #2 pick and he's making noises about wanting to be traded.

If it was me, I'd make a decision about one guard or the other, then move the one I wasn't planning on keeping for an actual inside presence rather than the stiffs the Pacers keep trotting out year after year.

Marcelino Augusto
2020 Stats: 44 games/44 starts - 27.2 PPG 9.0 RPG 2.8 APG 2.1 BPG 1.1 SPG

Jonte Jones
2020 Stats: 46 games/46 starts - 21.4 PPG 11.9 RPG 2.8 APG 1.3 BPG 1.3 SPG

Since we're already pouring salt into my wound over this trade, I'll point this out: Augusto's only scored under 20 points 8 times so far this year, which is 18% of his games. His season low point total? 11. He's also shooting 57% from the floor. I'm not even going to mention how many 30+ point games he has, though to be honest, I think they'd be comparable to Yeaton's numbers, but I'm not going to dig that information up just now. Maybe an end-season look.

Now for the A/T0 thing.

When I first looked at Nolan Hill's A/TO ratio, it was 5.0. And that's with him as a part-time starter. It's gone down since then, but it's still impressive.

A/TO Ratio Leaders Among Starting PGs
1. Andre Moore (CHI) - 5.5
2. Zelipe Gama (DAL) - 5.0
3. Nolan Hill (DEN) - 4.8
T4. Brandon Brooks (GS) - 4.1
T4. Kyle Morris (MIL) - 4.1
6. Branko Starcevic (SEA) - 4.0
7. Kenny Graham (SAC) - 3.8

[Coffee Warlord]

Yeeeeeeahp.

I'm still sayin' it. Fire Jestor.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Yeeeeeeahp.

I'm still sayin' it. Fire Jestor.

At least Dallas isn't doing all that.

[Coffee Warlord]

I can't hear you over the sound of your secretary typing up your resume.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I can't hear you over the sound of your secretary typing up your resume.

Hah! If we don't win the title, that may well happen.

[Izulde]

After December's flurry of trades, I'm expecting January to have been quite quiet.

Toronto Raptors receive
SG Beau King
Indiana Pacers 2021 2nd round pick

Indiana Pacers receive
SF Andrea Paige

What this means for the Raptors
King's got a good outside shot with some nice scoring punch to add in off the bench, something it never hurts to have more of. A mediocre defender, though and not much else to recommend him outside of that points potential.

What this means for the Pacers
Paige is largely a garbage prospect. He's got some upside on defense, but not near enough to make up for his shortcomings in virtually every other area. Yes, Indiana needs more big men, but this is the same type of poor quality they've shuffled with for years.

Winner: Toronto
The Raptors pick up a player of value and a high 2nd round pick for a guy who didn't and wasn't going to anything for him. Smart move, even if it does leave Toronto with a glut of guards.

Utah Jazz receive
PG Cedric Caldwell

Miami Heat receive
SG Kenny Magloire

What this means for the Jazz
Caldwell, in his third season, has the potential to develop into a good all-around PG and a legitimate, if not flashy starter. But there's 5 guards on Utah's bench and Cedric's having to fight for playing time with all of them.

What this means for the Heat
Magloire's pretty much a bust through and through. The 11th overall pick in 2019 doesn't have the talent to be anything more than an end-bench player and he's a disruptive personality to boot. He may look good in the D-League right now, averaging 16 points a game, but that's merely a mirage.

Winner: Utah
Despite the now even more crowded backcourt, the Jazz pick up a solid young PG and get rid of a cancer at the same time. That's win win as Miami gave up on Caldwell way too soon, especially since Mark Johnson is so raw, he should be playing in the D-Leagues, not the middle of Miami's bench.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive
PG Darrell James
Boston Celtics 2021 2nd round pick

Boston Celtics receive
PG Charles Lennox
SF JJ Tucker
PF Josh Boone

What this means for the Cavaliers
James just hasn't been the same player since losing his starting job in Sacramento in his fourth year after being the man for the Kings from his rookie year in 2012 to 2014. He's a reliable backup, but nothing more. The $3.8 million expiring contract is probably the most attractive element for the Cavs.

What this means for the Celtics
They don't have enough bench bigs, so what do they do? Release Boone, the PF. Tucker can play both forward spots, but he's undersized at 6'6, 216 and at 34 years old, he's just not what he used to be... Not that he was much to begin with. The Canadian rookie Lennox is raw, but he has potential to develop into a capable reserve guard. He's not going to get that in Boston's flooded backcourt, though and in fact sits on the inactive list.

Winner: Cleveland
Neither team is going anywhere this year and we like James a lot better than the parts he was traded for, especially with the bonus 2nd round pick. If Lennox was actually getting PT, this deal might actually be a benefit for Boston, but he's not.

Three trades... that's a pretty busy month, comparatively. In fact, I think we've had more deals this year than any other season I've been in the league and we haven't even started February yet.

We start off the short month of love with a lovely 110-87 knockout of the Warriors. Jonte Jones scores 30 and Victor Gipson double-doubles with 11 points and 10 rebounds to carry us to the win.

The most important divisional doubleheader we've all had year comes up next and we draw a split decision. The most vital victory we needed, we got, beating Utah 115-110 on Jonte Jones's 25 points and 11 rebounds, 24 points and 10 rebounds from Mike Vines and 14 and 10 points respectively off the bench from Leigh Nash and David Jackson. Minnesota edges us the next night, though, 112-103 in Minneapolis as we simply ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. Mateen Yeaton put up 31 points, Jonte Jones 21, but it just wasn't enough.

We head to Cleveland two nights later and promptly embarass ourselves, falling apart again in the fourth quarter and losing 103-102. Jonte Jones thundered for 34 points and 25 rebounds and Mike Vines scored 24, but when we got nailed by foul trouble down the stretch, not even Sabit Suker's 13 bench points could stop the hemmoraghing.

A third straight road game, a third straight fourth quarter meltdown. 32 points from Mateen Yeaton is great, but when only one other Nugget even reaches double-digit scoring, the resulting 102-96 loss isn't a surprise.

Given our bad run of form, I'm dreading the final two road games before the break, especially since they're back-to-back. Miracle of miracles, we get the sweep. Mateen Yeaton, Mike Vines and Jonte Jones score 29, 25 and 24 points respectively, combining to punch out the Hawks 112-102 and we thump the Bobcats 111-98 on double-doubles from Victor Gipson (18 points, 11 rebounds), Jonte Jones (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Nolan Hill (14 points, 10 assists).

And then the doctor sees me after the game.

Jonte Jones - Broken Arm (Out 41 days)

...You have -got- to be kidding me.

We're in a tie with Portland for the division lead, the Jazz are 1.5 back and our star C, the one I gave up The Franchise for, breaks his fucking arm?!?!

All-Star Break

The Sophomores rally in the fourth quarter to beat the Rookies 92-88. Nobody really stood out. Terry Vinson, who's finally shooting 40.9%, started for the first years. No Nuggets present.

The All-Star Game itself was equally as star-less and on top of it, the East rolled 100-89. Mateen Yeaton was a reserve and for some reason, they gave Marcelino Augusto the MVP award even though he only scored 16 points when Kelvin Moody was actually more deserving.

I think the NBA is out to get me.

...So. What to do about our C situation. The current lineup looks like this:

PG Nolan Hill
SG Mateen Yeaton
SF David Jackson
PF Mike Vines
C Victor Gipson

We have nobody on the bench who can rebound worth a damn.

I make a trade.

Denver Nuggets receive
PG Carlton Goree
Toronto Raptors 2023 1st round pick

Toronto Raptors receive
SG Sabit Suker
Chicago Bulls 2021 2nd round pick
Denver Nuggets 2021 2nd round pick
Chicago Bulls 2022 2nd round pick
Chicago Bulls 2023 2nd round pick

What this means for the Nuggets
With Jonte Jones out for a little over a month with a broken arm and Denver in it for their top seed lives, GM Jestor decided to acquire Goree, who's capable of being a starting PG right now and still has some upside. He brings more offense to the table than Suker did and he's a disruptor on the defensive end and immediately steps in as the team's 6th man while Jones is gone. It's hard telling what Toronto will look like in 2023. Certainly Bosh and Bargnani won't be around at that point and Oden will be 34.

What this means for the Raptors
Suker's a big guard and has some major league potential on technical defense, but he's not a playmaker and it seems the more playing time he gets, the less excited observers around the league are about his ability. He'll also find himself way down Toronto's depth chart.

Winner: Denver
When Jestor loses attraction for a player, there's usually a very good reason for it and in Suker's case, there's certainly the statistical evidence for it. The first round pick is also going to be a major wildcard and don't be surprised to see Goree supplant Hill as Denver's starting PG at some point.

Finding a replacement big man, on the other hand, proves to be an exercise in teeth pulling. There's one guy we'd love to have, but Golden State is so fiercely protective of their restoration project, they want the world for Clifton Snyder. I also talk to Indiana, but the Pacers refuse to even think about discussions for their 1st round pick, even when I toss in both our first rounders for next year.

Finally, I find a small trade.

Denver Nuggets receive
PF Chezley McCleary
C Deon Keams

Portland Traiblazers receive
SF Julius Austin
SG Jamie Keams

What this means for the Nuggets
McCleary's a great shotblocker, but most importantly for the Nuggets, he's an excellent rebounder even at 34, filling a gaping hole in Denver's bench in the wake of Jonte Jones's broken arm. He's also a better shooter than Austin, though he doesn't look to score nearly as much and has much better hands as well. Keams was cut immediately after the trade.

What this means for the Trailblazers
Portland needed a dominating defensive presence on the bench and they get it in Austin. Jamie, Deon's younger brother, has some upside, but he's still quite raw yet. Nonetheless, he'll fill in at the end of the Traiblazer bench.

Winner: Draw
These two teams are tied atop the Northwest and for the West's top seed and this trade is also equal. We'll know the winner of this one when the regular season's done.

I'm actually starting to kind of like the younger Keams. There was a lot of interest in him from teams and reports from Colorado said he was developing into a better player than they'd anticipated. I'll have to see if I can get him back next summer.

But for now, we're losing 109-102 to the red-hot Celtics, throwing away 24 points from Mike Vines, 21 points from Mateen Yeaton, 17 points and 10 rebounds from Victor Gipson and Nolan Hill's 11 points and 10 assists. 7 turnovers by Hill didn't help either.

We beat Memphis 94-86 on the road thanks to a balanced offense keyed by Victor Gipson's 10 points and 11 rebounds and Carlton Goree's 16 bench points, but this is definitely not the same team without Jonte Jones.

Still, we scrape by the Hornets 111-107, Mateen Yeaton scoring 25 the main factor. Nolan Hill cobbles together 10 points and 11 assists, Tzvetan Kishishev scores 12 off the bench, Carlton Goree gets 10 reserve assists and Chezley McClearly does exactly what we acquired him to do in nabbing 11 bench boards.

Given our threadbare victories over two bad teams, I'm pleasantly shocked when we rip the Hawks 112-91. Mateen Yeaton erupts for 38 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Vines powers for 27 points and 10 rebounds, Tzvetan Kishishev leads the reserves with 12 points and Carlton Goree issues 10 second-team assists.

I'll take a 3-1 record in our first four games without Jonte Jones, especially since we're 38-19 and have reclaimed both the top seed and the Northwest. Utah's 1.5 behind and the Trailblazers stumbled coming out of the All-Star break and are two back. Dallas has a 7 game lead in the Southwest and are stalking us for the top seed at 34-21, even though they're presently behind Utah and Portland in that race. Sacramento's still hanging on to the Pacific with a 31-27 record, 2 games ahead of the .500 Warriors, 2.5 in front of the Clippers.

Orlando had a hell of a February and are a half-game in front of the Raptors for the East's top seed, holding a 39-16 record. The Magic are a dominating 9.5 games ahead of the Hawks, while the 39-17 Raptors own a 3.5 game edge on the Knicks. Detroit's 3 ahead of both Milwaukee and Cleveland in the Central, as the Cavaliers have suddenly found new life without Lebron James.

