Position Number Name
Height Weight
PPG RPG APG FG% (Points, Rebounds, & Assists Per Game, Field Goal Shooting %)
Recent Highlights
NUGGETS PROBABLE STARTERS
Small Forward 15 Carmelo Anthony
6-8, 230
2007-08: 25.5 4.8 5.3 .467
Averaging 27.0 ppg on .526 shooting during the Nuggets five-game win streak, while playing just 33.5 mpg. Is averaging 29.3 ppg in the Nuggets six wins, however just 18.3 ppg in their three losses so far this season.
Power Forward #4 Kenyon Martin
6-9, 240
2007-08: 8.2 4.9 0.4 .493
His average of 3.90 steals per 48 minutes currently ranks fourth among all qualified players in the NBA. Posted a season-high 14 points on .778 (7-9) shooting from the field in 23 minutes vs. Portland on 11/14.
Center #23 Marcus Camby
6-11, 235
2007-08: 9.4 14.5 3.5 .494
Registered his third 20+ rebounding game of the season with 20 boards in 29 minutes vs. New York on 11/17. With his 13 rebounds vs. Portland on 11/14, he has now pulled down 10+ boards in eight of Denver’s nine games.
Shooting Guard #5 Yakhouba Diawara
6-7, 225
2007-08: 5.4 1.9 1.3 .500
With his 10 points vs. New York on 11/17, the Nuggets are now 3-0 when he scores at least 10 points this season. Is 6-1 as a starter so far this season (.857), after going just 8-11 (.421) in his 19 starts as a rookie last season.
Point Guard #3 Allen Iverson
6-0, 165
2007-08: 24.8 3.0 7.6 .460
Joins LeBron James and Baron Davis as the only players to currently rank in the Top-10 in both points and assists. Joins LeBron James and Baron Davis as the only players to currently rank in the Top-10 in both points and assists.
NUGGET'S KEY OFF THE BENCH PLAYER
Shooting Guard #1 J.R. Smith
6-6 220
2007-08: 11.7 2.6 3.7 .446
CLIPPER'S PROBABLE STARTERS
Small Forward #23 Ruben Patterson
6-5 223
2007-08: 4.4 2.7 0.9 .438
NOTES: Made 3rd start of season 11/17 vs. CHI, scored 5 pts (2-6 FG, 1-2 FT), 5 rebs, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk in a season-high 34:23...In 2006-07 averaged career-highs in pts (14.7), rebs (5.4), ast (2.9, and min (31.0) with Milwaukee.
Power Forward #2 Tim Thomas
6-10 240
2007-08: 14.7 6.1 2.3 .398
NOTES: Is 25-67 (.373) from 3PT range, is 4th in NBA in 3PT attempts...6.2 reb. avg is 2.1 boards more than career average of 4.1...Had 14 pts (5-16, 1-1 FT), 8 rebs, 3 ast in 37:30 11/17 vs. CHI...13 3PT attempts on 11/16 at GSW, sets new LAC franchise record
Center #35 Chris Kaman
7-0 256
2007-08: 18.7 13.3 1.6 .504
NOTES: Fourth in NBA in rebounds (13.2)...Set career-high with 26 pts (9-19 FG, 8-9 FT) 11/2 vs. GSW...Had 6th doubledouble of season 11/16 at. GSW, (20 pts, 12rebs)...Scored 21 pts (10-17 FG, 1-3 FT), 8 rebs in 38:15 11/17 vs. CHI
Shooting Guard #5 Cuttino Mobley
6-4 215
2007-08: 15.4 3.6 3.4 .531
NOTES: Is 15th in NBA in FG %, shooting .531 this season, a dramatic 9 percent increase from his career-high .440 FG % last season...Made 3rd start of season 11/17 vs. CHI, played season-high 45:02, had 9 pts (3-10 FG, 2-2 FT), 4 rebs, team-high 5 ast
Point Guard #22 Brevin Knight
5-10 170
2007-08: 3.4 1.5 3.9 .333
NOTES: Made 2nd start of season 11/17 vs. CHI, had season-high 8 pts (4-8 FG), 3 rbs, 1 ast, 2 stl in 21:29...2nd on Clips with 10 stls this season...Has had a career-high 20 ast two times in his career, last time 1/11/05 at CLE.
CLIPPER'S KEY OFF THE BENCH PLAYER
Point Guard #19 Sam Cassell
6-3 185
2007-08: 14.2 3.0 5.2 .414
TEAM STATS COMPARED: This is the Best Statistical Preview You Will find anywhere!
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
TEAM....... W L. PCT HOME ROAD EAST WEST DIV STREAK
Denver..... 7 3 .700 4-1. 3-2. 4-2. 3-1. 3-0. Won 5
LA Clippers 5 4 .556 3-2. 2-2. 3-3. 2-1. 1-1. Lost 2
Clippers............................Nuggets
96.9 Points scored................. 109.0
99.6 Points allowed................. 99.9
.422 FG% own........................ .476
.440 FG% opposition................. .436
.363 3PT% own....................... .374
.293 3PT% opposition................ .335
44.1 Total Rebounds per game.........45.4
46.2 Opposition Total Rebounds/game..45.6
11.0 Offensive Rebounds/game.........11.1
13.2 Opposition Offensive Reb/game...13.5
99 Offensive Rebounds............... 111
298 Defensive Rebounds............... 343
397 Total Rebounds................... 454
5.6 Steals Per Game..................10.4
6.9 Opposition Steals Per Game........9.8
5.1 Blocked Shots Per Game............6.3
6.1 Opposition Blocked Shots/Game.....4.2
21.1 Assists Per Game................24.9
21.4 Opposition Assists Per Game.....23.6
14.2 Turnovers Per Game..............16.6
13.8 Opposition Turnovers Per Game...17.6
1.5 Assist/Turnover Ratio............ 1.5
21.6 Fouls Per Game................. 22.0
21.2 Opposition Fouls Per Game.......24.0
NUGGETS INJURY REPORT
OUT: Anthony Carter suffered a 3rd metacarpal fracture on his right hand and underwent successful surgery on 10/10. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks
OUT: Chucky Atkins suffered a severe right groin strain at Phoenix on 10/25 and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
OUT: Nene suffered a torn ulner collateral ligament in his left thumb at Boston on 11/7 and underwent successful surgery on 11/9. He is expected to miss six weeks.
