Nuggets Look Good

With the Nuggets in 2nd place in the West (behind the Lakers), playing third place Dallas tonight, I suspected that they might not show up. I heard only 6 or 8 players practiced today, with a number of injuries. We had, I believe, 6 game time probables for tonight. You'd think this would be a game that they might drop, even at home.

However I've watched some of the first half, and while the Mavericks are making mistakes, the Nuggets are playing hard and hitting shots. Ty Lawson looks like a steal from the draft two years ago, and the Nuggets are looking good. They beat the Lakers recently, and despite losing in Utah the other night, they have a winning record against a number of western opponents, including the Lakers. That's impressive, and a place where they haven't always been good in years past.

I still don't think they're the best in the West, but it might be a two team race with the Lakers. They beat the Lakers, with Kobe hurt and Carmelo out. They lost to Phoenix, but I think they can beat Phoenix in a series. San Antonio seems like they aren't a force anymore, losing to the Nuggets last week and then the Lakers without Kobe or Bynum.

It's an interesting year in the NBA. I'm hoping to get to see the Lakers in Charlotte in a few weeks when I'm there. That would be a treat after not getting to a game last year at all, in any of the major sports. I think that was a first for me, missing NBA, MLB, and NFL games. That's after a fairly expensive 2007 with the World Series and 2008 with 5 or 6 games in different places.