What are your opinions.

Comment Below!.

The Nuggets weren’t looked upon as much of a threat after trading their superstar Carmelo Anthony.

But that may be changing. Tonight, against the defending champion Mavericks, the Nuggets took care of business on the road, winning by 18 over Dirk Nowitzki and crew.

The Nuggets looked good offensively. No, they looked really good offensively. Every Dallas turnover was penalized with a basket, and Ty Lawson seemed capable of getting and hitting any shot he wanted, going 8 of 9 from the floor to start the game and eventually finishing with 27 points on 10 of 15 shooting. Lawson figures to assume a large role in the Nuggets offense.

Perhaps the most impressive part is that the Nuggets dominated the Mavericks without even receiving a big game from Nene. Nene scored only 8 points, but one of the players they acquired in the Melo trade, Danilo Galinari, came through with a huge game scoring 15 and grabbing 7 rebounds. Perhaps it was the way Galinari scored that was impressive. He looked like more of an athlete than I ever remember him being, and so much more diversified as a scorer than a mere spot up shooter.

Andre Miller can never be counted out. On January 30, 2010, Andre Miller put up 52 points in a victory over Dallas as a member of the Trailblazers. While his 18 points Monday night were hardly as impressive, his method of taking charge and pushing it to the basket for close range bank shots persisted. Andre Miller is now nearly 36, and is still a capable and viable NBA point guard. Moreover, putting him in the backcourt with Lawson gives the Nuggets two very capable ball handlers.

Defensively, the Nuggets took care of business too. The only Dallas player to have a decent game was the typical Dirk Nowitzki, while all other Mavs players were kept in check. The Mavericks figure to be a worse team this season than last, and moreover, they played last night, but the victory will speak volumes for Denver’s ability to compete…especially on the road.

It’s at home that Denver scored 8 more per game and they punish their opponents with a run n gun pace in a building that is difficult to breath in, the Pepsi Center, sitting a literal mile above sea level in down town Denver, “The Mile High City.”

With a team capable of scoring, the only question that remains is whether the Nuggets will be able to defend well enough to make waves in the Western Conference. They were certainly one of the dark horses coming in, because they have no players that are proven cornerstones on their roster. They lost their only two in Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, and now rely on a glut of accomplished role players and a budding star in Galinari.

So how many games can Denver win in this shortened 66 game season? I think it’s reasonable to expect 40 wins, but I just have trouble imagining them playing the brand of basketball that is required to succeed in the playoffs. I might be wrong. They did beat Oklahoma City one of five games in the 2011 NBA playoffs, but were clearly not the same team after losing their superstar in Melo.

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That’s all the news for today.

Fans may have noticed this week that the Denver Nuggets signed an ex-Detroit Piston, Arron Afflalo, to a five-year $43 milion contract extension. This was a few days after the Pistons signed holdover Rodney Stuckey to three years at $25 million

Back in 2007, when the Pistons still were among the NBA elite, they drafted a pair of 6-foot-5 guards, Stuckey at No. 15 and Afflalo at No. 27.

The ‘Stones traded Afflalo to Denver in 2009 for a mere second-round draft pick. This may not seem like any sort of bad move, because Stuckey is a faster and more explosive athlete with a career average of 13.6 points per game, compared to Afflalo’s 7.4. Stuckey also is a superior penetrator and assist man.

However, they love Afflalo in Denver, especially after he led the Nuggets to a 17-5 record after last season’s Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony trades supposedly had doomed the team.

Afflalo “became kind of the leader of the team,” Coach George Karl gushed.

Afflalo never has knocked the Pistons, but he did say, “I got my first true opportunity to flourish as a player here (in Denver.”

Afflalo’s career-high scoring average of 12.4 points in 2010-2011 was hardly eye-popping, but there were intangibles at play. He hit 50 percent of his shots, rare for a guard, and 42 pecent of his triple tries for the second year in a row. (Stuckey never has even cracked 30 percent from downtown.) First and foremost, he is among the NBA’s best defenders. And we don’t mean to make Arron sound like the Denver Broncos’ Tim Tebow, but he has been a “just win” type of guy.

