Emmanuel Mudiay vs. the Top 10 Denver Nugget PGs of All Time
Dec 14, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; NBA former player Chauncey Billups smiles on the sideline before the game between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
- Michael Adams (1987-1991)
Denver Stats (304 games): 18.2 ppg, 3.2 reb, 7.2 ast, and 2 stl
Debatably Denver’s best shooting PG in history, Adams was a lethal from beyond the arch. His shooting ability comes from his history as a 2-guard.
His first couple seasons with the Nugget’s he was a strong 3rd option behind Fat Lever and Alex English, where he split time with Lever as the 1. The Nuggets ran a 2 PG starting rotation, dispensing the workload between Adams and Lever.
The one Denver season Adams played without Lever he averaged 26.5 points and 10.5 assists a game.
Notable Accomplishments:
54 point game in ’90-’91 season
Formerly held record for consecutive games with a made 3-point fg
- Nick Van Exel (1998-2002)
Denver Stats (245 games): 17.7 ppg, 3.4 reb, 8.4 ast, and .8 stl
Van Exel debatably spent his strongest four years in the NBA all with the Nuggets, but he was just the best player on a bad team. Van Exel excited crowds and was a filthy shooter. He spent most of his years as a complementary player on championship-bound teams, but his years on Denver gave him free range to develop his offensive abilities.
Notable Nugget Accomplishments:
NBA All-Star 1998
- Fat Lever (1984-1990)
Denver Stats (474 games): 17 ppg, 7.6 reb, 7.5 ast, and 2.5 stl
Yes, you read that right. The Nuggets had a functional point guard who went by the name of Fat (His birth name was Lafayette). Coincidentally but unrelated, the Nuggets had a PG before the merger named Fatty Taylor as well. I am ecstatic with the growth of maturity in regards to name choosing.
If this ranking system was a matter of statistics alone Fat would have taken the cake (and probably eaten it too) with the number 1 spot. The fact that he put up these numbers while playing along side one of the biggest ball hogs in NBA history in Alex English and the likes of similarly greedy players such as Calvin Natt is a basketball anomaly.
Notable Nugget Accomplishments:
2x NBA All-Star 1988 1990
All NBA Second Team 1987
NBA All Defensive Second Team 1988
Nuggets all time leader in steals
6th all time in regular season triple-doubles (43)
- Chauncey Billups (1998-1999, 2008-2011)
Denver Stats (259 games): 16.9 ppg, 2.7 reb, 5.3 ast, and 1.1 stl
Billups’ first tenure as a Nugget was spent as a quiet back up who started several games and scored when given the chance. It wasn’t until his second term as a Nugget (after developing into an all-star and winning a championship with Detroit) that Billups came into his own as a star.
“Mr. Big Shot” meshed surprisingly well with a maturing Carmelo Anthony as the two headed a playoff run that landed them a 2 seed and an appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 2009.
Notable Nugget Accomplishments:
5x NBA All-Star (3 with the Nuggets)
All NBA Third Team 2009
NBA Sportsmanship Award 2009
- Allen Iverson (2006-2008)
Denver Stats (135 games): 25.6 ppg, 3 reb, 7.1 ast, and 1.9 stl
AI is AI. The greatest pound-for-pound player of all time. The Answer’s years as a Nugget weren’t his prime, but as his stats show he didn’t struggle to perform.
Despite Iverson playing the fewest games out of his peers in this list, it is obvious he is the alpha PG of the bunch. He is often titled a SG, but his seasons spent on Denver he was the commanding officer at the 1.
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, the chemistry between him and a young and gunning Melo was a catastrophe.
A complementing hypothetical duo could have granted Denver a higher seed than 6 or 8 in AI’s two years, and allowed for an easier path towards a title run (admittedly, they got shafted both years with matchups against a three seeded soon-to-be-champion Spurs in ’07 and the finals bound top seeded Lakers in ’08).
Notable Nugget Accomplishments:
11x NBA All-Star (2 with the Nuggets)
Emmanuel Mudiay (2015-?)
Denver Rookie Stat Projections: 12.9 ppg, 3.8 reb, 5.3 ast, and 1.1 stl
Denver Career Stat Projections: 15.9 ppg, 4.1 reb, 7.8 ast, and 1.2 stl
Clearly I don’t see Mudiay being the best statistical PG in Nugget history, but these projections are a modest estimate as his ceiling is skies higher. I also want these projections to be taken lightly. He will take several years to groove into things, as well as experience wind down years past his prime. I don’t think an 18+ ppg and 7.5+ ast average across his prime is out of the question. Statistically that puts him in the running immediately.
Basically he needs 2 All-Star appearances, an NBA regular season award of some kind (Rookie of Year, an All NBA team, etc) and multiple successful playoff berths as the starting PG. All reasonable. He has already said his goal is to bring as many championships to Denver as possible.
Yes, he is extremely raw. Playing in China gave him patience as a player, but it was more likely than not a money induced decision. He comes into the league with unparalleled rookie athleticism and size for the position, but also with an unpolished shot and some tweeky defense. Luckily he has a good foundation with his form, and NBA teams don’t pay people titled shooting coaches for nothing.
Iverson aside, he has a more explosive step and athletic finishing ability than most of the players on the list already. His court vision near the hoop is remarkable and his heart is undeniable, but the quality that will separate him most from these ten names is his ability to make his teammates better.
He seems set on making Denver his home, and has already supposedly made strong connections with young star Kenneth Faried, veteran Wilson Chandler, and young big Nikola Jokic.
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Andre Miller and Chauncey Billups shared the make-teammates-stronger quality because of their competitive drive and high point guard IQ. Mudiay has a clear competitive edge and seems to have the groundwork laid for the birthing of a high IQ mind.
Is it possible he flukes and busts out? Completely. Will he? I doubt it. It depends on his willingness to grow and learn as a player, and being put in the appropriate situations by his coaching staff.
New head coach Mike Malone comes with a faster paced offense that will benefit young legs like Mudiay’s. If he can catch on quickly, Malone will likely draw up plays and surround him with a complementary lineup.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
In a Sports Illustrated Chris Mannix interview, Malone stated “Very rarely do you get the guy that you have rated No. 1, and we feel very, very fortunate to have Emmanuel in the Nuggets family.” That sounds a lot like a player a team is trying to build around.
Coach Malone has already confirmed he will be using his “Jungle” style offense in which the PG runs sets through the PF and C at the elbow. This is a smart way to develop chemistry and successful offense through Mudiay and Faried.
Will Mudiay be the best Denver Nugget PG of all time? Its going to take some work, but why not?