Do Not Make Me Turn This Car Around

We are getting there. It’s a long and painful journey, but we are almost there.

The bulk of the city is thinking pigskin and for good reason. The Broncos are 3-0 and looking at their first true test of the season against the Big D.  The seamheads of the Mile High are looking at the Rockies as a source of inspiration, looking to push into the playoffs for home games in the snow. And yes, we’ve had our first official mention of snow in the forecast for the season… and that warning came tonight. That will put the hill junkies in good spirits.

I have no idea what in the hell is going on with the Colorado Avalanche. I do know they, like every other team in the NHL, are currently in 1st place.

Folks are slowly coming back into a positive state of mind, at least when it comes to sports. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and that means the fanatical fans of the National Basketball League (like myself) are looking to retreat indoors and enjoy the games played on the hardwood.

Those NBA teams are starting to kick off training camps and thus we are due to come knocking with offerings of news, links, and whatever else we find along the way. We still have a bit of time before the season gets going, but the dust is starting to swirl as the winds of basketball season start to build. Granted, it has been an uneventful offseason for our beloved Denver Nuggets… but we are hoping they have simply saved the ruckus for weeks and months ahead.

I’m starting to wonder if the recent addition in town isn’t the place I should start our search for positive vibes…

… and The Nugg Doctor convinced me by finding this slice of James White from YouTube. These are old clips but White is not too far removed from those high flying expectations. We’ll see if the Nuggies can get him on track for an extended stay in the show.

The Post is excited to see White in action as well.

This one flew under the radar, but the Nuggets signed forward Joey Graham to fill out the roster. The Bleacher Report seems to believe he is meant to serve in minutes vacated during rest for Carmelo. We aren’t so sure, but it is hard to believe the names on the roster hold a substantial edge over Graham in the fight for position on the depth chart. The man can play but we worry his best has already come and gone.

Meanwhile Renaldo Balkman is working to find more minutes and thinks they may come at small forward.

The folks at SLAM believe the Nuggets have made the right moves (or at least the right non-moves).

Speaking of depth chart position, coach George Karl wants you to know Smitty is not being given the benefit of a doubt and will, in fact, be asked to earn his starting honors at the 2. His main competition: Arron Afflalo. No, the objective view does not support Afflalo in that battle but it is refreshing to hear Karl holding Smitty to the fire. It would be difficult to suggest the kid hasn’t proven himself on the offensive end of the floor, but the rest of his game - defense, maturity, leadership, attitude, performance under pressure - remains in question. Karl understands this and intends to hold him accountable.

We hit Chris Dempsey again, and he believes the Nuggets made the right move in insuring Anthony Carter is still in the fold, thus allowing rookie Ty Lawson to ease into this new professional digs.

Of course, the local announcers may be looking forward to other “performances” on the floor. Whatever gets you excited for basketball, the Dunk has your back.

The boys at Denver Stiffs are trying to stay positive as well.

Dunk-approved voice of the West from HoopsWorld.com, Mr. Travis Heath, recently posted his thoughts on the Nuggets in 2010 as well. You should have noted the trend by now… questions, questions, and more questions.

The Nugs will kick off the preseason against Utah and Carlos Boozer, following a tough offseason, is looking forward to the matchup.

Thanks to Ben Hochman from the Post for giving us the 4-1-1… the NBA is giving fans an all-access lookat training camp and spent some time here in Denver.

Jimmy Kimmel…

… Nuggets fan. Here’s part 2 of the interview.

(Melo looks dapper, huh? He’s growing up so fast…)

We can venture into the national (and, in some cases, international) scene as well.

This is just a reminder the Pau Gasol is still in United States to make movie, and his sister is still the #2 prostitute in all of Kazakhstan.

(The pic is from a recent “report” Mrs. Dunk sent me from HailMaryJane.com, covering 50 pics from Drunken NBA Stars… and you are likely to enjoy the entire lot.)

It’s off the Nuggets radar but is beeping as loud as ever in the center of mine… and, like me, the world continues to fall in love with Kevin Durant. Darnell Mayberry with The Oklahoman agrees and is looking forward to his team getting Durant secured for years to come.

Meanwhile the folks in Portland aren’t so encouraged about the man they took over Durant.

As usual, the Rockets are looking for a new way to do business.

Replacement refs continue to hold the top headlines around the league.

Unless you want to talk about LeBron in New York.

Speaking of the refs… if Rasheed Wallace gets his medical marijuana card, does he become an innovator in the league’s performance-enhancing drug definitions? He just might, but hasn’t worked out the details yet.

Another reason why my love of Derrick Rose continues to grow.

The Warriors still don’t get it.

We are still hurt by the non-arrival of Ricky Rubio but the folks in Minnesota are giddy with anticipation over the other guard they brought into the fold.

The folks in Memphis seem happy with the motivation our former brother has brought to town.

The best thing about this time of year… even the folks in Charlotte can be positive.

Just a reminder… Dwyane is still the best show in the East.

That’s all I’ve got this time around kiddies… but it won’t be much longer before we can talk shop.

Thanks for stopping in.