Carmelo Anthony: Life Is Better for the Denver Nuggets Without the All-Star

Just when Denver fans thought their team was headed for disaster, who would have thought the trading of Carmelo Anthony was a blessing in disguise?

Monday night marked the one-month anniversary of the Carmelo trade and it's the Nuggets that look like the winners of the trade. Denver is 10-4 in the post-Melo era, while the Knicks are just 7-9 with Anthony in the lineup.

The two teams are on two completely different paths, too.

The Nuggets boast the highest scoring offense in the league but they don't do it with stars; they do it with a roster full of really good but not great players. Coach George Karl put it best: "Why can't you win with 10 really good players?"

Denver is proving that you can win with 10 really good players, especially when those 10 players are coachable and put in effort on both ends of the court. The ball also moves freely on offense and every player on the court is just as capable as the other to score on any given possession.

The Knicks on the other hand have no depth and their effort on the defensive end is laughable. Carmelo and Amare will never be named to the all-defensive teams, but a little commitment to defense could go a long way for a team that averages over 106 points per game.

The Denver Nuggets peaked with Carmelo Anthony and winning a championship was not going to happen. Now, the Nuggets are filled with youth and have depth at nearly every position and are rejuvenated. 

Nuggets fans should sleep easy at night knowing that their team is in better hands now, despite not having an All-Star.