Speaking of King James, the Celtics are now 18-39. You know, I wonder what they would be at right now if they could've played even .500 ball the first two months when they were so bad. Then again, a 4-7 month isn't any great shakes.

But 4 wins in the short month was still a lot better than the first two months, when they won 4 games combined between the two.

I don't feel like posting the midseason leaders. I'll just do the end-season summary when the time comes. I will, however, update the comparisons.

Paulinho Buboltz
2013 Stats: 82 games/77 starts - 17.0 PPG 9.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.7 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.4 SPG
2015 Stats: 55 games/48 starts - 14.1 PPG 8.3 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 18.3 PPG 8.1 APG 3.3 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.5 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.5 PPG 8.3 APG 3.2 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.6 PPG 8.1 APG 3.5 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2020 Stats: 56 games/56 starts - 18.9 PPG 7.5 APG 3.4 RPG 0.6 BPG 1.3 SPG

Mateen Yeaton
2013 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.4 APG 5.2 RPG 1.8 BPG 1.6 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/80 starts - 23.2 PPG 3.6 APG 5.2 RPG 1.7 BPG 1.3 SPG
2015 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.6 PPG 2.4 APG 4.5 RPG 1.6 BPG 1.5 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 25.0 PPG 3.1 APG 4.5 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.8 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 24.4 PPG 3.2 APG 4.9 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.6 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.8 PPG 2.4 APG 4.2 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.5 APG 4.7 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.6 SPG
2020 Stats: 57 games/57 starts - 23.9 PPG 2.8 APG 4.7 RPG 1.8 BPG 1.6 SPG

You know, I can't help but think that Pacers fans are still bemoaning this trade. At the time, Indiana was a contender in the East and a lot of people thought Buboltz and Ben Gordon were going to be the backcourt that carried them to at least a Finals appearance. It didn't happen obviously and Buboltz's prime has presided over one of the worst streaks of futility in Pacers history.

Marcelino Augusto
2020 Stats: 55 games/55 starts - 26.4 PPG 8.9 RPG 3.0 APG 2.2 BPG 1.1 SPG

Jonte Jones
2020 Stats: 53 games/53 starts - 21.7 PPG 11.8 RPG 2.8 APG 1.3 BPG 1.4 SPG

...Okay, now -this- is priceless.

Marcelino Augusto broke his ankle two days ago and is out 36 days. Jonte Jones is MIA for another 28 days.

Basketball gods, a twisted sense of humor you have.

[Northwood_DK]

Marcelino Augusto broke his ankle two days ago and is out 36 days.

so sorry for the nice guy

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Northwood_DK

so sorry for the nice guy

I freely admit to schadenfreude when I saw that injury.

[Izulde]

I'm quite curious to see how the Mavericks end up this month without Marcelino Augusto in the lineup. Can Devone Allen carry Dallas? It's possible, as he's gotten better and better as the season's worn on, but the rest of the lineup outside of Zelipe Gama is pretty wretched.

Minnesota Timberwolves receive
SF Brian Brown

Seattle Supersonics receive
SG Jason Pettaway

What this means for the Timberwolves
All of Minnesota's forwards are on the wrong side of 30 and Brown, while raw and shooting under 40% from the field, has some intriguing upside that could see the second year man (16th overall last draft) develop into a good player. On the other hand, Seattle didn't pick up his third year option, so he could leave via free agency after this season.

What this means for the Supersonics
Pettaway, taken 17th overall a couple years ago, has a nice outside shot, but that's really his only standout attribute and he's quite mediocre overall. Furthermore, Seattle's now overstuffed with guards.

Winner: Minnesota
The Timberwolves will get a look at how Brown fits into their system and be able to see if they want to bring him back next summer. This is a stupid move by Seattle, plain and simple.

Orlando Magic receive
SG Larry Bannister

Dallas Mavericks receive
PF David Carter

What this means for the Magic
Bannister's a terrific, non-flashy defender, fairly smart and disciplined. He won't ever bring much offensively or in rebounding, but these types of lockdown defenders are important to have when gunning for a title.

What this means for the Mavericks
The 23 year old Carter, in his 4th season (17th overall, 2017), returns to the team that drafted him. He's still got upside and could turn into a very capable all-around player. He'll have a little trouble finding minutes in Dallas, though.

Winner: Orlando
If Carter was getting more PT, it'd be a draw, as there's benefits to both teams. But he isn't and if the Mavericks have to go up against the Nuggets in the playoffs, the lack of a shutdown guy to put on Mateen Yeaton is going to hurt bigtime.

Dallas Mavericks receive
PF Ryan Glosier
Memphis Grizzlies 2021 2nd round pick

Memphis Grizzlies receive
PG Jamar Barnes

What this means for the Mavericks
The 33 year old Glosier can't play defense worth a lick, but he converts 50+% of his shots and has some rebounding ability. His acquistion later proved quite fortunate, as he moved to the starting C slot after Marcelino Augusto broke his ankle 6 days later. Also a great team chemistry guy.

What this means for the Grizzlies
Barnes isn't a bad passing guard, but he's not great, either. In fact, the only remarkable skill he has is in stripping the ball, but even that's undercut by opponents being able to score at will on him.

Winner: Dallas
Even without the later Augusto-related save, this is still a winning move by the Mavericks, just from chemistry issues alone. Moving Barnes also frees up more playing time for promising David Tucker.

March starts as expected, with a 114-83 obliteration of the Pacers. Mateen Yeaton scores 28, Mike Vines adds 27 points and Al Thornton and Carlton Goree each score 13 off the bench, Goree adding 9 assists in the bargain.

Defense and Mateen Yeaton's 38 points carry us to a gritty 89-71 win over the Clippers. Mike Vines is really stepping it up in Jonte Jones's absence, getting 22 points and 13 rebounds in this game.

We shoot 63% and hold the Trailblazers to 33% in a 116-76 massacre. Portland's fading fast and Mateen Yeaton leads the dogpile with 22 points. Victor Gipson nabs 15 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks, Nolan Hill has 13 points and 16 assists and three Nuggets reserves break double-digit scoring: Carlton Goree (13 points), Tzvetan Kishishev (11 points) and Chezley McCleary (10 points).

Our unbeaten March run continues with a doubleheader sweep of San Antonio and Phoenix. The Spurs go down 101-91 as Victor Gipson mangles them for 30 points and 13 rebounds and Carlton Goree rises to the occasion after Nolan Hill gets hampered by foul trouble, coming off the bench for 14 points and 15 assists. Not to be outdone, Nolan Hill leads the charge in our 110-93 victory over the Suns with 17 points, 14 assists, 4 rebounds and 5 steals, while Victor Gipson chimes in with 16 points and 15 rebounds and Tzvetan Kishishev and Carlton Goree headline the second team with 12 and 11 points respectively.

Mateen Yeaton rips the Bobcats for 33 points in our 104-89 win and Carlton Goree continues to be an absolutely sensational deadline pickup for us with 15 points and 10 assists off the bench. Although I'd originally kicked myself for passing on him and taking Tzvetan Kishishev in last year's draft, it's been really nice to have them both on the same team now.

We've never gone undefeated in any month of my tenure and we don't here either, blowing a fourth quarter lead to lose 101-97 to the Clippers. Hard to fault Mateen Yeaton (24 points), Mike Vines (18 points, 10 rebounds), Carlton Goree (11 bench points), or Tzvetan Kishishev (17 bench points), though. One thing that's surprised me is how David Jackson has completely fallen off the face of the earth. I mean, he's still shooting well (53.8%), but he hasn't had a breakout game or a double-double in a long time.

Despite Milwaukee's hard fourth quarter charge, we edge the Bucks 99-94 in our next game on the wings of Mateen Yeaton's 30 points and Noah Hill's 12 points and 13 assists. Hill's definitely inconsistent. Some nights he shoots great, other nights he'll go 1 for 10 (like the last game) or 3 for 11 (like this game). Truth be told, I wonder if I wouldn't prefer Carlton Goree as the starter.

The Wizards are seeing stars after our 119-75 sledgehammering of them. Those stars are Mateen Yeaton with 26 points, Mike Vines with 24 points, Victor Gipson with 15 points and 12 rebounds, Nolan Hill with 10 points and 13 assists and Carlton Goree with a terrific 17 bench points.

A hell of a game by Mateen Yeaton with 41 points, but nobody really steps up to take over the second man role and so the Lakers beat us 115-103. I'm still quite happy with our record so far this month, though. The fact that we're still doing well without Jonte Jones is indicative of the team being stronger and deeper than I'd thought.

The Kings are anything but after Mateen Yeaton smashes their collective crown with 43 points and 11 rebounds in our 107-95 win. Victor Gipson is our other highlight, managing 12 points and 11 rebounds. I just love it when Yeaton gets hot. He's so damned satisfying to watch, especially on the charity stripe, where he converted 18 of 18 tonight. His career is 87.9% average conversion, which I think is pretty good by modern day NBA standards.

We get flatout embarassed 113-83 in Phoenix, as the Suns hold two of our starters - Victor Gipson and David Jackson - to 0 and 1 point a piece. In the face of that ugliness, not even Carlton Goree and Tzvetan Kishishev's 14 and 15 bench points look bright.

Jonte Jones comes back next game and puts up 28 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks, which is the good news. The bad news is 5 Nuggets foul out and we lose 127-120 in OT to the Jazz. Bitter loss to take, especially when David Jackson came alive for 14 points and 10 rebounds, and we once again had 3 bench players in double-digit points: Carlton Goree (16), Tzvetan Kishishev (10) and Leigh Nash (12).

The mini-losing streak ends when we beat the Spurs 106-92 on the front end of a doubleheader. Nolan Hill played just 6 minutes before fouling out and [b]Carlton Goree stepped up with a phenomenal game of 25 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds and 10 steals!. Wow!!! Mike Vines scored 25 and Jonte Jones added 16 points and 13 rebounds. We complete the back-to-back set by thumping Portland 105-92, Jonte Jones roaring for 31 points and 21 rebounds and Nolan Hill scoring 20.

We're 49-23 now, but we're 2 games behind the Jazz, who lead the division and the conference at 51-21. Dallas went 8-9 without Marcelino Augusto, but they're still leading the Rockets by 6.5 games. Sacramento leads the Pacific at 38-36, just 2.5 games ahead of the Clippers. Golden State's dropped off the face of the earth, plummeting to a 32-40 record, last place in the Pacific and 5 games back. So much for their playoff hopes.

The West started off strong, but now there's only teams with winning records. The #1 seed is going to go to either us or the Jazz; all the other teams are all but mathematically eliminated.

Toronto's 51-21 in the East and have regained the conference's #1 seed, a game and a half ahead of 50-23 Orlando in that race, 5.5 ahead of the Knicks in the division. Not that the Magic care -all- that much; they've already clinched the Southeast, 11.5 games ahead of Charlotte.

Atlanta's 36-36 and if the playoffs were held right now, the defending East Conference champions wouldn't be playing. They're really missing Kelvin Johnson now.

45-27 Detroit enjoys a two game edge on the Bucks, 4.5 in front of the Cavaliers.

It's going to be an exciting final 10 games in the race for the top seed and for a few divisions, including ours. At the very least we'll have the #2 seed, though we'd obviously prefer the #1 seed. With Jonte Jones back, that's certainly in the realm of possibility.

[Izulde]

It's been quite a few years since we've been in this position of having to chase from behind rather than the one being pursued. I don't like it, but it's what we have to go with.

Things get off to a bad start as we split a doubleheader. Memphis beats us 98-83 as everyone but Jonte Jones (26 points, 20 rebounds) and Mike Vines (23 points) has an awful night. It doesn't help that Mateen Yeaton's battling an abdominal strain. Fortunately, we shred the Hornets 108-86, Jonte Jones coming up with 29 points and 16 rebounds, Mike Vines grabbing 15 points and 10 rebounds and David Jackson bursting through for 23 points off the bench. Nice to see 50 Ninja come alive again.

