Eight home games. Eight. In a row. All at home. Eight games that could very well decide which way the rest of this season will go. Play well over the next eight games, something like 5-3 or 6-2, and you not only put yourself in the thick of the hunt for the eighth playoff seed, but also increase excitement and interest on your home court. On the other hand, play sub .500 ball over these eight games, and the playoffs become only a pipe dream, and the city of Denver will continue to view the Nuggets as a moribund team run in a less than optimal fashion.
As the say, the journey of eight games begins against the Hornets (OK, they don’t really say that). Charlotte is a team that started off the season hot, but have really struggled since off season acquisition Nicolas Batum went down with injury. Still, they are a team that is a reflection of their head coach Steve Clifford – a hard-nosed, defensive minded coach. The team plays with a gritty edge, and they always play hard. If Denver wants to start this home stand off with a victory, they will need to correct the strange lapses in concentration that seem to occur at the end of every quarter. Just cleaning up that could possibly have had the team coming in on a two game winning streak rather than off a disappointing loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.
