Comforts of home rejuvenate Billups

Wait for Chauncey to finish the NBA season – typically in late-May or early June – then pack up the kids and head home for a couple months in Denver.

When the two eldest Billups girls got ready to start school in August, the family returned to Detroit before Chauncey departed for Las Vegas to start preparing for the upcoming season.

Detroit-Denver-Vegas-Detroit.

Pack-unpack-pack-unpack.

Lather-rinse-repeat.

Thanks to the trade that brought Billups to the Nuggets 11 months ago, Chauncey, his wife Piper and their three daughters didn’t have to worry about cardboard boxes, suitcases or moving vans when Denver ended the season last May. They were already home.

"It was easy," Billups said. "It was great."

With three years left on his current contract, the 33-year-old point guard would like to keep it that way.

"Without a doubt, I definitely want this to be the last stop," he said. "I’ve got a couple more years left on my deal and if I’m healthy, I want to play a couple more years after that. Trust me, I don’t want to go nowhere else. I’m home, man – for good, I hope."

From the Skyland Rec Center to George Washington High School to the University of Colorado to the Pepsi Center, Billups is the prototypical native son. He also proved to be the calming influence and productive floor leader the Nuggets were missing during five straight one-and-done playoff appearances.

With Billups directing the offense as a perfect complement to All-Star teammate Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets ended five years of first-round frustration, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1985.

The Nuggets are determined to make another extended run in 2009-10, and having Billups from the start of training camp only figures to aid the cause.

"Last year, we kind of had to learn everything (during) the game," Billups said. "You see what kinds of things you want to do defensively, offensively. There’s a lot of things that you go through in training camp, and you end up nixing it."

Nuggets coach George Karl believes Billups’ value goes well beyond X’s and O’s. Billups spent quality time this summer serving as a mentor to erratic young shooting guard J.R. Smith, whose talent has sometimes been offset by poor decisions on and off the court.

"Having Chauncey’s leadership in the locker room on a daily basis is very positive," Karl said. "He’s kind of taken J.R. under his tutelage. That’s good.

"We’re always going to be a little emotionally wacko at times. That’s who we are. In the same sense, I think the combination of Chauncey and how we played last year … we had a mental toughness that I don’t think people gave us much credit for. I think we’ll have it again this year."

While his toughness is unquestioned, Billups is aware of the whispers that shadow a high-mileage point guard. In addition to regular-season wear-and-tear, he has played nearly 5,000 bonus minutes while advancing to the playoffs every year since 2001.

Over the past three years, his shooting percentage has been at least 7 points lower in the conference finals, compared to the first round, and his scoring average has dipped at least four points. Part of the dropoff can be attributed to tougher competition as the playoffs go along, but good luck getting Billups to use that as an excuse.

Whatever the reason, Billups doesn’t plan to pace himself any more than usual during the regular season, though Karl might be more inclined to monitor the point guard’s minutes.

Billups is quick to point out that his game isn’t predicated on speed and athleticism, so he’s not concerned about ``losing a step.’’ But he acknowledges it’s only human nature to wonder how effective he will be as he moves from his early 30s to his mid-30s.

"The bottom line is you’ve got to go out and prove (yourself)," he said. "That’s going to be the determination whether people say, `His best days are behind him.’ I’ve got to go out and prove I’m still an elite player. I take that challenge very seriously."