Last night, the Denver Nuggets had a chance to finish off the Dallas Mavericks for the franchise’s first ever sweep, ABA or NBA. Instead, they lost 119-117 as they now go home to try and finish Dallas off in the thin air. While many analysts still believe the Nuggets will finish the job eventually (history doesn’t lie; no NBA team has ever come back from 3-0 down), the loss did raise an old issue with this team; how mature are the Denver Nuggets?

It was a given before the game that these two teams had no love lost for each other, and boy did it show last night; seven technical fouls and two flagrant fouls say plenty of their feelings. All of this coming in the wake of Mavs owner Mark Cuban making insensitive comments towards Kenyon Martin’s mother (depending on what you heard, he called Martin a punk or a thug; Cuban has since apoligized to Martin’s mother). There was one incident, however, that makes me very concerned, and it involves Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony.

In the second quarter, Anthony and Antoine Wright battled under the basket for a rebound, and their arms got entangled. After Wright seemed to refuse to untangle, Anthony let loose a shot that, on replay, connected to Wright’s face. While it didn’t appear to be an outright punch, this only raises the issue of Anthony’s attitude. Remember, Anthony nearly started a riot in New York when he sucker punched another player, and was promptly suspended by the league. The Nuggets can ill afford to lose their best scorer for any length of time. More importantly, this is not the way the supposed leader of the team should be acting in what amounts to an inconsequential playoff game.

But the real reason for the post is this; today, while listening to the hacks on ESPN, they bounced around the idea that the Nuggets were distracted from winning because they were only concerned with Cuban’s comments. If so, then the Los Angeles Lakers or Houston Rockets shouldn’t have much problem in the conference finals. Because if a team allows itself to get preoccupied with an owner’s words, they aren’t championship material. Admittedly, Anthony, Martin and Nuggets coach George Karl were heavily talking about Cuban before the game. Cuban must be a master manipulator if that caused Denver to lose.

Will Anthony get suspended? I don’t really know for sure, but if a flagrant two foul is hitting a player in the face, then at the very least, give him a fine. But more importantly, if the Nuggets want to show that they are true contenders, they need to better handle adversity. If they’re letting one person’s words get to them, what will happen if they lose to  the Lakers because Phil Jackson said that he agrees with Cuban and that they are thugs? Or if Rick Adelman said the same thing? Show some mettle, Denver! And Chauncey Billups (the commander-in-chief for the offense, as TNT showed in their broadcast) must assume command, because it appears Anthony isn’t ready for that role yet.

This blog appeared on the basektball-related site "The Basketball Oracle". Visit www.thebasketballoracle.wordpress.com to see this and other great basektball articles!

Today's profile is a man who defines the word "nomad". He has coached nine of the NBA's 30 teams, as well as two ABA and two NCAA teams. And, at one time, he was one of the best playmaking guards in the game. He is Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown.

Larry Brown was born September 14, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Long Beach High School (whose other notable alum is comedian Billy Crystal), then went to the University of North Carolina, where as a point guard, Brown played for Dean Smith, who he admires greatly. Despite a solid career as a Tar Heel and being selected in the seventh round of the 1963 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets, the consensus was that Brown was too small to play effectively in the league. Brown played a season with the National Association of Basketball Leagues' (NABL) Akron Wingfoots (1964-65), during which time he was selected to play in the 1964 Olympics, where he won a gold medal. Brown returned to North Carolina as an assistant coach, but soon returned to playing when the American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed in 1967.

Brown joined the New Orleans Buccaneers in the ABA's inaugural season, leading the league in assists (6.5 APG) and taking New Orleans to the first ABA Finals, losing to the Pittsburgh Pipers. Brown led the ABA in assists in 1969 and 1970 as well, and as an Oakland Oak in 1968-69, Brown won an ABA title as the Rick Barry-led Oaks finished 60-18 and 12-4 in the playoffs. Brown also played for the Washington Capitols (where the Oaks moved in 1969), the Virginia Squires (where the Caps moved a year later), and the last year and a half of his career with the Denver Rockets (now the Nuggets), where he retired in 1972. At the time he retired, he was the ABA's all-time assists leader (he would eventually finish seventh in that category in ABA history).