We pretty much throw away any chance we have at catching Utah in losing the next back-to-back. The Timberwolves tip us 92-39 as we can't come back from a horrendous first quarter, not even with Jonte Jones's 25 points and 19 rebounds or Carlton Goree's 16 bench points. The less said about our 116-102 loss to the Supersonics, the better. Jonte Jones is great with 34 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Vines has 15 points and 10 rebounds and Carlton Goree adds 12 points off the bench, but it seems like for some reason, it seems like we play worse with Jones than without him.

Balanced offense keyed by 22 points from Mike Vines and 12 and 10 reserve points respectively from David Jackson and Carlton Goree leads us to a 106-82 spanking of Golden State, who I feel a little sorry for. Louis Mertens wasn't even really worth a late 1st round pick, let alone what now appears to be a lottery selection.

Mike Vines and Jonte Jones score 24 points each, Jones tacking on 11 rebounds as we roll over the Hornets by 20, 111-91. Nolan Hill contributes 12 points and 12 assists and that same 12 points is what David Jackson gives us off the bench.

We crush the Grizzlies 117-81 in the rematch as Mike Vines scores 33, Jonte Jones adds 20 points, Nolan Hill is off the hook with 15 points and 18 assists, Carlton Goree chimes in with 14 points off the bench and David Jackson snags 11 bench boards. We beat the Rockets the next night 107-95 on Jonte Jones's 28 points and 17 rebounds and Tzvetan Kishev's 10 points to headline the second team.

Unfortunately, we're still 1.5 games behind the Jazz. We need to win out our final doubleheader and some helpful losing from Utah if we want the division and the #1 seed. Our part's taken care of as we whip the Suns 127-106. Jonte Jones and Mateen Yeaton score 21 and 20 points and Carlton Goree chips in 10 points off the bench, but the most amazing thing about this game is Tzvetan Kishishev channeling the God of Shooting, hitting a blistering 15/18 from the floor for 34 points. In our 104-97 regular-season ending win over Portland, Mateen Yeaton finally looks healthy with 32 points, Mike Vines continues his strong stretch run play with 22 points, Jonte Jones doubles with 15 points, 15 rebounds and Carlton Goree issues 13 assists off the bench.

But was it enough?

No.

56-26 gives us the #2 seed.

West Conference Seedings
1. Utah Jazz (58-24)
2. Denver Nuggets (56-26)
3. Dallas Mavericks (50-32)
4. Sacramento Kings (42-40)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (48-34)
6. Portland Trailblazers (43-39)
7. Houston Rockets (41-41)
8. Los Angeles Lakers (40-42)

This is the first time since 2009 the Denver Nuggets haven't won the Northwest. Ironically, it was also the Utah Jazz who took the crown in 2009. It's also the first time in my tenure we've failed to win the division title.

Maybe I made a mistake with the Augusto trade, but it's too late now.

East Conference Seedings
1. Toronto Raptors (59-23)
2. Orlando Magic (56-26)
3. Detroit Pistons (50-32)
4. New York Knicks (50-32)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (49-33)
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34)
7. New Jersey Nets (47-35)
8. Charlotte Bobcats (45-37)

The 42-40 76ers and Hawks both had to stay home. The road's wide open for the Raptors to get back to the Finals.

Points
T1. Nigel Abel (MIA) - 26.7
T1. Marcelino Augusto (DAL) - 26.7
3. Justin Richler (TOR) -26.1
7. Mateen Yeaton (DEN) - 23.0
8. Jonte Jones (DEN) - 22.2

Heh. Fitting our top scorers end up right next to each other.

Assists
1. Kenny Graham (SAC) - 12.0
2. A.J. Dunkley (UTA) - 11.4
3. Bernard Kelly (MEM) - 10.9
8. Zelipe Gama (DAL) - 9.5
17. Nolan Hill (DEN) - 8.3

Makes you wonder what kind of numbers Hill would've put up if he'd started all 82 games.

Rebounds
1. Greg Oden (TOR) - 14.7
2. Dontay Williamson (LAC) - 14.0
3. Jonte Jones (DEN) - 12.2

Blocks
1. Dontay Williamson (LAC) - 3.4
2. Patrick Riley (SAC) - 3.2
3. Martin Beerbohm (NOR) - 3.0
14. Victor Gipson (DEN) - 2.2

Steals
1. Derrick Sterett (NJ) - 2.4
2. Pete Latham - (SAN) - 2.0
3. Kyle Smith (CLE) - 1.7

Rookies

Points
1. Austin Forte (LAC) - 13.6
2. Brad Smalls (WAS) - 12.6
3. Jon Ward (PHX) - 11.8

Assists
1. Brett Archibald (POR) - 3.7
2. Austin Forte (LAC) - 3.4
3. Ray Smith (NYK) - 3.2

Rebounds
1. Terry Vinson (CHI) - 6.9
2. Jon Ward (PHX) - 5.0
3. Clifton Snyder (GSW) - 4.3

Blocks
1. Jon Ward (PHX) - 1.7
2. Brad Smalls (WAS) - 0.9
3. Terry Vinson (CHI) - 0.3

Steals
1. Brad Smalls (WAS) - 1.5
2. Jon Ward (PHX) - 1.3
3. Austin Forte (LAC) - 1.0

[Izulde]

The Rockets, as you may remember, are the team that has become loaded with high quality young swingmen over the years. Although Will Baron left last summer, they should still be pretty stacked at the 2/3 combo. I'm a little rushed for time, so I'll simply report the position previews and predictions for the article.

Point Guard
Nolan Hill vs. Filip Mikulic
Hill burst on to the scene after being traded to the Nuggets and appears to be the next in a GM Jestor-hidden gem line of quality PGs. While not as consistent as Zelipe Gama, he's a solid shooter, passer and defender, averaging 9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in the regular season, despite only starting 54 games.

Mikulic is a PG in a SG's body (6'6, 221 lbs). Phenomenal scorer who averaged 20.3 points a game, he also managed 7.8 assists during the first 82. The one liability is a big one: He can't play defense for anything and even against the wildly inconsistent Hill, that could be a score evener.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. Georghios Kairis
Yeaton struggled a bit down the stretch with injuries, but the 32 year old, two-time defending Finals MVP is back to full health after averaging 23 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals in the regular season. Denver's hopes for a third straight title will once again fall on his shoulders.

Somewhat worryingly for Nuggets fans, Kairis is 6'6, 205 lbs and plays decent, if not spectacular defense. Throughout Yeaton's career, he's struggled against bigger opponents who can actually play some D. Kairis, of course, is known for his offense, averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks this year. Of course, some say the former #1 overall pick is overrated and wins his awards based on reputation.

Advantage: Nuggets

Small Forward
Victor Gipson vs. Mark White
An absolute beast at 7'2, 303 lbs, despite being an inside shooter with no perimeter shot to speak of, Gipson still shot 53.9% in the regular season for 11.5 points, along with 7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. He's a great rebounder and a dominating shotblocker, in addition to being extremely tough.

White's a fantastic rebounder in his own right and plays good technical defense, along with his well-executed third offensive option role. He averaged 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in the regular season, but at 6'8, 197 lbs, he's going to find it a little difficult going up against the Gipson behemoth.

Advantage: Draw

Power Forward
Mike Vines vs. Brandan Wright
Vines really stepped up it down the stretch and is probably the most in-form Nugget now. An absolutely dominating defender, he can also pour on the points as his recent run shows. Averaged 15.4 points and nearly a block and a steal per game. His defensive prowess is going to be a key part of Denver's hopeful championship run and unlike Emeka Okafor of days yore, Vines is actually an offensive threat.

Wright is able to do everything pretty well and is a good defender in his own right. The perfect role player, he averaged 11.6 points, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals. There's no real weaknesses in his game, but he's going to have a hard time scoring against Vines.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Jonte Jones vs. Winston Smith
Jones has historically been dominant in the playoffs, but he's not often had the supporting cast to make a deep run. The closest he's come to a title is the Mavericks 2012 Finals appearance, where the Raptors took the championship with ease. There's been some question about how well this perennial MVP candidate works within Denver's system, even with his 22.2 point, 12.2 rebound, 1.3 block, 1.4 steal regular season. This postseason will go a long way to answering that.

Smith can defend and rebound a little, but that's it. He has no other worthy skills and he's a locker room malcontent as well. 7.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in the regular season. At 7'4, 267 lbs, he's also somewhat spindly, which could be problematic against the muscular, determined Jones, even given his defensive talents.

Advantage: Nuggets

Bench
David "50 Ninja" Jackson averaged 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in the regular season. He's one of those players who ironically has better numbers as a 6th man than as a starter, but on the other hand, he's not happy when he has to take a bench role Excellent high percentage shooter who does everything pretty well, but not outstanding in any one area. Carlton Goree was a great trade deadline pickup, averaging 6.8 points, 4.1 assists and a steal between Sacramento, Toronto and Denver this season. Another underrated passer and scorer, Goree's also an uncanny ball thief and so much more consistent than Hill, it's highly likely that Hill could be dealt in the offseason to make Goree the unchallenged starter. Tzvetan Kishishev is an excellent fundamental defender who's developing a solid offensive game, evidenced by his 6.2 points a game off the bench.

Ben Larson reminds people a little of Marvin Williams. Extremely versatile player, able to fill in at every position except center, Larson is a well-balanced player, but doesn't do anything exceptionally well. Still, his versatility translated into 8.3 points in the regular season. Kevin Sessoms is an unremarkable player, but the former 2nd round pick (12th pick, New Jersey, 2011), still found a way to average 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds this year. Duez Walker, a former Nugget, is out with a broken elbow, which is going to hurt Houston's already lackluster bench.

Advantage: Nuggets

Final Thoughts
On paper, Denver looks like they're going to run away this series, but something's telling us that the Rockets are going to keep it close. The Nuggets will still win; it's just going to take them longer than everyone thinks.
Prediction: Nuggets in 6

Not the most ringing endorsement, but I'll take it. Houston's a pretty tough matchup, all things considered.

Game One
No problems in this one, though. The best highlights Houston can manage are 11 points and 10 rebounds from Mark White and 10 bench points from Kevin Sessoms. We easily counter with 22 points from Mateen Yeaton, 20 points from Jonte Jones and Carlton Goree's 12 bench points. A blowout and a yawner blowout at that. Still, we'll take it.
Final - Houston 79 Denver 103

Game Two
The Rockets' starters have looked absolutely terrible these first two games, as reserve Teofil Shubinsky's 12 points are the only thing for Houston's fans to get really excited about. Lots for our fans to love, though, as Mateen Yeaton shoots his way to 33 points, Mike Vines scores 20, Jonte Jones and Victor Gipson double their fun with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 12 points, 12 rebounds respectively and Carlton Goree caps it all off with another 12 bench points. 30 point rout and we're looking terrific at 2-0.
Final - Houston 85 Denver 115

Game Three
With the transfer to Houston, we should see much more competitive games. On the one hand, the Rockets finally have a truly good performance out of a starter, as Filip Mikulic scores 20, but on the other hand, that's as good as it gets for them. When Jonte Jones is putting up 29 points and 14 rebounds and David Jackson's doubling off the bench with 12 points and 11 rebounds, there's not really much hope for Houston's chances of victory. 3-0 and it looks like we've the sweep well in hand.
Final - Denver 107 Houston 86

Game Four
The most lopsided game of the series, as the Rockets are just completely whipped out there on the court. Georghios Kairis finally breaks through for 21 points and Teofil Shubinsky puts up 10 points off the bench, but Kairis did absolutely nothing this series to get rid of the overrated label some apply to him. Conversely, Jonte Jones reigns supreme with 28 points and 18 rebounds, Victor Gipson has 17 points and 11 rebounds and we get a slew of sensational showings from the second team. Carlton Goree is the main man with 18 points, 10 assists and 5 steals, but David Jackson pulls down 10 boards and Al Thornton dogpiles it with 10 points. All in all, it's a complete homerun and a fitting end to the sweep.
Final - Denver 126 Houston 88

The Raptors and Magic are the only other teams to sweep. There's some fascinating results going on right now in some series and I'm quite happy to sit at home, eat popcorn and watch some of the other games.

