NUGGETTS BIG PRESEASON WINNERS

 

(Images taken from NBA.com)

 

The NBA season starts for real on 2nd November. Hoever for the last month NBA teams have been playing warm up games/friendlies pretty much all over the place in preparation for the long grueling 82-game regular season ahead. If an NBA season is a three course meal, then the pre-season is the appetiser and though the UK doesn't get TV coverage of it, a lot of US fans from cities without a regular NBA team get to watch two sides in the world's elite basketball league duel it out in front of their eyes.

Now the preseason isn't always that reliable a guide to regular season form, however it has included one major surprise out West, in the North West division to be precise. The Denver Nuggets's main player is Carmelo Anthony who's always been overshadowed by LeBron James ever since both players came into the League in 2003. Backed up by veteran Marcus Camby and coached by the solid George Karl, the Nuggets made the playoffs last time out only to but were busted in the first round by the eventual champions the San Antonio Spurs.

The Nuggets's preseason started with a 100-90 defeat on their home court by the New Orleans Hornets, however, when they two teams rematched in Oklahoma City(the Hornets' temporary post-Katrina home) the Nuggets got payback to the tune of 97-93. By then they were already in the middle of a white-hot streak which ended in a 7-1 record. Admittedly none of the Nuggetts' preseason oppisition was grade A(if last season's record was anything to go by) and the season opener against the Spurs is liable to send them back to reality with a bump, then again, I'll be coming to the Spurs later

The Northwest's best of the rest tag went to the Kevin Garnett led and UK-raised Michael Olowokandi included Minnisota Timberwolves, finishing their preseason with a late comeback in Rapid City South Dakota, resulting in a 96-92 win over last years NBA finalists the Detroit Pistons. The Seattle Supersonics were next up with the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers bringing up the rear.

Out in the Pacific Division, it was the LA Clippers(not the Lakers) that came up hot with a 6-2 record. LA's poor relations certainly have a solid roster with Elton Brand and Sam Cassell standing out. The Phil Jackson coached Lakers only came in third out of five with the Suns picking up second and Sacremento hitting a dissapointing fourth with the Golden State Warriors bringing up the rear.

Down to the South West and the Memphis Grizzlies won the division with a 6-2 record. The Spaniard Pau Gasol is their main man with Eddie Jones having been picked up from the Heat in the offseason and though the Grizzlies are certainly a lot better a side than they were in their early days in Vancouver(Steve Francis not wanting anything to do with that outfit when he originally got drafted by them in 1999), like the Nuggetts, they're likely to get a reality check of sorts in their first regular season game, the Heat are coming to visit. Elsewhere, both the Rockets and Mavericks did decently with one major shock being the 2-7 record of the Spurs who come bottom of the division rather than the Hornets. That opening game vs the Nuggets is sounding very tasty indeed.

The biggest preseason beast in the East turned out to be the Nets, though not by much, Vince Carter and crew only came up with a 5-3 record, the entire Eastern conference is very tight. Carter's old team the Toronto Raptors(with no real high profile players right now) have managed to finish second in the Nets's Atlantic division with the Knicks doing OK in third, the shock of that division being the Sixers picking up the wooden spoon.

The Cavs won the Central division with another 5-3 record, then the post Reggie Miller Pacers(Jermaine O'Neal the best of the current crop), then the Pistons, then the Bulls...then the Milwakee Bucks, No 1 Aussie rookie Michael Bogut not quite having his game on yet.

The Southeast division was headed by the two Florida sides, the Magic managing to edge the Heat, despite the fact that Grant Hill has gotten himself injured(again), the Washington Wizards came up with a decent third with the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Bobcats bringing up the rear. Probably the least surprising division of the preseason.

Overall, the one thing to remember is that none of this really counts for anything yet, maybe the preseason's just included a load of flukes. However, no NBA team can afford many offnights once we really get down to business.

Showtime!

Click here for my earlier State of Play article

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