No Regard Presidential Previews: Denver Nuggets (John Quincy Adams)

Oh the season. Oh the season! Election or NBA, both are upon us. We're getting into the spirit by bringing you our season previews (with a little help from the presidents). One per day for the next 30 days—which will bring us to the Day of Reckoning. So please join us on the campaign trail as we shake hands, kiss babies and sink jumpers.

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” - John Quincy Adams

While he would never be as famous or well-remembered as his father, John Quincy Adams was a fantastic diplomat and a surprisingly progressive president. Elected in 1824 after a highly successful eight-year stint as Secretary of State that included acquiring Florida from Spain and authoring the Monroe Doctrine, John Quincy Adams opposed slavery and pushed for the modernization of American infrastructure.

The Nuggets were not supposed to matter after Carmelo Anthony forced a trade to the Knicks. Denver was destined to become Cleveland West, acquiring Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and others for Melo, Chauncey Billups and others. Well, Gallinari turned into a star, Ty Lawson began coming of age and the Nuggets drafted Kenneth Faried and traded for JaVale McGee, two phenomenal physical specimens.

An incredible diplomat, Adams was known for working peacefully with leaders around the world. The Nuggets seem to be willing to trade with pretty much anyone. This summer, after already shipping Nene to Washington for McGee, Denver dealt Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington for Andre Iguodala, another incredibly athletic, hard-working player to lead their young team. A team that took the Lakers to seven games in the first round the year after trading the biggest star in franchise history is only getting better. Where John Quincy Adams was a sneaky-good leader of the free world, the Nuggets are a sleeper team that could make noise in the Western Conference for years to come.

Will the young, upstart Nuggets continue to grow under super-coach George Karl? Will GM Masai Ujiri stir things up once more? Can the Nuggets reach the second round?

(On a separate note, do yourself a favor and search YouTube for "JaVale McGee dumb plays" you won't be disappointed. Keep in mind, this man is getting paid $10 million this year.)

Rushed Pull-Up Jumpers

Pokemon who the team should adopt as its new mascot: Zapdos

Headline we'll be most sick of reading: "Andre Miller a Great Teacher for Lawson"

Headline we're most looking forward to: "Stuff JaVale Bought"

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you enter the pearly gates?: "Why are you here? I thought you couldn't be killed."

Question(s) of the Day: LA Edition

NBA fans everywhere got out of bed this morning, barrelled down their stairs, and barked out a joyous,"Yipeee!" as they started their day. Word that Chris Paul would be joining the Clip Show broke late last night and dreaming of him paired alongside Blake Griffin is about as appetizing as it gets to the NBA geek and casual fan alike. To celebrate, we've compiled a list of questions that came to mind when we heard the news. Please note that these questions regard not only the Clippers but the entire Los Angeles basketball scene:

Lockout Update: Chauncey Billups

Also rocked a red hoodie. Tyson Chandler and Carmelo decided to go with scarves.

Melo and Active Hands

Abides and I watched the Knick game last night and simply put, it was a wonky affair. Here are some talking points we found hilarious, mind-boggling, and entertaining.

*Throughout the entire broadcast Mike Breen consistently harped on how well Carmelo was playing on defense. Almost every time he noted this, Melo was reaching in and waving his arms furiously—flapping around like a child aggressively attempting to swim out of the deep end. That was pretty much it. No clear shift in strategy, no sign of better communication, no calculated positioning, and no formula—just active hands.

*It was great to watch the Knick cheerleaders present Walt Frazier with a massive goblet filled with Snickers to celebrate his birthday. That should happen at basketball games more often.

*Mr. Candace Parker deserves more playing time. He checked Dwight better than any other Knick big and had some clutch plays down the stretch. And: Why haven't we seen Candace in the Garden yet?

*Chauncey Billups is so far beyond a joke that it's hysterical. If that makes sense.

*Gil showed flashes of OG Gil with some high-pressure threes.

*I get that Dwight's 6th foul call was pathetic, but he needs to calm the fuck down. Go ahead and try not arguing every single time a call doesn't go your way. Grow-up, Peter Pan.

