The Lakers Won the Series, but the Nuggets Are More Fun

The Lakers-Nuggets Western Conference Finals was a great series to watch.

We were treated to games won by last-minute steals, aggressive defense from both sides, and Carmelo matching Kobe point-for-point. The Lakers lived up to expectations by taking the series, but it was the Nuggets that made it fun to watch.

The following is my list of highlights from the Lakers-Nuggets series. Don't be looking for specific plays in this list; it's purely aesthetics. These are asides, all the fun stuff that complements the fantastic basketball, which needs no more rehashing at this point.

• First and foremost, the Birdman. The guy's game is so bizarre, and it's likewise so much fun to watch. He tries to block everything. Everything.
• Dahntay Jones being a major twerp. It's like when you're playing a pick-up game and everybody's having a good time, except one guy who's taking his defensive assignment way too seriously. And it's not like it worked, anyway.
• Have you ever noticed that Nené looks like a crazy, corn-rowed version of Tim Duncan? It's like if Tim Duncan had an evil twin, or even just a twin with a personality.
• Chris Andersen's ink. He reportedly has 37 tattoos, but it's not just the sheer quantity that makes them awesome—it's the colors. Having pale, caucasian skin means there's a better canvas to start with, and his full-color tats really stand out. Exceptional work.
• K-Mart's ink. Holy cow, those lips on his neck are hideous. He says it's a tribute to his girlfriend, the rapper Trina. I guess if you're dating Trina you want to flaunt it somehow, and her lips are the most family-friendly body part the NBA would allow?
• The most interesting part of the Lakers was Trevor Ariza and his teleporting abilities. How often do you actually steal the inbounds pass? And I don't mean just trapping the guy that receives the pass, but actually intercepting the pass? When you watch that play from Game One over again, Ariza's nowhere near the ball, and then he comes out of nowhere.
  
• Deserving of a separate bullet point is that Ariza did it twice, both times to seal the win. Steal it once, props to Ariza. Steal it twice, shame on the Nuggets for not even being able to inbound the ball. Do we need some more drills for this?
• J.R. Smith was only useful in two games out of six, and nobody was even remotely surprised. I need this guy's job. Show up once a week and do what you do, and then mail it in the rest of the time. Sweet gig.
  
• I enjoyed hearing Pau Gasol complain to the media after Game Five that he wasn't getting enough touches. That's right, be a man. Pau Gasol is what you'd get if Ned Flanders had a growth spurt and learned Spanish. It's good news for the Lakers' chances in the Finals if Pau is finally showing some cojones.
• And I end right back where I began, with the Birdman. There's one play that does actually deserve rehashing: Andersen reverse-posterizing Lamar Odom. It reminded me of a play from a few years back when Ben Wallace was still with the Pistons, and he blocked a dunk by Shaq. They were paused in the air for about 30 seconds, locked in a battle of sheer will. Veins were popping out all over Wallace's temples as he gave it everything he possibly could. And finally the two players came back down to earth, the basket having been denied. Sweet stuff.