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Worst NBA Draft Mistakes in Denver Nuggets History

By Nathan Beighle

Apr 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone looks on in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at the Pepsi Center. The Jazz defeated the Nuggets 100-84. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone looks on in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at the Pepsi Center. The Jazz defeated the Nuggets 100-84. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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#7-1992 NBA Draft- Laphonso Ellis- Drafted #5

This draft overall was pretty disappointing, and Denver did not miss too much. The Denver Nuggets drafted #5 and took LaPhonso Ellis. For those old-school Nugg fans, they will tell me how good Ellis was. Ellis averaged 14.7 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game in his rookie season.

Sounds solid doesn’t it? Well, Ellis eventually struggled heavily with injuries; therefore, his playing days were cut short and ultimately his career also.

The disappoint part comes when immediately after Denver drafted, the then Washington Bullets took another big Tom Gugliotta, who turned into a beast. The name doesn’t sound familiar does it? Gugliotta during his best two years averaged 20.6 and 20.1 points per game. He was a great rebounder, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game over his career.

Ellis could have been very similar to Gugliotta if he had not struggled with injury problems. Denver could have never known that Ellis would struggled to the extent that he did and that Gugliotta would not. This is why this is coming in at #7 on the list.

Next: 1986 NBA Draft

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