Karl in comfort zone on first day of practice

After shaking off a few nerves that were understandable after nearly seven months away from the chalkboard, Nuggets coach George Karl was back in his comfort zone.

His voice strong but still scratchy, Karl put his team through practice Tuesday for the first time since being cleared to coach following a battle with throat and neck cancer.

“Before the practice, there was more of an emotional moment to say, ‘Hey, don’t take for granted what you’ve always loved to do,” Karl said. “I just thought of some of the people that helped me get back here that I should probably make a phone call to. It’s a privilege to do what I do.”

Karl, 59, went through more than six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatment last spring and was unable to coach the Nuggets for the final 14 games of the regular season and the playoffs.

A few pounds lighter and still lacking a full complement of taste buds, Karl showed no signs of fatigue Tuesday as he alternated between providing instruction to his players and delegating duties to his coaching staff.

“It’s fun to be back,” he said. “It’s fun to get the butterflies before practice. It’s fun to interact with your family of basketball guys, and I was pleasantly surprised by the intensity and attitude of almost everybody. I thought there might be a little bit of cloud over us, but I thought we had a very solid practice and got a lot of stuff in.”

Of the 17 players currently in training camp, 10 were with Karl when he was diagnosed with cancer last January, so there was a natural blend of emotion and attentiveness to the first practice.

“I think it was all eyes on him today,” said Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony. “He seemed energetic, positive. You can tell he’s excited about it.”

Karl plans to be on the bench for all 82 games in 2010-11, though he might alter his travel plans for back-to-back games. It’s otherwise business as usual as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career regular-season victories; Karl stands at 986.

“He just seems a lot more energized,” point guard Chauncey Billups said. “He’s pumped up he’s enthusiastic. It’s good to see a smile on his face.”

Karl flashed that smile again after practice as he joked about the electronic whistle that he kept in his pocket. He considered using the whistle to help preserve his voice, but it wasn’t necessary Tuesday.

“When you have a bad practice and guys have a lazy mentality, you might use it then,” he said. “But today was very professional and very solid.”

Contact Aaron J. Lopez at alopez@pepsicenter.com