Leveling the playing field - Carmelo Anthony out 3 weeks!!

by dukedee on Jan 6, 2009 2:58 PM PST

Here's the news on ESPN.com

This should level the NW division's playing field for the next month. Or they might just play better w/o Melo, your thoughts? The Nuggets did concert more effort on the defensive end against the Blazers. They also have a number of players that could pick up his #'s like JR, Billups, Nene, etc.

This could very well level the playing field for the NW division during January when each of the top 3 teams are dealing w/ their stars out due to injury.

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They did pretty well against us

without Mello-yellow. They almost seemed better w/o him. Billups is still good.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Jan 6, 2009 3:08 PM PST reply actions

we did the same to Boston

then couldn’t keep it up long-term.

I’d rather play catch up in the race for the division without him than with him. I don’t ever celebrate an injury, but we definately have to take advantage of this.

"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."

by Seijeff on Jan 6, 2009 3:11 PM PST reply actions

I always pay attention to this kind stuff

But in a scouting not gloating way

by southern oregon on Jan 6, 2009 3:16 PM PST up reply actions

As I mentioned

in a comment on the Sched Ahead thread, over the next three weeks, 7 of their 8 games are at home. Six of those are against winning teams. It will be interesting to see how well they perform in those games without him.

If you can't convince them, confuse them -- Harry Truman, U.S. President

by jscot on Jan 6, 2009 3:34 PM PST reply actions

NW Division

most injury plagued ever?
Melo
The entire Jazz roster
’Tell
Roy
Oden

by 50backflips on Jan 6, 2009 3:46 PM PST reply actions

Nene and Kenyon Martin get injured often as well

that’s a lot of injuries

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Jan 6, 2009 3:54 PM PST up reply actions

3 weeks is roughly 12 games?

I doubt this will be that great of a boost for us. The Nuggets can play well without him and we’re still missing Roy. I haven’t looked at the schedule but it is reasonable to assume that there are just a handful of games that missing Melo affects the outcome. Middle of the pack playoff teams are the games that could go from Ws to Ls for the Nuggets.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Jan 6, 2009 3:56 PM PST reply actions

Now I've glanced at their schedule

it turns out they have quite a few games against playoff teams for the rest of January.

Wed, Jan 7 Miami
Fri, Jan 9 Detroit
Tue, Jan 13 Dallas
Thu, Jan 15 Phoenix
Sat, Jan 17 Orlando
Mon, Jan 19 @ Houston
Sun, Jan 25 Utah
Wed, Jan 28 @ New Orleans

8 games that could be affected by Carmelo’s injury. Miami might be a stretch in some people’s eyes, but they have beaten both the L@kers and the Cavs.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Jan 6, 2009 4:07 PM PST up reply actions

Any team with a healthy Wade

is dangerous.

If he’s out 3 weeks, he’ll be back for N.O., which means only one of those is on the road. I expect them to survive, perhaps lose one or two they wouldn’t have, but get enough to stay in a strong position.

If you can't convince them, confuse them -- Harry Truman, U.S. President

by jscot on Jan 7, 2009 4:14 AM PST up reply actions

The title of this post is a little too gleeful for my tastes

Denver will do fine without Carmelo. They’ll lose a little ground, but not much.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jan 6, 2009 4:24 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Sorry to sour your tastes...

it must’ve been so bad that it plurally ruined your taste.

I can see how it might come off as “gleeful”…the exclamation points were more of "Holy rising hemline batman, what heck is going on to our conference? Everybody’s got the injury bug!! "

I didn't mean to turn you on

by dukedee on Jan 6, 2009 4:31 PM PST up reply actions