Detroit sends home the Lebron-less Cavs in five games and in one of the most satisfying Game 5s I've ever watched, the 8 seed Lakers knock off the top seed Jazz. Take that, Utah! I'm extremely relieved, to be honest, because the Jazz have had a really good team the last few seasons, especially after stealing away Chris Gearhart.

Every other series goes the full 7 games, which is making me just a touch nervous.

The Knicks avoid an early exit by overcoming the Bucks, the reeling Kings just barely manage to scrape together a victory over the Timberwolves to set up an All-Pacific conference semi-final and the Portland Trailblazers upset the Mavericks in Dallas!!!!.

Marcelino Augusto had his worst playoff outing since his rookie season, averaging 17.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 0.3 steals on 46.2% shooting. To put that in perspective, he's never averaged below 20 points since his rookie year, the rebounding total was his lowest since his rookie year, he's never averaged below 2 blocks a game in the playoffs, nor less than a steal per game. The 46.2% shooting is also his second worst in his career, next to his 45.8% rookie year postseason.

Ah, how sweet it is. Poetic justice, indeed.

[RedHawk00]

MA = A-Rod?

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by RedHawk00

MA = A-Rod?

Well, he had a great Finals last year and could've just as easily won the Finals MVP award as Yeaton. And he's been fantastic in playoff series before that, save for the championship round.

But I think not having a Yeaton to draw attention from him really hurt, because as good as Devone Allen is, he's still not MY.

Edit: And in any case, Augusto certainly isn't as clutch as either Yeaton or Jones.

[Izulde]

It's going to be a familiar story, this having to fence off against a divisional opponent in the playoffs. Portland always plays us tough, so I'm somewhat concerned about this matchup.

"The Portland Trailblazers have done a grave disservice to basketball storyline fans, the NBA and the television networks by upsetting the Dallas Mavericks. Everyone was hoping for a Marcelino Augusto/Jonte Jones/Zelipe Gama/Mateen Yeaton/GM Jestor set of lines in the second round, but Portland had other ideas.

Now the Trailblazers dream of extending their Cinderella run by upsetting the two-time defending champion Nuggets, who didn't even break a sweat in sweeping the Houston Rockets.

Point Guard
Nolan Hill vs. Jerian McCrary
Hill was virtually invisible in scoring during the opening round, but what he lacked in point production (8.5 points), he more than made up for with 10 assists and 1.8 steals. The 24 year old was an unknown quantity coming into this postseason, but he's acquitted himself well this far.

McCrary is a good shooter, but average in every other facet of the game. He's more ideally suited to the 2, but somehow he found a way to average 11.4 points and 10.4 assists against the Mavericks. He's not liable to have that kind of success in the passing game against the thieving Nuggets backcourt.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. Sonny Boxler
Yeaton's still in MVP form and feeling great, as he's put up first round averages of 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, a steal and a block. Who needs Marcelino Augusto when you've got the two-time defending Finals MVP in the lineup?

Boxler made his first All-Star game this season and has been absolutely sensational thus far in the postseason, with 25.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.1 blocks. The scary part is, the third year pro is still developing and he's already a franchise-level player, with his only weakness that he can get scored on in bunches. He's also 6'3 and that short height, combined with his weakness in defensive fundamentals, is what could be the difference in a tight matchup.

Advantage: Draw

Small Forward
Victor Gipson vs. Kevin Durant
Gipson had no problems bottling up Mark White last round and showed surprising scoring instincts in contributing 15.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, a steal and 2.8 blocks. Having a huge bruiser like him at the 3 creates major mismatches in size and headaches for opponents.

But even given their 5 inch, 83 pound difference, Durant's a tough draw as the perennial All-NBA SF can shoot from just about anywhere and has exceptional rebounding skills, illustrated by his 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in the opening round. If Gipson can even slow him down a little, Denver will have taken a major step to advancing.

Advantage: Trailblazers

Power Forward
Mike Vines vs. LaMarcus Aldridge
By the averaged numbers, Vines hasn't looked great in this playoffs, with only 13 points to show for his opening outing in the statline, but the shutdown type defense he brings is a big reason why the Rockets looked so inept against the Nuggets and Denver will ask him to do the same thing this series. Any offense he can provide would be a great bonus.

Aldridge never did become the elite player so many people thought he was capable of being, including Jestor, and at 35, he's starting to lose a few steps. That said, he can still score some points, pick up some rebounds and do a solid job of defense. 11.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks is nothing to sneeze at and he'll do his best to make sure Vines doesn't add much to Denver's point total.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Jonte Jones vs. Marcus Honeycutt
Over the years, Jones has developed a reputation of being a clutch postseason player and he very nearly singlehandedly upset the Nuggets last season. This year, he's adding on to that reputation with 23.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, a steal and 1.3 blocks to date. More importantly, unlike the aforementioned Augusto, he's an extremely consistent player and a much safer anchor than the erratic Brazilian.

Honeycutt, despite his 8 points and 6.6 rebounds with just 2 starts in the first round, is only really good at one thing: lockdown defense of the Vines level. If Portland wants to get past Denver, they'll need him to limit the damage Jones can do.

Advantage: Nuggets

Bench
There's no doubt about it. Carlton Goree is the best Nuggets reserve guard since the Chauncey Billups days of Jestor's early years in Denver. He's posting a phenomenal 12.3 points, 6 assists and 2 steals off the bench, further strengthening the front office's argument that he should be starting next year. Let's not forget David "50 Ninja" Jackson, who's thriving in a bench role for 8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, even as he's agitating for his starting spot back.

Charlie Joseph is a great rebounder, but he doesn't really have much else to him and his 10.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and block are inflated by virtue of his five starts against Dallas. Charles Howard is the sniper, averaging 7.3 points and possessing tremendous upside, even if he still needs to learn to take better care of the ball.

Advantage: Nuggets

Final Thoughts
This series will be much closer than the Houston/Denver matchup. In fact, we wouldn't be shocked to see it go a full seven games. The Trailblazers match up extremely well with the Nuggets, but in the end, homecourt advantage and the deeper, better bench will give Denver the victory.
Prediction: Nuggets in 7

A perfectly fair assessment, particularly given Honeycutt's denying talents.

Game One
But unfortunately for Blazers fans, the series starts off looking a lot like the first round of us vs Houston. Marcus Honeycutt is the lone Portland highlight with 16 points and 11 rebounds and that's simply not anywhere near enough when 7 Nuggets are in double-digit figures in the most balanced offense we've had in a long, long time. Our stat stars are Nolan Hill with 16 points and 16 assists, Victor Gipson with 13 points and 10 rebounds and David Jackson and Carlton Goree with 13 and 11 points off the bench respectively. Solid opening win.
Final - Portland 84 Denver 109

Game Two
Portland puts up more points, but Kevin Durant's 20 points and 12 points and 10 rebounds from reserve Charlie Joseph just can't compete with Mateen Yeaton's 32 points, Nolan Hill's 23 points, Jonte Jones's nice all-around game of 14 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists or David Jackson's 10 points off the bench. Hill is really turning this series into his coming out party and the Blazers bow down by a blistering 30 points. 2-0 series lead by margins I never would've expected.
Final - Portland 97 Denver 127

Game Three
Can moving to Portland give the Trailblazers a boost? They do hold us to our lowest scoring total of the series, but despite 3 players with 17 points - Kevin Durant (also with 18 rebounds), Sonny Boxler and Jerian McCrary, they still can't crack the century mark. We on the other hand, do, Jonte Jones spearheading the march to 100 with 26 points and 22 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton tossing in 27 points and 10 points exactly from benchmates Carlton Goree and David Jackson. For the first time this series, Nolan Hill was held to under 10 points (finishing with 5), but he still handed out 16 assists. 3-0 lead and we're knocking on the door of another commanding sweep.
Final - Denver 107 Portland 90

Game Four
The Blazers weren't about to suffer the same fate as the Rockets and they finally break out this game. Jerian McCrary explodes for 32 points, Sonny Boxler adds 24 points of his own and Kevin Durant doubles his way to 11 points and 16 rebounds. We simply couldn't match, despite Jonte Jones's 19 points and 22 rebounds, Carlton Goree's 8 points and 10 assists off the bench and reserve Leigh Nash's 13 points. Not when Mateen Yeaton's limited to 20 minutes with foul problems and has an icy 3 for 11 night besides. Sweep averted.
Final - Denver 93 Portland 103

As it turns out, nobody sweeps the second round.

Game Five
Back home in Denver, we go questing for the closeout and Jonte Jones throws down the hammer with 36 points and 13 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton swinging right there with him for 30 points. Nolan Hill chimes in with the weak's man double of 10 points, 10 assists and we wait for Portland's challenge. And challenge they do, with 29 points and 12 rebounds from Kevin Durant, 24 points from Jerian McCrary and 12 bench points from Charles Howard. But it's not enough and we seal the deal with a comfortable win, moving on to the conference finals.
Final - Portland 103 Denver 117

Toronto also advances in five and there's a lot of talk in the media and among fans that the stage is being set for another hurrah of the great Raptors/Nuggets Finals rivalry.

We both wait the full seven games for our opponents, who turn out to be Orlando, narrowly edging the Pistons, and the Lakers, the 8 seed that continues its improbable run by upsetting the Kings in the deciding game.

So we now face off against the Purple and Gold. Old royalty versus the new kings.

There can be only one.

[cubboyroy1826]

Okay in your Dolphins FOF Dynasty how do you get the player ratings etc to lineup when you post them. I noticed you use the code option but where are you coping and pasting this info from. Okay back to our regularly scheduled dynasty.

[Autumn]

I wonder that too, I had a hard time getting text ratings to show up without a ton of work.

[Autumn]

And what's with this smear campaign against Augusto? Not clutch, inconsistent, whatever. You'll probably be trading back for hm in a year or two ;-)

Still, your lineup's doing great. They seem really flexible, if Jones gets bottled up he dishes out the assists, Hill does the same. Looking good.

[Coffee Warlord]

They lost a game in round 2!

FIRED!

[Izulde]

cubboyroy1826 and Autumn: I go to Scout View, sort by Position, hit the Print button in the lower left hand corner of the screen and have it Print to File. In my case, I usually output it to D:/whateveriwantthefinalnametobe.txt (Very important to include the .txt). Then I open the file up in Notepad and copy/paste what I need.

Autumn: If you'll recall, I and the media were saying the same thing even before he was traded. That's one of the things that made Augusto so angry and wanting to be dealt; Yeaton winning last year's Finals MVP was just the last straw. Very good point on Hill, by the way. It's one of the things that has me leaning towards keeping him, though I think we could get better value by trading him.

Coffee Warlord: It's actually better than last season's trip thus far!

[Izulde]

Playing the Lakers always puts me on edge. Even in their down years, they always seem to be a force, simply by putting on those purple and gold uniforms. So, despite the fact that they're an 8 seed and had a losing record to boot, I'm not going to discount them.

"The Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of becoming the first sub-.500 team to make the Finals since the Charlotte Bobcats represented the East in 2008 and 2009. But to get there, they'll have to go through the Denver Nuggets, who have looked extremely impressive in the first two rounds and nothing like last year's miracle champions, who defended their title with consecutive Game 7 heartstoppers.

Point Guard
Nolan Hill vs. Calvis Graham
Hill looked much more comfortable taking shots in the second round and even when he doesn't feel like shooting, he still does an excellent job of distributing the ball. His playoff averages are up to a double-double of 10.9 points, 10.6 assists and 1.3 steals, along with a staggering 6.8 A/TO ratio.