I’m not saying that I wish the Pistons had Afflalo instead of Stuckey. I just wish they had both players. When Denver has games on cable, I’ll be watching and rooting for the Nuggets, just like when they had Chauncey. Arron Afflalo is a steady, top-grade player. Check him out.

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DENVER (AP)—The Denver Nuggets have agreed to a five-year deal with
restricted free agent Arron Afflalo.

The Denver Post first reported Monday night the guard had agreed to a
contract that could be worth up to $43 million.

Nuggets coach George Karl was preaching the importance of bringing back
Afflalo, the player he considered the “glue guy” of the team.

Afflalo averaged 12.6 points last season and took on a bigger leadership
role once Denver dealt Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks last February. The
team went 18-7 the rest of the way to make the playoffs.

This is the second deal Denver has orchestrated in a week. The team also
re-signed Nene to a five-year, $67 million deal.

The Nuggets open the preseason on Tuesday by hosting Phoenix.

What are your opinions.

Read More: Carmelo Anthony (F – NYK), Andre Miller (G – DEN), Danilo Gallinari (F – DEN), Ty Lawson (G – DEN), George Karl (H – DEN), Kenneth Faried (F – DEN), New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have been getting their squad ready for the start of the NBA season, and on Wednesday Danilo Gallinari and rookie Kenneth Faried made some positive impressions with their play, while Ty Lawson continues his push for playing time with the first unit. Gallinari, acquired from the New York Knicks in the Carmelo Anthony trade last season, is a young forward looking for a breakout season, while rookie first-round pick Kenneth Faried is hoping to translate his college rebounding prowess to the NBA. Vic Lombardi of CBS 102.3FM in Denver spent some time watching the team scrimmage and came away with the following impressions:   

With Nene now back in the fold on a five-year, $67 million deal, it is difficult to take the claim about Gallinari being the best player too seriously, but the good news is that there is some visual evidence of improvement from the young talent.

As for the point guard competition between Ty Lawson and crafty veteran Andre Miller, Aaron Lopez of Nuggets.com sees an early 60/40 split favoring Lawson, with additional potential to see both players on the floor at the same time. It will interesting to see how head coach George Karl handles the rotation with two diversely talented point guards at his disposal.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Denver for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Denver Nuggets be sure to visit Denver Stiffs. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.

What do you guys think about this.

Last year, Carmelo Anthony(notes) forced the Denver Nuggets to find a suitable business partner and move him to a team of his liking by the trade deadline. He made no secret his preference was the Knicks, by dropping anvil-like hints he wouldn’t be signing extensions with any other team, thereby severely limiting the return the Nuggets would have received.

Chris Paul is on his way out of New Orleans. Could a stop in New York be in the cards?
2011

His urgency was driven by the fear that a new collective bargaining agreement would severely limit his options if he waited for free agency. As it turns out, he had very little to worry about, as the new CBA does almost nothing to restrict superstars like Carmelo from naming their team and price. Theoretically, if he had simply waited, he could have joined a Knicks’ team this year that was poised to climb over the hump, with all kinds of quality players at key positions, and options to move some guys in search of a center. Frankly, the Knicks should have allowed that scenario to play out and waited for the summer anyway.

With Carmelo Anthony’s cautionary tale so fresh in everyone’s mind, and no anxiety about a new labor agreement, why is Chris Paul’s(notes) agent requesting a trade to the Knicks before the season starts? Why doesn’t Chris Paul simply decline to sign extensions and prepare to secure a contract with the Knicks via free agency in the summer? As long as it seems his intentions lean that way, and his relationship with Carmelo is as strong as everyone believes it is, why create the very same circus that Anthony and the Knicks endured last year…especially when the world knows the Knicks have absolutely no chips left after stripping the cupboard last year for Carmelo?

I cannot fathom the strategy here. The NBA is calling the shots now for the New Orleans Hornets, and I can’t imagine, nor should anyone else including Chris Paul and his agent, that David Stern will want to engage in the very same activity their lockout sought to avoid. Paul will get to the Knicks soon enough, if that’s his dream. But he should know if it comes to pass that, when he arrives, there’s not likely to be enough dough to sign anyone else beyond Amare Stoudemire(notes), Carmelo Anthony, and himself. They’ll have to play a triangle zone, I guess.

