Denver Nuggets Dream Team

 

As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of the

game being in constant change, conventional wisdom suggests

that players from different eras cannot be compared. However, I have

decided to defy those odds. 

The Denver Nuggets were established in 1967, entering the ABA as the Denver Rockets. In 1974, the Rockets were rebranded as the Nuggets. In 1974, the franchise planned its move into the NBA, and their new home venue, McNichols Arena. Team ownership created a contest to choose a new team nickname because "Rockets" was already used by the Houston Rockets. The prevailing choice was "Nuggets", in honor of the original Nuggets team in Denver from 1948–50, the last year as a charter member of the NBA. Their new logo was a miner "discovering" an ABA ball.

Today, I put together a Nuggets Dream Team. In the Rocky Mountain state, The NFL’s Denver Broncos draw the most year round interest and while the Nuggets lack an NBA championship to their resume, the franchise has seen some exciting basketball at times. 

The best seasons in franchise history have been 1975-1976 and 2008-2009. With the former, the Nuggets went 60-24 in the regular season and reached the ABA Finals 4-2 to the New Jersey Nets. In 2008-2009, the Nuggets went 54-28 and reached the Western Conference Finals, losing 4-2 to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers. In 1994, the No. 8 seeded Nuggets upset the top-seeded Seattle Supersonics 3-2 to become the first No. 8 seed to upset the No. 1 seed. One round later, the Nuggets pushed the Utah Jazz to seven games before losing 4-3. 

There are some rigid criteria in making this team. First of all, the player needed to have played for the Nuggets for a minimum of four seasons -- no exceptions. Since the free agency era began 30 years ago, that standard needs to be in place. Two-year rentals don’t make this list. This roster is all-encompassing from all eras. 

Personality or legal flaws are not a deterrent to making this team. This is basketball, not the Boy Scouts. Being in the Hall of Fame is the first consideration coupled with impact on the franchise. The number of All-NBA seasons are a top consideration with longevity also helping immensely. While I understand it is hard to compare eras, I’m not going to convolute this discussion. 

Generational reminders

Being on the Nuggets during a season of being a contender does not get you a hall pass on this team. However, being on the Nuggets during bad is no deterrent to getting a spot on this team. Winning or losing eras, all high-level performers get considered. 

To further the challenge, the modern game has evolved into positionless basketball. The roster will comprise 15 players encompassing all eras. The starting lineup will be position specific, after that it will be the best of the rest with four years playing for the franchise being the first requirement. 

So, if you want to make a case for a player being on the team, don’t just tell me he should be there and why, tell me who you would remove. Before you make a case to put someone on the list, ask yourself, “Who do I take off the list at that position?”

Starters

Point guard: Lafayette “Fat” Lever.

Lever played for three teams over the course of his 11-year career but his time in Denver was the most impactful. In a Nuggets uniform, he averaged 17.0 points per game 7.5 assists and 7.6 rebounds. Lever recorded many triple-doubles and was also one of the best defensive point guards of his time.

Lever was a two-time All-Star, All-NBA second team in 1987 and NBA All-Defensive second team in 1988. At one point in his career, Lever joined Magic Johnson as the only players since the NBA/ABA merger to have at least two games in a season of having recorded at least 24 points and 18 assists.

Shooting guard: David Thompson.

Thompson's career with the Nuggets was cut short by a substance abuse problem but while he played for the franchise he was one of the best players in the NBA. Thompson was nicknamed “Skywalker” as he averaged 20 points per game or more and all but one season with the Nuggets. His best season came in 1977-78 when he averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

Thompson was a four-time All-Star, three with the Nuggets. He was the NBA All-Star game MVP in 1979, two-time all NBA first team, ABA All-Star in 1976 ABA All-Star game MVP in 1976 and ABA Rookie of the Year in 1976. 

Small forward: Alex English. 

English was definitely the best player in Denver Nuggets history and one of the most underrated in NBA history. In eleven seasons with Denver, English averaged 25.9 points and 5.9 rebounds and was an eight-time All-Star. He led the NBA in scoring in the 1982-1983 season.

The Hall of Famer’s best season was in 1985-86 when he had per-game averages of 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. English was an eight-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA second team and was the NBA scoring champion in 1983.

Power forward: Dan Issel. 

Issel has a multi-layered legacy with the Nuggets as both a player and a code. Issel began his career in the ABA as a member of the Kentucky Colonels. He then made a seamless transition into the NBA with the Nuggets averaging 20.0 points, 6.0 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game over the course of 10 seasons.

Issell remained with the Nuggets following the ABA/NBA merger in 1976 and represented the Nuggets in the 1977 All-Star Game. He was a productive scorer for the Nuggets as he surpassed 20 points per game in five of his eight seasons with the franchise.

Center: Nikola Jokic. 

Though Jokic, who is nicknamed “The Joker,” has played just five seasons, he has already vaulted himself into the starting lineup on this team. In 2018-2019, Jokic became the first Nugget to earn All NBA first team since David Thompson. In his career, Jokic is averaging 20.1 points per game, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

Jokic is a two-time All-Star and was NBA All-Rookie first team in 2016.  Jokic already ranks among the top 10 on the all-time list in NBA history for triple doubles, he leads European players in that category and holds the record for the fastest triple double in NBA history.

