Nene is From Brazil

Is that about the best thing he has going for him now?

Or is it the 43 million and change owed to him by the Denver Nuggets over the next 4 seasons.

Hmmm. Let's see.

43 million dollars or......

A country full of these?




















Tough choice. But those would be some great options to have.

Focus. Focus.

Back to Nene.

He did beat testicular cancer. That takes a lot of fortitude.

Plus one for the big fella.

And he does go by one name. Nene. That's something a lot of people wish they were cool enough to do. So I guess all in all, he has a lot to be thankful for.

But what about the Denver Nuggets? What about Nugget fans?

I know it's not Thanksgiving YET but isn't it about time that some of Nene's thankfulness blossomed in the form of production that could help the Nuggets have a solid 2008-2009 NBA season?

A few things have changed since he last suited up for Denver.

They have added the 'Great Renaldo Balkman', the infamous first round pick of Isiah Thomas and the New York Knicks. Nuggets' brass could be looking at Balkman as a move to replace the production and grit of Eduardo Najera at half the cost, being that Najera was up for a new contract and has since signed a 4 year, 12 million dollar deal with the New Jersey Nets.

They also made a move that could essentially be looked as a downgrade by trading Marcus Camby to the Clippers to try and save some money, and opting to fill his position with a guy who has a history with the organization in Chris 'Birdman' Andersen but hasn't played consistent NBA basketball in over 2 and a half years thanks to his violation of the NBA's drug policy. And even when he was in the league, throughout his career he's been nothing more than an energy guy off the bench more known for his athleticism (which he showcased in NBA Slam Dunk contests back in 2004 and 2005) and his appeal as a 'white boy with hops'.

This is without a doubt a downgrade considering you give up your best defender and front-court anchor in Marcus Camby. And it was also a trade that, according to the Denver Post, Nene was none too thrilled to see go down.

What does this all mean for Nene?

Well for one, I hope it means that they have faith that he's going to be healthy this upcoming season because they will need him in the lineup with only Kenyon Martin and Steven Hunter as their only other signficant bigs. And let's just say these guys aren't the toughest when it comes to being available to play and staying healthy.

This also slots him into the full time starting Center position, which at his size, is doable although he is also effective at the PF slot. It may be better for him long-term being that his skillset is more suited for the 5 in my opinion.

More importantly, it would also indicate that the Nuggets organization is all but insisting that Nene steps up and earn his pay because the way they have their roster structured now, if they do not get solid production from him, then that team could be in shambles by December.

They are pretty much sending a signal to George Karl and his staff that they will have to find a different way from how they operated in the past to get the job done . If they can get back to the playoffs this year, then you are without a doubt looking at a legit Coach of the Year candidate in George Karl.

But if they don't, and Nene doesn't produce, I'm not quite sure what this could mean for the future of the Denver Nuggets.