Nuggets banking on big year from Arron Afflalo

DENVER (AP) Arron Afflalo is looking forward to his return to the Denver Nuggets after being acquired from Orlando in a draft-day deal last week.

The 28-year-old shooting guard is coming off a season with the Magic during which he averaged a career-high 18.2 points.

In some ways, Afflalo feels like he never really left the Nuggets as he always kept close tabs on his former team.

And yet plenty has changed in his two-year absence. Namely, George Karl being replaced as coach by Brian Shaw. Afflalo is ready to take on whatever role Shaw has for him, whether it's as a scorer or being Afflalo the leader.

Afflalo said his responsibility is to ''make sure I'm capable of getting that job done. I have no problem doing whatever coach asks of me.''