Mar 1, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) drives to the basket past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the first half against the at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t the Nuggets starters who carried them, but the bench. Three of the Nuggets bench players scored in double figures. Wilson Chandler tied a career-high with 35 points in 36 minutes off the bench. The starters only accounted for 34 of the team’s overall 105 points. Denver has shown this season that a strong bench can make all the difference in games and Friday night was no different.

Along with Chandler’s 35 points, Corey Brewer and Andre Miller both added 14 points off the bench. Ty Lawson cooled off a little bit, only scoring 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Even though he didn’t play great for most of the game, Lawson hit one of the biggest shots of his career, nailing a jumper from just inside the three-point line with the defender in his face. Forward Danilo Gallinari got the start after sitting out from a thigh bruise, and will likely get more minutes in Monday’s game.

Jan 25, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks small forward Josh Smith (5) dunks the ball in overtime against the Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 123-111. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

The Nuggets will be welcoming in the Atlanta Hawks (33-24) to the Pepsi Center. After not being traded away, forward Josh Smith has averaged 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists since the trade deadline. The Hawks have won 4 of the last 5  behind Smith’s strong play. He only scored 4 points against the Suns in a losing effort. Al Horford will likely create an interesting match-up on the block when they take on the Nuggets. He’s averaging 24.8 points and 12.6 rebounds over his past five games.

The Nuggets are looking for their 11th straight home victory while the Hawks are looking to stay hot and move up in the East. Denver sits in the number five slot in the West while Atlanta sits in the number four spot in the East. Both teams will be playing hard and should be a great match-up.

Tip-off is set for Monday at 7:00 pm MT (9:00 pm ET) at the Pepsi Center in Denver.  

Wrong.

Yes they have been playing outstanding ball, but they are still missing that one piece. As the trade deadline heats up, so do the rumors. The latest name that has been tied with the Nuggets is Josh Smith from the Atlanta Hawks.

January 23, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) reacts during a time out in the game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Smith is a hot name that has dealt with trade rumors for the past two seasons in Atlanta. It looks like more than ever however that a trade could realistically happen this season. The Hawks look to be in a rebuilding mode and Smith thinks that he is a max-contract type of player. The Hawks just went through the same thing with Joe Johnson and weren’t able to get through half of the deal before shipping him off to Brooklyn. The terms rebuilding and max-contract don’t go together.

I like Smith. I’ve been a fan of him since he came out of high school. But is the move one that the Nuggets would really benefit from?

Yes, the athleticism that Smith brings to a team is unrivaled. Putting him along side the athletic talent the Nuggets have already would make them a scary team on the fast break. But where would he fit?

In order to get Smith, the Nuggets would more than likely have to part with Timofey Mozgov (no big deal), but also move Danilo Gallinari. Gallo is still just 24 and we’ve seen this year the flashes of talent that he has.

January 30, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) drives to the basket during the second half against the Houston Rockets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 118-110. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Smith is still only 27, which is hard to believe. Smith is an extraordinary talent, but is he worth losing Gallo over with his expiring contract? The Nuggets already have Corey Brewer and Andre Iguodala as free agents at the end of the season. Do they really need to go after the max-contract of Smith?

Smith would be a defensive upgrade over Gallo, but not much else. Gallo gives the Nuggets the three-point threat that they definitely need. If a trade is to be made, it needs to be for a big man or a shooter. Not a guy with an expiring contract who is unlikely to re-sign at the end of the year.

As big of a fan as I am of J-Smooth, the Nuggets need to pass.