Fans were plenty excited about the concept of the NBA playing a pre-season game outdoors (even if they couldn't necessarily explain why), but cool temperatures and wind gusts of up to 15 mph in the fourth quarter made last night's game between the Nuggets and the Suns a brutal contest to watch.

The game ended up as a 77-72 Nuggets victory, and with a final score that low, you can be assured that there are some gawdawful statistics to go along with it. The teams combined to miss 24 of their 27 three-point attempts. The Nuggets alone made just 18 of their 38 free throw attempts. And both teams finished the evening with field goal percentages in the 30s. Steve Nash didn't think that the low shooting was something to foocus on though.

"That really wasn't the point of the game, to shoot a high percentage. The point was to come out here and see what it's like to go up and down outside and put NBA players in this situation."

Well, we saw, and it wasn't pretty. Besides the wind having an affect on the teams' shooting, the players' comfort level was pretty low too. With the temperature dropping as low as 64 degrees, and accompanied by a steady breeze blowing, I'm sure most would agree with Shaq's assertion that "it was colder than a motherf***** out there."

It remains to be seen if the NBA will continue to try to work this gimmick; it looks like they'll do it at least one more time next season. Now that the fans have seen what an NBA game played outdoors actually looks like, I wonder if they'll still be as excited for it next time.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. The Painted Area. Tim Hardaway told SLAM an unnamed NBA player came out to his teammates last year, and things were cool. This is good news ... but why hasn't it made the news?

2. New York Times. Memo to the friends and enemies of Nate Robinson: it seems Chris Duhon is having trouble grasping the D'Antoni offense.

3. Ball Don't Lie. If you aren't reading BDL's team previews, you're really missing out.

4. Rocky Mountain News. Anthony Carter's outdoor hoops experience goes back to playing five-on-five for drug money in Atlanta so that his family could eat. I'm guessing Saturday at Indian Wells will be slightly different.

5. Blazers Edge. Martell Webster, a young promising starter, goes down with the most serious injury in Portland since Oden's microfracture ... and no one misses a beat. Why?

6. Jones on the NBA. A video and text history of the 1990-91 NBA season.

The Knights of the FanHouse Roundtable have assembled to consider the NBA in '08-09. In this dispatch, we discuss the bottom half of the Western Conference. On Thursday, we'll look higher. Be sure to also check out the hub of our NBA Preview activity.

Ziller: I think we all expect Memphis and Oklahoma City to grace the bottom of the standings. Everyone would agree Sacramento's absolute best-case scenario would be challenging for the eighth seed. There are 12 more Western Conference teams. Do they all have legitimate chances to make the playoffs? Which ones have the highest likelihood of joining the troika of suck at the bottom of the West?

Matt Moore:These questions are always hard for me because I always like the bad teams more than the good teams.

Well I for one think that the Grizzlies will be much bett ... sigh. Yeah, thirty wins. Sigh. Some day, Grizz. Some day.

Okay, let's get one thing clear. If there was a ten-point scale from stable to complete implosion, the Nuggets are at Spinal Tap. It goes to eleven. Superstar small forward with off-court distractions, expiring contract worth more than most financial firms are now worth in an aging superstar guard, no interior defense and a coach that looks like he just wants it all to end? Yeah, his team is over like snap bracelets. Unless this team gets a significant upgrade at multiple positions off a sucker team wanting AI, this could be an utter disaster.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. We're Off to See the Wizards ... via ShareBro Jake. A Jeopardy question answer the contestants missed but you would definitely get.

2. Pickaxe and Roll. Measuring defense: George Karl's doing it wrong.

3. The Sporting Blog. Stephon Marbury just wants to fly again.

4. Blazers Edge. You'd be surprised how important the whole Darius Miles situation is for serious Blazers fans.

5. Queen City Hoops. I could (and sometimes do) read posts about Gerald Wallace all day, every day. This is a good one in the emerging genre.

6. FreeDarko. FanHouse's own Matt Watson documents the numerous excuses made to justify keeping Amir Johnson on the bench last season.

BONUS not-really-basketball Essential item: The New York Times on Philadelphia's large, beautiful murals. The 700 Level has the tenuous hoops hook: the amazing Dr. J piece on Ridge Avenue.

NBA FanHouse walks through the Valley of the Most Likely; we shall fear no topic.

LeBron James finally has a passable point guard and, with Wally Szczerbiak's expiring contract fluttering in the breeze, possibly an NBA Finals supporting cast around him. Chris Bosh watched a fellow perennial All-Star big man land next to him in Toronto. Dwyane Wade has been a part of one rebuilding, won a title, and is rebuilding again.

But there's Carmelo Anthony, watching his All-Defense center (Marcus Camby) get traded for scratch, wondering when his All-World two-guard (Allen Iverson) will follow. His center (Nene) has a resumé littered with absences, through no fault of his own but still discouraging. His power forward (Kenyon Martin) has two robotic knees. The only two good young players outside of himself -- Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith -- do the exact same thing as Anthony: score, baby, score.