Glenn Vallach has been a basketball fan, player, and coach during his lifetime and, as such, an ardent follower of the NBA even with all its warts. He have also been a New York Knick fan since the days of Howie Komives and Walt Bellamy, when he regularly boarded the IRT Subway at 180th Street in the Bronx for a trip to the Garden to see his heroes.

Sources:

• · Kelly Dwyer, Yahoo! Sports, The Hornets don’t have to lose in any Chris Paul deal
• · Brett Martel, AP Sports Writer, Paul says he’s focused on current Hornets
• · Yahoo! Sports New York Knick page
• · Yahoo! Sports Amare Stoudemire page
• · Yahoo! Sports Carmelo Anthony page
• · Yahoo! Sports Chris Paul page

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What do you guys think about this.

Gotta run!.

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets’ options could be limited if there’s an NBA season.

Three of their free agents have decided to play in China — Kenyon Martin became the third on Wednesday — and two starters are taking their games to Europe.

And while Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari can return if there indeed is a 2011-12 season, Martin won’t be able to leave his Chinese Basketball Association squad until the season ends in March.

J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler have also elected to play in China, which won’t allow NBA players to opt out of their one-year contracts should the lockout end.

Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed to the Associated Press the forward has agreed to a deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. He will join shooting guard Quincy Douby, a former first-round draft pick by the Sacramento Kings.

Martin’s signing was first reported by the Denver Post.

“He’s looking forward to the opportunity and global expansion of his image/game,” Miller wrote in an email. “He’s feeling great.”

Martin gave the Nuggets an inside toughness last season. But he’s been plagued by balky knees throughout his seven seasons in Denver.

The 33-year-old forward missed the first 26 games last season as he recovered from another knee operation. Martin finished strong, averaging 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds, and even took on some of the leadership responsibilities when Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks.

Although it was by no means certain Martin would return to the Nuggets in 2011-12, this will definitely have the team on the lookout for an aggressive rebounder to fill his role.

Not only that, but perimeter shooters are needed to replace Smith and Chandler. Smith signed a one-year deal with a team in Zhejiang, the same province Chandler is heading to but not the same team.

Chandler already is in China and is quickly adjusting to his new surroundings.

On a recent Twitter post, Chandler wrote, “just walked/climbed about 4 or 5 miles on the great wall of china…”

Lawson is electing to play in Lithuania and can return if there’s a resolution to the labor strife. Same with Gallinari, who rejoined his former Italian team Olimpia Milano on Tuesday.

Gallinari played for Olimpia from 2005 to 2008 before being drafted sixth overall by the New York Knicks in 2008. The Knicks dealt him to the Nuggets in the blockbuster deal involving Anthony.

Camps had been expected to open Oct. 3 with the regular season beginning in early November. But that could be in jeopardy with the sides still bickering over the salary cap structure.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

DENVER (AP)—Kenyon Martin(notes) becomes the third Denver Nuggets free agent to sign
a contract to play basketball in China this season.

Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday
that the 33-year-old forward has agreed to a deal with the Xinjiang Flying
Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.

By doing so, Martin won’t be able to return to play in the NBA if there is a
2011-12 season. Owners have locked out the players in a labor dispute and the
league says players won’t be able to opt out of their deals to return to the
NBA.

Denver starters Ty Lawson(notes) and Danilo Gallinari(notes) are playing in Europe, but
can return if there indeed is a 2011-12 season, Martin will not until the
Chinese season ends in March.

J.R. Smith(notes) and Wilson Chandler(notes) have also elected to play in China, which
won’t allow NBA players to opt out of their one-year contracts should the
lockout end.

Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed to The Associated Press the forward
has agreed to a deal with the Flying Tigers. He will join shooting guard Quincy
Douby(notes), a former first-round draft pick by the Sacramento Kings.

Martin’s signing was first reported by The Denver Post.

