| 2012/2013 NBA Regular Season: Game 54 | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
vs |  |
|
33-20 (11-17 on the road)
|
0-0 | |
| February 13th, 2013 – 5:30 PM (MT) | ||
| Barclay’s Center – Brooklyn, NY |
||
| TV Altitude / 950 AM / 104.3 FM | ||
| Probable Starters | ||
| Ty Lawson | PG | CJ Watson |
| Andre Iguodala | SG | Joe Johnson |
| Danilo Gallinari | SF | Gerald Wallace |
| Kenneth Faried | PF | Reggie Evans |
| Kosta Koufos | C | Brook Lopez |
| Notes | ||
| Denver Stiffs | Blogs | Nets Daily |
| Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and JaVale McGee (all day-to-day) | Injuries | Deron Williams (out for tonight) |
| Denver has lost two in a row since their nine game win streak |
Stat | The Barclays Center in Brooklyn is projected to cost nearly $1 billion when all is said and done |
So I just got back from Las Vegas. I came back with a pretty severe head cold at that, so you can imagine my eventual surprise in watching the Nuggets game against the Toronto Raptors that there was no Danilo Gallinari, Andre Iguodala, Wilson Chandler and JaVale McGee playing (I turned the game on in the second quarter). I knocked back some Alka-Seltzer and yet my sight still betrayed me.
Oh my, this makes writing tonight's preview that much more challenging. And I'm ill – lovely. So I tell you what folks, just ignore the above listed starting lineups because, let's face it, we have no clue who will be playing tonight. Zero. Hopefully as we get close to game time it will be come clearer.
In the meantime the Brooklyn Nets. Oh … looks like Deron Williams isn’t playing tonight. Well, ok then. Who is playing in his place … ummm…
rustles some papers – scours internet – sends up Bat-Signal
Says here it will most likely be C.J. Watson. Yep, C.J. Watson who used to back up Derrick Rose as I recall (and once scored 33 points against the Nuggets back on Nov. 26, 2011 in a losing effort by the Bulls at Pepsi Center: 98,97). Small guy, speedster. Yeah.
So what the hell is going on here folks? Are people getting the All-Star break flu? Or is it coincidence that all these players went out seemingly at once? I’m voting coincidence but I CAN be convinced of conspiracy given enough time. Just you wait. In the meantime the Nuggets face an interesting Nets club that features the epic set shot of Brook Lopez (Brook has rounded himself into a mighty good player this season, facing Lopez will be a challenge for Kosta Koufos and Timofey Mozgov) and the scoring of Joe Johnson.
Additionally the Nets have former Bobcats, former Trail Blazer Gerald Wallace. This would be a bigger factor if either Andre Iguodala or Danilo Gallinari were playing … but we have no idea if they will. Wallace is a good defender with a so-so offensive game who would always get under Carmelo Anthony’s skin. Unfortunately for Wallace – Melo is no longer on this team.
Outside of that, the Nets are a good team, and probably better off without the coaching "talents" of Avery Johnson. P.J Carlesimo is a competent coach but is most likely not the long term answer for this squad. I kind of like the Nets assemblage of talent, just not some of their contracts (Deron Williams' contract isn't looking so great right now). So we shall see what their future holds.
Nuggets of Wisdom
You have to like the Nuggets effort against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. Severely undermanned they lost by one point to the nearly-healthy Raps on a last second shot by Rudy Gay. Without your three best wing players in Gallo, Chandler and Iguodala it was miraculous the Nuggets were even in the game (actually, it makes me question how good the Raps are if they almost lost to a severely undermanned Nuggets squad … but whatever) and that was a very nice tribute to how well Ty Lawson has been playing of late. Kudos to Ty.
Other than that, this may be another “gut it out” kind of game. Not particularly impressed with the Nets (at least the way they have been playing of late) but if the Nuggets have just as many players sitting out then there’s no reason the Nets shouldn’t win. However we felt the same thing last night so absolutely anything could happen. If Evan Fourneir plays I look for him to be more aggressive, and hopefully Corey Brewer can hit a higher percentage of shots in this game.
As always, go Nuggets!
***
Twitter: @jmorton78 https://twitter.com/#!/jmorton78
mortonagency@juno.com
Helloween4545 (Let’s Play Horror Games!)
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