Graham and Hill are virtually identical, save that Calvis is a more reliable offensive threat and better pure passer, whereas Hill is much less likely to turn the ball over. Also, Graham's a better ballthief, but Hill's a slightly better technical defender. The playoff numbers bear this out: 15 points, 11 assists, 1.8 steals and a 3.4 A/TO ratio.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. Kyle Hoiberg
21.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.1 blocks. Yeaton's still doing it all, even though he's been overshadowed in this playoffs by Denver's starting C and may not win a third straight Finals MVP award. Not that he cares; it's all about the team play and the title for the man elected the Nuggets' co-captain this season.

Hoiberg will always be haunted by the fact that he's not Kobe Bryant. Instead, he's another Ben Gordon; a points-producing SG who, while an excellent shooter, simply doesn't have what it takes to bring his team a championship. One has to wonder if he regrets his cross-town move from the Clippers to the Lakers via free agency in 2015. Kyle's got size, but he can't defend very well and not being able to play D on Yeaton is a kiss of death. Playoff averages of 21.3 points and 1.7 steals as the highlights can't match up either.

Advantage: Nuggets

Small Forward
Victor Gipson vs. Austin Buller
Never was the position Small Forward more a misnomer than this matchup, which pits the 7'2, 303 lbs Gipson against the 6'11, 285 lbs former Nugget Buller. Gipson's shooting touch disappeared against the Trailblazers, as he concentrated on contending with Kevin Durant, but he's still putting up 12 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in the playoffs.

Buller's shooting a mediocre 41.3% in the postseason and has really turned into a disappointment over the years, a major disappointment after high expectations as the #2 pick by the Bulls in 2012 and being highly praised by GM Jestor. 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in the playoffs aren't what one expects out of a former 2nd overall selection, particularly not one in his prime at 27. Pretty good defender, but can't really make the highlight play and has been extremely underwhelming on offense relative to his talent.

Advantage: Nuggets

Power Forward
Mike Vines vs. Derrick Robinson
It's a beautiful thing for the truly knowledgeable basketball fan to watch Vines operate on defense, but what's even prettier for Nuggets fans is to watch him score 15.4 points on average in this playoffs to go with his 5.9 rebounds and steal per game. A better defender than even Emeka Okafor and well worth the difference in points between him and a certain Marcelino Augusto.

Robinson can't really prevent anyone from scoring, but he's one of the most dangerous shotblockers in the league and is notorious for elevating his level of play in the postseason. A good, but not great, shooter and rebounder, he's got a line of 13.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 4.1 blocks so far in extra games. His clutch factor makes this matchup a lot more even than it should be, but it still tilts to the Nuggets.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Jonte Jones vs. Andrew Bynum
Jones is quickly learning what it feels like to be on a powerhouse team and despite the fact that it's not his beloved Mavericks, he's enjoying every minute of his time in a Nuggets uniform, posting 22.3 points, 14.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks in these playoffs. He absolutely blew away Marcus Honeycutt in the last round, showing utter disregard for the Blazers center's defensive reputation.

Age is beginning to creep up on the 34 year old Bynum, but he still has one of the best inside shots in the league and can rebound, play solid defense, and be a phenomenal shotblocker as his playoff stats of 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3 blocks attest to. But the factor of the matter is, Bynum simply is no longer the player he was in his prime and against somebody like Jones, that makes all the difference.

Advantage: Nuggets

Bench
Carlton Goree has been a true delight to watch this postseason, as the Nuggets' 6th man has contributed 10.3 points, 5.8 assists and 1.6 steals. David Jackson's been his frontcourt mirror with 8.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. While they are the top reserves, don't discount any of the other Nuggets subs, who are capable of having a noteworthy game at any time.

Former 2nd round pick Dennis Paige (11th pick, Seattle, 2014) has been a welcome ray of offense off the bench with 7.3 points, but his lack of defensive skill undercuts that. Ross Crispin is averaging 5.3 points, but he's an even worse offender on the defensive end than Paige. Josh McRoberts is the most well-rounded Lakers reserve and the only one who can play at least some D, but he's hampered by a calf injury.

Advantage: Nuggets

Final Thoughts
The clock strikes midnight for the Lakers here. Denver is simply too deep and too talented for Los Angeles to prevent the Nuggets from reaching a sixth straight Finals and trying to become the second team to win three titles in a row since the 1999-2001 Lakers (the first, being, of course, the 2015-2017 Raptors). That said, the Lakers have an intangibles edge and will make this a closer series than the talent levels suggest.
Prediction: Nuggets in 6

Okay, yes, I can see that.

Game One
Out of all the things I expected in the opening game, I didn't expect as close a score as we got. Jonte Jones played magnificiently with 33 points and 19 rebounds and Mateen Yeaton scored 21 for our side. On the Lakers, Austin Buller netted 15 points and 12 rebounds, Kyle Hoiberg scored 24, Calvis Graham had 14 points and 10 assists and [b]Dennis Paige/b] added 10 points off the bench. We fell just short and, like has happened far too many times this season, we collapsed down the stretch, blowing a fourth quarter lead to be upset. Not a good start, not a good start at all.
Final - Lakers 102 Denver 98

Game Two
We strike back with a venegance, Mateen Yeaton scoring 30, Jonte Jones doubling with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Great bench play helps as well, Carlton Goree scoring 11 and David Jackson just missing a double-double with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Hoiberg leads the Lakers with 25 points but when Derrick Robinson and Andrew Bynum are held to 0 and 1 point respectively, you know it's going to be a long night for the Lakers. We get the much-needed series tie and rout win.
Final - Lakers 84 Denver 108

Game Three
Big question is, how do we respond to going to the star-studded Laker home court? The series may well hinge on this question. The answer for Game 3 is an extremely spirited battle that sees both teams with 3 players scoring 20+ points. For the Lakers, it's Kyle Hoiberg (34 points), Andrew Bynum (25 points), and Calvis Graham with a phenomenal 21 points and 18 assists. We counter with 32 points from Mateen Yeaton, 20 points and 12 rebounds from Jonte Jones and 20 points from Mike Vines. Nolan Hill also partially matched Graham with 10 points and 11 assists. In the end, the deciding factor came down to the benches. The Lakers had no standout reserves, while we did. Carlton Goree and David Jackson combined for 15 and 11 points a piece and that 26 points was the differencemaker as we steal the win in a thrilling shootout and take the 2-1 series lead.
Final - Denver 125 Lakers 119

Game Four
I want to win this thing in five games, so let's hope for another win here. It's yet another close game as Mateen Yeaton scores 35, Jonte Jones gets a staggering 21 points and 20 rebounds and Tzvetan Kishishev and Carlton Goree contribute 10 and 12 points off the bench. The Lakers respond with 20 points from Kyle Hoiberg, 16 points and 15 assists from Calvis Graham and 3+ reserves with 10+ points. Dennis Paige explodes for 17 points and 14 rebounds, Ross Crispin scores 14 and a fully healthy Josh McRoberts adds 11 points. Once again, it's the benches that elect the winner and this one's all Purple and Gold, resulting in a 5 point loss and a fight for our lives with the series tied at 2.
Final - Denver 102 Lakers 107

Making matters worse, the Raptors ended the Magic's pretender dreams in a hurry, sweeping them in four. Ugh.

Game Five
Back home in Denver, it's another all-out war as Kyle Hoiberg continues his unreal series with 36 points, Andrew Bynum puts up 20 points and Ross Crispin leads the Lakers subs with 13 points. Mateen Yeaton and Mike Vines fight back with 25 points a piece, all our starting five scores at least 13 and David Jackson has 10 points off the bench. In the end, our collective balanced offense is enough to give us a too-close four point win and the imperative 3-2 series edge.
Final - Lakers 115 Denver 119

Game Six
Can we win in LA and get some much needed rest before the Finals? Jonte Jones says yes with 20 points and 12 rebounds, as does David Jackson with 14 bench points. But the Lakers say no as Kyle Hoiberg maintains his fiery series with 27 points, Calvis Graham produces 12 points and 11 assists and Ross Crispin cancels out 50 Ninja's points with 14 of his own. It all adds up to a frustrating loss and a forced Game 7. Hello, heartstoppers of last year!
Final - Denver 109 Lakers 120

Game Seven
If we lose here, then our season's a failure. I don't give a damn how well the Lakers match up with us, how talented they are... none of that. To lose to an 8 seed, a 40-42 team, with our Rings Quest on the line, would be unforgiveable. In fact, I'd resign if we lost, because I wouldn't deserve to be Denver's GM anymore. I glumly watch Andrew Bynum put up 18 points and 10 rebounds, Calvis Graham 11 points and 10 assists and Dennis Paige 16 bench points. It's looking grim for our hopes, as we have just 3 players in double-digit figures. But then a miraculous thing happens. Jonte Jones and Mateen Yeaton say hell no to letting our three-time title dreams dying here in Denver, scoring 31 and 30 points respectively to carry us into the Finals. Jones and Yeaton are mobbed after the game is over, Mateen grinning up at the box I'm sitting in and holding up nine fingers. Nine championships. Chasing the Celtics. Three times three. We go for the first third in the next round.
Final - Lakers 93 Denver 110

Will we succeed in the first cycle of our quest? Will we win our third straight championship?

I don't know. The road will be hard, as our nemesis is a familiar, ancient rival. The fully rested Toronto Raptors.

Toronto/Denver Round V. Resumed after a one-year interruption.

It should be an epic for the ages.

[Izulde]

"The Denver Nuggets and the Toronto Raptors get set to resume their storied archrivalry, one that challenges the Lakers and Celtics as the greatest rivalry in NBA history. It's the fifth time in the last six seasons that these two dynasties are meeting for the trophy and the Raptors will be giving their all to stop the Nuggets from replicating their threepeat feat.

Toronto is well-rested after sweeping the Magic in the East Conference finals, whereas Denver is likely feeling a bit of exhaustion after a marathon, full-limit series against the Lakers. That doesn't foreshadow a good result for Denver, especially with how tough the matchups look on paper.

Point Guard
Nolan Hill vs. Justin Richler
Hill struggled somewhat against the Lakers, seeing his postseason averages dip to 10.5 points and 9 assists a game, but he's still got a sterling 5.0 A/TO ratio and he's shooting at a 51.3% clip.

Richler's had a surprisingly tough playoffs this year, shooting just 40.1% from the floor, a career low. As a result, he's averaging just 18.4 points, 6.8 assists and 1.3 steals. He's ill-suited to play PG and isn't a great defender. If he continues his run of poor form, the Raptors could be in for a dogfight. That said, the talent disparity is obvious.

Advantage: Raptors

Shooting Guard
Mateen Yeaton vs. David Anyan
Yeaton really saved Denver against the Lakers, boosting his scoring to 24.1 points, averaging 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks in the bargain. But he's dealing with a nagging leg injury and we all know what happens when Yeaton gets hurt. The rest of the team suffers and the Nuggets lose.

Making matters even worse, Anyan is a premium defender with the size to shut Yeaton down. He's also a topflight scorer, averaging an impressive 25.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks this playoffs. If there's an Achilles heel in his superlative game, it's that he's turnover prone. That may not matter, however, given Anyan's defensive prowess and Yeaton's injury.

Advantage: Raptors

Small Forward
Victor Gipson vs. Willie Larson
Gipson is what he is, a behemoth of a safe shooter and dynamite shotblocker, averaging 10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. He completely neutralized Austin Buller in the West conference finals and the Nuggets hope for more of the same in the championship round.

The Raptors struggled all season long to find a SF and they finally settled on Larson, who's a completely bland and unremarkable player, evidenced by his 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks. He's also just 6'9, 222 lbs and giving up 5 inches and 81 pounds to your opponent is never a good idea. He'll be a complete non-factor this series.

Advantage: Nuggets

Power Forward
Mike Vines vs. Chris Bosh
Despite the fact that Vines is only converting 40.9% of his shot from the field in this postseason, his defensive brillance has been critical. He destroyed the Lakers' most clutch player, Derrick Robinson, and though his 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds are nothing to write home about, he's going to be a key weapon in this matchup.

Even at 36, Bosh can still score and play defense, along with picking some rebounds here and there as his playoff line of 14 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks illustrates. He'll have a very hard time scoring against Vines, though and that's important for the Nuggets, who need to win this position battle to have any hopes of a third straight title.

