Some thoughts about the Denver Nuggets Brawl

Some thoughts about the Denver Nuggets Brawl
If you're a basketball player, basketball fan, basketball coach, you have seen and heard about the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks brawl.

Then NBA game was a very nasty scene once again for all, and while the NBA commissioner David Stern came down hard on the player who participated in the brawl by giving out some stift fines and suspensions.

So why do we bring up this situation? Because in all of situations, fights, brawls, mayhem, there's a lesson to be learned.

Not only athletes, but we feel that everyone should train themselves to be in control of themselves, thier actions, and how they react in certain situations. One key in doing so is always trying to find the positive in every situation, no matter how bad or how big the situation my seem. We know that not everyone is going to be playing in the NBA and get failed really hard, but we do know that everyone is going to have a bad day here and there. Through this bad days, tough situations, or even mistakes that often teach you the most not only about yourself but what it takes to succeed in life.

One lesson that we thought everyone could take from hearing, seeing, and talking about this NBA brawl is that self control is a key role not only in the game of basketball but in life.

What does it mean and take to have self control?

The players that we know and see mostly let their game do the talking. A player with true celf control is the one that does not show their emotions during stressful times. These players or not the ones that talk bad about they organizatoin, players, coaches in the locker room. These players are the one that own up to their personal responiblies and say yes "I took the game winning shot, and I missed it.", or the one that comes into practice early because they missed that last second free throw. If you want success, you have to earn it through having true self control starting with your emotions, your tongue, and your actions.


A true self control players play under control, while making strong moves to the basket, finishing plays, taking good shots, never getting too upset or too excited. True self control players don't let themselves lose control because they know they can't play at their best when they lose control. Great players maintain control both mentally and physically.

A lot of people watched the Knicks - Nuggets fight a few days ago and have now forgotten about it. But you're an athlete. If your a true self control player your goal is to get better every day. Everyone else has forgotten about the fight, but you just took the situation and have used it to help improve your game.

That's what great self control athletes do. That's what great self control basketball players do.

Iverson + Scoring Teammates = Lottery!

Featured Stat: Iverson + Scoring Teammates = Lottery!

This week we saw the mega-deal of Denver and Philadelphia, with the Nuggets having to part with Andre Miller, Joe Smith and 2 1st round draft picks in exchange for Allen Iverson. For Philadelphia, they are already in rebuilding mode and got rid of one of the most expensive contracts in the league, $40m over the next two years not including the rest of Iverson’s $18m salary this year. It’s a different story for Denver as they are hoping to build a championship team. With Iverson, they already have a loaded roster that includes the NBA’s leading scorer, Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith and Marcus Camby. But the main question is, will it work out?

Let’s take a look at Iverson’s statistical history. In the last 10 seasons, only Webber (1 season), Glenn Robinson (1 season), Derrick Coleman (2 seasons) and Jerry Stackhouse (2 seasons) have been able to score more than 16ppg when they had AI with them on the team, with Coleman/Stackhouse doing it during Iverson’s 1st 2 seasons in the league. What happens now in Denver, wherein they currently have the 2 top scorers in the league, averaging more than 30ppg?

Season	Player	PPG	Player	PPG	Player	PPG
1997	Iverson	23.5	Stackhouse	20.7	Coleman	18.1
1998	Iverson	22.0	Coleman	17.6	Stackhouse	16.0
1999	Iverson	26.8	Geiger	13.1	Ratliff	11.2
2000	Iverson	28.4	Kukoc	12.4	T. Hill	12.0
2001	Iverson	31.3	Ratliff	12.4	Mutombo	11.7
2002	Iverson	31.4	Coleman	15.1	Mckie	12.2
2003	Iverson	27.6	Van Horn	15.9	Snow	12.9
2004	Iverson	26.4	Robinson	16.6	K. Thomas	13.6
2005	Iverson	30.7	Webber	15.6	M. Jackson	12.0
2006	Iverson	33.0	Webber	20.2	Iguodala	12.3

Iverson had four (4) seasons wherein he had a teammate with enough talent to score more than 16 ppg alongside him. But quite amazingly, these are the seasons wherein Philadelphia completely missed the playoffs! The 76ers of the Iverson era has made the playoffs in the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005 seasons, completely missing all seasons in bold in the table above. When Philadelphia made the finals back in 2001, AI’s scoring teammates with 10+ppg were Theo Ratliff (12.4ppg), Dikembe Mutombo (11.7) and Aaron McKie (11.6).

With Anthony and JR Smith out the next 14 games, Iverson would have to carry much of the Nuggets’ scoring load. Others to support him in the offense would be Marcus Camby and Earl Boykins. We’ll have to wait and see what happens when the Nuggets are at full strength, as Anthony and Smith are still serving their suspensions. But with Denver currently sitting at the 7th spot, the suspensions, and the adjustments they have to make (before and after Melo returns), it seems like Sixers President Billy King is a genius if the equation “Iverson + Scorers = Lottery!” would continue as Philadelphia will end up with a lottery pick.