| Game 44: 2013-14 NBA Season | ||
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| Series 0-0 | ||
| January 29th, 2014 | ||
| Pepsi Center – Denver, CO |
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| 7:00 PM MT | ||
| Altitude / 950 AM |
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| Ramon Sessions | PG | Ty Lawson |
| Gerald Henderson | SG | Randy Foye |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | SF | Wilson Chandler |
| Josh McRoberts | PF | Kenneth Faried |
| Al Jefferson | C | J.J. Hickson |
| Notes | ||
| Rufus on Fire | Blogs | Denver Stiffs |
| Kemba Walker (left ankle sprain), Jeffery Taylor (ruptured right Achilles tendon), Brendan Haywood (stress fracture, left foot) all out | Injuries | Danilo Gallinari (knee), JaVale McGee (leg) are out, Darrell Arthur (left hip strain), Ty Lawson (left shoulder, rotator cuff strain) are day-to-day |
| Rufus D. Lynx will be replace by Hugo the Hornet as official mascot of the Charlotte franchise after this season | Stat | The Nuggets have had 3 winning streaks of 3 or more games and 3 losing streaks of 3 or more games. A win tonight would make 4 winning streaks of 3 or more. |
Tonight will be the final opportunity for residents of Denver to see their hometown team host the worst NBA franchise since its inaugural season in 2004 under its original moniker. Next season they will return to the teal and purple of yesteryear. The Charlotte Bobcats have gone 269-503, good for a .348 winning percentage since they were reincarnated. The Bobcats have made the playoffs only once, in 2010, after going 44-38; good enough for the 7th seed! They proceeded to lose all four games against the Orlando Magic. But redemption may be on the horizon for these Bobcats of Charlotte. They currently hold the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Eight games below .500 is good enough for a first round date with the Indiana Pacers. What better way to flush this horrible incarnation of futility from the memory than by doubling down their playoff record from 0-4 to 0-8? Meanwhile a .500+ team, like Denver, can sit at home clicking the NBA Lottery Mock Draft over and over dreaming of what might be to come.
There are many reasons why Charlotte has been dismal. Many point to poor ownership. The only guy with more hubris than original owner Robert L Johnson, who rejected a fan poll electing Charlotte Flight as the new team nickname in favor of a pun on his own name, "Bob"cats, is the owner who thought he could successfully grow facial hair in the same style as Charlie Chaplin. No one has been able to pull off the Chaplin. Some trademarks are too strongly bonded to the images of others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaaDiCwfTxY
Oh, that Charlie! What a cut up!
Others blame the failure to develop lottery picks. Sean May, Adam Morrison, Brandan Wright, D.J. Augustin, and Cody Zeller have all failed to develop into franchise changing players. Some may say it is too early to close the book on Zeller, but I say it’s time to start chiseling his bust for the Stiff Hall of Fame.
I think the cause of the Bobcats’ woes traces back to their roots. It is a simple answer, but sometimes boiling issues down to their most basic form is the only way to find truth. The first head coach and general manager of the organization was none other than Bernie Bickerstaff. We all know that anything Bernie Bickerstaff touches turns to rubbish for extended periods of time (See: Denver, Washington, and Charlotte). As Jean from Inside Llewyn Davis would say, “You’re like King Midas’ idiot brother!”
Tonight should be an easy home win for the Nuggets. Both teams are rested, but no Kemba Walker will lead to no chance for the Bobcats. Al Jefferson will undoubtedly put up big scoring and rebounding numbers, but Denver's bench will destroy Charlotte. Close games cause too much anxiety. The best games to watch are when your team is completely destroying their opponent. Tonight, I envision alley oops on oops on oops.
What Am I Drinking? Bell's Hopslam
This is the American double IPA to end all American double IPAs. Double digit ABV, 70 IBU, and, like Tim Duncan's bank shot, just a kiss of honey to make it go down smooth. This beer has a stronger cult following than The Rocky Horror Picture Show and for good reason. It has seven different hop varietals, enough to melt your face off, but magically balances them out for a wonderful grapefruit flavor that is as bitter as it is sweet, without leaving you feeling bittersweet.