OUT: Steven Hunter underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on 11/16 and is expected to miss six weeks.
CLIPPERS INJURY REPORT:
OUT: Elton Brand (Left Achilles tendon)
OUT: Shaun Livingston (Dislocated left knee)
DOUBTFUL: Corey Maggette (Strained right hamstring)
DOUBTFUL: Al Thornton (Sprained right ankle)
PROBABLE: Cuttino Mobley (Strained groin)
PROBABLE: Quinton Ross (Bruised right knee)
ON THE AIR:
Tonight’s game will be televised on Altitude with Chris Marlowe calling the action and Scott Hastings providing analysis. The game will also be broadcast on AM 1600, with Jerry Schemmel doing the play-by-play and Jason Kosmicki hosting the studio courtside.
KEY MATCHUPS:
C Chris Kaman vs. Marcus Camby These are two of the best centers in the NBA. Kaman is a more consistent scorer than Camby, mostly because he doesn't do much jump shooting, but Camby is better at finding the open man and in transition.
SF Ruben Patterson vs. Carmelo Anthony Here's another opportunity for Anthony to have a big game for the Nuggets. Patterson is off to a poor start this season, and Anthony should be able to eat his lunch.
NUGGET'S KEYS TO VICTORY
Stay cool and confident. I’m going to have to keep including this key until the Nugget's players and coaches maintain their confidence more consistently. They also need to avoid the drama from having criticism and dirty laundry in the newspapers. And they need to avoid ugly off-court incidents. Yeah, I'm looking at you when I say that, J.R. Smith.
2nd chance scores. With Brand and Maggette out, the Nuggets in general and Melo, Kenyon Martin, Najera, and Kleiza in particular should be able to get a bunch of 2nd chance scores via offensive rebounds.
Don't get too flashy. It's a back to back nights game and everyone is going to be a little bit slower than usual, which could lead to an excessive number of turnovers and easy Clipper scores if the Nuggets try to showboat too much. A back to back game is not the kind of game for a lot of ally oops and dangerous passing. If you play relatively conservatively on offense, and take care of rebounding, the Clippers will not get as many possessions as they want.
CLIPPER'S KEYS TO VICTORY
Double team Melo or Iverson, usually Melo. There is a reason most teams do this. You want to double Melo unless Iverson is killing you, in which case you probably should start doubling Iverson and going for steals off him. Also, you should always try to get Melo into foul trouble, because the reward is huge if you succeed.
Disrupt the Nuggets with steals or drawing fouls. One of the best ways to disrupt the Nuggets right now is to force a lot of turnovers and turn them into fast break scores. Another thing you can try is to try to get Melo or even Camby into foul trouble; Kamen may be just the guy who could get Camby into foul trouble.
Play Sam Cassell for a lot of minutes Tell Cassell, Mobley, and Thomas to try some open threes in the 1st half to see who, if anyone, has the touch. A bunch of 3-point scores will be necessary for the Clippers, unless the Nuggets come in very tired from a tough game the night before.
OVERALL PREDICTIONS
The unavailability of SF Corey Maggette until at least early December is devastating to the Clippers, as is the unavailability of PF Elton Brand until at least late January. Maggette is currently the 10th best small forward in the NBA, ahead of, for example, Andrei Kirilenko. He accounts for 20 points a game. The combination of being without Maggette and Brand will be the 1-2 knockout punch for the Clippers in some of their upcoming games, but whether this is one of them is totally uncertain, because the Nuggets are playing on back to back nights and the Clippers are not.
With Brand and Maggette out, the Nugget's front court should be able to contain that of the Clippers, provided that Melo is not lazy in rebounding. Iverson will probably have a good game, or at least try to have a good game, by driving inside often. How many calls he gets will be important.
The Nuggets can win with a combination of three point shooting, good rebounding, and decent defending against the dangerous scorers Tim Thomas, Cuttino Mobley, and possibly Sam Cassell. That Camby will need help with rebounding is 100% certain. In fact, there is a danger that Camby might get into foul trouble in this game.
As long as George Karl keeps playing 9 players for 10 or more minutes with Bobby Jones and J.R. Smith included among the 9, the Nuggets can win almost anywhere, anytime. Were the Nuggets to win this game, it would be huge, because the Clippers are going to be in the playoff hunt when Brand returns and winning in a back to back night game would pump the team up big time.
DON'T TICK ME OFF MORE THAN USUAL GK
Keep playing a 9th man for at least 10 minutes a game. You backed into a 9-player rotation by accident by sticking with Yakhouba Diawara and Najera through thick and thin. Now that you finally have an excellent rotation, don't mess with what has the Nuggets at the top of the heap in the West.
