I just finished the movie, Wreck it Ralph and the classic video game, Street Fighter, makes an appearance. In that video game I remember the classic line "Round 1, FIGHT!" right before you would begin the high flying karate style action.
Well, the "Gold Gang" aka "Blue and Yellow" aka The Denver Nuggets will certainly have a fight on their hands to begin round 1 of the 2013 NBA playoffs.
The opponent, the Golden State Warriors. Yes, the team that can't make up it's mind on whether it wants to be called San Francisco or Oakland. Just make up your mind already, Golden State.
I think this match up favors the Nuggets. The Golden State Warriors try to play fast, they can't play a lick of defense, and they have no shot blocking threat to contain Denver's dominance in the paint. With that being said, they are a dangerous 3 point shooting team and they are one of the best free throw shooting percentage teams in the NBA. But if the Warriors think they can play a fast pace game, they will fail in this series. No team plays faster than Denver, and the best shot the Warriors have to win this best of 7 series is to slow the game down and decrease the amount of possessions It is also critical the Warriors take care of the ball and limit their turnovers. No team is more effective at turning turnovers to quick fast break points than the Denver Nuggets.
If it is going to be a fight in round 1, give me the Golden State Warriors instead of the Memphis Grizzlies any day, all day. I don't want any piece of those thugs in Memphis...and that is a compliment.
The main concern for Blue and Yellow?
A star in the making, Stephen Curry. Probably the best pure shooter in the NBA, this guy can light up a score board quickly. He has a quick release that makes it almost impossible for any defender to guard him. However, if anyone can slow down Curry it is the Nuggets defensive anchor, Andre Iguodala. "Iggnition" will be assigned the most difficult task of slowing down Curry coming off screen after screen after screen. Oh by the way, Curry just set the NBA single season record for 3 point field goals made.
Health, it hasn't been on the Nuggets side lately. Faried is most likely going to miss the first two games in Denver, but he should return close to 100% in game 3 when the series turns to San Francisco I mean Oakland....actually "Golden State"....whatever they want to be called over there. I wonder if the Warriors will wear those TERRIBLE "t-shirt" style yellow jersey's in this series...I sure hope not, they hurt my eyes.
Does missing Faried hurt? Yes. But the Nuggets are deep and should be able to win both games at home in Denver, because they really are the better team, even without Gallo or Manimal.
The most important play in this series? Ty Lawson. No doubt. He has become the "star" everyone says Denver doesn't have. Ty Lawson looked great coming back from the plantar fascia tear and he is primed for a big series, no one can guard him in this series.
Denver is ready, we have been ready since getting a taste of the Western Conference Finals in 2009. The Round 1 fight will begin Saturday April 20th 2013 at 3:30 PM in the Mile High City. Nuggets fans will be waiving thousands of gold towels, "Gold Gang" will be sporting their slick retro style yellow jersey's, Scott Hastings will be wearing his best suit, and the crowd will be loud....very loud. All the while, the boys by the bay will be gasping for air 3 minutes into the game.
Round 1: FIGHT!!
Denver Nuggets will win this series 4-1.
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