Advantage: Nuggets

Center
Jonte Jones vs. Greg Oden
Yeaton may have a higher PPG average, but Jones has been just as, if not more valuable in the playoffs, as evidence by his more complete statline: 22.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks. He's been every bit as clutch as GM Jestor hoped he would be, unlike a certain Mavericks power forward we won't mention.

An unstoppable force meets an immovable object as Oden has multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards to his credit. He's also one of the most intelligent players in the league and while he isn't anywhere near the offensive force that Jones is, as his postseason stats of 14.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks show, he's an equal rebounder and a staggeringly brilliant passer out of the post. It's a dead heat and the winner of this battle may also win the war.

Advantage: Draw

Bench
No big surprise here as to the stars. Carlton Goree continues to be excellent, averaging 9.9 points, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals while David Jackson is pumping in 8.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

Andrea Bargnani is no longer the man he once was, but he can still pour in the points, rebound and use crafty veteran intelligence to ratch up 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Steve Neal is an extremely underrated veteran, capable of playing great defense and putting up 5.2 points a game.

Advantage: Draw

Final Thoughts
With Mateen Yeaton's injury, the Nuggets need to hope for a long series. But with the Raptors' phenomenal composite talent and the homecourt advantage, that just doesn't seem likely to happen. In fact, this looks like a return to the first two Finals matchups between the two. In other words, we call this a sweep, as Toronto will extend the complete mastery they've been showing all postseason long.
Prediction: Toronto in 4

Well... can't say that I blame them that. This -is- a nasty matchup for us no matter how you look at it. If we lose here, I'll be disappointed, but I won't call it a lost season. We'd have trouble against them even with Marcelino Augusto still on the team.

Game One
It's a ridiculously pumped crowd here in Toronto who wants to see their Raptors get their crown back. Justin Richler, the Canadian sniper, feeds off his countrymen's energy for 28 points, David Anyan scores 24, Greg Oden contributes 14 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks and Andrea Bargnani doesn't look old at all in scoring 13 bench points. On our side, Victor Gipson is held to 0 points, a signifier of how the game went. Jonte Jones found a way to 17 points and 11 rebounds and Leigh Nash and Carlton Goree tried their damndest with 16 and 15 points in emergency time after Mateen Yeaton was limited to 7 minutes by his leg injury, but we flatout got schooled. No two ways about it.
Final - Denver 86 Toronto 113

Game Two
We need Mateen Yeaton to be able to play a full game or we don't have the cliched snowball's chance in hell. We get 26 minutes out of him tonight, but it's a 3 for 13 effort and Jonte Jones (28 points, 20 rebounds) and Carlton Goree (11 bench points) can't do it by themselves. Not when 3 Raptors score 26 points or more. The winners are David Anyan with 26 and Justin Richler and Andrea Bargnani with 27. I swear, Bargnani should be tested for illegal supplements or something. In short, a lot closer game, but the end result is the same and we're on the wrong end of a 2-0 hole.
Final - Denver 92 Toronto 104

Game Three
If we can't win here, our Rings Quest is over almost before it begins. It's not looking good as Justin Richler erupts for 35 points, Greg Oden throws his weight around with 18 points and 16 rebounds and Steve Neal chips in 10 bench points. But Mateen Yeaton roars back to full health and ravages the Raptors for 36 points and 11 rebounds, Carlton Goree gets 13 points off the bench and we outshoot the Raptors 58.6% to 41.4% to get us back in this series with a solid win. Still down, but not out anymore.
Final - Toronto 101 Denver 115

Game Four
Simply put, we need to force a split while we're in cozy Denver. What we get is our most complete game of the series, Jonte Jones leading all scorers with 29 points and Mateen Yeaton putting on a virtuoso performance of 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks and 5 steals. Nolan Hill finally breaks through for 13 points and 19 assists and David "50 Ninja" Jackson is on fire off the bench for 19 points. The Raptors offer up 22 points from Justin Richler and 16 bench points from Andrea Bargnani, but that's all they can muster as we blow Toronto off the court and get the needed 2-2 split.
Final - Toronto 90 Denver 118

Game Five
Our last game at home. If there's to be any chance of hoisting the trophy for the third year in a row, we have to get this one, too. My heart's pounding as it always does in pivotal games like this and I'm clutching my constantly refilled wine glass all night long. It's an intense, incredible contest that sees 13 lead changes and 7 ties, most of them in the fourth quarter. Greg Oden is absolutely incredible with 26 points and 23 rebounds, while Justin Richler actually resembles a point guard with 15 points and 12 assists. Jonte Jones challenges with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Mateen Yeaton scores 21. Carlton Goree puts on an exclamation point with 15 points off the bench and he's the deciding factor, singlehandedly outscoring Toronto's bench 15-9. It all adds up to a thrilling, heart-pounding 1-point comeback victory that sees us get the 3-2 series edge!!!!!!! I and the rest of the Nuggets fans storm the court in drunken celebration.
Final - Toronto 95 Denver 96

Game Six
Now comes the real test. Two chances to steal a win in that house of horrors called Toronto. Our entire season comes down to this. It's an even more frenzied crowd than Game 1 and Justin Richler and David Anyan take all that energy and passion, translating it into 25 and 26 points respectively. Greg Oden chimes in with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Jonte Jones leads our counterattack with 25 points and 14 rebounds and Nolan Hill double-doubles with 13 points and 10 assists. But Mateen Yeaton has a horrid 2 for 10 night and supersub Carlton Goree is an anemic 1 for 6. So it's looking like a Game 7. But then, as so often happens in our times of peril, a hero will rise... or in this case, two heroes. David "50 Ninja" Jackson finally has a game as loud as his mouth with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks and Leigh Nash, the emergency signing after I realized we just had one bench guard, unexpectedly scores 15. Together, their 29 points alone crush the 11 points total offered by Toronto's reserves and net us the 10 point victory for our THIRD STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!
Final - Denver 108 Toronto 98

It's an intoxicating upset and a historic victory. The Raptors' fans are somber as they watch Mateen Yeaton accept the trophy and immediately hand it off to Jonte Jones, who hugs it like a lover and provides the series' iconic media image.

Jones was also rightfully voted Finals MVP, an award Yeaton happily relinquished.

It's not as electric a celebration as our previous two victories, but in its own way, it's all the sweeter. Jones redeemed me by being our savior in the Finals and as a newspaper columnist later wrote, "This championship was a testament to Jestor's skills as a GM. Now, at long last, the Nuggets faithful can cease mourning the loss of Marcelino Augusto.

Indeed, that very sentiment was echoed five minutes after the trophy presentation, for the second I step on the court, they hand me the golden ball and Jones and Yeaton hoist me up on their shoulders.

I laugh, raise the trophy and kiss its cold, beautiful surface.

The photograph that came out of that moment was fitting of my reign here. My two superstars acquired via trade, lifting me up to the championship, while in the background, you can see a smirking 50 Ninja and a quietly smiling Victor Gipson, two of my draftees who provided vital support roles.

The trade and the draft, the two greatest weapons in my arsenal.

I'll have to use more of the same if we want to continue our run at the Celtics.

[Autumn]

That was a surreal path to a third championship. Despite how well Jones and Yeaton played, it was the whole ensemble that really pulled things out for you.

[Barkeep49]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Maybe I made a mistake with the Augusto trade, but it's too late now.

Doing my weekly catchup and have reached here. And all I can say is "No kidding it was a mistake". I'm actively rooting against you this season, though all will be forgiven next season, assuming you don't trade any other young big men who HOF caliber players. We'll see if you win without Augusto anyway.

[Barkeep49]

I don't care about his playoff choking. I couldn't bring myself to root for Toronto so I guess I do take joy in your continuing to dominate.

[Izulde]

Autumn: Very true, though I think it's worth noting that Jones was our most consistent player throughout and never really had a bad night.

Barkeep49: Well, I don't have any other young, HOF-caliber big men, so I suppose all will be forgiven, or at least I hope it will. That isn't to say I won't make changes, though.

Barkeep49: See, it matters to me. If Augusto choked against the Lakers like that, we probably don't go back to the Finals, because Derrick Robinson would have unleashed his clutchness on us. If he did that against the Raptors, forget about it. Augusto can't play defense to the level that Mike Vines does and Vines limited Chris Bosh to 9.6 points a game average in the Finals. Switch out Vines for Augusto and Bosh averages at least 15 points a game, if not more and in a series as close as this one was, another 6 points a game can create a significant shift.

[Izulde]

Three Rings, More Questions

Now that the initial euphoria of the Denver Nuggets' third straight championship has waned, it's time to take a look at some questions for next season and who, if anybody, is likely to be moved.

1. Is there still a starting PG controversy?
Not if you ask the two players involved. Nolan Hill and Carlton Goree both have said they're fine with either starting or coming off the bench as the 6th man. On the other hand, GM Jestor is extremely high on Goree, who comes at a third of the price tag. Hill's a better passer and ballhandler, Goree's got the edge as a shooter. On defense, they're both about the same. It's quite possible that Hill could be traded during the offseason, as he's a very valuable trade chip. Goree, of course, is staying.

2. What's going to be done about David Jackson's starting demand?
There's not really much chance of the Nuggets dealing Jackson. For all his potential disruption and all his off-court antics, he's a fan favorite and he adds a certain character to the locker room. While Jestor has never been adverse to moving fan favorites (see Zelipe Gama, Marcelino Augusto as the most recent examples), we don't really see Jackson going out the door.

Victor Gipson, the man 50 Ninja's agitating to replace in the lineup, might go somewhere, but we're not entirely sold on that idea either. Jestor loves big men who play tough and the 7'2, 303 lb, shot-blocker maestro is certainly that. Then again, Gipson isn't really -all- that talented and in truth, Jackson's a better all-around player.

A much more likely possibility, surprising though it seems, is the trade of Mike Vines. Yes, his defense was an integral part of the Nuggets' second-half run and he was on fire down the stretch, but he's an extremely inconsistent shooter who turns 32 next year and has a hefty contract. The front office is particularly worried about his shooting slump during the playoffs and they may decide to move him while they can still get good value for him.

3. The Nuggets' most important players are all in their 30s. What is the team going to do to try and get younger?
A very important question and the answer isn't fully known yet, but it would seem that trading Hill, Gipson, Vines, some combination of the three, or even another player such as Tzvetan Kishishev in the mix is going to be a large part of it. Also, don't discount the possibility of some of the extra 1st rounders lying around being included in a package if there's a particularly attractive young player.

4. What's the team's greatest weak spot besides age?
Rebounding, especially on the defensive glass. Jones is the only top-flight rebounder on both ends of the floor. Gipson and Jackson do an excellent job of grabbing second-chance boards, but there's nobody outside of Jones who can really prevent second opportunities for the opposing team. It's particularly a problem on the bench, where it's either Jackson or Gipson capable of rebounding and that's it. Chezley McCleary won't be back next season in all likelihood, though he's a phenomenal rebounder off the bench and a great defender. Kishishev can't rebound to save his life, the biggest hole in his game.

5. How much longer can Mateen Yeaton play at the level he has?
Nobody knows. But now that the Nuggets have their future PG settled as one of either Hill or Goree, they can continue injecting high-quality youth into the rest of the team. Our guess is that the front office won't try for a hotshot young SG, because then Yeaton would be shifted to the 3, where he's never been nearly as good or comfortable as at the 2.

[Izulde]

NBA Lottery
1. Phoenix Suns (+8)
2. Miami Heat (-1)
3. New Orleans Hornets (-1)
4. Boston Celtics (-1)
5. Indiana Pacers (-1)
6. Washington Wizards (-1)
7. Memphis Grizzlies (-1)
8. San Antonio Spurs (-1)
9. New York Knicks (-1)
10. L.A. Clippers
11. Seattle Supersonics
12. Atlanta Hawks
13. New Orleans Hornets
14. Philadelphia 76ers

A fantastic coup for the Suns, who rise all the way up to the top spot. Other than that, a surprisingly in order lottery, perhaps the most ordered one I've ever seen since I've been in the league.

