From those in the know, that's the thinking regarding this season's Nuggets. But one thing is sure: The bar isn't too high.

In Denver's 33-year NBA history, the best record has been 54-28 in 1987-88.

These Nuggets (27-14) are on pace to equal that. Their record at the midpoint is the third best in the team's NBA history, behind the 1976-77 team's 29-12 and the 1977-78 outfit's 28-13.

As for the playoffs, the Nuggets, who never have been to the NBA Finals, twice have advanced to the West final, in 1978 and 1985. That's why Hall of Famer Dan Issel, who played on both those teams and really likes this season's Nuggets, is waiting to offer full comparisons.

"They're obviously playing well," Issel said. "Our teams (of the late 1970s), with David Thompson and Bobby Jones, we brought more of an ABA style of getting up and down. But this team is a little more rounded than we were.

"But success in the NBA is measured in the playoffs. We did get to the Western finals a couple of years."

Issel calls the 1984-85 team, which went 52-30 before losing to the eventual champion Lakers in the West final, the best Denver NBA team in his career. Doug Moe, who coached that squad, also names it the best team he coached.

But it took some pondering. Moe also likes the 1987-88 unit, which had some late injuries and stumbled in a West semifinal.

Moe didn't want to compare this season's Nuggets to ones he coached from 1980-90. But Moe, who has been back with the Nuggets since 2002 as a consultant, an assistant coach and now again a consultant, calls this team better than any of the ones that were ousted in the first round of the playoffs the past five seasons.

"Of the recent teams, this is the best," Moe said. "I think we're a really good team, but it's early. Chauncey (Billups) has brought some stabilization to point guard, and another very important reason is both Nene and Kenyon (Martin) have been healthy (in the post) and playing well. ... (Carmelo Anthony's) game has really improved in that he's doing more."

So how much more can the Nuggets do this season?

Coach George Karl talked last season about wanting to break the team's NBA mark with 55 wins. The Nuggets fell short, but their 50-32 record was their best in 20 years.

Yet it didn't include the Northwest Division title, which assures a team at least a No. 4 playoff seed. No. 8 Denver was swept 4-0 in the first round by the top-seeded Lakers.

"The goal is simple: a division championship," said Karl, whose team leads the Northwest and has the West's third-best mark. "But I think the division will take 52 to 55 wins, so we're probably in the same area."

MAGIC 106, NUGGETS 88: George Karl first held his tongue. Then, he figured, what the heck.

Nuggets center Nene was in foul trouble all night in Saturday's loss to Orlando at the Pepsi Center, and he played just 17 minutes. He picked up his fourth foul with 10:39 left in the third quarter and his fifth with 1:37 left in the third before fouling out with 4:39 left in the game after playing just six second-half minutes.

Nene's counterpart, Dwight Howard, picked up three fouls in the first half. But Howard didn't get any in 20 second-half minutes.

"I don't want to talk about it," Karl, the Nuggets coach, first said when asked about Nene's foul trouble. "If I talk about it, that's how I can get fined."

So what happened next?

Karl decided to talk about it.

"There's two sets of rules," Karl said. "There's a set of rules for Howard and there's a set of rules for Nene. (Nene's) fourth foul was incredibly ... Come on."

Howard did grab 20 rebounds, but he wasn't the reason the Nuggets lost. He scored just 14 points while watching Hedo Turkoglu (31 points), Rashard Lewis (23) and Jameer Nelson (23) do most of the damage from outside.

The Magic (33-8), who were 11-for-26 from 3-point distance for the game, shot 7-for-13 from beyond the arc in the second half while outscoring the Nuggets 59-40.

"Some guys got hot and had a good night and took pride in defense and stopping people," said Turkoglu, who was 5-for-9 on 3-pointers. "We have a lot of confidence."

The Nuggets (27-14) came in with a lot of confidence, having won seven of eight games. But forward Linas Kleiza, who scored 26 points off the bench, was one of their few offensive weapons.

"He took it to the basket not worrying about what happens," said guard Chauncey Billups, who scored 18 points and was Denver's only other player to have more than 10. "Just trying to finish."

Orlando's reserves managed just two points, both by guard Anthony Johnson. It's the fewest bench points an opponent has scored since the Nuggets joined the NBA in 1976. The previous low of four was accomplished three times, most recently March 22, 2003, by Boston.

The Nuggets suffered their biggest loss of the season, and they tied their season-low point total. But at least they concluded their longest homestand of the season by going a stellar 5-2.

Still, Karl wasn't happy about the officiating.

"We go to the line 25 (actually 24) times in the first half and five (actually six) times in the second half," he said. "They balance it out really well."

Nene finished with four points and eight rebounds while shooting just 2-for-10.