Brown was set to begin coaching Davidson college (NC) after his retirement, but he bolted before coaching a game to become the ABA's Carolina Cougars head coach (establishing an obvoious pattern). Brown was wildly successful in his first season, winning ABA Coach of the Year honors as the Cougars finished with a league-best 57-27 record. After being bounced in the division finals by Kentucky, Brown coached another year with Carolina, but did not make the move with them to St. Louis in 1974. Brown was then hired as coach of the Nuggets, and he guided Denver to the league's best record each of his two years, leading them to the last ABA Finals in 1975-76, losing to the New York Nets. Brown joined the Nuggets in the NBA the following year, and the Nuggets were the most successful former ABA team in each of the first two years there, winning the Midwest Division title each year and making the Western Conference finals in 1978. The following year, however, Brown resigned. According to reports, though Brown cited heart problems for his resignation, he was seen jogging a mile prior to his press conference. Many actually cited Brown's disagreement in acquiring George McGinnis as the real reason he quit.

Brown then jumped into college, taking the UCLA job in 1979. His first season saw the Bruins make it to the national title game before losing to Lousiville 59-54. After a lackluster second year, Brown left under pressure and joined the New Jersey Nets in 1981. Though Brown led the Nets to a playoff spot and a team NBA-high 44 wins his first year, Brown did not enjoy coaching the team he had. With just six games left in the 1982-83 season, Brown was fired after he told the team he was leaving to take the Kansas coaching job. At Kansas, Brown had good success, leading the Jayhawks to a Big 8 (now Big 12) title in 1986 and to an unlikely NCAA title in 1988, beating Oklahoma 83-79 in the final (the Jayhawks were the first team in NCAA history to win the title with 10+ losses). Itching for a new challenge, Brown signed on with the San Antonio Spurs after the title game.

Brown joined the Spurs at the right time; after a rough first season (21-61), Brown rided rookie David Robinson to 56 wins and an Midwest Division title in 1989-90 (the 35 win jump was the largest single-season jump at the time in NBA history). Brown took the Spurs to another division title in 1991, but was fired after 38 games in 1991-92 after a dispute with management. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by the Los Angeles Clippers, where he took the previously moribund Clippers to their most successful stretch in team history; they went 45-37 and 41-41 in his two years and made the playoffs both times (he was also married during this time). But after the 1992-93 season, Brown was on the move again, this time for the Indiana Pacers.

At Indiana, Brown directed a team that had not won any NBA playoff series to two playoff series wins in 1994, nearly leading them to an upset of the Knicks in the conference finals. Brown then led Indiana to a division title in 1995 and another conference final, but after a lackluster 1996-97 season, Brown moved on to the Philadelphia 76ers, a team in dire straights at the time. Depsite constant clashes with star guard Allen Iverson, Brown stayed with the Sixers for the longest stretch he had with any team. Over the course of six seasons, Brown guided the Sixers to five playoffs berths, the highlight being the 2000-01 season, where Philadelphia secured division and conference titles before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Brown won his only NBA Coach of the Year award after that season, and in 2003, he was hired to coach the Detroit Pistons, a team on the cusp of competing for a title.

In his first season with the Pistons, Brown achieved his zenith as an NBA coach, as Detroit shocked the Lakers to win the 2004 NBA title. The victory made Brown the first (and only) coach to have won an NCAA and an NBA title. Brown led the Pistons back to the Finals in 2005, but they lost to the Spurs in seven games, and Brown was bought out after the series when rumors surfaced that he was interested in a fron office job with the Cleveland Cavaliers. A week later, he was hired as coach by the New York Knicks, the team Brown idolized as a youth.