*Melo and Amar'e never really looked to get each other open looks. This might be an option to consider down the road.

*You can't blame Hedo for fouling out: Whatever it took to get out of that arena fast enough for him to stuff three slices of the best pizza in the world into his mouth and rip seven vodka shots as quickly as possible.

*At one point late in the game, J-Rich and Melo looked like 6th graders wrestling as they desperately tried to trip and prevent one another from getting up off the hardwood. Awesome.

*I know this is overstated, but Walt Frazier literally just states words. Nothing he says makes any sense. After listening to him for almost 20 years, it still continues to baffle me.

*Melo should have put back his own miss at the end of regulation.

*This Knick team is great for the league.

*I wonder how many different people in the Knick organization Ewing asked about D'Antoni's job security.

NBA Middle Names: Chauncey Billups

We at No Regard spend a lot of time in our NBA knitting circles trying to figure out the human side of these players. Whether it's musing about their commutes to work, how much "Call of Duty" they play, or what their favorite snack food is, we like to remind ourselves that NBA players are nothing more than young men with enviable jobs. What better way to humanize our heroes than look up their middle names?

Chauncey Ray Billups

Text Messages and Google: Knicks and Nuggets React to Blockbuster Trade

(Staten Island native, Renaldo Balkman, is back home for a second stint with the Knicks. He's ready to contribute!)

With the Melodrama finally coming to a close late last evening, the reactions have been pouring in. Seems like just about everyone who's ever seen an NBA game has an opinion about this blockbuster trade.
So we figured we'd give you a break over here at No Regard and instead of waxing poetic about whose gonna take the last shot for the new-look Knicks (it will be Chauncey, FYI, not because that's how Mike will draw it up but because Billups thinks he's the man), we've decided to hypothesize the sorts of texts messages and Google searches the different individuals involved with the deal have been firing away in the last 12 hours.

No Regard Daily Previews: Tortoise and Hare

One Game We Are Definitely Going To Watch Tonight:
Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets


Tonight's featured match up pits a classic run-and-gun high octane offense against a stone-cold, blue-collar defense. It should be great to watch and see if George Karl's hectic style can solve Boston's lockdown D. The key battle will be between Pierce and Anthony: can the Truth handle the jab-step and smile, or will Melo be able to handle the Truth?

Speaking of Melo (can you believe he's still on the Nuggets?), despite a drop in his scoring average, 22.8 down from last season's 28.2, he remains one of the best closers in the league and perhaps the purest scorer of his generation. (I'd love to hear some feedback in the comments section on that debate!) Off the bench, George Karl has found himself a sprightly backup for Billups in the form of former Tar Heel Ty Lawson, whose 8.8 points and four assists per contest have been pivotal in Denver's 13-7 start.

Waving Off Melo

Team USA took on Brazil yesterday in our first real test during the FIBA competition this summer. America won by two points. Phew. 3-0, baby! What do I take away from the game? Something I have felt and believed for a few years now that, "Mr. Big-Shot" Chauncey Billups needs to have his name revised to, "Mr. Ball-Hog" ASAP.

Forever engraved in my mind is an image of Billups from this past NBA season which defines my assertion that his nickname needs a makeover. The Nuggets were playing the Cavs and the game was tight the entire way. Melo was on fire, and dominant for Denver. With the seconds ticking away at the end of regulation Billups was bringing the ball up with the score tied. Melo, open in the front court, called for the rock. Billups, with a looked that screamed, "I'm Mr. Big Shot, I got this," waved Anthony off, dribbled the clock out and jacked up a brick as time expired. Classic. In OT, Melo drained a 17 footer in the face of King James at the buzzer to win what was maybe the best game of season. Ruthless.

I flipped when I witnessed Billups wave off Melo that night. Similarly, I flipped yesterday when I witnessed Billups call his own number over and over again down the stretch in a close game, miss bad shots, and refuse to pass to better scorers in Durant and Rose. Painful. If Carmelo leaves Denver this season Chauncey's career is finished. He had some great years with Detroit in which he hit a few clutch shots but every hog has his day.

Who do you think you are, Mr. Ball-Hog?