March Madness With Pay

The Houston Rockets are the unanimous #1 team in the NBA Power Rankings. And rightfully so I suppose. They currently have the second longest winning streak in NBA history with 22 wins, only behind the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakes who racked up 33 straight victories. If they win out, they could have a record 38 game winning streak and cement their pace in history. What is most remarkable, is that they are doing it all without Yao Ming. They win ugly. But fact is, they win. Shane Battier has actually become a pretty solid contributor, even without unimpressive statistical numbers, in the NBA (only the 3rd Duke player in history after Hill and Deng?) with great defense and an unselfish mentality. Scola, too, can get the job done. They hustle, they rebound, and they play defense. But are they a championship threat? I don't think so. They're the best team in the West right now, but I don't think they can keep it up. Inspirational bench play only gets you so far. It's too much, too early for the Rockets.

Staying in the Western Conference, the Nuggets beat the Sonics by 52 points, setting a franchise record with 168 points in regulation; they scored 49 fast break points. 8 players scored in double figures and Marcus Camby had a triple double with 13 pts, 15 rbs, and 10 assists, and also added 4 blocks. The Nuggets shot 60.4% from the field, had 44 total assists, had 12 steals, and 10 blocks. Seattle also lost by 42 in February to the Nuggets. The Nuggets currently hold the #9 spot in the West behind Golden State, but face a 5 game road test, starting with the 2nd best team in the East, the Pistons.

I'd love to see the Nuggets add to their 3 game winning streak. They might be the most underachieving team in the NBA. "We're preparing for every game like it's the NCAA Tournament. We can't lose," coach George Karl said. "We know we can probably lose a couple. But our mental thing is, it's a one-game tournament. We've got to win now." They do. Denver is 14-4 when playing teams with fewer than 25 wins (the only problem is that only 5 of their remaining 17 games are against teams with under 25 wins) and are 16-4 when keeping opponents from reaching the century mark.

It looks like Denver is ready to win now. They just picked up Taureen Green, a member of the Florida Gator championship teams. Carmelo is averaging 25.5 ppg (47.7% FG), Kenyon Martin and Kleiza average just under 12 ppg. Camby averages 9.3. My boy Allen Iverson, playing with a fractured finger, adds 26.5 ppg and over 7 assists. He led the 76ers to the NBA finals once. It'd be great to see him lead the Nuggets to a championship in 2008. JR Smith only gets about 18 minutes a game, but averages 11.3 ppg. He also shoots 41% from 3. He could be the key to a deep playoff run, assuming they can get there. The Nugget team shoots an impresive 46.3% from the field. They have all the tools: a capable big man, great guards, All-Star forwards. But, something is missing.

They're an offensive powerhouse when they choose to be. They average 108.9 points per game as a team. A little defense and a little luck will go a long way. If nothing else, they'll be a fun team to watch in the playoffs.