Although the playoffs are underway, it always seems like basketball season ends so abruptly—especially for the Denver Nuggets. Nuggets basketball is a comfort for me. It comes on just as the fall season is starting, and lasts through some of the most wonderful times of the year. Basketball plays through the enchanted times of Halloween, during family gatherings surrounding Thanksgiving, and it’s an easy go-to for something to have on in the background after Christmas dinner.
Once each new year begins, there’s something to look forward to after long days in the office focusing on new goals. Like clockwork, I come home from work each day the Nuggets are playing, and put the TV on Altitude so I can catch the pre-game chatter. I go about my evening routine making dinner, and finish my night either being happy about a Nuggets victory, or annoyed at whatever silly mistakes that cost them a win.
Basketball season brings familiarity and consistency, and when the good guys aren’t playing there’s always another interesting game to be found.
When the season ends, I always get a little bummed out. Especially when the Nuggets miss the playoffs—which has become an all-too familiar situation. Although basketball as a whole gets more exciting this time of year, it almost feels like you’re at a party where you don’t know anyone very well. It’s not the same hangout where everybody knows your name.
I try to pick a team or two to cheer on, but it’s simply not the same. I grow tired of seeing the Nuggets make the same mistakes during the regular season, but I enjoy being involved in their story, and I hate when there are no more episodes.
The off season is long, and sometimes grueling. There are milestones to look forward to like free agency, and the draft, but the reality that we won’t see our guys suit up again for another 6 long months.
My hope is that Tim Connelly makes some key off season moves to add important pieces to Denver’s lineup. They need a push over the playoff edge so that this time next year we can be tuning into the first Nuggets post season with this young roster who deserves to succeed.
