With the Denver Nuggets out of playoff contention (gah … still hurts) time for yours truly to again break your collective brain’s with musings so random they will break down the walls of time!
Ok…maybe not.
Random thoughts from a random mind.
– I loves me some Colorado Rockies. It occurred to me that many people point to the Rox as a model for "rebuilding" in the Denver area and that maybe the Nuggets should follow the Rockies model. Well, this is all well and good – in a manner of speaking – but this fails to recognize the fundamental differences between baseball and football. Baseball has a healthy minor league system that is heavily funded on top of scouting that begins often when players are in High School. Baseball also has enormous revenue sharing advantages allow franchises to ride out massive attendance dips (like the Rockies of 03 to 06 and much of 07) while breaking even, or in some cases even MAKE money (like the Pittsburgh Pirates)… as we all know the NBA has neither the revenue sharing nor the legitimate minor league system for developing players. I'm fairly confident the Nuggets won't need to subject the good people of Denver to 5 years of abject futility like the Rockies of half a decade ago – but you never know. Despite the Rockies recent travails (including last night's collapse in the 9th inning) they are still a great team to watch and I'm looking forward to a long, long, long, long season watching the team.
– I have seriously needed new music to listen to. So I came across a guy named Grum on youtube. What follows below is a video pastiche of an 80's "bromance". If I may say so myself, the song and video are full of win. Yeah, it's a bit on the 80's electro side but me likey. Here you go: Through the Night
– The “issues” of Pau Gasol are interesting. He has either lost it all at once, or is just having the worst playoff’s of his career. What’s even more interesting is after Phil Jackson retires the Lakers may seek to break up the team a bit to get under the new salary cap in the upcoming CBA. Could another team sweep in and scoop up Gasol? Might that team be the Nuggets?
– I hate to bring my personal life into this, but I’ve recently been on a pretty severe diet. Why is this noteworthy, you ask? Well, not really noteworthy so to speak, but it has made me overly emotional. Almost absurdly so. Yesterday I saw a left over Denver Post in my house about the Carmelo Anthony trade – and I started balling like a man going to the chair. It was pathetic. I normally wouldn’t admit something like this but that is not what one would call a normal reaction. Upon a more stable reflection, it occurred to me that losing someone who played for your favorite team for 7 1/2 seasons IS a sad occasion (not hysterically sobbing till you give yourself a headache extent mind you) and I suppose that in the euphoria of the Nuggets surprise post-trade success I forgot about how sad I was that our team couldn’t keep Carmelo here. Call it delayed mourning? Who knows. It was nice to have a star as long as we did. I will forever be indebted to Melo for making the Nuggets relevant again. I can’t hold any grudges.
– Is it wrong that I want the Thunder to lose to the Grizzlies just because of Russell Westbrook? Is this a rational reaction or is this the diet talking again? Nope … I mean it. Westbrook bugs the crap out of me, and I can’t cheer for the man. Sorry.
Alright. Have a great morning everyone. Here's some links for ya.
NBA related
Sprite and the NBA are looking for the best dunkers. On Saturday the 7th (tomorrow) there will be a free event at Civic Center Park in Denver at the Cinco De Mayo festival. It begins at 4 pm. Here is a video of some of the participating dunkers. Dunks – Darryl Dawkins will be in attendance. Join Sprite and the NBA in looking for Denver’s best Dunkers.
Winners will receive $1,000 and a chance to compete for the grand prize of $10,000 at the Sprite Slamdunk Showdown. Semi-finalists will be featured on nba.com/dunk.
Lakers’ Artest suspended for game 3 vs. Mavs – Denver Post
In todays episode of “not surprising at all” we learn that Ron Artest will be suspended for clothes lining J.J. Barea with a forearm shiver. Look for either Lamar Odom or Matt Barnes to start in his place.
NBA lockout appars more likely than ever – Larry Coon, ESPN.com
With the owners second offer looking an awful like their first (according to the players union) it is looking very likely we will have a work stoppage in the NBA at the conclusion of this season.
Pau Gasol and the Lakers look finished – Bill Plaschke, LA Times
As I referred to earlier (and first brought to my attention by Denver Stiffs reader CombatChuk) it may be that the marriage made in heaven between the Lakers and Pau Gasol may be coming to an end. Nuggets anyone?
Stern wants his cake and eat it too – Kelly Dwyer, Ball Dont Lie
Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo's Ball Don't Lie has a very similar view of David Stern that I do.
Pacers guard T.J. Ford weighing move to Europe if there's an NBA lockout – FANpeeps.com
Couple this with several other players indicating that they would also go to Europe if a lockout happens you have a serious problem for the NBA. That is, if players are allowed to play in Europe. That issue may be tied up in court.
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