Denver Nuggets at Chicago Bulls: Game Thread and Preview

The Denver Nuggets (5-2) head into the Windy City Tuesday night to take on the Chicago Bulls (4-2).

The Nuggets are coming off a pair of difficult back-to-back losses to the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, and look to turn around their East Coast road trip with a victory against the Bulls.

J.R. Smith will make his first appearance of the season after serving a seven-game suspension to start the year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Smith struggle out of the gate looking to reintegrate into this offense.

Kenyon Martin injured his leg on Friday night against the Heat, but his MRI revealed that there was no fracture and he is currently listed as day to day. He will likely sit out this contest. If Martin is unable to go, look for George Karl to turn to either Renaldo Balkman again or Malik Allen to start at power forward.

The Bulls are riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, including impressive victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and the pesky Charlotte Bobcats.

Tyrus Thomas will be out four to six weeks with a fractured left forearm he sustained while lifting weights, but he has been struggling this year anyway and hasn’t been much of a factor even when healthy. The Bulls might even benefit from removing him as a distraction.

In his absence, Taj Gibson is likely to get the start at the power forward spot again. He has been solid, but unspectacular in his starts so far. Also, look for some spot duty time for the Bulls other rookie, James Johnson.

Mismatch in favor of the Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony vs. Luol Deng

At this point, it is too hard for me to resist putting Carmelo Anthony versus almost anyone in the league as a mismatch in favor of the Nuggets. 

I think Deng is a physical enough of a defender to give ‘Melo some problems on the block, but the threat of Anthony’s sweet jump shot coupled with his superior quickness should prove to be too much for Deng to contain.

Deng’s size and lack of quickness will prove to be a disadvantage in this matchup. Look for ‘Melo to torch the Bulls and continue his 30-plus point performances.

Deng has been wildly inconsistent this season on the offensive end, and Anthony is a vastly improved defender. I wouldn’t expect much beyond a 10-15-point performance from Deng.

Mismatch in favor of the Bulls - John Salmons vs. whoever the Nuggets throw out there to start + J.R. Smith

John Salmons has been very inconsistent to this point, but he had a break-out performance on Saturday against the Bobcats with 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting.

The Nuggets have been torched by a combined 88 points in the past two games against the opposing team’s shooting guards and I would look for that trend to continue.

While I don’t think J.R. will get the start at the two-guard, I do see him playing the most significant number of minutes. Look for Salmons to have a strong game against Smith, who is sure to be rusty and who isn’t a strong defender even at his most polished.

I expect Smith to come in and force some ill advised shots and really struggle while he presses to pick up where he left off in last year’s playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 5-for-15 type of performance from J.R.

Key Matchup – Joakim Noah vs. Nene

Noah is coming off of a career performance against the Bobcats and became only the third player since 2001 to record at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, while shooting 80 percent from the floor in a victory.

While Noah has been playing outstanding ball to this point in the season (11.3 points and 11 rebounds per game), his wiry frame and lack of strength leaves him vulnerable to be pushed around by the bigger and stronger Nene.

When Nene is aggressive, there isn’t a center in the league that can match up with his blend of size and agility. The problem is that he is only aggressive about 50 percent of the time he plays.

With Martin likely to miss some time while recovering from his leg injury, Nene will have to step up his intensity for the Nuggets to have a chance in this game.

I give the slight edge to the Nuggets in this matchup, but Noah continues to amaze, and seems to prove me wrong every time I underestimate him.

Keys to the Game for Nuggets

-          Keep Noah off the boards and win the rebounding battle

-          Don’t allow Derrick Rose to control the tempo of the game

-          A second scorer besides ‘Melo needs to step up

Keys to the Game for the Bulls 

-          Keep Carmelo content with the long jump shot

-          Capitalize on Kenyon Martin’s absence and win the inside battles

-          Slow down Ty Lawson and Nuggets second unit

Prediction – Bulls win 100-93

I think the absence of Kenyon Martin will prove to be too much for the Nuggets to overcome once again. His injury highlights the biggest flaw in this team, and that is its lack of front court depth. In order for the Nuggets to come away victorious, Nene will have to play aggressively and have a 15-point/15-rebound type of game.

Chicago is playing good ball right now, and I see them dominating in the paint against a weakened Nuggets frontcourt and winning the battle on the glass. Even without Tyrus Thomas, the Bulls are deeper and more physical inside. The Nuggets always seem to struggle on their East Coast road trips, and this sets up to be another disappointing game for the Nuggets.