(Denver-CO) Tonight, we have a match-up of two teams on opposite ends of the basketball spectrum. The Denver Nuggets (4-0) are off to their best start in 24 years and will be in New Jersey to take on the Nets (0-4) who are trying to stave off matching their worst start since joining the NBA back in 1976.

And on a side note… there is this little 44-point debacle the Nuggets are looking to avenge from last season when they last came to New Jersey.

On paper, there are a slew of advantages the Nuggets have going in their favor. For starters, Denver is scoring the NBA’s second highest average of points per game (113.8) compared to New Jersey’s average of 87.5 ppg being the league’s second worst. In addition, the Nets have not been very careful with the basketball coming in to tonight’s game with an average of nearly 17 turnovers per contest. Other areas where New Jersey is coming in close to the bottom of the NBA barrel include offensive rebounds allowed, defensive rebounding (surprise, surprise), FG’s made, FG’s attempted, FG%, 3-pointers made, and 3-pointers attempted.

As for the Nuggets, they are looking to go two-for-two in the second game of a back-to-back set so far this season. Their first on this road trip, the Nuggets will face three back-to-back sets on this odyssey, but the good news is they will only face one team (Atlanta) with a winning record so far this year on the tail end of those three sets.

Denver is a little banged up after last night’s win over the Pacers. Chauncey Billups suffered a light left ankle sprain, Joey Graham re-injured a sprained big toe on his right foot, and Chris Andersen sustained a right knee hyper-extension/contusion in the third quarter. None to the above injuries are supposed to keep anyone from action tonight, but on this long of a road trip these kind of injuries are good to keep an eye on because they can linger and worsen over time without much rest.

In tonight’s game, the Nuggets will need to hold New Jersey’s leading scorer, Brook Lopez, in check. The second-year center is off to a great start averaging 17.3 points and seven rebounds and poses a problem for the Nuggets who have had trouble defending seven-footers. Denver will also have to keep rookie, Chris Douglas-Roberts, from continuing his hot scoring streak. Douglas-Roberts has scored twenty plus points in his last two games after starting his NBA career off slow with eight and six points, respectively.

Overall, this is a game the Nuggets are supposed to win. Without Devin Harris, who is out with a groin strain, the New Jersey Nets are a wounded animal. But make no mistake about it, that’s what makes this team one the Nuggets should not overlook. Denver would be wise to jump all over the Nets not allowing them any room to loiter while avenging last season’s most disappointing loss.

Go Nuggets!

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