By Heath Copps

You probably remember a year ago I predicted in this space that the Nuggets would win the NBA championship in the 2004-2005 season. Such a brash prognostication surely stuck in your head like the memory of a first kiss.

OK, maybe not, but I did say that Kiki Vandeweghe was a genius and his space clearing plan was being worked to perfection. And now, here they are on the brink of putting the pieces in place with hope of succeeding in that weirdest science of all, good chemistry.

The Lotto

Now, lady luck has never embraced the Nuggets. Even Kiki, pulling his best Norman Vincent Peale, super-positive-thinking mojo, couldn't bounce the lottery balls totally in the Nuggets favor. (Do you realize they've NEVER moved up in nine lottery tries and have in fact dropped seven times?!) But the Nuggs hurdled a major early-summer obstacle by only dropping to third in the draft lottery, thereby setting themselves up for a very successful silly season.

It ain't LeBron, but let me be the first to state that missing the LeBronum & Bailey circus will be a blessing in disguise. And that ain't just sour grapes. Kiki's plan is rock solid and right on track.

LeBron is going to be special, no doubt, but the hype overload will distract a team in delicate rebuilding mode. Just ask the Cavs at the end of February when LJ's played twice as many games than he's used to, while carrying the cross of the redeemer. Ain't no amount of money in the world going to lighten that load, especially when the team is still 10 games under .500. Kid's 18 for Christ's sake.

The Nuggets' guy is going to slide in under the radar, nice and Melo, and quietly contribute -- 17 points, 6 rebounds and three assists. Perfect fit. Another great piece to that championship puzzle. Maybe even catch a buzz at the end of the season and snatch the ROY hardware.

Summer Fishin'

But, I get ahead of myself. First, we must witness all of Kiki's glory as he lands, not the biggest FA fish, but the best fish for his program -- pan size, so to speak, and very tasty.

It's not definitive how much money Kiki has to play with, but $18-$20 million, after signing Carmelo Anthony, is an educated guess.

Now, let's get things straight, this team has no chance of getting any of the max players on the market. Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd and Jermaine O'Neal aren't going anywhere, and there's no way Karl Malone's going to snatch his all-time scoring crown in a Nugget uni.

So, that leaves less-than-maximum contract players a few notches below league elite. But that's what makes this process all the more fun. A true puzzle -- a rebuilding work of art.

Hello Carmelo

First, the Nuggets nab Carmelo, which starts the domino effect of players packing their bags for Denver.

With Detroit GM Joe Dumars giddy over the prospect of snatching Darko Milicic with the second pick, Anthony is all but a Nugget. He doesn't have the pure athleticism of James, but the guy is a flat out winner. He's got a beautiful jump shot from NBA three range, he'll show surprising toughness down low, grab tons of boards and contest Nene, smile-for-smile in the infectious personality contest. He has a great attitude and loves to play, which will only translate into one thing -- rapid improvement.

For the same reason everybody is so high on Nene, they'll be equally excited or more so about Anthony -- he's got the intangible drive that makes great players.

Go Gilbert

Next, Gilbert Arenas brings his scintillating game to the Rockies. He's said publicly that he wouldn't mind playing with LeBron or Carmelo, so with the Final Four MVP all but locked up, Gilbert is a done deal.

Arenas is lightning in a bottle. He's got the quickest first step in the league this side of Allen Iverson. He can dish, he can board, he's got tremendous lift, he's determined to be great and he's crazy...in a good way. Sometimes a team needs a guy that's a little nutty to keep things interesting. And Arenas teeters on the edge of mad-skills insanity. It's the kind of potential that pushes human endeavor into a new realm, and at 21 Gilbert has a lot of time to make some very important discoveries in the world of basketball...and it's going to be as entertaining as hell.

The Nuggets promise all the fourth quarter minutes he can handle -- no midget dynamo PT thieves named Earl allowed -- and a tidy $7 million to get it done. Golden State (I almost feel sorry for them) can't match.

Question is do you put Gilbert at point or shooting guard? Well let's see who else is out there. Denver's looking pretty good to all the unsigned FAs -- great facilities, two great new additions to the starting lineup and lots of money. And Kiki's a networking machine. Seems like he has a good relationship with every FA on the market. And that can only help.

L.A. Shopping

So, let's go shopping in Kiki's hometown -- Los Angeles -- with $13 mil and change in pocket.

But, first let me tell you -- Juwan Howard will not be a Nugget next year. Good guy, professional as can be, but when Mitch Kupchak calls, mister 30-something Howard will be all ears. His time is running out and the Lakers, with a renewed focus, will be a major contender for the ring he doesn't have.

Anyway, Denver has their power forward, Nene. Simple as that. Remove the confusion and state clearly that he is the power forward for the Nuggets and let him own it. Big time. He's got great hands, runs the court like a wing man, has the body to bang like a monster down low. All of his impressive rookie numbers will go up and his knack for making the right pass will become second nature. And with the development of a mid-range jumper Nene moves ever closer to being the next Chris Webber with twice the heart.

