Marcus Camby's revenge and Carmelo Anthony's return.

Those are among the early story lines that emerged Wednesday when the Nuggets officially unveiled their 2008-09 schedule.

The Nuggets will open the season on the road against the defending Northwest Division champion Utah Jazz on Oct. 29 before facing Camby and the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Oct. 31.

Anthony will miss both games while serving a suspension for his arrest on drunken-driving charges in April.

He will make his season debut in Denver's home opener Nov. 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers, who swept the Nuggets in the first round of the 2008 Western Conference playoffs.

An early look at some of the best Nuggets story lines in 2008-09:

Best costume

Instead of a Clippers warm-up suit, Camby should emerge from the locker room dressed as the Grim Reaper when the Clippers and Nuggets play in Los Angeles.

Camby said he was insulted and felt disrespected by the Nuggets for their lack of communication in the days before they traded him July 15.

The Nuggets sent Camby and his $10 million salary-cap figure to L.A. for the right to swap spots in the second round of the 2010 draft.

Camby, an active member of the Denver community, will not make a return engagement at the Pepsi Center until March 14.

Best Pineapple Express weekend

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will make their only Denver appearance on Friday, Dec 19, which happens to be the night before Cheech & Chong's Light Up America tour stop at the Paramount Theater.

A more appropriate opponent for the Nuggets would have been the Dallas Mavericks, whose starting forward, Josh Howard, admitted during the 2008 playoffs he smokes marijuana in the offseason.

Best way to extend a hangover

The Nuggets and Avalanche will be on the road on New Year's Eve, but Denver sports fanatics will have reason to ring in 2009 throughout January.

Starting with the Ava- lanche's home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 2, the Pepsi Center will be nonstop pucks and hoops for nine straight days.

The Nuggets open a seasonlong, seven- game homestand Jan. 3 and play 10 of 14 games at home during the month. Ten of the Avalanche's 13 games also will be played at the Pepsi Center in January.

Best opportunity to see the future

Forget the Jonas Brothers. The next hot young act can be found in the Pacific Northwest.

With Greg Oden, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 draft, set to make his NBA debut this season, the Portland Trail Blazers are expected to contend for the Northwest Division crown.

Oden, along with 2006-07 Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy and rookie point guard Jerryd Bayless, will visit Denver on Dec. 22 and March 5.

Even as Oden sat out last season while recovering from knee surgery, the Blazers were one of the surprise teams of 2007-08, winning 13 in a row and 17 of 18 during one stretch.

Numbers game

11wins in 16 games against four teams - Golden State, Memphis, Phoenix and San Antonio - the Nuggets will play them only three times each in 2008-09.

Best spin on trade

Because of Camby's role as a defensive stopper on the court and his community work off it, many Nuggets fans were upset when he was traded to the Clippers.

Paul Andrews, executive vice president for Kroenke Sports, said there hasn't been a backlash at the ticket office.

"The feedback (from season-ticket holders), they all liked Marcus and understood what he meant to the community and the team, but they simply don't want to return to the same team with the same results we've been having," Andrews said.

The Nuggets have been bounced from the first round of the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, but optimism evidently remains.

After finishing last season with about 8,000 season-ticket accounts, Andrews said he expects that number to be between 8,500 and 9,000 by the start of the 2008-09 campaign.