However, Brown's time in the Big Apple was anything but rosy; he clashed with players (most notably Stephon Marbury) and GM Isiah Thomas over the personnel. While Brown won his 1,000th game with the Knicks (one of only four to do so), there were few other highlights; the Knicks finished 23-59, and Brown was fired. After spending most of the next two years as a Sixers consultant, Brown returned yet again to coaching with the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2008-09 season. Yes, Brown is a nomad in any sense of the word, but few fret the details as successfully as he (usually) does, so the ends (usually) justify the means.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review (Player):
1967-68: 78 GP, 13.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 36.6 FG%, 81.3 FT%, 21.3 3P%
1968-69: 77 GP, 12.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 7.1 APG, 43.6 FG%, 79.4 FT%, 22.9 3P%
1969-70: 82 GP, 13.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 7.1 APG, 44.0 FG%, 82.5 FT%, 25.6 3P%
1970-71: 63 GP, 7.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 5.2 APG, 37.4 FG%, 82.7 FT%, 28.6 3P%
1971-72: 76 GP, 9.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 7.2 APG, 43.7 FG%, 81.1 FT%, 20.0 3P%

Season-by-Season Statistical Review (Coach):
1972-73 Carolina ABA: 57 Wins, 27 Losses (7-5, lost div. finals)
1973-74 Carolina ABA: 47 Wins, 37 Losses (1-4, lost div. semifinals)
1974-75 Denver ABA: 65 Wins, 19 Losses (7-6, lost div. finals)
1975-76 Denver ABA: 60 Wins, 24 Losses (6-7, lost ABA Finals)
1976-77 Denver: 50 Wins, 32 Losses (2-4, lost conf. semifinals)
1977-78 Denver: 48 Wins, 34 Losses (6-7, lost conf. finals)
1978-79 Denver: 28 Wins, 25 Losses (resigned after 53 games)
1979-80 UCLA NCAA: 22 Wins, 10 Losses (12-6 in conf., lost NCAA final)
1980-81 UCLA NCAA: 20 Wins, 7 Losses (13-5 in conf. made it to NCAA round of 32)
1981-82 New Jersey: 44 Wins, 38 Losses (0-2, lost preliminary round)
1982-83 New Jersey: 47 Wins, 29 Losses (fired after 76 games)
1983-84 Kansas NCAA: 22 Wins, 10 Losses (9-5 in conf., lost in 2nd round)
1984-85 Kansas NCAA: 26 Wins, 8 Losses (11-3 in conf., lost in 2nd round)
1985-86 Kansas NCAA: 35 Wins, 4 Losses (13-1 in conf., lost in Final Four)
1986-87 Kansas NCAA: 25 Wins, 11 Losses (9-5 in conf., lost in Sweet Sixteen)
1987-88 Kansas NCAA: 27 Wins, 11 Losses (9-5 in conf., won NCAA title)
1988-89 San Antonio: 21 Wins, 61 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1989-90 San Antonio: 56 Wins, 26 Losses (6-4, lost conf. semifinals)
1990-91 San Antonio: 55 Wins, 27 Losses (1-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1991-92 San Antonio: 21 Wins, 17 Losses (fired after 38 games)
1991-92 L.A. Clippers: 23 Wins, 12 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1992-93 L.A. Clippers: 41 Wins, 41 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1993-94 Indiana: 47 Wins, 35 Losses (10-6, lost conf. finals)
1994-95 Indiana: 52 Wins, 30 Losses (10-7, lost conf. finals)
1995-96 Indiana: 52 Wins, 30 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1996-97 Indiana: 39 Wins, 43 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1997-98 Philadelphia: 31 Wins, 51 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1998-99 Philadelphia: 28 Wins, 22 Losses (3-5, lost conf. semifinals)
1999-2000 Philadelphia: 49 Wins, 33 Losses (5-5, lost conf. semifinals)
2000-01 Philadelphia: 56 Wins, 26 Losses (12-11, lost NBA Finals)
2001-02 Philadelphia: 43 Wins, 39 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
2002-03 Philadelphia: 48 Wins, 34 Losses (6-6, lost conf. semifinals)
2003-04 Detroit: 54 Wins, 28 Losses (16-7, won NBA Finals)
2004-05 Detroit: 54 Wins, 28 Losses (15-10, lost NBA Finals)
2005-06 New York: 23 Wins, 59 Losses (did not make playoffs)
2008-09 Charlotte: 35 Wins, 47 Losses (did not make playoffs)