After a lost decade, the Nuggets dare to dream big. Carmelo Anthony expects to be the NBA rookie of the year in Denver. If he fails, guess who will get the blame. Coach Jeff Bzdelik.

"With hope comes pressure," Bzdelik said.

After a meager 17 victories last season, the Nuggets are selling hope. The pressure is on the coach to deliver. If he fails, Bzdelik will get fired.

With the No. 3 overall selection in the NBA draft and $20 million to spend on free agents, if the Nuggets cannot increase their number of victories by 100 percent in the upcoming season, it could well be Bzdelik's final season as Denver coach.

"The next step for Jeff Bzdelik is to help us win," Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. "I've told a lot of players on this team: 'Look, if you're not going to help us win, you're probably not going to be here.' The same goes for the coach and everybody else. You've got to win. That's the name of the game."