Nuggets' 2008-09 schedule Home games in CAPS

October

Date Opponent Mtn. TV

29

at Utah 7 p.m. ALT

31

at L.A. Clippers 8:30 p.m. ALT

November

Date Opponent Mtn. TV

1

L.A. LAKERS 7 p.m. ALT

5

at Golden State 8:30 p.m. ESPN

7

DALLAS 8:30 p.m. ESPN

9

MEMPHIS 6 p.m. ALT

11

at Charlotte 5 p.m. ALT

13

at Cleveland 5 p.m. TNT

14

at Boston 6 p.m. ESPN

16

MINNESOTA 6 p.m. ALT

18

MILWAUKEE 7 p.m. ALT

19

at San Antonio 6:30 p.m. ALT

21

at L.A. Lakers 8:30 p.m. ALT

23

CHICAGO 7 p.m. ALT

26

at L.A. Clippers 8:30 p.m. ALT

27

NEW ORLEANS 8:30 p.m. TNT

29

at Minnesota 6 p.m. ALT

30

HOUSTON 6 p.m. ALT

December

Date Opponent Mtn. TV

2

TORONTO 7 p.m. ALT

4

SAN ANTONIO 8:30 p.m. TNT

6

at Sacramento 8 p.m. ALT

10

MINNESOTA 7 p.m. ALT

13

GOLDEN STATE 7 p.m. ALT

15

at Dallas 6:30 p.m. ALT

16

at Houston 6:30 p.m. ALT

19

CLEVELAND 8:30 p.m. ESPN

20

at Phoenix 7 p.m. ALT

22

PORTLAND 7 p.m. ALT

23

at Portland 8 p.m. ALT

26

PHILADELPHIA 7 p.m. ALT

28

at New York 11 a.m. ALT

29

at Atlanta 5 p.m. ALT

31

at Toronto 5 p.m. ALT

January

Date Opponent Mtn. TV

2

at Oklahoma City 6 p.m. ALT

3

NEW ORLEANS 7 p.m. ALT

5

INDIANA 7 p.m. ALT

7

MIAMI 7 p.m. ESPN

9

DETROIT 7 p.m. ALT

13

DALLAS 7 p.m. ALT

15

PHOENIX 8:30 p.m. TNT

17

ORLANDO 7 p.m. ALT

19

at Houston Noon ALT

20

SACRAMENTO 7 p.m. ALT

25

UTAH 6 p.m. ALT

27

at Memphis 6 p.m. ALT

28

at New Orleans 6 p.m. ALT

30

CHARLOTTE 7 p.m. ALT

February

Date Opponent Mtn. TV

3

SAN ANTONIO 7 p.m. ALT

4

at Oklahoma City 6 p.m. ALT

6

at Washington 6 p.m. ESPN

7

at New Jersey 5:30 p.m. ALT

10

at Miami 5:30 p.m. ALT

11

at Orlando 5 p.m. ALT

18

at Philadelphia 6 p.m. ESPN

20

at Chicago 6:30 p.m. ALT

22

at Milwaukee 3 p.m. ALT

23

BOSTON 7 p.m. ALT

25

ATLANTA 7 p.m. ALT

27

L.A. LAKERS 7 p.m. ALT

March

Date Opponent Mtn. TV

1

at Indiana 5 p.m. ALT

3

at Detroit 5:30 p.m. ALT

5

PORTLAND 8:30 p.m. TNT

6

at Utah 8:30 p.m. ESPN

8

at Sacramento 7 p.m. ALT

9

HOUSTON 7 p.m. ALT

11

OKLAHOMA CITY 7 p.m. ALT

14

L.A. CLIPPERS 7 p.m. ALT

16

NEW JERSEY 7 p.m. ALT

18

at Memphis 6 p.m. ALT

20

WASHINGTON 7 p.m. ALT

23

at Phoenix 8 p.m. ALT

25

at New Orleans 6 p.m. ALT

27

at Dallas 6:30 p.m. ALT

28

GOLDEN STATE 7 p.m. ALT

31

NEW YORK 7 p.m. ALT

April

Date Opponent Mtn. TV

2

UTAH 8:30 p.m. TNT

4

L.A. CLIPPERS 7 p.m. ALT

5

at Minnesota 5 p.m. ALT

8

OKLAHOMA CITY 7 p.m. ALT

9

at L.A. Lakers 8:30 p.m. TNT

13

SACRAMENTO 7 p.m. ALT

15

at Portland 8:30 p.m. ESPN

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