The Nuggets

Everyone assumes the Rockets will fall out of the play-offs because they will not be able to hold off the Warriors and the Nuggets. I do not understand why people expect so much from the Nuggets. Have you watched them play? The Denver vs. LA Clippers game Friday night should be example A for any NBA-hater.

Denver is supposed to be an elite team. They are supposed to be in the play-offs. They had two all-star starters and many thought a third merited inclusion. Many believe its coach is one of the best of his era. And, they play with the same type of ambivalence as the 2006 UConn Huskies.

I have always been an Iverson fan. Actually, I like several Nuggets. I just don't like them together. They are the most uninspiring team in the NBA, after the disaster franchises like the Knicks, Sonics and Grizzlies. Sure, they win about 60% of the time on talent alone, but I hate watching them play.

The Clippers vs Nuggets game was the reason I did not watch the NBA on Sunday. The game depressed me and made me realize that even in the most competitive conference race of my lifetime a completely listless team still has a chance to make the play-offs. It made me realize that there are not more than 10 teams in the NBA who I can watch, and most of them are not on TV enough, as the networks give us the completely unwatchable Heat, Nuggets or Bulls in nearly every other game.

I have no idea why the Nuggets are so uninspiring. However, talk about a team that needed whatever Ben Wallace still brings to the table. Or, a Shane Battier-type. I mean, they already have Eduardo Najera and that's not enough. The Warriors play a frenetic pace and take bad shots, but they play hard. They defend. They have a lot of defensive mis-matches, but they hustle and help and make it hard for the opponent. The Nuggets don't.

A trade for Ron Artest likely would have been combustible. But, the Nuggets needed to make that deal to alter its chemistry and bring someone with passion. I never though an AI team would look so passionless on the court, but they do. And, to me, there are few things worse in the NBA, than watching very talented teams coast.

I think the Rockets will hold onto a play-off spot as long as McGrady stays healthy. They play hard and play with a purpose and I think that is enough to overcome the ambivalent Nuggets.