Denver Nuggets: Top 5 Nuggets’ Point Guards of All Time
By Evan Hosmer
#5: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Chris Jackson)
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1990 NBA Draft. Abdul-Rauf was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in his first season with Denver. He spent the next couple of seasons developing into one of the league’s most electrifying guards.
The 1992-1993 season was a breakout one for Abdul-Rauf. He averaged a career high 19 points per game while shooting 45% from the field and 35% from three. Abdul-Rauf was a sharpshooter who used a quick release and an uncanny ability to create space for his shot. He was named the NBA most improved player that season and led the Nuggets to the 8th seed in the Western Conference Finals the following season.
Those 1994 playoffs saw the Nuggets complete one of the biggest upsets in playoff history, defeating the top seeded Seattle Supersonics in 5 games.
Abdul-Rauf had an opportunity to become one of the Nuggets greatest players of all time, but an incident involving Abdul-Rauf choosing to not stand for the United States national anthem ultimately ended his career. Despite the controversy surrounding Abdul-Rauf, the sharpshooting point guard still remains one of the Nuggets best point guards of all time.
Next: #4: Ty Lawson