Ranking The 10 Worst Teams In Denver Nuggets History
By Eric Meyer
After watching that debacle against the Los Angeles Clippers last night and seeing the Nuggets record on the season, I decided to determine where the 2015 version of the Denver Nuggets ranks among the worst teams in Nuggets history. They are definitely not the worst, but I thought I would rank a “Bottom 10” and see if they show up. Please keep in mind that this is my opinion and others may rank them differently, but I have seen each and every one of these teams play since I moved to Colorado in 1980, so I have some insight. Here we go….
10. 1995-1996 Denver Nuggets:
35-47 — 4th place in the Midwest Division.
This team (coached by Bernie Bickerstaff) underachieved on a grand scale. Yes, they were hampered by injuries to key players like LaPhonso Ellis, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Reggie Williams, but this was a roster that had many of the same players as the team that beat the 63-win Seattle Supersonics only two years before. Holdovers from the 1994 team included shot-blocking machine Dikembe Mutombo, Ellis, Rauf, Williams, Bryant Stith and Tom Hammonds. They also had a young Antonio McDyess, sharp-shooter Dale Ellis and Jalen Rose on this team. Just reciting that list of players and seeing their record is the reason I put this team on the list. There were other Nuggets teams that won less games, but those teams didn’t have this kind of talent.
1995-1996 Statistical Leaders:
Scoring: Rauf 19.1 ppg; Rebounding: Mutombo 11.8 rpg; Assists: Rauf 6.8 apg; Blocks: Mutombo 4.5 bpg
Next: 1979-1980 Denver Nuggets