ANALYST	PREDICTION
J.A. Adande ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 1 | WEST: 4  Allen Iverson might be the hardest star to adjust to, but now that Carmelo and the Nuggets have been through camp with him, things should go more smoothly. This team finished 10-1 in April, and now Kenyon Martin's back -- in some capacity -- from microfracture knee surgery.
Greg Anthony ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 1 | WEST: 3  I like the way Denver came on at the end of the season. A.I.'s had a chance to become more integrated in the team. Kenyon Martin's complete return would be a big bonus. And look for J.R. Smith to have more of an impact.
Jon Barry ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 1 | WEST: 4  I really like them. Carmelo Anthony's one of the top three one-on-one players in the game, and when this team gets a full training camp under its belt, it'll be solid. Adding Kenyon Martin could be a plus up front.
Chris Broussard ESPN Mag	NORTHWEST: 2 | WEST: 6  A.I.-Melo experiment worked well on short notice, so the duo should be even stronger this season. Bulk and athleticism up front. But Nuggets need a solid point guard, and George Karl, though great, is liable to disrupt chemistry with a few ill-timed comments. Could be a spoiler.
Ric Bucher ESPN Mag	NORTHWEST: 2 | WEST: 7  Suns owner Robert Sarver is being maligned for bowing to the bottom line and bare-boning his team, but Stan Kroenke will pay a bigger competitive price for letting Steve Blake go and moving Reggie Evans. Only Melo's continuing rise can compensate.
Chad Ford ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 2 | WEST: 6  Carmelo Anthony is coming off another great summer, but question marks abound. Is Allen Iverson slowing down? Can Nene stay healthy? What about Marcus Camby? Is Kenyon Martin really back? They'll be good, but I have no clue how good.
Jemele Hill ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 2 | WEST: 6  When A.I. and Melo finally jelled, this was a pretty good team. Unfortunately, there are a lot of pretty good teams in the West. They've got to win enough games in the regular season to get a better playoff draw.
John Hollinger ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 1 | WEST: 4  Any team with A.I. and Melo is dangerous, especially one with as talented a frontcourt as the Nuggets have. That makes them a sleeper title contender, but they still look to be one move away.
Chris Sheridan ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 2 | WEST: 6  If we're going to give LeBron James his props in the Cavs preview for his improved shooting, we have to throw a bone to Melo, too. The durability of Kenyon Martin's knees, not to mention the state of Nene's conditioning, will be huge.
Marc Stein ESPN.com	NORTHWEST: 2 | WEST: 6  Not quite ready to back Iverson's claim that the Nuggets are going to win 60 games. But you can see them in the 50s if the Iverson-Melo partnership witnessed last April (10-1) and the flashes of K-Mart progress seen this month are the new norm.
	TOTAL         NORTHWEST: 1.6 | Standings             West: 5.2 | Standings

Team Strength: One-On-One Scoring

Offensively, the Nuggets can beat you two ways.

First, they can run you into submission, which is their preferred style, in Denver's altitude especially. But teams that cut off the break still must contend with the Nuggets in the halfcourt, and that means three separate problematic matchups.

The most vexing is Carmelo Anthony, who has the size to post up smaller forwards but is also unusually quick for his size and capable of stepping outside for jumpers. Anthony is at his best when he's going to the hoop, but his outstanding outside shooting for Team USA the past two summers shows he's capable of burning opponents from the perimeter, too.

Then there's Iverson, who at 32 remains as quick as any player in basketball. Teams often have to guard him with their own little quick guys, most of whom aren't used to chasing big-time scorers through off-ball screens or defending against isolations on the wing. And he added more of a passing element to his game in Denver -- at least until the Spurs series -- and should continue to embrace that aspect. Denver was 11-0 when he had double-figure assists last season.

Finally, don't sleep on Nene. The Brazilian big man gave the Nuggets a solid post presence, especially in the second half of last season when his knee started feeling better. At 6-11, 268 pounds, he demands a big defender -- if not a double-team. After the break last season, he averaged 13.0 points per game and shot 62.4 percent.

• John Hollinger's complete Nuggets forecast

STARTERS	ANALYSIS
Chucky Atkins Point Guard 5-11 | 185	Can he spot up for threes? If not, J.R. Smith will.
Allen Iverson Shooting Guard 6-0 | 165	Not quite the threat he once was; both shots and ppg down after trade.
Carmelo Anthony Small Forward 6-8 | 230	What happened in Vegas had better not stay in Vegas.
Nenê Power Forward 6-11 | 268	Breakout season and big contract stand in way of K-Mart's comeback bid.
Marcus Camby Center 6-11 | 235	Can NBA's top defender avoid injury two seasons in row? It'd be a first.

ESPN The Magazine's NBA Preview hits newsstands October 24.

Linas Kleiza Player efficiency rating projection: 12.99 vs. NBA avg.: -2.01 Nuggets profiles

Scouting report: Kleiza's primary role is as a deep threat, but his game is more varied than that.

The 6-8 forward is quite strong and is capable of scoring around the basket and earning fouls. That muscle also helps him on the glass, where he is physical enough to play power forward in a pinch.

When Kleiza gets in trouble it's because of his feet. He's not particularly quick, which becomes especially clear when he has to guard good players on the wings, and that's why his foul rate was so high. He also seemed vulnerable to shot fakes and will have to work on staying on the floor.

2007-08 outlook: The way Kleiza closed last year is a good omen for this season -- he had back-to-back career highs in March and averaged double figures after the All-Star break. However, the presence of Carmelo Anthony will always make it difficult for him to carve a niche in Denver.

Kleiza is too slow to play shooting guard, which is where the Nuggets have the greatest need, and as a result his long-range shooting is likely to languish on the bench for all but 10-15 minutes a night.

He probably deserves more of a shot than that, but it won't happen unless there's a trade or an injury.