OK -- shopping at the Clippers Unlimited -- where everyday low prices get you great talent and bargain prices, 'cause no one wants to play for Donald "Not so" Sterling. Unrestricted/restricted it all means the same thing in Clipper land. Donald the Tight will not match.

So who to pick?

Elton Brand PF
Corey Maggette SG/SF
Lamar Odom SF
Michael Olowokandi C
Andre Miller PG

As much as I like Elton, he's a power forward. End of discussion. Maggette is all-out hustle with tremendous potential, but he's redundant with Arenas, Carmelo and Nikoloz Tskitishvili on the team. Lamar Odom is a very nice player but his hankering for the blunt has people wondering how long before he strikes out with the league -- I'll take the other kind of Melo. Michael Olowokandi is a center. Denver needs a center. Easy. Not so fast. This guy doesn't really care about the game-- you can tell he'd rather be reading a classic novel in the shade of a poplar tree or something. Hoops just pays the bills-- a day job. No thanks.

Now depending on how you look at it, Denver could use a true point guard. Gilbert can play that position but his natural spot is the two -- and don't tell me about undersized and defensive liability. He can flat out D-up -- from quick PGs to long SGs and every guard type in between. Quick hands, quicker feet and that special bravado it takes to stop superb one-on-one NBA scorers night-in and night-out.

The One

So, get a throwback PG -- on super sale no less. Miller was better than the guy he was traded for, but that's not saying much. Darius Miles sucked. Miller's numbers fell and his stock dropped lower than the USD$.

I love the thought of getting this guy at a bargain basement price. It's a steal. The Clips are disappointed with him, 'cause he didn't lead them to the playoffs, but no one could have made that sorry bunch of stat suckers play as a cohesive team last year. But, watch out next year. Miller will be out to prove he's still one of the top playmakers in the league, once again averaging double digit dimes.

If he can escape Clipperdom, Andre Miller will play like the second coming of Jason Kidd. And he should have 5-6 years left in the tank. Perfect. Just what a young team needs -- a true veteran leader running the show. Offer 5.5 to 6 million and tell long-suffering fans to prepare for the post-season for the first time since '93-'94.

The Missing Pieces

That leaves one spot open in the starting rotation -- center. Ah, how do you fill this with no Darko. Well, with seven million left to spend, after cutting checks to the three new starters, it should be easy. And playing time is guaranteed since the only legit center the team has on the roster is Marcus "I'm lucky to suit up for 30 games a season" Camby.

This puzzle becomes even easier when there's only one guy that will truly fit. Show Radoslav Nesterovic the money. Double his salary from 2.5 to 5 million and he'll definitely make the move from the frozen tundra of Minnesota. Reaching the first round of the playoffs every year is nice and all, but with KG's 25 bazillion dollar contract, that team goes no further, ever.

Nobody's talking about Rasho, but Kiki knows. His game perfectly complements Denver's existing pieces. He'll block shots, snag boards and conduct his little inside offensive game very efficiently (5th in the league in shooting percentage last year at .525). He's not flashy, but a good defender and solid inside threat. The 7-foot Slovenian makes a very good pickup, who, at 26-years-old, will have time to develop with this fine group of merry youngsters. And the Nuggets have money left over to make sure all of the other supporting pieces stay put.

Starting five:
PG -- Andre Miller

SG -- Gilbert Arenas
SF-- Carmelo Anthony
PF -- Nene Hilario
C -- Rasho Nesterovic

That's a formidable bunch -- four potential All-Stars. Give them a year or two to bond and watch out.

Not to mention Skita, the fifth pick in last year's draft. He didn't do anything as a rookie, and his much vaunted shooting touch was abysmal, but a stutter step here, a crossover there, a sweet dish, a few minutes of effective defense on Kevin Garnett, and a couple of tear drops from downtown offered a glimmer of hope. He's only 19 and still growing at 7' 1". He's committed to adding muscle, 10 pounds already since the end of the season, and working on his game. With that attitude watch him log significant quality minutes after the all-star break next season.

Add Camby, who's still productive when healthy, Rodney "I got a triple-double in an NBA game" White, the surprising defense of undrafted PG Junior Harrington, Mr. Hustle Ryan Bowen, Donnell "Every team needs a thug" Harvey and high-flying Chris Andersen, and you have a team that challenges for a playoff spot in the West -- seriously.

Look at the lineup. Visiting teams are going to get altitude sickness just thinking about having to run with these guys for 48 minutes a night at the Pepsi Center.

Coach Jeff Bzdelik was all about hard work and defense last year, but with the new infusion of talent maybe he can finally bust out his knowledge of the fast break. I mean can't you see Pat "Showtime" Riley treating his staff to beers and waxing nostalgic about his hay day? Denver can only hope Bzdelik soaked it all up.


Freelance writer Heath Copps gets basketball visions while eating slightly fermented mangoes. E-mail him at gowiggle@qwest.net.