Antonio McDyess is one of the most underrated figures in Denver Nuggets’ history.
The Denver Nuggets have had many great players come through their franchise, but one of the most underrated players they have ever had is Antonio McDyess. McDyess came into the league in the 1995 season and quickly made an impact for the Nuggets.
Denver Nuggets
Many forget he was actually drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and was the second pick overall. Talk about a steal for the Denver Nuggets.
Per basketball-reference.com, he averaged 13.4 points per game to go along with an effective field goal percentage of 48.5% in his rookie season. However, it was not his scoring which made him stand out. It was his ability to rebound and defensive prowess which made him a solid player. In just his third season, McDyess had a defensive rating of 98 and averaged 7.6 rebounds per game, which was actually spent with the Phoenix Suns.
McDyess was a lone bright spot for the Nuggets in their dark days. Until Carmelo Anthony was drafted, there was a drought in Nuggets’ history where they were the bottom feeders of the league and McDyess was the lone star on the squad.
Tragedy struck in the 2002 season for him as he was sidelined for the entire year with a knee injury. Sadly, he was never quite the same after this as he went from averaging double figures in points to only averaging 6.9 points per game the season after the injury.
However, he was a model of success throughout his career and a quiet figure who was a solid role model. Despite only playing 6 seasons with the Nuggets, he provided quality production for Denver in his career.
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McDyess is one of the most underrated players in the Nuggets’ history and people need to remember what he provided the Mile High.