NBA Awards

MVP
Andrew Bynum - Los Angeles Lakers - 17.7 PPG 11.5 RPG 3.4 APG 2.2 BPG 0.7 SPG
Defensive Player of the Year
Greg Oden - Toronto Raptors - 13.6 PPG 14.7 RPG 4.0 APG 2.5 BPG 1.0 SPG
Rookie of the Year
Jon Ward - Phoenix Suns - 11.8 PPG 5.0 RPG 2.6 APG 1.7 BPG 1.3 SPG
6th Man of the Year
Matt Michaels - Phoenix Suns - 14.1 PPG 4.5 RPG 3.1 APG 0.5 BPG 0.8 SPG
Coach of the Year
Larry Krystowiak - Milwaukee Bucks

Stupid MVP choice if you ask me. Even more puzzling Coach of the Year selection.

All-NBA 1st Team
PG Kenny Graham - Sacramento Kings
SG Justin Richler - Toronto Raptors
SF Devone Allen - Dallas Mavericks
PF Federico Gomez - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Andrew Bynum - Los Angeles Lakers

All-NBA 2nd Team
PG John Aylsworth - Cleveland Cavaliers
SG Mateen Yeaton - Denver Nuggets
SF Georghiois Kairis - Houston Rockets
PF Kelvin Moody - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Greg Oden - Toronto Raptors

All-NBA 3rd Team
PG A.J. Dunkley - Utah Jazz
SG Nigel Abel - Miami Heat
SF Brooks Smith - Seattle Supersonics
PF Henry Fisher - Utah Jazz
C Tim Davis - Milwaukee Bucks

Jonte Jones got screwed. So what if he missed a month? He still should be up here. Same with Marcelino Augusto. It's a ridiculous year for awards all around, it seems. By the way, I'm not arguing about Richler over Yeaton for the 1st Team. That was a perfectly valid selection.

All-Defense 1st Team
PG Derrick Sterett - New Jersey Nets
SG Charles Seegars - Chicago Bulls
SF David Anyan - Toronto Raptors
PF Tyrus Thomas - Philadelphia 76ers
C Greg Oden - Toronto Raptors

All-Defense 2nd Team
PG Leland Peterson - Washington Wizards
SG David Davis - New York Knicks
SF Julian Wright - San Antonio Spurs
PF Federico Gomez - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Patrick Riley - Sacramento Kings

All-Rookie 1st Team
PG Adam Braun - Houston Rockets
SG Jon Ward - Phoenix Suns
SF Antwan Carson - Memphis Grizzlies
PF Terry Vinson - Chicago Bulls
C Lee McRae - Indiana Pacers

All-Rookie 2nd Team
PG Mark Johnson - Miami Heat
SG Austin Forte - L.A. Clippers
SF LeRoy Romano - Boston Celtics
PF Clifton Snyder - Golden State Warriors
C Jarion Calloway - San Antonio Spurs

I spend the next several weeks calling teams and trying to put together a deal, but nobody's willing to trade with me, not even the Supersonics, who have an extremely raw player in Freddie Tackett, who'd be a gamble to acquire anyway. Golden State absolutely refuses to consider moving Walter Coleman, which makes sense. He's a young Mateen Yeaton and the Warriors want to build around him.

We go round and round with the Suns centering around 25 year old PF Antonio Sarchet, but just when we're about to agree to a deal, I pull back. I love Sarchet's obscene 61.5% from the floor, but he can't be a playmaker on the defensive end to save his live, nor is he a very good defender in general. Plus, we'd have to give up either Victor Gipson, Nolan Hill or a 1st round pick besides to get him and I'm just not comfortable doing that for a player I have any reservations about.

A player I -don't- have any qualms about giving 1st rounder for is Portland's Sonny Boxler and for a moment, it looks like an absolutely insane deal is going to be reached that pulls it off, but they change their minds at the last minute.

We take a long, hard look at 29 year old Knicks SF Jeremy Leach and almost make the move to get him, but his mediocre defense and his 6'5 height stop me just short of completing the transaction, even if it would mean acquring the #9 pick in the draft in the bargain. Chris Gearheart intially gets a look, but his playoff numbers take a huge drop, as in the last 3 times he's been to the playoffs, he's shot less than 40%, even shooting 29.6% last year.

Finally, I'm forced to concede defeat. There's just nobody worth moving for that wouldn't sully our chances to win a fourth straight title. That's not to say that we'll remain largely the same, though. We could be swinging a deal even in free agency.

Coach Hiring
I don't even pay attention to who goes where anymore. Not much to report on our end either, save that Monty Williams is signed to a 3 year deal as our 3rd assistant.

Oh yes, Emeka Okafor retired and put himself out there as a coach, but he's terrible right now, rated Poor/Average/Poor/Average/Average by the National Coach Scout Services (NCSS). If he ever becomes even a semi-viable option, I'll sign him as a 3rd assistant.

Mock Draft
We currently have picks 25 and 27 and are tabbed to take two SFs that I have no interest in. Well, Rod Greene, the 20 year old out of Michigan State, intrigues me slightly, but 22 year old Tim Felix from Notre Dame impresses me not one bit.

The top player in the class is a tossup. The mocks say PF James Bellairs, younger brother of Golden State forward Jeremy Bellairs. Others, including me, award that distinction to SG Rasheed Wheeler, who the mocks have falling to Washington with the 6th overall pick.

We probably aren't going to get a top player unless somebody falls through the cracks, but I've got a feeling we should be able to move up and get a value pick. Or we may sit back and collect two guys, depending on what shakes out.

I can't wait to see what happens.

[Izulde]

We've got a few players we really like and hope will drop some, one in particular. But we'll have to wait and see what shakes out.

2021 NBA Draft 1st Round
1. SG Rudolf Zyndram - Phoenix Suns

The Polish shooting guard being taken 1st stunned -everyone-, including me. Just what the hell were they thinking?

2. PG Jack McKnight - Miami Heat
3. C Mark Wilson - New Orleans Hornets
4. SG Greg Slaughter - Boston Celtics
5. PF James Bellairs - Indiana Pacers

The Pacers just got a huge, huge gift from those four other teams. They fill the gaping void at PF and take a major step back towards respectability. Unbelievable!

6. SG Bernard Legans - Washington Wizards

Any time you can get a guy who scored 30 points a game with the #6 pick, you've landed yourself a steal. Washington gets one here and says thanks to everybody.

7. PF Ronnie Fry - Memphis Grizzlies

Argh! I wanted him to drop to around 10 or so, so we could make a play to get him and take this extremely promising 19 year old. Though to be honest, our coaching staff wasn't too hot on him, so maybe it's not such a bad thing.

8. PG Ameirin Qipian - San Antonio Spurs

Rasheed Wheeler is still on the board, but there's another Duke guard, Aaron Brennan, who I like even more. He's listed as PG, but is probably better suited to the two. We can't make something work with the Knicks, but I think I've got a deal in principle if he sneaks by New York.

9. PG Aaron Brennan - New York Knicks

...Fuck!!!!! After that, I'm just not interested in Wheeler anymore.

10. SG Rasheed Wheeler - Los Angeles Clippers

The talent level hits rock bottom after this, so we're just going to sit and wait.

11. C Jarrod Hill - Seattle Supersonics
12. SF Wayne Scott - Atlanta Hawks

There goes the guy I thought would drop to around our range. Now I may as well just trade our picks off in a player acquistion deal. We try to work something out to acquire the rights to Ronnie Fry, but the Grizzlies aren't listening.

So we sit and wait some more.

13. PG David Cormier - New Orleans Hornets
14. PF Jamarcus Wilson - Philadelphia 76ers
15. SF B.J. Jackson - Los Angeles Lakers
16. PG Jason Griffin - Houston Rockets

Nice steal by the Rockets here. I almost moved up to get him, but he didn't give me that wow feeling that Brennan did.

17. SF Rick Smith - Sacramento Kings
18. PF Darrin McCarter - Portland Trailblazers
19. SG Marcus Harrell - Charlotte Bobcats

Harrell's being applauded as a great steal. I know we invited him, but don't really remember much about him. At this point, there's really only one player left worth even half a glance that we've invited, but he's not worth trading up for.

20. SF James Evans - New Jersey Nets

And of course, he's taken with the very next pick.

I do some calling around to try and negotiate some trades, but it's no doing. On the other hand, I think we've got the inside track on trying to land Freddie Tackett after all, but it'll have to wait until free agency.

21. PG Dion Sheals - Minnesota Timberwolves

For some bizzare reason, the staff swore up and down that Sheals is a franchise player in the making. I don't see it, so I passed on it.

22. PF Brandon Gladieux - Cleveland Cavaliers
23. SG Johnnie McIntyre - Milwaukee Bucks
24. PF Nashon Wallace - New York Knicks

Snort. They're still thinking we'll take Tim Felix. Fat chance. Instead, I take a flier on a player that I wanted to bring in for a workout, but forgot to.

25. SG Darren Davis - Denver Nuggets

He's 19 and the scouting report on him says he has potential to be a lockdown defender. In my opinion, he'd have been better off staying at Kentucky, but because he didn't, he'll get his chances here in Denver. Scored 20.3 points a game as a freshman with the Wildcats to boot.

The analysts all applaud the pick, Chris mentioning that Davis had a lot of great workouts with teams and that he looks like a hidden gem. Man, I hope that's right. At least I'd have gotten something out of this draft.

26. PG Mitch Patrick - Detroit Pistons

They're saying either Felix or Saul Jenkins for our second pick. I consider Jenkins along with some big men, but there's not much to choose from at this point in the draft. This time I go with a player I scouted who doesn't particularly excite, but I think he can be a decent bench player.

27. PF Booker Werner - Denver Nuggets

Not thrilling by any means, but the Notre Dame senior has an average all-around skill-set that we can see how it goes. Plus, I love the name Booker.

The talking heads approve this pick as well, which is always nice to see. If nothing else, I appear to have bolstered our bench pretty well.

28. SG William Aylsworth - Orlando Magic
29. C David McCasland - Utah Jazz
30. PF Mike Gardner - Toronto Raptors

First post-draft look says Werner's trade bait. Davis is the single hardest-working player I've -ever- seen and while he's also the worst defensive playmaker and rebounder I've ever seen, there's enough other skills that I'm mildly excited about landing him.

Everyone's contract is renounced that's up for it.

Summer League
PG Carlton Goree
SG Darren Davis
PF Tzvetan Kishishev
PF Booker Werner
C Victor Gipson

Lot of Nuggets assigned this year, the most we've ever had, I think.

No Marcelino Augusto for the Mavericks means a 100-75 buttwhipping, Victor Gipson the man of the night with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Awvee Byams and Garrett Brwon get 10 bench points a piece.

It's 2-0 as we squeak by the extremely talented Warriors summer league team 91-90. Tzvetan Kishisev and Hong-bo Qian lead the way with 14 and 10 bench points respectively. I should note that Darren Davis has scored 12 and 14 points his first two games and is shooting over 50%.

Chris Overton goes a perfect 9/9 from the bench for 19 points, Victor Gipson posts 19 points and 13 rebounds and Tzvetan Kishishev adds 12 points off the bench in our 106-88 thrashing of the Hawks.. Darren Davis hits 7 of 9 for another 14 points and Booker Werner's going to be traded, I've decided.

We outrun the Bulls 120-102, Vinston Henry, a third year SF from the Hornets who's had an excellent summer league, first in points with 28. A closer look at Henry reveals that he's raw, but he's got arguable franchise potential and he's the perfect fit for a SF to boot. I'll make it my mission to try and land him, though I'm sure the Hornets will do their damnedest to get him back. Booker Werner finally breaks out for 24 points, Victor Gipson continues his solid summer play with 13 points and 15 rebounds and Carlton Goree busts out for 15 points and 18 assists. Darren Davis had his first awful summer league game and Tzvetan Kishishev scored 16 to lead the second team. By the way, it's worth noting that Werner absolutely raped Terry Vinson for those 24 points.

