Can we talk about the Nuggets yet?

They have one of the top scorers in the league in Carmelo Anothony. A top point guard that has won an NBA Finals in Chauncey Billups. A coach that has been to the NBA Finals, and has a led three different teams to the conference finals. Not to mention, one of the toughest home courts to play at, and were in the conference finals last year. So why does this team still find themselves singing Aretha Franklin in the locker room?

This team has made multiple upgrades from last year's team on top of it with their offseason moves. They got more athletic in their forward coming off the bench with Joey Graham taking the place of Linus Kleiza who is now playing in Greece. Anthony Carter has been replaced by the faster, and more athletic, rookie point guard from North Carolina Ty Lawson. He only won ACC Player of the Year last year. They also got younger, and more of an offensive game, when they let Dahntay Jones leave and picked up Arron Afflalo in free agency.

With all this in their favor all you hear about going into this year is the Lakers and the Spurs. Maybe you get the occasional, "oh yeah and the Nuggets will be good too." I just do not know why there is just this prominent stance to taking them as a nice team, but not a threat to anyone, given all of these options.

They might have made their statement last night, though it was just one game, that was in Denver, and in November. You have to take notice though, as they were able to dominate the Lakers, minus Pau Gasol of course with his injury, destroying them 105-79. The game really was won in quarter number 3 when the Nuggets only allowed eight points, forcing multiple turnovers and getting out on the run to really get the crowd into it. Though the night's true excitement might have been when 5'11'' Ty Lawson threw down a dunk in the lane on the Laker's backup center Didier Ilunga-Mbenga.

This was a small bit of revenge for last year's conference finals loss to the Lakers, but they know they want more and that this does not quite equal losing out on a trip to the NBA Finals. Denver finds themselves with a record of 7-3 early this season, and it is apparent that they are going to be a team to watch yet again, as they have been since Carmelo was drafted back in 2003. I think it is time to give the N-U-G-G-E-T-S a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.