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."

No Regard Daily Previews: Florida Rivals

The First Game We'll Be Watching Tonight: Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat

Tonight's Florida-on-Florida NBA action has the potential to be some serious eye-candy for NBA junkies and casual fans alike. Outside of the tight Eastern conference playoff race in which the top three seeds are barely separated by a few games, Miami, a side that's been criticized for both its inability to win close games and have success against the top-tier teams in the league, has a chance to gain some confidence and silence their haters temporarily. For Orlando, it's an opportunity to continue the momentum it gained from their comeback victory over the new-look Knicks and tinker with a roster that still hasn't figured out its identity since being revamped a few months back.

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: 11-2-10

One Game We Were Definitely Going to Watch Tonight: New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic

The Knicks game has been cancelled this evening due to "asbestos-related material" falling from the MSG ceiling during overnight maintenance after the Rangers game last night. WTF? Anyway, here's what we were thinking about before we found out about this madness...

What's up with Gallo these days? The Italian sharpshooter has looked far from impressive in the Knicks three games so far. Is all the trade buzz getting to his head? Is his wrist bothering him? Is the express subway line to Little Italy currently under construction? Whatever the case may be, patience is running thin in Knickland. They need him to step up his game, not only because he was pinned as their second best offensive weapon but also because his trade value is in serious decline. The marquee match-up tonight, though, belongs to two of the best big men in the game in Stoudemire and Howard. If the Knicks want to be a playoff team, they'll need to start beating some Eastern Conference superpowers at the Garden. Tonight will serve as a good measuring stick.

Tune in tomorrow to find out what Andrew Abides watched instead. Maybe it will be this game...

One Game We Probably Won't (But Now Might) Watch Tonight: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzles

I really hope that I watch this tonight. Some on my favorite non-Boston games are when either the Gasols or the Lopezes face off. Marc has been solid so far this season, dropping eleven against Minnesota, and Pau has been typical Pau: silky smooth around the rim and always prolific and efficient in terms of offensive production. The Lake Show look to remain perfect while Memphis hopes to have a 3-1 record by the end of the night. Keys for a Memphis victory: slow down Mamba and win the battle of the Gasols. Keys for a Los Angeles victory: slow down the young Memphis backcourt and win the battle of the Gasols.