On the Road with Mike: Before I Was Dubbed The Czar

January 14 by 2 Comments

Last night my longtime friend Michael Gualario paid a visit to the Pepsi Center to watch Carmelo and the Nuggets dominate the LeBron-less Heat. Michael grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey but now he lives in the Boulder, Colorado area so we get together whenever I’m out that way.

Michael was my roommate, fraternity brother and football teammate at Montclair State University. We’ve always called him GiGi, and I used to go by Fooch while our friend Tommy Goodie was nicknamed Gooch. Not sure why Fooch didn’t stick, but it’s probably for the best.

 

Filed Under: On the Road with Mike Tagged With: , , ,

Gameday Dish: Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets

January 13 by Leave a Comment

The Denver Nuggets have been playing with a lot hanging over their heads lately, namely Melo’s potential move via trade to one of the NY Metro area teams. Denver-born-and-bred, 14th-year vet PG Chauncey Billups is rumored to be getting shipped out as well in the Anthony deal against his wishes. And it remains to be seen whether former #1 overall pick Kenyon Martin, the team’s second highest paid player, will be able to contribute meaningfully night in and out with his problematic knees.

The Nuggets had a big win on Tuesday night over their Western Conference foe, the Phoenix Suns. Fourth-year off-guard Aaron Afflalo scored a career-high 31 points in the 34 point blowout at the Pepsi Center. The victory put an end to the Nuggets’ recent three-game losing streak. Over their last 12 contests, Denver is only playing .500 ball.

As for the other side of tonight’s matchup, the Miami Heat are coming off a 111-105 road loss to the Los Angeles
Clippers last night at Staples. This defeat at the hands of R.O.Y. frontrunner Blake Griffin and company ended Miami’s 13-game road winning streak as well as their 9-game win streak overall. Miami is now 18-3 when scoring more than 100 points in a game.

The Heat’s Big 3 may be temporarily downsized to a duo after LeBron James sprained his left ankle in the losing effort in LA. King James is listed as day-to-day and is questionable for tonight’s tip-off.

Coach George Karl and crew have had their struggles this first half of the 2011 season, but have defended their home court with ferocity, going 16-4 in the Mile High City (an exact 5,280 feet above sea level).

Carmelo Anthony has never lost to the Heat in Denver (6-0), and it’s been 9 years since any version of the Nuggets have allowed Miami to leave Colorado with a W. Denver is second in the NBA in scoring at 106.3 ppg, while Miami is only giving up an average of 92.7 ppg, good for third best in the league.

Will LeBron play tonight? Will this be one of Carmelo’s last games as a member of the Nuggets? Tune in to TNT at 10:30 PM ET to see the Heat make their only visit to the Rocky Mountain State.

Filed Under: Gameday Dish Tagged With: , , , , ,

Around the League: The Five Games of Christmas

December 27 by 1 Comment

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I was fortunate to have a few days off to spend some time with my family and take in all the Christmas-day action around the league.

The Knicks and Bulls tipped off Saturday’s five-game lineup. There are those who still have their doubts about New York, but they are for real and appear to be getting better and better. The Knicks beat the Bulls at MSG in a highly energized matchup, and they did it with defense for a change. The Knicks got stops when they needed them, rebounds when they needed them, and were able to put up enough points to get the win.

On the heels of a huge trade that raised concerns among skeptics, the Magic beat the Celtics in what may wind up being one of their most important victories this season. A win against the team that is arguably the best in the East should reestablish Orlando as a championship contender and restore self-confidence to the squad, which will be so important during the second half of the season. This win could signal a huge turnaround so don’t be surprised if the Magic wind up going on to an 8-10 game winning streak after ending Boston’s.

The Heat have been trying to prove that they are good enough to contend with top teams, and Saturday’s marquis matchup against the champion Lakers presented a huge opportunity for them to do just that. Though LA has not been playing their best basketball, a contest with LeBron and the Heat seemed sure to get their attention
and snap them out of their funk. However Miami’s defense was stifling, and the Heat secured an impressive road win at the star-studded Staples Center. They shut down the Lakers’ attack and showcased their greatest assets: speed and quickness which produce steals on one end that they are able to convert into easy, fast-break baskets at the other end.

