The Denver Nuggets finally got out of the first round of the playoffs and made it all the way to the Western Conference finals last season. The Detroit Pistons, meanwhile, had a losing record and failed to make it to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in seven seasons last spring.

How are those two facts related?

Easy. Chauncey Billups has now been the starting point guard on teams that have been to the conference finals — or further — seven straight years, six times with Detroit and last year with Denver. The Pistons got much worse after Billups was traded, while the Nuggets got much better after he arrived. Coincidence? Hardly.

Billups is a winner and a leader and he makes others around him better. Having Billups around once again combined with last year's success still doesn't make Denver an overwhelming favorite to win the Northwest Division this time around, however. The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz will do battle with the Nuggets all season long in this top-heavy division.

Here is a team-by-team look in predicted order of finish:

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Last season: 54-28, lost to Houston in the first round of the playoffs

Top player: G Brandon Roy (22.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.7 rpg)

Supporting cast: F LaMarcus Aldridge (18.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg), PG Andre Miller (16.3 ppg, 6.5 apg, 4.5 rpg), C Greg Oden (8.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg)

Bottom line: Ex-Ute great Andre Miller is a quiet guy. He's not flashy, doesn't dunk the basketball or hang out with teammates off the court. It will take him some time to mesh with the Trail Blazers. But while Miller may have gotten off on the wrong foot in Portland after signing as a free agent, in the end, his veteran leadership and play will be a major asset to one of the NBA's most talented young teams. Roy and Aldridge will continue to be the focal points of the Blazers' offense, while Oden will took to improve on his decent, but-not- spectacular rookie season. Blazers coach Nate MacMillan has a deep team that could win 55-plus games this season.

DENVER NUGGETS

Last season: 54-28, lost to Lakers in the Western Conference finals

Top player: F Carmelo Anthony (22.8, 6.8 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Supporting cast: PG Chauncey Billups (17.7 ppg, 6.4 apg), G J.R. Smith (15.2 ppg, 2.0 spg), F Kenyon Marton (11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg), C Nene (14.6, 7.8 rpg)