Live Thread: Nuggets at Cavaliers

The last time the Nuggets and the Cavs faced off, David Blatt was still patrolling the sidelines, a recovering Kyrie Irving was in and out of the lineup, and the Cavs were only one game removed from the infamous Blazers “strike game”. A lot has changed in the past three months and a lot as stayed painfully the same.

After getting demolished by a high level Eastern Conference foe in Miami, the Cavs look to rebound against a suddenly competent Denver squad. Coach Mike Malone has led the Nuggets to a 6-4 record in March. Rookie stud, Emmanuel Mudiay has found his touch from long range nailing over 40% in the month. Recently acquired D.J. Augustin has lightened Mudiay’s play-making load with his usual solid shooting and strong Pick and Roll play. In Denver’s win at Charlotte Saturday night, the Texas Longhorn went off for 24 points on only 11 shots.

Denver has a lot of interesting young international players on the rise. Nikola Jokic and Joffrey Lauvergne have made up for a disappointing season from mammoth, Jusuf Nurkic. Mudiay, a native of Congo, could also be tossed into the conversation though he spent the majority of his childhood was in the States. Gallo is still out with injury, and at 27 he is a bit old to be considered “on the rise”, but the Italian combo player has had a nice season leading the worldly squad.

No one expected much from the Nuggets this season. Considering the long list of injuries to key players like Chandler, Gallinari and now Faried, Mike Malone has done an admirable job of keeping the Nuggets pesky.

Not center, Kevin Love is under the weather. The Cavs will start five guys tonight at the “Q”. I won’t pretend to know who they will be until tip-off.  Sound off.