We get our first ever perfect 5-0 Summer League record, cruising past the Celtics 111-98. It was a balanced offense led by Tzvetan Kishishev with 16 points and Hong-bo Qian with 10 points off the bench that did it.

A couple other observations from the summer league:

Carlton Goree didn't produce like I thought he would, which is giving me pause to the whole trading Nolan Hill idea. Victor Gipson also played well enough that it's going to be hard for me to trade him. Darren Davis is going to be better than most people think.

Free Agency
Let's see... there's Justin Richler and a bunch of old guys like Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony. You know it's a dead class when a guy like Ron McPherson is one of the marquee free agents.

No surprise when Justin Richler takes a max contract deal from the Raptors. Nor is it a complete shock when Lebron James goes back to the Central, though it stuns when he dons a Bucks uniform for $14.4 million for a year.

The Jazz get a new center when Scott Palmer changes Northwest teams, going from Seattle to Utah for 5 years and $60 million. Great, they just got a heck of a lot stronger and I'm going to be scared to see their frontline. We get our man when Vinston Henry inks a max mid-level exemption deal. He was hesitant about coming to Denver because we've so many frontcourt players, but in the end, the money we offered was simply too much for the 22 year old to resist.

To give us the 12 man minimum, we ink Chezley McCleary back on the one year minimum deal. He was a great help with his rebounding down the stretch and in the playoffs, so it'll be nice to see him again.

Terrence Howard, who played better than I thought he would with the Jazz, departs Utah after the Palmer signing and goes to Portland for 5 years, $33.2 mill. It's crazy how many Northwest teams are shuffling their centers this offseason.

In old people signings, Dwayne Wade goes to the Celtics on a 1 year, $6.8 million contract, Carmelo Anthony accepts a 1 year, $5.2 million deal from the Lakers and Andrew Bynum flies cross-country to the Knicks for a fat 5 year, $32.2 million signing. New York just filled its biggest hole and suddenly they're looking like major challengers to the Raptors this season.

Boston continues to load up on old players, picking up Tyrus Thomas on a one and done, $8.1 million deal. Somehow the Celtics don't seem to understand how to actually build a team.

We start shopping around during free agency for a trade, but there's nothing that jumps out at us, so we elect to wait and see what training camp brings.

Training Camp

Excellent training camp out of Vinston Henry, but for some reason, the coaching staff is blocking him, putting even Booker Werner ahead of him. That simply isn't going to cut it.

Mateen Yeaton started to show a very small sign of decline. Considering he's 33, it's to be expected, but it's still worrying. We're $13.8 million over the cap and we have two players who should be sent down to the D-leagues. We can't really pay for free agents to come in and replace them without going over the $15 million, so it's back to trade hunting again.

Happily, finding a deal proves quite easy.

Denver Nuggets receive
PF Jeremy Bellairs
PG Louis Mertens
Golden State Warriors 2024 2nd round pick

Golden State Warriors receive
PG Nolan Hill
PF Booker Werner
Denver Nuggets 2023 1st round pick

What this means for the Nuggets
With Carlton Goree on the team, Hill became expendable, especially with GM Jestor favorite Mertens, a delicious passer and ballhandler, returning to Denver. 24 year old Bellairs, recent draftee James Bellairs's older brother, is undersized for a PF and a potential lockerroom issue, but he has absolutely sick potential as a rebounder, good potential in most other areas and has shot just shy of 50% as a starter his first two seasons in the league. More importantly, along with 22 year old project Vinston Henry, the Nuggets now have some youngsters with tantalizing promise at the forward spots. Whichever one doesn't pan out could then possibly be moved, knowing Jestor's MO.

What this means for the Warriors
Hill gives the Warriors their first true PG since Brandon Brooks and now with a lineup of Hill/Walter Coleman/Michael Johnson/Roger Bohn/Valery Frahm, Golden State has a nucleus of youngsters that can hopefully get them back to the playoffs for the first time in 2008. If not this year, then in a couple seasons. The Nuggets held 3 first round picks in 2023, so giving up one was no problem at all. Werner is a scrub.

Winner: Denver
Don't be surprised to see Bellairs emerge as the starting SF at some point this season. If that happens, Victor Gipson could be on his way out, as could David "50 Ninja" Jackson, if he complains about loss of playing time enough to create problems. Regardless, the Nuggets have now solved their worries about youth at the forward spots and need only to find young blood at SG and C. Given their multiple first round picks over the next two seasons, that shouldn't be difficult.

We've extra money after the deal too, so I grab Javaris Crittenton and Jameel Williams from free agency to fill up our team and bring us -just- under $15 million with 14 players signed.

The Clippers are pegged for first in the West in the season preview and admittedly there's a lot to like. C Dontay Williamson is on the verge of a breakout franchise season, PF Bill Towns is still an All-Star caliber player and Rasheed Wheeler fell to them in the draft. But I still don't see them as a top team.

We're tabbed for second and first in our division because of how ridiculously deep and balanced our team is. Our frontcourt is pretty much murder's row when you stack our bench against any other set of reserves in the league and we should see some huge production. Utah's third and I think they'd be higher if their bench wasn't so underwhelming. Dallas is picked 6th and 2nd in their division behind Houston, but the Mavericks will still be on top at the end of the year.

In the East, Chicago, whose 1st round pick we have, are the preseason favorites. Yeah, that'll happen. Not. Deep and talented team, but they've never been able to put it all together and Oswaldo Apolonario, while a likely franchise player someday, is still too raw to be a starting center. The Knicks are slated for second, which I can definitely see, especially after their Andrew Bynum FA coup. Nets are third, which is a laugh and the Raptors are fourth, though they should be first or second with the Knicks the other spot.

2021 Denver Nuggets Opening Night Lineup
PG Carlton Goree
SG Mateen Yeaton
SF Victor Gipson
PF Mike Vines
C Jonte Jones
6th David Jackson (SF/PF/C)
7th Jeremy Bellairs (SF/PF)
8th Javaris Crittenton (PG/SG)
9th Vinston Hentry (SF/PF)
10th Louis Mertens (PG/SG)
11th Tzvetan Kishishev (SF/PF/C)
12th Jameel Williams (PG/SG)

Inactive
----------
Chezley McCleary (SF/PF/C)
Darren Davis (Starting SF - Colorado Timberjacks)

I'm intrigued to see how this season plays out. I really like the groundwork we've laid and if we can keep from tempers flaring about PT, we should be poised to make a run at our fourth straight title.

[Izulde]

And so it begins, as it always does, on the year's most haunted evening.

The same Lakers that took us to 7 games and added Carmelo Anthony in the offseason lose to us 109-95 to start the year. Mateen Yeaton leads all scorers with 26 points, Jonte Jones gets 17 points and 16 rebounds, Carlton Goree has a great starting debut with 17 points and 11 assists and Jeremy Bellairs scores 10 points in just 9 minutes.

It's only the second game of the year and already Jim O'Brien is monkeying with the lineup. We blow out Minnesota 114-97, starting PG Louis Mertens erupting for a jaw-dropping 25 points and 15 assists. Jonte Jones is great with 20 points, 20 rebounds and 5 blocks and Jeremy Bellairs tops the bench with 19 points. Vinston Henry got the start at SF and acquitted himself well.

Utah's our first real test and we handle them with ease, winning 100-82 as Jonte Jones continues his strong start with 29 points and 15 rebounds, Vinston Henry nets 18 points and 13 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scores 22 and Jeremy Bellairs records his third straight double-digit point game with 11.

Our first back-to-back is no problem, including the rematch with the Jazz. 125-87 is the final versus Utah, Mateen Yeaton the headliner with 35 points. Jonte Jones chimes in with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists, Louis Mertens issues 14 points and 13 assists and Jeremy Bellairs scores 10 off the bench. We pummel the Supersonics 10-79 on the strength of Jonte Jones's 23 points and 13 rebounds, Vinston Henry's 11 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, Louis Mertens's 13 points and 12 assists and double-digit bench point game #5 in a row from Jeremy Bellairs with 11.

Detroit gives us our toughest test of the season so far and Jeremy Bellairs's double-digit streak in reserve time comes to an end, but we prevail 100-91 thanks to Mateen Yeaton (27 points), Mike Vines (21 points) and Carlton Goree (10 bench points).

We lose our first game of the year, 116-107 to the Kings in Sacramento. Mateen Yeaton scores 31, Jonte Jones and Louis Mertens double with 11 points, 15 rebounds and 11 points, 13 assists respectively and Jeremy Bellairs scores 13 off the bench, but it boils down to Sacramento's reserves beating ours up. I'm not complaining, though. I'm thrilled with a 6-1 start and the loss was somewhat close.

A Finals rematch against the Raptors ends badly for us, to the tune of a 110-88 rout. We were so awful this game, Jeremy Bellairs and David Jackson's respective 14 and 10 bench points were our lone highlight. But then again, there's been a lot of turnover, so I suppose we're still meshing together.

We staunch the bleeding and overcome an absolutely garbage second half to escape with a 108-105 win over the Bulls. Mike Vines and Mateen Yeaton score 23 and 21 points, Carlton Goree adds 16 points off the bench, Jeremy Bellairs contributes 11 of his points and David Jackson rounds out a great second team showing with 10 rebounds. Louis Mertens is 0 for 9 in the last two games, which is worrying.

Another game, another close win. 25 lead changes and 16 ties eventually convert into a 104-99 triumph over the Mavericks. Jonte Jones saves our bacons with 36 points and 16 rebounds, Louis Mertens snaps out of his cold slump for 17 points and 13 assists and David Jackson fires up the bench with 10 points.

I honestly don't think the Nets are that good, but they beat us 115-102 despite 24 and 21 points from Jonte Jones and Mike Vines and David Jackson's 13 points to lead the reserves. I think we're having a small crisis at the PG position, but I'm loathe to do anything about it right now.

We revert back to winning form by comfortably sweeping a doubleheader. The Spurs go down 112-99 on Mateen Yeaton's 36 points and Jonte Jones's 27 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. Those same two conspire again to drop the Rockets 116-104 as Mateen Yeaton rains on Houston for 40 points and 9 rebounds and Jonte Jones powers in 20 points and 17 rebounds.

Carlton Goree wins back the starting PG spot and issues 11 points and 11 assists in our 115-103 win over the Hornets. David Jackson starts at SF, in an attempt to quell his growing demand for more playing time and his increasing rants to the press about wanting to be traded if he's not going to be a starter. Mateen Yeaton puts up 26 points and 10 rebounds and Jonte Jones electrifies with 29 points and 16 rebounds to be the main reasons why they won. When they click together, they're like having Yeaton and A Certain Young PF on the same court and they've done that for three straight games.

We finish the first month by winning another wild shootout, 123-114 over Cleveland. Four Nuggets break 20+ points. The princely quartet are: Jonte Jones (28 points, 10 rebounds), Mike Vines (23 points), Mateen Yeaton (22 points) and newly restored starting PG Louis Mertens (20 points, 14 assists). David Jackson finished things off with 17 points and 12 rebounds as he's fighting to prove he still deserves a starting gig.

12-3 gives us a half-game edge on Portland after the first month, with everyone else significantly back. Dallas is an impressive 13-4, while the Clippers are showing their mettle at 11-5, half a game back of the Kings.

Philadelphia at 10-4 shocks me even more than seeing 10-7 Toronto. Cleveland's a stunning 11-5, while 10-4 Orlando is giving early indications that they're no fluke.

We're having some angry player problems. Javaris Crittenton wants out, Jeremy Bellairs is a little antsy about his playing time, David Jackson is rumbling about wanting to stay the permanent starter and is still unhappy and Victor Gipson has the same wariness as Bellairs.

It feels like the team's sitting on a powder keg, waiting to blow up. I also want to bring Tzvetan Kishishev back into the active rotation and to do that, I'll have to move someone.

It's just going to be a matter of figuring out who goes.