With Okur out for the year with injury, Kirilenko still recovering, and Brewer and Maynor gone via trades, I have to admit I'm *ALMOST* as surprised as you are, ziggy. However, there's one factor that you have to consider: George Karl isn't there to coach Denver right now. Instead, the coach is Adrian Dantley, and this is is first experience acting as head coach.
I still believe Denver is a smoke-and-mirrors team, and the reason they're as successful as they are is because George Karl is a smoke-blowing mirror-master.
Last night's Utah/Denver game really highlighted Utah's execution of pick-and-roll, and especially all the off-ball action when Utah goes to the pick-and-roll. Sure, it's Boozer and Williams, but the amount of backdoor cuts they set up for all the other guys off of those pick-and-rolls is where Utah is really doing the damage. It's pretty basketball to watch.
Unfortunately, I think we're done - whether this round or next is really somewhat irrelevant. Without Okur, we don't have the depth we need to compete with anyone other than a team missing its coach. Granted, we're awesome at executing what we do, and granted, that can carry you further than you should go, so yes, that gives us a puncher's chance. But to do real damage, we needed to be in that other half of the bracket, I felt. The two teams I don't like our matchups against are Denver and LA - and we're in the bracket with both of them.
