"Chauncey gave me a confidence very early," Nuggets coach George Karl said of the leadership Billups brought, taking a burden off Karl. "For the first time in a couple of years I felt like a coach rather than a manager. There's a difference between coaching and managing, managing attitudes, managing egos, managing the locker room, managing professionalism. It's really trying. Coaching basketball is really exciting."

It showed as Karl had a smile on his face most of the season. The Nuggets went 54-28, tied for the best record in the team's 33-year NBA history, and won the Northwest Division. They walloped New Orleans and Dallas 4-1 in the first two rounds of the playoffs before throwing a serious scare into the Los Angeles Lakers, falling 4-2 in the Western Conference final.

The Nuggets won a playoff series for the first time in 15 years. They reached the conference final for the first time in 24 years.

"I've coached a long time, and this has been a pretty special season for me," said Karl, who just completed his 21st season and fifth in Denver.

The Nuggets got a much better all-around season from forward Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 22.8 points. Anthony really picked his scoring up in the playoffs, averaging 27.2 points and showing he truly is ready for mention as one of the NBA's best players.

Anthony was complemented perfectly by Billups, who averaged 17.9 points and 6.4 assists after arriving from Detroit. He became the first Denver native to play for the Nuggets.

"I really can't put into words what this whole year has been to me," Billups said of his homecoming. "Being at home and being on this great team, it's been awesome."

SEASON HIGHLIGHT: The Nuggets on April 27 defeated New Orleans 107-86 before a raucous crowd at the Pepsi Center to win a West first-round series 4-1. The Nuggets would go on to beat Dallas 4-1 in the second round. But the win over the Hornets marked their first playoff series win in 15 years, ending the NBA's longest drought, and ended a streak of five straight seasons of being ousted in the first round.

TURNING POINT: The Nuggets started the season 1-2, and the only win was in overtime over the lowly Los Angeles Clippers when they overcame an 18-point deficit. But on Nov. 3, the Nuggets traded guard Allen Iverson to Detroit and got point guard Chauncey Billups. The move paid immediate dividends for the Nuggets as Billups proved to be a much needed team leader while Iverson, 33, quickly began to show his age.