The Nuggets are in no man's land -- too good to rebuild, not good enough to contend -- and Carmelo's right there with them. There seems to be no real plan in place, no path to the top. Sure, for Miami, that path has skated along the bottom of the league. But there's a plan, there's hope. Cleveland and Toronto have plans: compete for an Eastern title this year. But Denver has no reasonable expectation of being more than a low playoff seed this spring; not even George Karl could paint this squad as a team vying for glory. Say what you will about the clever corpses in OKC, Sacramento, Minnesota ... at least they know what their goals are. What are the Nuggets' goals, to be bad enough to justify trading A.I.?

Anthony hasn't been silent about team matters in the past; in fact, he has notoriously outspoken about the Camby deal. At some point this season, don't be surprised to find him in the build of the court, letting all the frustration out from signing a full five-year deal instead of those vogue mini-maxes the other Class of '03 titans inked.

Check out Fanhouse's 2008-09 NBA Preview, homie.

UPDATE: The Indianapolis Star reports that there is no deal yet.

The long-awaited trade of Jamaal Tinsley has finally happened, according to the New York Post's Peter Vescey (via Indy Cornrows). Vescey reports Denver has acquired Tinsley in exchange for incumbent back-up point guard Chucky Atkins and limited big man Steven Hunter. The deal is roughly cap neutral for the next two years (Indiana can save some 2009-10 money by cutting Atkins early), but Denver's on the hook for an extra $7 million in 2010-11. That doesn't quite reverse the mood from the Marcus Camby liquidation, but it does quiet the idea the Nuggets are ready to blow everything up.

The interesting thing about the move from Indiana to Denver for Tinsley is that both teams featured a high-octane offense last season. How did Jamaal do? He racked up plenty of assists ... but shot at a simply awful clip and piled up buckets of turnovers. He was certainly a nominee for the All Bad Starter Team. Denver really needs someone to a) bring the ball up with wasting time or losing it, b) get the ball to Carmelo Anthony or Allen Iverson, and c) deliver some easy buckets (hopefully by way of dunk) to Nene and Kenyon Martin. Atkins was more of a shooter than a playmaker; Tinsley needs to never shoot ever for this to work out. (Seriously, Tinsley is one of the worst shooters of the last decade who has had a steady job.) Anthony Carter started for Denver much of last season, but I imagine Tinsley will have the gig on reputation alone.

Atkins almost certainly doesn't figure into Indiana's plans, and Hunter should be used like a relief pitcher, in there to block shots only when necessary. The real prize is losing Tinsley, who reportedly had a falling out with coach Jim O'Brien last season and never did enough on the court or in the locker room to make up for it. Indiana didn't need to get an asset back -- saving a year of salary is worth the split.

Check out FanHouse's NBA Preview.

It's time to get our Miss Cleo on. On the surface, the Northwest seems to offer one real championship contender (Utah) and two more potential playoff teams (Denver, Portland). Those playoff teams are a source of intrigue, as expectations for the budding Blazers have gotten completely out of control, while a lot of folks are seeming to forget that Denver was an 8th seed in the toughest West ever last season.

Check out FanHouse's NBA Preview.

The opening locale for our NBA Preview tour hosts a championship contender ... unless you believe in Vegas, where two teams have odds of at least 18-to-1 to win the title. Bettors have Utah at 18-to-1 and Portland, ahem Portland at 12-to-1. Clearly, folks expect big things from the newborn Trail Blazers.

That brings us to our first topic: how good will Portland be? The Blazers caught much of the nation off-guard last year, with a long winning streak through the early winter keeping the team alive in the rough Western playoff race. Clearly, Portland overperformed based on common expectation. Is that even possible this year? Win or lose, the Blazers will likely get more attention than any other Northwest team this season. The burgeoning tomorrow promises excitement, and no one wants to miss out the introduction of greatness. No pressure, kids.

FanHouse's Tom Ziller argues his ranking of the top 50 players in the NBA.

On the topic of overwhelming potency, few match Carmelo Anthony's weaponry. 'Melo's specific moves have been ogled perhaps more than those of any other current star: his assault of jabs, brawny pushes and flutters has become so infamous among the game's closest observers that even the casual recognize his powerful arsenal as spectacular.

But is the overwhelming output enough to squelch doubts about the rest of his game? I think those concerns are overblown, and the true nature of 'Melo is quite misunderstood.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. Jones on the NBA. Our old friend Nate Jones instigated a fantastic series of posts from around the basketblog world on our favorite arenas. Check it out for sure.

2. Indy Cornrows. One of three necessary occurences for the Pacers to have a chance to win the title, says Cornrows: "Danny Granger goes into a Justice League-inspired zone on invincibility as his game rises to an All-Star level at both ends of the court." Sounds reasonable.

3. Los Angeles Times. Tracy McGrady is showing his Darfur documentary to fellow NBA players, trying to raise money to build schools and train teachers.

4. Examiner. A dude gets put into a foursome with J.R. Smith. Dude hits a hole-in-one. Chest bumps ensue: "'That's the best shot I've ever seen,' said Smith, a man I was beginning to realize was very misunderstood. He was a true gentleman."

5. NetsDaily. Which Nets should be taking the final shot?

6. Forum Blue and Gold. Good memories of Showtime's glue guy, Michael Cooper.