Toronto at Denver

This could truly be a fun one.

Sure, the Keon Clark Cup (sorry, Kevin Willis) could get ugly, but I'm more interested in two teams trying to establish themselves amongst the muck of their respective conferences.

(As they had to, about this time, seven years ago. And you've guessed correctly; because if nostalgia is a carrot, then for some reason, my carrot's been deep fried and served with bleu cheese. I can't lay off.)

Here's what's current: Chauncey Billups' slow offensive start with Denver has still left him with a 22 PER, and his defense and leadership is as Billups-y as ever. Chris Bosh is everyone's favorite non-MVP MVP candidate, killing while still ... channel 752! Wade just tossed in a lefty scoop!

(Did you see what was happening in Wizards/Cavs? LeBron has 32/9/9 just shooting with his left hand, passing with his right foot, and rebounding with his eyes! And it's the third quarter!)

OK, so, Chris Bosh is a step short, in relative terms. He isn't quite on their level. That doesn't mean he isn't blowing us away, and that certainly doesn't mean the Raptors don't have potential. No big man has been a better watch this year, and that includes Amare Stoudemire.

The Nuggets? They'll just mess you up. They walk it up, now. Kenyon Martin will shove you when the referees turn away to send the foul call to the scorer's table, and J.R. Smith's tattoos are on Dita Von Teese's bucket list.

(Yes, I had to Yahoo! search Dita's correct spelling, and I'm going to try to squeeze that image search into my expense reports next month. Damages you wouldn't believe, Mr. Irreverent ...)

Seriously? This should be a fantastic game. Two squads with a bunch to figure out (in spite of the consistent winning from one end, and the consistent mediocrity from another) who tend to smack of up-tempo teams but prefer to be patient with things.

(Or, not. It could be a blowout. The Nuggets have won 67 percent of their 18 games. How badly have we underestimated Chauncey Billups?)

Denver Nuggets: 12-6, 94.4 possessions per game (6^th-most in the NBA), 106 points scored per 100 possessions (16^th), 103.2 points allowed per 100 possessions (9^th). Love Spreads.

Toronto Raptors: 8-8, 90.8 possessions per game (21^st), 106.6 points scored per 100 possessions (14^th), 108.4 points scored per 100 possessions (24^th). I Wanna Be Adored.

Related: Game to pay attention to