Editor's Note: The following post is a part of the 2013 Purple Row Writer Search -- our quest to find some great new contributors to Purple Row.

Tonight, my basketball allegiance(s) will be put to an early test. You see, I am a Denver (Aurora) boy long moved away, now living in New Orleans, and now that Anthony Davis (Brow) is on board, I find myself quickly becoming a Hornets (Pelicans) fan and optimistic about their future, if not less optimistic about the name change.

I grew up watching the Nuggets during the Fat Lever years, enjoyed the Mutumbo and Rauf eras, suffered through the Stith era, and reinvigorated by the Melo and Iverson eras. I really like Ty Lawson, Kenneth Farried (Manimal), and think we got back a great haul for Melo, all things considered. But truth be told, this might be the first Nuggets' game I will watch in its entirety this season, where I've watched 3/4 of the Hornets' games.

Good thing this game is in Denver, as there is some other sporting event in town this weekend that has kinda got the city (world) all in a frenzy.

Things to watch tonight:

• How will the Pelicans, who play home games below sea level, handle the altitude? If the center position/big-big man is going the way of the dinosaur, and therefore Brow representing the future of the position....will his athleticism and speed show up in a Denver and prove one more reason why an athletic, quick center is truly evolutionary over his dinosaur cousins.
• Brow and Manimal. Should be a fun match-up of talented, young big-men. Both of whom will also play against one another in the Futures All-Star game (in all likelihood, assuming Chuck and Shaq pick one on opposing teams).
• Lawson vs. Vasquez: a speedy point-guard vs a 6'6 guy having a break-out year. Contrasting styles to say the least.
• Offense vs. offense futility: The Nuggets fill it up and fill it up often, the Pelicans on the other hand have several moments of offensive futility. Can the Bees keep up?
• Defense: The Hornets pride themselves on Coach Williams' defense first philosophy, and though they've lost their past two games against the Lakers and Jazz were close and these boys played well.

Enjoy, and let's go Bees!