A Moment of Clarity

Three weeks… we have about three weeks until these games count. It can’t come soon enough. Not that we aren’t busy enough with the MLB playoffs, the first quarter of the NFL season in the books, the NHL season dropping pucks, FX flying through another glorious season of Sons of Anarchy, ESPN starting their promising 30 for 30 documentary series, the release of Guitar Hero 5 (with Van Halen’s version on the way), whatever else you can find to wet your whistle.

We have plenty of options, but I’m ready for the hardwood.

There are others clamoring for the sound of the ball ripping through the net and sneakers streaking across the floor. Season previews are flooding the NBA blogs of the world as the minds and hearts of the basketball universe ponder what could be for the season ahead.

At the Dunk, we keep it simple. Our seasonal preview: the Nuggets need Melo to be Melo, they need Smitty to mature, and they need Chauncey to hold it all together. We need Ron Artest to continue his downward spiral and prove the Lakers foolish for letting Trevor Ariza go. We need Tim Duncan to struggle for durability. We need Dallas to look every bit of their age. We need Portland to do the same. And more than anything, we need someone – anyone – off the Denver bench to take a big step forward.

That is as clean as you can cut it, and we have six months to watch it play out.

Until then, we can amuse our addictions with the news and stories that surround us.

The Nugg Doctor offers up a voice of concern over the team’s plan for minutes. I wonder what scared him first: that Smitty is looking to average over 30 minutes per for the first time in his career, that his backup will be Arron Afflalo (talented, don’t get me wrong… not sure he’s ready), or that Malik Allen is looking at a good portion of time in relief of the biggest foul machine on the floor? Nick also checks in with his review of the Nuggies’ loss in the first preseason game of the season (we won’t be diving into this… breaking down preseason basketball is like suffering the torture of watching a porn movie in an attempt to build a plot line… but if you enjoy those observations, the Nugg Doctor is doing a solid job of serving them up).

We will say this… Renaldo Balkman earned praise from Henry Abbott at ESPN’s TrueHoop, calling his dunk in that loss “the dunk of the season, after one game.” Let’s see him translate to games that matter… we really, REALLY need it.

(And I love the prolonged shot of the replacement refs… not awkward at all.)

Numbers geek? You will like this.

Interesting piece from the pen coming via Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard.

We love Deadspin for hundreds of reasons, but today, this jumps to the top of the list…

The mastermind John Hollinger has released his latest scouting reports (Insider membership required)…

Here’s Smitty.

Here’s the Birdman.

Here’s Melo.

In fact, let’s just direct you to the team page so you can hit ‘em all. In fact, whether you are addicted to numbers or not, I heavily suggest you check these out. Hollinger has struck a cohesive chord, mixing his observations from the court with the stats that come from it. I will read almost every single one of these… they are engaging, informative, insightful, and to be honest, a thorough as any offering you’ll find on player review in the industry.

(And if you want a nice diversion, try this.)

TrueHoop also offered up another NBA.com highlight video from the Nuggets beatdown of Belgrade… but we warn they tout Donte Draper as the point of interest in this game (a camp invite, highly unlikely he makes the main roster).

(Hey… you didn’t think I was going to leave you hangin’ on the Anarchy clips, did you? Here’s part 2.)

The folks at Basketbawful found an interesting line of work for Ron Artest. And if you are like me and simply can’t get enough of RonRon, you will enjoy this as well.

Andrew Feinstein from the Denver Stiffs worries the Nuggets could find history working against them this season.

Ben Hochman continues to prepare the folks that still get the newspaper on their front porch each morning, tackling the topic of Nene and the season to be for the oft-injured, not-so-oft-talented forward for the Nuggies… and while we tend to rail against many of the offerings from the Post, Ben is on point. This is, in every sense of the word, a make-or-break season for Nene. He showed so much potential as a youth… came in and couldn’t stay healthy… when he was healthy he failed to grasp his potential… and then came 2009. Last year he was a key contributor to the cause and the Nuggets found immense benefit when he finally turned physical in the post. We need more of that and that puts the spotlight right on Fogo de Chao.

(I wish I could eat there… we would like to submit our application as the official Nickname Czar for the Denver Nuggets. I feel we’ve laid the groundwork for some magnificent advancements in this portion of the business, an asset of immeasurable importance. As you may know we have crowned Chauncey as “The Solution” – if Iverson is “The Answer” then Chaunc is certainly the solution, yes? – and Nene will now be known as “Fogo de Chao” – a magnificent brazilian grill that I can no longer enjoy as the spice proves damaging to my social life, but we can honor their arrival in Denver with the attachment to their Brazilian brother.)

Say what you like about the Lakers, but there are times when I am jealous of Shannon Brown.

I can’t help myself… Gilber Arenas. I’m sorry, I love him and everything he stands for. Trust me, if you were in my chair you would agree. He’s a walking headline without need of effort or work to get the laugh.

(Part 3 from the Sons… there are 5 total in this preview series on YouTube but this should be enough to get you hooked.)

Looking for some honest thoughts on the work of the replacement refs thus far? Here ya’ go.

The latest from Roundball Mining… and we are diggin’ the new look Jeremy.

The league released their annual GM Survey this week which puts a number of intriguing questions to the men that run these teams. In the Rookie Predictions you’ll find our boy tied for 1st – sharing the honors with Oklahoma City’s James Harden (we do like him) and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings (not so big on him) – as a response to, “Which NBA rookie is likely to be a sleeper success?” The league also offers up surveys on Season Predictions, Player Predictions, International Players, Coaches, Defense, Offseason Moves, and a “Miscellaneous” category (I’d like to think topics like “NBA Groupies” or “Weed Sources” or “In-Car Webcams” or “Hot Sauce In My Bag” could be found there…

… I refuse to hit it up, don’t want to be disappointed).

Here’s a great piece from our friends at HoopsWorld, taking a look at the top coaches in the NBA as we think about the season to be.

Gerald Narciso from Dime ponders if the Nuggets can top the Blazer this season, and we like where he takes it.

I want to leave you with on simple note, a note we floated during the playoffs that holds as true today as it did when we watched the Nuggets fall short against the Lakers.

This is his time.

There are so many reasons to put the focus of any and everything that can and will be for this franchise this season directly on Melo. The rest of the league has made moves this offseason while the Nuggets have not, and we can debate the value and potential gifts (and downfalls) of those transactions. It is clear the Lakers, the power of the West, may have taken a step back. It is clear the Spurs may have taken a step forward. It is clear the Jazz have no idea which way they have gone. Yao is out without hope of return in Houston. Portland still lives in the grey. Dallas may be too busy filing their AARP applications to care.

The environment seems to be as promising as we have seen in some time… and the difference may be the men at the wheel. Put all other names in the barrel and two jump to the forefront of that debate: Kobe and Melo. Those two talents stand as the source of hope for two franchises, and we could debate these two teams as the leaders of the cause in the West.

And thus it is his time.

That’s all I’ve got in the holster today folks. And remember… we are almost there. Wait…

Somehow we got through it all without mentioning Kenyon. Not sure why… but we don’t leave anyone out.

Thanks for stopping in.

Tags: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Chris Andersen, Denver Nuggets, Fogo De Chao, Guitar Hero, Henry Abbott, J.R. Smith, John Hollinger, Kenyon Martin, Nene, Renaldo Balkman, Ron Artest, Sons of Anarchy, Tim Duncan, Trevor Ariza, TrueHoop, Ty Lawson