Best Nugget

We gotta pick somebody, don't we? The only sign of useful maturity in the chaotic kindergarten that is the Denver Nuggets locker room comes from long-suffering veteran Juwan Howard, late of the league-best Dallas Mavericks. At 6-9 and 260 pounds, the big forward has the beef to muscle up on opponents, and his personal numbers during this winter of discontent befit a winner, not a member of the NBA's second-worst team. Howard's averaging almost nineteen points per game, along with eight rebounds and three assists. As of mid-March, he'd led or co-led Jeff Bzdelik's offensively challenged club in scoring in 29 of its last 35 games and showed himself to be a solid professional, grinding out almost 38 minutes per night of losing basketball without complaint. Once he's done, there surely must be a place in hoops heaven for this intrepid warrior.