The Denver Nuggets had a pretty quiet offseason after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 Western Conference Finals. The only moves made were trades, the names involved did not include any big name NBA players. The Nuggets traded for Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson. Afflalo was a backup guard for the Detroit Pistons with little NBA experience. Ty Lawson was a big-time college player, having run the point for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 19th pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Going into the season, most people assumed Lawson would play little this season as coach George Karl doesn't like to play rookies....

Through 18 games of the 2009-10 season, the Nuggets are 13-5. A big reason for this has been the trades the Nuggets pulled off for Afflalo and Lawson. Both have played big roles as Afflalo is a starter and Lawson comes off the bench with tons of speed and energy. The two players bring completely different skill sets, but both are very important to the success of the Nuggets this season. I'm starting to think Afflalo and Lawson may be just what the Nuggets needed to get them to the NBA Finals this year. Here's how they both have contributed so far:

Arron Afflalo - He typically defends the top guard on opposing teams. Afflalo brings a tough defensive attitude to a team with many scorers. He makes up for the loss of defensive specialist Dahntay Jones, but also can shoot very well. Afflalo has shown an ability to make 3 pointers and uses his athleticism to get to the basket.

Ty Lawson - He comes off the bench and brings instant energy. I don't know how many times he's entered a game with the Nuggets losing, and leaves with the Nuggets having a huge lead. Even though he's short, Lawson can get to the basket and uses his body play physically against larger opponents.

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Check out this dunk by Ty Lawson against the L.A. Lakers. Who said this guy was too small to play in the NBA?