Team page/schedule | Stats: Preseason | Roster
Last year: 40-42, sixth in Midwest, 10th in conference
Coach/GM: Dan Issel/Kiki Vandeweghe
Arena, first game: Pepsi Center (19.099); Nov. 2, 1999
All-time franchise record/NBA titles: 937-1,081/0
Notable: Won 29 at home, most since 1988-89 (35)

THE ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Nick Van Exel	8.5 apg	Erratic, but assists, points are nice
SG	Voshon Lenard	147 threes	Not a bad player to have with new rules
SF	James Posey	82 games	Durable Nugget, but confidence problem
PF	Scott Williams	6.1 ppg	Comes in trade, holds fort for McDyess
C	Raef LaFrentz	7.8 rpg	Poor guy desperate to avoid center
6th	Avery Johnson	55 games	Good veteran heading to front office
7th	George McCloud	.382 FG	Guess who had NBA-high 21 assist game?
8th	J.R. Rider	67 games	Hey Issel, why not sign Rodman, too

		The Nuggets are in trouble. I don't see them improving, especially with Antonio McDyess out a significant period of time. They had trouble scoring in the preseason. They are loose defensively. They have trouble winning on the road. Plus, there has not been a big changeover in personnel. Avery Johnson won't turn them around, even though I like him as a player. With Kevin Willis gone, they can play Scott Williams with Raef LaFrentz in the frontcourt, and Voshon Lenard at the two. The Nuggets' struggles should continue.

By Marc Stein
Special to ESPN.com

Way up in the Rocky Mountains, the past couple seasons have featured fast starts and bumpy, sliding finishes. No such concerns this term. Antonio McDyess will be sidelined until February after being forced into knee surgery, which pretty much guarantees that the second half will be more enjoyable than the first.

Of course, by then the Nuggets should be firmly buried in lottery land. Without McDyess, Denver lacks an inside scorer and a shot-blocker and an unquestioned All-Star. And since newly hired consultant Clyde Drexler immediately ruled out a Jordanesque comeback of his own, coach Dan Issel and new GM Kiki Vandeweghe have been forced to put immense faith in their two risky swing signings: J.R. Rider and Cedric Ceballos. Those guys not only have to make the team now, they have to produce. Otherwise, it'll be a long and lonely season for Nicky Van Exel, who was hoping for a little tranquility after a harrowing summer in which his mother miraculously survived five gunshots.

Who's Who
You might need a scorecard to track all the changes in the front office, where Vandeweghe has arrived with a flourish, working toward a Mark Cuban-sized cabinet of advisors. Besides Drexler, there are two assistant GMs -- Utah lifer David Fredman and Jeff Weltman, the Clippers' behind-the-scenes personnel ace -- along with Calvin Natt, coaching adviser/zone specialist John McLeod and player-personnel aide Jarinn Akana. On the court, though, it's the usual cast with minimal tweaks. Besides Rider and Ceballos, they've added Avery Johnson to ease Van Exel's burden and eventually ease into the aforementioned front office as another seen-it-all voice (and the most recognizable voice). Rookie point guards Omar Cook and Kenny Satterfield are battling for the leftover minutes behind those two.

	FANTASY SLEEPER
	Nick Van Exel, PG -- With very little talent here, especially at shooting guard, it looks like Nicky might get some time at the two-spot, which means he might score 20 or more points. Just hope his shooting percentage stays over 40 percent. --Brandon Funston

The Big Question
Can they survive without McDyess? Well, sure. Anything's possible. But there are many more reasons to suggest, no, they can't. The Nuggets will need Rider and Ceballos to reach back for some of their high-octane scoring prime, and they'll need offense from James Posey that's as good as his defense. They'll also need Kevin Willis to defy his age (39) and Raef LaFrentz to laflourish in the new zone world. Assuming most of that won't happen, we proceed to the annual Big Question in Denver: Can Issel hang onto his job? Can't blame him for McDyess going down, but, then again, we're not the ones who drafted LaFrentz over Vince Carter. Or the guys who gave Tariq Abdul-Wahad a tidy $43 million. Clock's still ticking on The Horse.

Best Case Scenario
McDyess will return 100 percent -- in January -- to join an unusually obedient Rider and Sixth Man Award favorite Ceballos and a tricky Van Exel. (Aside: You might remember that, once upon a time, Club Ced and Lil' Nicky were the catalysts for a Laker revival after LA's one-season slip into the lottery. No need to mention that was the mid-1990s.) By then, the Nuggets will have even figured out how to win some intra-confidence games, after a sorry 13-17 showing against against the East last season. You buying any of this? Optimists who can envision all of the above unfolding are apt to expect the Nugs to make a run at .500 again.

Worst Case Scenario
Get real, people. You know what happens to teams that depend on Rider. They miss the playoffs. Crumble is the word. In Denver's case, that'll be seven straight seasons out of the post-season. Bank on 25 to 30 wins here, tops. Probably less. For all of Vandeweghe's impeccable footwork as a player, he'll have to take a step back as a team-builder before going forward.

OVERRATED	UNDERRATED	TEAM MVP
J.R. Rider. Couldn't resist poking fun at him one more time.	James Posey. Solid defender has 12-14 points in him.	Raef LaFrentz. With McDyess around, no way, but Raef could take big step up now.