Victory over Atlanta No Cause for Excitement

The Nuggets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 100-90 on Monday night, and the new-look squad is now 3-1 without the dynamic duo of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. While their recent play might have even exceeded some analyst's expectations, one must look at the circumstances of Denver's recent victories before jumping to conclusions about the Nuggets' recent achievements.

While there certainly should be some admiration paid to the boys in powder blue (not to mention Coach George Karl who has handled the transition magnificently), the recent wins can be taken with a grain of salt. All wins count the same, but expert analysis here at Nuggets Fandom (har har) will provide readers with a true picture of what has transpired in the last four games.

The first game after the trade involved none of the newly acquired players. The Memphis Grizzlies were in town the day after the Nuggets' two biggest stars were shipped to the Big Apple. The Nuggets played with a very limited amount of bodies. All seemed to point the visitors to victory except a few important factors. One, the Grizzlies were playing without their star player, Rudy Gay, a difference-maker in any NBA game. Two, the Nuggets were playing at home, where they have succeeded all season and for many years (despite injuries/absences of Melo). Finally, the Nuggets were playing with the rest of the All-Star Break in which none of their players participated and with a grudge. Never underestimate the grudge factor in the NBA; once a team has defeated you handily in the last game, revenge seems to happen more often than not.

A nationally televised game against the Boston Celtics seemed like a tough task. However, the Celtics had also gotten a taste of trade fever. Their man in the middle Kendrick Perkins and their man that was never in the middle Nate Robinson had gotten traded to Oklahoma City at the deadline and their new swingman Jeff Green was not in Celtic's green yet. Additionally, the Nuggets were at full force with the addition of Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari (is it wrong to leave Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos out of that sentence? I don't think so, really). With the added adrenaline of the new players at home, the fans fired-up, and the Celtics not at full force playing at altitude, the win may not actually have been as impressive as it originally appeared.

The Nuggets best game since the trade might have actually come against the Portland Trailblazers the night after their defeat of the Boston Celtics. After playing late into the night and traveling to Oregon, Denver was an obvious underdog. With fatigue and a lack of practice with the new team playing a part, the Nuggets put up a valiant effort at the Rose Garden. While a disappointing finish in regulation and in overtime was upsetting, it showed the Nuggets have the guts and pieces to compete against formidable foes on the road.

Monday's game against the Hawks showed the Nuggets as a slightly lackluster team at times. With a few games rest and extra practice with the new contributors, Denver had a huge advantage over a team playing their second of back-to-back road games. Denver players, with the exception of maybe Kenyon Martin and Raymond Felton, seemed content to walk through the game and hopefully win it at the end. Apparently nobody provided an adequate scouting report for Hawk's center Al Horford, who has shown a propensity for hitting mid-range jumpers all season.

Nevertheless, the Nuggets eked out a victory at the Pepsi Center, and are in the thick of the Western Conferene playoff race. It can be assured that the Nuggets won't have favorable circumstances in all of their important upcoming games, so it will be imperative that they develop the chemistry and aggressiveness needed in the next couple of weeks.