The Nuggets will try to bounce back against the Hawks.
To say the season has not started off the way Nuggets fans were hoping it would would be an understatement.
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However, they will have a great opportunity to bounce back against the lowly Atlanta Hawks. But, if there is one thing we know about the NBA, any team can beat any team on any given day. This was shown the other night when the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There will be a couple of interesting match ups to watch in this game. First of all, let’s acknowledge Paul Millsap going up against his former team for the first time. Everyone knows the story from the summer of him coming home to the Mile High. What is relatively unknown is Millsap was more or less disappointed in the Hawks organization for not offering him a new contract. Watch out for him to have a big game as he will certainly have a chip on his shoulder.
Another thing to watch is how the Nuggets will contain Dennis Schroeder. Schroeder is very quick and athletic and will give Murray some fits on the perimeter. As a result, the Nuggets need to hatch a defensive scheme to slow down Atlanta’s youth and athleticism.
Finally, we need to pay attention to the coaching battle. With Denver’s slow start to the year, Malone will be feeling the pressure if he loses this particular game. Malone came to Denver known as a defensive minded coach and the team has been one of the worst defensive units in the past couple of years. Now, even with the addition of Paul Millsap, the team is still struggling to gel defensively and Malone needs to remedy this soon.
Next: Should Denver trade for Eric Bledsoe?
The Nuggets are in desperate need of a turnaround and they have a golden opportunity to do so against the Hawks.