The Nuggets and Thunder continue to jockey for playoff positioning in the fearsome Western Conference. Chris Andersen and Kenyon Martin have returned to Denver’s lineup. But despite getting back two of their big men, they still wound up playing shorthanded as Carmelo Anthony is spending time with his family following the tragic loss of his sister. Denver put up a good fight, but Kevin Durant led the Thunder to their first Christmas Day win with 44 points.

Monta Ellis and his Golden State Warriors put on a show for the home crowd and those watching from home. This young, athletic, guard-oriented squad has ability to explode on a given night and pulled past the Blazers to cap off the NBA action. Portland on other hand and been consistently inconsistent. The belief is that they will wind up putting together a trade in the near future in order to shake up their roster. Both teams hope they will be in contention down the stretch to the grab 7th or 8th spot in
the playoff race, but it will be difficult.

Filed Under: Around the League Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Fratello Fundamentals

November 23 by 1 Comment

When you set a screen on a defender you must plant your feet and remain stationary, keeping your arms close to your torso. If you hold, lean or move into the defender to cause contact you will be charged with an illegal screen foul, and the ball will be turned over to the opposing team.

You can’t cut into the defender’s path and hit him with a screen while he’s on the move. If you step into the defender while he’s moving to cover his man, it’s a foul.

During Thursday’s matchup against the Blazers, Carmelo Anthony got his fifth foul because he knocked into his teammate’s defender rather than planting himself firmly alongside him when he attempted to set an on-ball screen.

[nba-video vid=channels/tnt_overtime/2010/11/23/czar_carmelo_foul.nba]

Filed Under: Fratello Fundamentals Tagged With: , ,

Gameday Dish: Trail Blazers Host Nuggets

November 18 by Leave a Comment

Tonight the Denver Nuggets play the Portland Trailblazers at the Rose Garden in a matchup of Northwest Division rivals. This is the first of four scheduled meetings between these teams this season.

Last season, Denver went 3-1 against the Trailblazers, and Portland has not won a season series against the Nuggets since the 1998-99 campaign. But the Nuggets have lost their last three road games so perhaps the Blaze can capitalize on their home-court advantage.

Three big stories surround this game – one immediately relevant to this evening’s contest and two Phil Collins “In The Air Tonight” influences hovering in the background.

Top Blazer and three-time All-Star Brandon Roy will be out with a bum left knee. He is Portland’s best defender and will be especially missed against Denver’s high-powered offense, which at 105.8 ppg ranks fourth in the NBA.

In other injury-related news, the Blazers announced yesterday that Greg Oden, the former No. 1 draft pick whose short career has been marred by injuries, will have microfracture surgery on his left knee and will not play this season. Though this will not squarely impact the game tonight, it’s definitely a blow to the team’s morale and adds to the Blazers’ big picture concerns. They were hoping Oden would return this season to help them down low and finally start living up to his draft expectations.

Meanwhile the Nuggets are contending with their own big-pic matters as rumors surrounding Carmelo Anthony’s impending departure from the squad continue to loom. A Nugget for all of his eight years in the NBA and Denver’s top player for arguably that whole time, Melo continues to be badgered by media and fans as to his future plans and the growing possibility that his tenure as a Nugget is coming to an end.

Anthony refused to sign a 3-year $65million extension with Denver earlier this season. However, Melo has been a monster on the boards of late, with a total of 44 rebounds in the last 3 games – an average of almost 15 per clip. This fact should especially concern Portland because they have been one of the league’s worst teams on the glass this year and currently rank 27th in rebounding.

Both teams are coming off of Tuesday night victories – Portland over Memphis on the road and Denver over New York at home. I’ll join Marv Albert and Steve Kerr on the sidelines when Nuggets at Blazers tips off at 10:30 PM PST on TNT.

Filed Under: Gameday Dish Tagged With: , , , , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»