“He’s looking forward to the opportunity and global expansion of his
image/game,” Miller wrote in an email. “He’s feeling great.”

Martin gave the Nuggets an inside toughness last season. But he’s been
plagued by balky knees throughout his seven seasons in Denver.

The 33-year-old forward missed the first 26 games last season as he
recovered from another knee operation. Martin finished strong, averaging 8.6
points and 6.2 rebounds, and even took on some of the leadership
responsibilities when Carmelo Anthony(notes) was traded to the New York Knicks.

Although it was by no means certain Martin would return to the Nuggets in
2011-12, this will definitely have the team on the lookout for an aggressive
rebounder to fill his role.

Not only that, but perimeter shooters are needed to replace Smith and
Chandler. Smith signed a one-year deal with a team in Zhejiang, the same
province Chandler is heading to but not the same team.

Chandler already is in China and is quickly adjusting to his new
surroundings.

On a recent Twitter post, Chandler wrote, “just walked/climbed about 4 or 5
miles on the great wall of china…”

Lawson is electing to play in Lithuania and can return if there’s a
resolution to the labor strife. Same with Gallinari, who rejoined his former
Italian team Olimpia Milano on Tuesday.

Gallinari played for Olimpia from 2005 to 2008 before being drafted sixth
overall by the New York Knicks in 2008. The Knicks dealt him to the Nuggets in
the blockbuster deal involving Anthony.

Camps had been expected to open Oct. 3 with the regular season beginning in
early November. But that could be in jeopardy with the sides still bickering
over the salary cap structure.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

DENVER (AP)—Kenyon Martin(notes) becomes the third Denver Nuggets free agent to sign
a contract to play basketball in China this season.

Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday
that the 33-year-old forward has agreed to a deal with the Xinjiang Flying
Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.

By doing so, Martin won’t be able to return to play in the NBA if there is a
2011-12 season. Owners have locked out the players in a labor dispute and the
league says players won’t be able to opt out of their deals to return to the
NBA.

Denver starters Ty Lawson(notes) and Danilo Gallinari(notes) are playing in Europe, but
can return if there indeed is a 2011-12 season, Martin will not until the
Chinese season ends in March.

J.R. Smith(notes) and Wilson Chandler(notes) have also elected to play in China, which
won’t allow NBA players to opt out of their one-year contracts should the
lockout end.

Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed to The Associated Press the forward
has agreed to a deal with the Flying Tigers. He will join shooting guard Quincy
Douby(notes), a former first-round draft pick by the Sacramento Kings.

Martin’s signing was first reported by The Denver Post.

“He’s looking forward to the opportunity and global expansion of his
image/game,” Miller wrote in an email. “He’s feeling great.”

Martin gave the Nuggets an inside toughness last season. But he’s been
plagued by balky knees throughout his seven seasons in Denver.

The 33-year-old forward missed the first 26 games last season as he
recovered from another knee operation. Martin finished strong, averaging 8.6
points and 6.2 rebounds, and even took on some of the leadership
responsibilities when Carmelo Anthony(notes) was traded to the New York Knicks.

Although it was by no means certain Martin would return to the Nuggets in
2011-12, this will definitely have the team on the lookout for an aggressive
rebounder to fill his role.

Not only that, but perimeter shooters are needed to replace Smith and
Chandler. Smith signed a one-year deal with a team in Zhejiang, the same
province Chandler is heading to but not the same team.

Chandler already is in China and is quickly adjusting to his new
surroundings.

On a recent Twitter post, Chandler wrote, “just walked/climbed about 4 or 5
miles on the great wall of china…”

Lawson is electing to play in Lithuania and can return if there’s a
resolution to the labor strife. Same with Gallinari, who rejoined his former
Italian team Olimpia Milano on Tuesday.

Gallinari played for Olimpia from 2005 to 2008 before being drafted sixth
overall by the New York Knicks in 2008. The Knicks dealt him to the Nuggets in
the blockbuster deal involving Anthony.

Camps had been expected to open Oct. 3 with the regular season beginning in
early November. But that could be in jeopardy with the sides still bickering
over the salary cap structure.

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