Bench (alphabetical order)

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: Though Abdul-Rauf is known for the controversy surrounding his National Anthem protest, his career performance as a Denver Nugget cannot be denied. Abdul-Rauf averaged 16 points per contest in the six seasons that he played for the Nuggets. Abdul-Rauf was also a pivotal figure in 1994 when the Nuggets’ aforementioned upset of Seattle. In 1992-1993, Abdul-Rauf was voted the NBA most improved player. 

Carmelo Anthony: Anthony was the number two overall pick in the 2003 draft that also included LeBron James. Anthony, who is now a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, averaged 28.4 points in his eight years as a Nugget. Anthony, along with then teammate Chauncey Billups, was a vital cog in the Nuggets reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2009. Anthony is a 10-time All Star and 6-time All NBA (two as a second teamer; four as a first teamer). 

Byron Beck: Beck's career with the Nuggets overlapped the franchise’s time in the ABA as the Denver Rockets. In his 10 seasons with the franchise, Beck was a two-time ABA All-Star, averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Beck played a mixture of both center and power forward. He was not blessed with tremendous skill but was a hard worker and tenacious rebounder. 

Chauncey Billups: Billups is well known for his time as a Detroit Piston, whom he helped guide to an NBA Finals upset of the Los Angeles Lakers and receive finals MVP. Billups, however, was excellent in a Nuggets uniform. Phillips, who was a native of Colorado, averaged 16.9 points per game and 5.0 assists in a Nuggets uniform. Billups is a five-time All-Star and two-time NBA all-defensive second team. Billups also played a pivotal role in getting the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals. 

Marcus Camby: Throughout his career, Camby was a defensive stalwart. Camby played six seasons with the Nuggets and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. He is also a four-time NBA All-Defense selection (two as a first-teamer). Camby led the NBA in blocked shots four times, three in a nuggets uniform. He is 12th in NBA history in blocked shots. 

Bobby Jones:

Though Jones spent most of his career as a sixth man with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Hall of Famer enjoyed four very solid years with the Nuggets. Jones averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game but his hallmark was as a defensive standout. Jones was an NBA All-Star twice in a Nuggets uniform in his four seasons.

Antonio McDyess:

McDyess is a player that tends to be overlooked among valuable players in Nuggets franchise history. In his six seasons with the Nuggets, McDyess averaged 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest. McDyess was an NBA All-Star in 2001 and NBA third team in 1999. 

Dikembe Mutombo:

When the Nuggets drafted Mutombo with the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA draft in 1991, he quickly played a pivotal role and turned the Nuggets from one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA to one of the best. At seven foot two, 260, Mutombo was one of the best interior defenders in the history of the NBA. he had a great combination of height power and long arms. Mutombo averaged 12.9 points and 12.3 rebounds along with 3.8 blocked shots in his career as a Denver Nugget. Mutombo played 18 years with six different teams and was a four-time defensive player of the year on the way to a Hall of Fame career. Mutombo is second in NBA history in blocked shots. 

Ralph Simpson: 

Simpson was a fixture during the franchise's ABA era when they were known as the Denver Rockets. Simpson was a five-time ABA All-Star and All ABA three times, one as a first-teamer. Simpson averaged 16.7 points per game but eclipsed the 20 points per game plateau on three occasions. Simpson scored a combined 11,785 points in both the ABA and NBA era. His 9,953 points were the most for a Nuggets player during the ABA era.

Kiki Vandeweghe:

Vandeweghe spent his first four seasons in the NBA in Denver and throughout his career he was a prolific scorer. Both of his All-Star seasons came in a Nuggets uniform. Vandeweghe averaged 19.7 points per game but his legacy as a Nugget is defined by scoring 50 or more points in two record-setting NBA games. One was a 51-point game, which is the highest combined scoring game in NBA history, a 186-184 triple overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons. Vandeweghe also scored 50 points in another game, which was a 163-155 win over the San Antonio Spurs, at the time the highest scoring NBA regulation game of all time.

Head coach: Doug Moe

Moe was the Nuggets head coach for 10 seasons and an assistant for six more, two different stints. Moe led the Nuggets to more victories, 432, then any head coach in franchise history. Moe led the Nuggets to the playoffs in nine of his 10 seasons and was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1987-88. Moe was the epitome of a coach that used a run-and-gun style play on offense. Moe had his team shoot the basketball before the opponent could set up their defense. Moe was a proponent of diagramming very few plays instead relying on ball movement screens and constant cuts to the basket. That style of play is often seen today.

Team: 1975-1976. 

This version of the Nuggets was the last season of the ABA before the merger. Led by Thompson, Issel, Jones, and Simpson, the Nuggets reached their only ABA Finals, losing to the eventual champion New Jersey Nets. In the semifinals, the Nuggets outlasted the Kentucky Colonels 4-3. The Nuggets won 60 games over an 84 game schedule. The following season, the Nuggets moved into the NBA. The Nuggets had five players average double-figures in scoring.