6 Worst Denver Nuggets starters of the Carmelo Anthony Era

2. Dahntay Jones, Denver Nuggets Wing, 2008-09

A first-round pick by the Boston Celtics out of Duke, Dahntay Jones hadn’t made much of an impression on the league when he arrived in Denver in 2008. He was a solid defensive player, but he couldn’t contribute much beyond that. As a result, he started just 36 games across his first five years with Memphis and Sacramento. Despite that track record, the Nuggets thought he was the missing piece in the starting lineup for the 2008-09 campaign.

There is no denying that this was the best year the Nuggets had during the Carmelo Anthony, but the addition of Jones can hardly be characterized as the catalyst for their run to the Western Conference Finals. Jones was merely window dressing, with the early-season acquisition of Chauncey Billups serving as the engine pushing the Nuggets to new heights.

Jones started 71 games that year but played just 18.1 minutes per game while scoring 7.0 points per contest. It could even be said that Jones’ status as a starter was almost ceremonial, as he was ninth in minutes played despite starting the third-most games.

After leaving the Nuggets, Jones averaged 10.2 points per game for the Indiana Pacers the next year, before playing six more forgettable seasons in the NBA. Despite the unremarkable back nine of his career, he was nominally part of the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship team.