NBA Regular Season: Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets -- Game Thread

NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 6:

Utah Jazz (2-3) @ Denver Nuggets (2-3)

Full #UTAatDEN Game Stream -- Denver Stiffs -- Jazz vs Nuggets coverage

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These two teams seem to be almost forever linked now. Both are in the same division, and are neighbors. Both states have pissing contests over who had the better snow for skiing. And both states feel like their bball team is better. The Jazz and Nuggets also started rebuilding the same season when Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony were both sent East. Somehow they both made the playoffs last year. And now, well, we have the same record this year.

The Nuggets are young and good. We're older, but apparently "less good". Both teams have crazy depth.

So far this season the Nuggets are scoring 96.4 ppg (18th), and have an offensive rating of 102.6 (17th). The Jazz are at 97.6 ppg (11th), and have an offensive rating of 104.4 (9th). So, uh, we're playing a more high octane game than they are? Or something? Both teams leave a lot of room for improvement on defense.

That doesn't mean I am advocating playing some throwback 1980s fast break hyper-ball though. We both can score, but we score more effectively. We both have poor defenses; so the strategy should be to put the pressure on scoring by making it a slower game. When we've needed him Al Jefferson has been good. We know we have that advantage over them. We also have better bigs, so what it is worth. If we run we make it easier for them to get easy buckets on counter attacks.

That said, Andre Iguodala lived at a low pace game, and he's never had problems torching us . . . so . . . it's still going to be an interesting game at any speed.

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Probable Starters:

The thing that jumps out to me here is how all the Denver starters do their part on the glass. The other thing is that Kenneth Faried is like a young/unrefined version of Paul Millsap having career lows in efficiency. So, yeah. Bravo Zulu. They have speed up the wazoo though, so we can't fall in love with / fall into the trap of trying to run with them. Our strength is their precise weakness. Hope our team plays to our strength tonight.

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GO JAZZ GO!