The 25 Best Players in Denver Nuggets’ History: Numbers 20-16

Nugg Love continues rankings the top Denver Nuggets of all time.

20. Calvin Natt

Career with the Denver Nuggets: 189 games, 28.5 minutes, 17.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks .523% FG, .790% FT

Career Accolades: 1x NBA All-Star

Calvin Natt, Fat Lever, Wayne Cooper and draft picks were sent from the Portland Trailblazers to the Nuggets during the 1984 offseason for Kiki Vandeweghe, who led the Nuggets in scoring the season prior.

Although Lever turned out to be the prized possession of the trade, Natt had two productive seasons in Denver.

During the 1984-85 season, the Nuggets won 14 more games than the season prior and Natt was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 23.3 points and 7.8 rebounds a game.

Natt was selected to the only All-Star Game of his career that year and helped the Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in seven seasons.

The next season, Natt played in just 69 games but averaged 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a night. That would be Natt’s last meaningful season in Denver because during the Nuggets’ first game of the 1986-87 season, Natt tore his Achilles tendon and missed the remainder of the season.

Natt was never the same after the injury, he played in just 69 games over the next three seasons and retired at the age of 33 in Indiana. Had Natt stayed healthy, he would have ranked higher on the list, but he was a nice sidekick for Alex English during his the short time in Denver.

19. LaPhonso Ellis

Career with the Denver Nuggets: 343 games, 33.1 minutes, 15.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.9 blocks .459% FG, .319% 3PT, .730% FT

Career Accolades: NBA All-Rookie First Team

LaPhonso Ellis was taken by the Nuggets with the fifth overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and spent six seasons in Denver.

Ellis was a high-flying, floor-running forward who was a great pick-and-roll target for point guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and a nice fit alongside his young front court partner Dikembe Mutombo.

In a rookie class that included Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Latrell Sprewell, Ellis was one of the most productive rookies that season, averaging 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds a game, which ranked 10th and 4th respectively among rookies that year.

Ellis’ best year was his sophomore season when he played 79 games and averaged 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds. Ellis helped the Nuggets reach the playoffs for the first time in four seasons and played a vital role in Denver’s first-round upset over the top-seeded Seattle Supersonics that year.

Unfortunately for Ellis, that ended up being one of his most productive seasons he had in the NBA as Ellis dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career that limited his potential.

With that said, Ellis did give us one of the best-looking blocks in Nuggets’ history.

18. Michael Adams

Career with the Denver Nuggets: 304 games, 34.9 minutes, 18.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists 2.0 steals, 0.1 blocks .417% FG, .342% 3PT, .850% FT

The Nuggets acquired Michael Adams in a trade from the Washington Bullets in 1987 and Adams spent four years in Denver.

Adams was similar to what Ty Lawson was for the Nuggets during the early 2010s, as he was a 5-foot-11, crafty point guard with a quick crossover and one of the most unusual shooting motions you’ll ever see.

Adams is known for being one of the first “volume” three-point shooters in NBA history. From 1988-1991, Adams shot 1841 threes, 636 more triples than anyone else in the league during that span.

Adams averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 assists for the 54-28 Nuggets during his first season, but his best individual season came during the 1990-91 season. That year, Adams averaged 26.5 points (6th in the league), 10.5 assists (3rd), knocked down 167 threes (2nd) and scored 54 points in a game against the Bucks, which is tied for the second most all-time in franchise history.

Adams made the playoffs each year he was in Denver outside of the 1991 season and he ranks 2nd all-time in three-point field goals, 5th in assists and 9th in steals for the Denver franchise.

17. Andre Miller

Career with the Denver Nuggets: 447 games, 31.3 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.2 blocks .464% FG, .800 FT

Andre Miller has two stints with the Denver Nuggets, one during the early 2000s and one during the early 2010s.

Miller’s first go-around with the Nuggets was the more productive one, but during the latter half of his career, Miller was one of the most even-keeled point guards in the league.

The smooth, 6-foot-3 point guard was also one of the most durable players in NBA history who once played in 632 consecutive games. The streak only ended when Miller was suspended for this shot at a rookie Blake Griffin.

Miller was a great play maker for young bucks Carmelo Anthony and Nenê during his first three seasons in Denver, and Miller helped the Nuggets reach the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

Miller’s best individual season in Denver was his first, when second on the team in scoring (14.8) and first in assists (6.1) and steals (1.7). When Miller played the full season, the Nuggets never missed the playoffs, and his 143 career playoff assists ranks 7th all-time in Denver Nuggets’ history.

Miller ranks third all-time in Assists for the Nuggets and his career average of 6.7 assists per game ranks 7th all-time.

16. Antonio McDyess

Career with the Denver Nuggets: 361 games, 34.0 minutes, 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.7 blocks .486% FG, .679% FT

Career Accolades: 1x NBA All-Star, All-NBA Third Team, NBA All-Rookie First Team

Antonio McDyess was taken with the second overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, but was traded to the Nuggets for Rodney Rogers and the draft rights to Brent Barry.

It didn’t take long for McDyess to establish himself as one of the best young players in the league. During his rookie season, McDyess averaged 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, good enough to be named to the All-Rookie First Team in a draft class with Kevin Garnett, Damon Stoudamire, Jerry Stackhouse and Arvydas Sabonis.

During the 1996-97 season, the Nuggets traded Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to the Kings and lost Dikembe Mutombo in free agency. McDyess took advantage of his increased workload and improved his scoring average to 18.3 points per game.

Two seasons later, McDyess was named to the All-NBA Third Team after averaging 21.2 points and 10.7 rebounds during the lockout shortened season in 1999.

One of McDyess’ best individual seasons came during the 2000-01 season. That year, McDyess averaged 20.8 points and 12.1 rebounds, which ranked 5th in the NBA, and made his first and only All-Star Game.

Unfortunately for McDyess, he played just ten more games for the Nuggets the following season because of a ruptured Patella tendon. The injury likely costed McDyess a few more All-Star appearances and a higher spot on this list.

The New York Knicks acquired the injury-riddled forward during the 2002 offseason in one of the most lopsided trades of all time. The trade sent Marcus Camby and Nenê to the Nuggets, both who had wildly successful careers in Denver, while McDyess played just 18 games for the Knicks.

McDyess was said to have Shawn Kemp-level talent, had he stayed healthy and seen the playoffs at least once, he would have ranked higher on this list.