As a leader of men, Chauncey Billups shares the characteristics of some of the greats.

His passion for winning - it's the only thing - is taken straight from Vince Lombardi's playbook.

His ability to command respect from his peers, teammates and subordinates is reminiscent of Gen. George S. Patton.

His ability to orchestrate an offense in the manner of a finely tuned symphony conjures images of Leonard Bernstein.

While hardly a rudderless ship during the past five seasons, the Nuggets have not had a clear-cut, locker-room leader who would speak his mind when necessary and back up his words on the court.

"We've had really pretty successful seasons, but in a strange way, I think Chauncey has defined winning with this team as being the only reason why we play the game," coach George Karl said Thursday. "In the past couple years, it seems like we won games, but we didn't have it as the only reason we play."

With Billups as their starting point guard, winning has become standard operating procedure for the Nuggets, who are 24-9 since he stepped into the lineup Nov. 7.

They will try to make it 25-9 - and six in a row - when they face Billups' former team, the Detroit Pistons, tonight at the Pepsi Center.

Billups, who expects the reunion to be "a little weird," is not looking to make a statement. He is not looking to fill up the stat sheet or make the Pistons regret the Nov. 3 trade that sent Allen Iverson to Detroit.

As always, Billups is looking for just one thing.

"I want to win. That's all," he said. "That's as big as it gets for me. It's not about how I play. It's if we win."

That victory-minded tunnel vision helped Billups win two state titles at George Washington High School in the 1990s and an NBA title with the Pistons in 2004.

Most recently, it has given the Nuggets a legitimate chance at earning home-court advantage in a playoff series for the first time since 1988.

"I haven't coached a guy like him in a long time," said Karl, who went to the NBA Finals with Gary Payton as his point guard in 1996.

"The locker room is more serious, the preparation is more serious. When we lose, there's an attitude to figure out why. That's just who (Billups) is. It's not contrived."

Even while talking about his leadership abilities, Billups comes across as matter-of-fact, without a hint of ego or vanity.

"One thing I always think about leaders and leadership is it's something you really can't be taught. It's just who you are," he said. "The seriousness that I play this game with and the passion I play the game with, if you're around me for long enough, it rubs off on everybody.

"I think my leadership and the things I bring to the table was much needed here in Denver. That's probably the reason why I think we got off to a great start."

The immediate success helped Billups overcome the initial shock of being traded less than a week into the season. In the subsequent days, he found himself staring at the Nuggets jersey hanging in his locker.

"After the trade, reality sets in," he said. "There was a couple of times when I came in before the game and I'm looking at that powder blue and I'm just like, 'Damn. This is different.' "

There is certainly a different feeling with Billups on the Denver roster, which should not be considered a knock on Iverson, one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history.

Billups is a better fit when the Nuggets need to execute their halfcourt offense late in games. He is a distributor who knows when big men Nene and Kenyon Martin need to be involved. He knows when to be aggressive when the situation calls for a big shot. He is a cool head who makes sure things don't go south when the scoreboard says otherwise.

"When the game possibly could go in a different way, he controls it," Martin said. "He knows situations of the game, where the ball needs to go, who needs to get a touch - everything that comes with being a great point guard."

Billups will be in control again tonight against the Pistons. He will flash a smile when he shakes hands with his friends and former teammates before the opening tip.

When the ball goes up, the smile will disappear. The game will not be about revenge or bragging rights.

It will be about winning.

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