The Nuggets vs. Kobe Preview

Rocky feels the Same as TAS about the Lakers

-Jeremy Kloberdanz
Now the matchups are known, the schedule is set in stone (even if it means chasing off a WWE event from the Pepsi Center) and the Nuggets look to rumble on to the finals. Despite not getting much national press all season, the Nuggets now have the following of the NBA analysts and basketball fans. People are beginning to believe in our team and some are even coming out and publicly saying that they choose the Nuggets to win the series. John Berry went on record on ESPN today and predicted that the Nuggets will win in six. John Hollinger is using his PER system to also take Denver as his choice to be victorious but covered all of his bases and stated that “Bynum is the ultimate wildcard” and that his prediction is void with good play from the Lakers center. Sadly it has taken all season and two rounds of the playoffs for the Nuggets to get this much deserved attention.

I am happy that some of these national analysts are jumping on-board but lets not forget those of us who have been believers all along. I vaguely remember writing an article on this website sometime back proclaiming that the Nuggets would represent the West in the NBA Finals. The exact date was February 10th 2009, a whole three months and a week ago that I made my prediction official.

Here is why my prediction still stands:

• Carmelo is playing like a champion. He is letting the game come to him and has put individual stats behind him. The whole Kobe vs. Lebron debate is only helping Melo, as it is keeping him grounded and letting him focus on the ultimate goal.
• Chauncey Billups did not earn the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for nothing. He is a matchup nightmare for the Lakers as Derek Fisher stands no chance in guarding him and Jordan Farmar is far to weak. Chauncey will have a huge series and continue on a legacy that started in Detroit.
• Dahntay Jones will be covering Kobe. Jones wont shut him down but will pester him well enough to throw him off of his game. Everyone in Denver would be ok with Kobe Scoring 28 points a night on us if it takes him 31 shots to do so. With a premiere perimeter defender like Dahntay, the Nuggets will be able to play Kobe straight up and eliminate his drive and dish to a wide open Gasol.
• Nene is playing like a BEAST. Andrew Bynum is a good center, but with an ailing knee, he will have his hands full with the big Brazilian. If the Lakers switch Gasol onto him, good luck! Nene is far stronger than Gasol and should have no problem finding his way to the rim.
• Kenyon Martin is still fired up about Mark Cuban. He is the type of player who looks for any and everything to light that fire that turns him into a monster. He is strong enough to defend both of L.A.’s bigs and quick and nimble enough to bother Lamar Odom and even be effective on Kobe. Martin also gets the team jacked up when he hits the offensive glass and gets easy put-backs.
• The Nuggets bench is far superior. J.R. Smith has the talent to start almost anywhere in the league and can explode for forty points off of the bench any night. Chris Andersen intimidates opponents who try to slash to the lane. He is an electrifying defender who also sparks emotion with an array of blocks, put-back dunks, and alley-oops that appear to be impossible. Anthony Carter is the diminutive reserve point guard. He comes off of the bench and controls the game with his hard nosed defense and deadly mid-range jump shot whenever Billups needs a break. Linas Kleiza is also a guy who can fill up a stat sheet. When he is aggressive to the rim, the rest of his game follows.

Look for the Nuggets to steal game one in L.A., putting the pressure on the Lakers. The Rockets did it but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. The Lakers will bounce back in game two and win a close one. Kobe will have a huge game but damage morale to his team by being the Kobe of old. Once the series gets to games 3 and 4 in Denver, the Nuggets will dominate. The Denver fans are putting all that they have into supporting their team and the players are responding. The Pepsi Center will produce decibels that the Lakers have never played in. Game five will go back to L.A. and the Lakers will squeeze out another close victory. When game six arrives back here in the Mile High City, that’s all she wrote. The Nuggets will thrive in the moment and put away the Lakers for good.

I stick to my guns and stand by my prediction from over three months ago and can not wait for the day that Denver hosts an NBA Finals. This has been something that not only myself, but the city has been dreaming of since the Nuggets joined the NBA in 1976.