Denver Nuggets Notes, Quotes 2009-06-15 News Denver Nuggets

--G Chauncey Billups said experience deep in the playoffs was the most important thing the Nuggets got during the postseason. But Billups also said the Nuggets have to continue to work hard. Billups knows the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated Denver 4-2 in the West final, aren't going anywhere. And up-and-coming Portland might be favored by some to overtake Denver next season in the Northwest Division. "There are a lot of good teams over here in the Western Conference," Billups said. "But when you get to this point, you can't take steps back because there's always somebody right on your heels."

--G Dahntay Jones is pleased with ability to play defense. Never mind that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant averaged 34.0 points in the West final against the Nuggets, Jones believed he did a decent job. "It was something I welcomed," Jones said of guarding Bryant. "I did an OK job on him. I kept him quiet for a lot of the time. When I came out of the game he got going a little bit. But it was always fun." The Lakers might look a bit differently upon how Jones played Bryant. Jones had two flagrant fouls in the series, one for pushing Bryant and another for tripping him.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We need everybody back. It took the Lakers a couple of years to get where they're at right now. They built it not overnight. It took time. I think that's where we see our team." -- Forward Carmelo Anthony, whose Nuggets fell 4-2 to the Lakers in the West final.