Charles Barkley is a big man and an ever bigger talker. He talks and talks, in fact he gets paid a lot to talk. It doesn't matter what he talks about, as long as he talks smack. He rants and raves about anything and everything. The Nuggets are not high on Barkley's list of favorite NBA teams. Charles has bet against the Nuggets for years. This year they tied the franchise record for wins. They destroyed the Hornets in the first round (avg. 24 points more per game than New Orleans). 

                            Charles!  Wake up!  It's 2009 and the Nuggets are a different team!

                                                      


10 Reasons why Charles Barkley is wrong...

1)  Chauncey Billups - Since the trade for Chauncey, the Nuggets have become a disciplined team. The Nuggets gave up a few highlights, but they got a championship level team. Tough defense, smart offense and playing with confidence. Mr. Big Shot is not just a nickname, it's a way of life for Chauncey.  

2)  George Karl - Karl's always been a good coach, but he's struggled to have playoff winning teams. He had plenty of them with the Super Sonics, but that was a long time ago.  Good point guard play is a key to having winning teams for coach Karl. Since Chauncey got here, the rest of the team has bought into a defensive commitment.

3)  Carmelo - This season, he's a much different player than he was in the past. He might not always be the leading scorer for Nuggets, and he's ok with that. Carmelo won an Olympic Gold Medal and knows what it takes to make the team better. Melo makes some great passes and can get rebounds with the best of them...when he wants to. He's a great scorer but he's learned to get his teammates more involved.

4)  Chris Anderson - The Nuggets traded Marcus Camby, the former Defensive Player of the Year to the Clippers. Before this season, the Nuggets were not sure what Birdman could do. He hadn't played in two years....  The Birdman was second in the NBA in blocked shots, while only playing half the minutes. He brings hustle, athleticism and an aggressive mentality.

5)  Kenyon Martin - Kenyon is finally fully healthy. You can see it in his consistent play. Kenyon has quietly been a huge part of the Nuggets success. He plays physical in the post and gets big rebounds. Kenyon sets the tone for the defense and is not afraid to bang with the big men down low.

6)  J.R. Smith - He's #6 only because he always had a ton of potential. This season he started to play defense and is more of a team player. He still drops three pointers left and right, but now passes, rebounds and plays a little defense. This is nice to have when you add it to his streaky and sometimes unstoppable scoring.  

7)  Home Court - The Pepsi Center has become one of the better home courts in the NBA. The Nuggets have won 13 home games in a row. They also have home court advantage until the Western Conference Finals, if the Lakers make it. If the Lakers lose, the Nuggets will be able utilize the home court on their way to the NBA Finals.

8)  Nene - Like J.R., he would be higher on my list, but I've always expected him to be a very good player. After having knee surgery and sitting a year, a fight against Cancer, and criticism of being a bust, Nene broke loose. This season he was a force in the post and brought a toughness the Nuggets needed. He can play physical in the post or speed right past his defender.
 
9)  Bench - The Nuggets bench became one of the best in the NBA this season. Thanks to Chris Chris Anderson, J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza and Anthony Carter. The bench is a big part of each game, as they allow the starters to stay fresh. These guys have the ability to take a close game and make it a blowout. 

10)  Dahntay Jones -  A guy from Duke that can't score? That's what I first  thought about Dahntay. He plays tough defense and is one of the most athletic players on the court. He's quick and can jump through the roof. Dahntay is a big guard that can play man up on the opposing team's best  scorers. He had a huge impact against Chris Paul in the first round. 

Charles, you and the rest of your buddies need to check yourselves. The Nuggets are for real this season and you will look like an idiot. What happened to the Nuggets not making the playoffs? Yeah, that's right, before this season you didn't think the Nuggets were going to make the playoffs. Well, they made the playoffs and won the first series. The fans in Denver made a big deal about it, and you couldn't understand why they were so excited. The last time the Nuggets won a playoff series was 1994...let the fans enjoy it big mouth. The national television outlets never give the Nuggets credit. I guess they will when the Nuggets continue their climb to the top...Denver Nuggets 2009 NBA Champions....?  
 

Jeremy Fleming
DenverSportsBlog.com