Only a degenerate fan who doesn’t have a life would care about his team’s preseason schedule. That would be me.
The Nuggets announced their preseason schedule today and the games that immediately stand out are the back-to-back dates against the Lakers on October 22nd and the 23rd in Southern California. The Nuggets will then play the Lakers again in the regular season about three weeks later on Friday, November 13th. Here's the entire preseason schedule…
DENVER NUGGETS 2009 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
(All times are Mountain and Subject to Change)
DATE / OPPONENT / SITE / TIME
10/1 / @ Utah / EnergySolutions Arena (Salt Lake City, Utah) / 7:00 PM
10/3 / Partizan Belgrade / Pepsi Center (Dever, Colo.) / 7:00 PM
10/8 / @ Indiana / Taipei Arena (Taipei, Taiwan) / 5:30 AM
10/11* / Indiana / Wukesong Arena (Beijing, China) / 10:00 PM
10/18 / @ Portland / Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.) / 7:00 PM
10/20 / Minnesota / Pepsi Center (Denver, Colo.) / 7:00 PM
10/22 / @ L.A. Lakers / Honda Center (Anaheim, Calif.) / 8:30 PM
10/23 / @ L.A. Lakers / San Diego Sports Arena (San Diego, Calif.) / 8:30 PM
* At 12:00 PM local time on Oct. 11 in China , which is 10:00 PM on Oct. 10 in Denver .
I suppose it's fitting that the only game I'll likely be able to get to will be the October 3rd matchup with the Euroleague's Partizan Belgrade. Nothing like breaking in a new NBA season watching my franchise compete against a franchise I've never heard of.* And talk about screwing the fans. As season ticket holders, you're forced to buy those two preseason home games. Our reward? The "Partizans" and the Timberwolves (I'm not sure who's worse, by the way). Great. Are we sure the Washington Generals weren't available?
Other than the back-to-back with the Lakers (as if the Nuggets didn't have enough back-to-backs with their Western Conference high 22 anyway), the most intriguing games to watch in October will be those played against the Pacers in Taipei and Beijing. In other words, Dahntay Jones gets his first shot against his former teammates in front of thousands of fans who have never heard of him.
Anyone going to China?
(Photo courtesy of Chris Carlson, AP)
*After reading my crack on Partizan Belgrade, former Rocky Mountain News staff writer Chris Tomasson sent me an article he wrote on Partizan and Serbian basketball in general. A great read.
