LEX18.com - Lexington, KY

Posted: Oct 20, 2009 12:00 PM
Updated: Oct 21, 2009 12:01 AM

By Shawn Clarke, NBA Contributing Editor

(Sports Network) - When the Denver Nuggets traded for Chauncey Billups last November, they had no idea what the Colorado native had in store for his hometown team.

Billups and two other players from the Detroit Pistons were shipped across the country to Denver in exchange for future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, and Billups impressed right away with his unselfish play and determination. The University of Colorado product played 77 regular season games with the Nuggets, averaging 17.9 points and 6.4 assists, and led them all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

He seemed comfortable to be back at home after spending six full seasons in the Motor City, and directed an offense alongside superstar Carmelo Anthony. The Anthony/Iverson experiment never panned out, as evidenced by the blockbuster trade, then Billups entered the equation as a perfect complement to the team's perennial All-Star. Billups and Anthony finally ended five years of first-round exits in 2008-09 and helped Denver reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1985.

Now that Billups is ready for his first full season with the Nuggets. head coach George Karl has to feel confident in the team's chances at making another extended run in the 2009-10 campaign. The 19th head coach in Nuggets history and one of the top NBA coaches ever, Karl is shooting for another 50- plus win campaign and the team's seventh consecutive postseason appearance.

The loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals has to be still lingering on the minds of the Nuggets, who are bound to make another run at an NBA title. With all the so-called 'bad seeds' gone in Iverson and Marcus Camby, Denver played improved, more cohesive basketball and made better shots. Center Nene enjoyed a productive campaign as Camby's replacement as top defender, while J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin ignited their games as well.

Expect the Nuggets, who have finished atop the Northwest standings twice in the past four years, to battle with Utah and Portland for division supremacy this season. Minnesota and Oklahoma City will not be a factor in the Northwest for the next few seasons.

2008-09 Results: 54-28, lost to LA Lakers in Western Conference Finals

ADDITIONS: G Ty Lawson, G Arron Afflalo, F James White, F Joey Graham, F Malik Allen

SUBTRACTIONS: F Linas Kleiza, G Dahntay Jones, G Sonny Weems

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:

PG- Chauncey Billups SG- J.R. Smith SF- Carmelo Anthony PF- Kenyon Martin C- Nene

KEY RESERVES: Anthony Carter, Ty Lawson, Aaron Afflalo, Chris Anderson, Johan Petro

BACKCOURT: Billups, who has been to the playoffs every year since 2001, is the leader of Denver's potent offense and also serves as a coach on the hardwood. Not every team in the NBA is blessed with such a talented point guard, so the Nuggets better make sure they keep Billups in the fold until his retirement. The 32-year-old Billups has averaged at least 12.5 points per game for eight straight years and no less than 5.7 assists per outing for six consecutive seasons.

Billups is getting older and says his skills won't fade because of that. He obviously ran the point better than Iverson did and his defense is top notch. That being said, Billups is not getting any younger and the chances of him winning a second NBA title are getting slim too. A three-point threat when left alone outside, Billups has all the tools necessary for success.

Shooting guard J.R. Smith hopes to get the starting nod this season, but will have to wait seven games due to his suspension after he pled guilty to reckless driving in a 2007 accident resulting in the death of a passenger in Smith's car, Andre Bell. Smith, who was also suspended for two games at the start of the 2007-08 season due to the crash, spent just over three weeks in jail this summer for the incident. Smith later met up with Billups in Las Vegas to work out, and the two bonded with the time they had together.

Smith called Billups a 'mentor' and said he's trying to follow in the all- world point guards footsteps. Billups noted how he feels Smith has the potential 'to be one of the best players in the league'. With Linas Kleiza out of the Denver picture, Smith is poised to put up more numbers and sharpen his defensive skills too. He'll battle newcomer Arron Afflalo for time now that Dahntay Jones is with the Indiana Pacers.

FRONTCOURT: Anthony is the star of the show and hopes to rebound from an 'off' year that saw him average 22.8 points a game, his lowest output since recording 20.8 ppg during his second year in the league in 2004-05. Anthony is one of the few pure scorers in the league and finally got a taste of postseason success last season with Denver's run to the West Finals. He average 27.2 points, 5.8 boards, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 16 playoff contests. The two-time All-Star certainly saw his all-around game improve after the Billups trade.

Martin is coming off his second consecutive productive season after two injury-plagued campaigns, and hopes to have the same juice that helped him post 11.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 66 games in 2008-09. The athletic Martin is dominant presence on defense and intimidates the opposition with his no-nonsense approach. Martin has played no less than 66 games in the regular season in each of the previous two years.

Denver was worried that its defense would miss a beat in 2008-09 after dealing center Marcus Camby to the Los Angeles Clippers. Fortunately that didn't happen thanks to the solid play out of Nene, who posted career-highs in points (14.6), rebounds (7.8) and minutes (32:36). The 6-11, 250-pound native of Brazil averages more than a block a game and is a very underrated player. Nene is more athletic than Camby ever was with his quick feet and tough defense inside, and plays in a tough division loaded with talented big men.

BENCH: Denver has a few bench players fighting for a starting nod, including guard Arron Afflalo, who was acquired in the offseason from Detroit. Forward Chris Anderson is a shot-blocking specialist and averaged a career-high 2.5 blocks per game in 2008-09. The 'Birdman' is quick down the court for the running Nuggets. With forward Linas Kleiza in Greece, more minutes will be available for Anderson and Malik Allen.

Rookie Ty Lawson will spell Billups at times this season, while guard Anthony Carter was re-signed to provide experience and veteran leadership. Forward Renaldo Balkman is back to help inside.

COACHING: Karl is one of the best coaches in the NBA. If he was able to deal with Iverson holding the reigns, then Karl should have no problem with any high-maintenance athlete who crosses his path. The legendary coach has the knack for mixing veterans with reserves and younger players, which is why the move for Billups last season was so crucial to the success of this mingled bunch. If there's one aspect of Denver's game that needs adjusting is the effort on defense. Karl has amassed a 225-143 record with a 13-22 mark in the playoffs with the Nuggets, and is 10th all-time with 933 regular season wins. With or without the controversial Iverson on the roster, Karl is still the best candidate for this job.

STEVE SCHWARZ'S FANTASY FOCUS: All five starters have fantasy value, although Martin's isn't what it used to be. Anthony and Billups are stars while Smith is useful for 3-pt shooting (180-3pt goals) and Nene (14.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg) has become a solid center.

OUTLOOK: The Nuggets enter the 2009-10 campaign with high expectations after their tough loss to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The addition of Billups to play alongside maturing superstar Anthony paid dividends immediately, and the two are trying to win a second consecutive Northwest Division title. Utah and Portland, however, will put up the biggest fight to stop that from happening. Karl hopes that Smith's mind is in the right place because a lot is expected from the suspended guard now that Kleiza and Jones are elsewhere. Another 50-win season is not much to ask from the high-flying Nuggets as long as they stay healthy, and a trip to the NBA Finals is a strong possibility.