"Kenyon Martin is the type of competitor who, perturbed by a controversial Scrabble move, would push you to the ground and bark: "ZIPPY isn't a word!"

It is this unwavering passion that has fueled the Nuggets since the big Carmelo Anthony trade.

"From the very beginning, he believed in this team maybe as much as I did," Nuggets coach George Karl said.

The scene remains in the minds of many Nuggets: On the day of the Feb. 21 trade with New York, some guys watched ESPN in the locker room, when a commentator said the Nuggets would be the "Cavaliers of the Western Conference," after trading Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

"That's just a slap in my face. I take it personally," said Martin,

re-telling the message he had shared with his teammates. "I've been around this game, I know how to play, I'm a winner. Melo is a great player, I'm not taking that from him, but Melo didn't make this team.

"I mean that in no disrespectful way whatsoever. But it's a team. It's not tennis, it's not golf, it's not an individual sport. He's a great talent and is going to be around this league for a long time. But I have pride, and guys on this team have pride."

With his glare that makes tall men short, with his brawn that makes power forwards ache and a voice that makes teammates listen, the Nuggets' last remaining captain (with Melo and Billups gone) has been the heartbeat of this defensive-minded and tough-minded team.

Denver is 14-4 since the trade and has allowed just 95.1 points per game, compared with 105.2 before the trade. And today, Martin will be ubiquitous on defense, guarding everyone from Pau Gasol to Lamar Odom to Kobe Bryant in a litmus test at the Staples Center against the Los Angeles Lakers, the hottest team in the Western Conference.

"He brings credibility," Nuggets assistant coach Melvin Hunt said. "And he impacts the game defensively, immediately. We trust him quarterbacking our defense. It's easy to lead when you're relevant. We give him a lot of tough assignments, and he steps up to it. He never backs down from it. I know the other guys respect that.""