A Game to Build a Dream On

The Nuggets looked good against the Hornets. They didn't look great. They didn't play up to their potential. But they looked good.

Marcus Camby and the rest of the Nuggets brought some defense. It wasn't all the defense. It wasn't even playoff defense, but it was enough to keep a second tier team from scoring more than 100 points. And that is more than the Nuggets have done in a long time.

Melo played with a bit of passion. Okay, maybe it wasn't passion. Maybe it was anticipation. Whatever it was, Melo played one of the most complete games he's played in a long time. The Nuggets should check out the stat line on this game. Neither Melo nor A.I. had to score 30 points for the team to win. They didn't even break 50 between them. But they played well, and they included their teammates. And to their credit, the other guys stepped up. Nene is starting to show why the Nuggets gave him $60 million in guaranteed money. Camby played great defense in the paint, which he'll need to continue to do if the Nuggets want to even make the playoffs.

For once, the team looked good. They didn't sneak past a lower echelon team. They outplayed a lower echelon team. Perhaps this is a step in the right direction.

And I for one would like to thank Mark Kiszla. Thanks for lighting the fire.