The 2022-23 Denver Nuggets just became the first team in franchise history to win an NBA championship. Led by Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and Head Coach Michael Malone, the Nuggets went 8-1 over their last nine playoff games to cruise to the NBA title. Jokic turned in a 30.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, and 7.2 APG performance in the Finals to lead the way. Jamal Murray, who returned this season after over 550 days away due to injury, averaged over 26.0 PPG in the entire playoffs to aid in their incredible run as well.
- Tier 5
- Ty Lawson, Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, LaPhonso Ellis, Wayne Cooper, Reggie Williams
- Tier 4
- T.R. Dunn, Marcus Camby, Antonio McDyess, Ralph Simpson, Larry Jones, Nene, Allen Iverson, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
- Tier 3
- Dikembe Mutombo, Fat Lever, Dan Issel, Chauncey Billups, Bobby Jones, Kiki Vandeweghe
- Tier 2
- Alex English, David Thompson, Carmelo Anthony, Jamal Murray
- Tier 1
- Nikola Jokic
Now, on the cusp of their first Finals appearance ever, it is time to continue our GOAT pyramid series with the Denver Nuggets. Previously, we have covered some of the most prominent franchises in the league. They are as follows:
– The Los Angeles Lakers All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Chicago Bulls All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Golden State Warriors All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Boston Celtics All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Detroit Pistons All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Miami Heat All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Houston Rockets All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Brooklyn Nets All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The New York Knicks All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Milwaukee Bucks All-Time GOAT Pyramid
As you read through the many previous franchises we have covered and the Denver Nuggets material below, it is important to remind yourselves of a few guidelines. When placing each player into tiers, it will be based on their careers with the specific franchise to which we are referring, not the totality of their careers. What these players have meant to the Denver Nuggets and where they stand in franchise history is what we hold in the highest regard. That said, it is time to reveal the Denver Nuggets’ all-time GOAT pyramid.
Tier 5
Ty Lawson, Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, LaPhonso Ellis, Wayne Cooper, Reggie Williams
Tier 5 will consist of members of the Nuggets franchise who had more than a few decent seasons with the team. The first player to be discussed is point guard Ty Lawson. He played with the Nuggets from 2010 thru 2015, averaging 14.2 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.2 SPG during those seasons. With 2,745 total assists with Denver, Lawson ranks fifth in franchise history and led the team to the playoffs four times in six seasons.
Kenyon Martin spent seven seasons with the Nuggets as well from 2005 thru 2011. Over those seven seasons, Martin averaged 12.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. His defensive presence anchored a 2009 team that advanced to the Western Conference Finals for just the third time in franchise history at that point. Martin is not in the top 10 for any major stat in Nuggets history, but no one can forget what he meant to the Nuggets during the 2000s as a lob threat and defensive wall.
Of all the stops he made in his career, perhaps the most productive one for J.R. Smith came from 2007 thru 2011 with the Denver Nuggets. During this time, Smith was a 13.7 PPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.0 SPG player for them off the bench and was consistently among the best bench players in basketball. In 2009, Smith averaged 14.9 PPG in 16 games off the bench to help fuel a run to the Western Conference Finals.
LaPhonso Ellis was the fifth overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. He spent the first six seasons of his career with Denver, where he averaged 15.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG on 45.9% shooting. Ellis alternated between the bench and starting lineup at both forward positions during his time with Denver. In 1997, he had the best individual season of his career when he averaged 21.9 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 55 games played.
Wayne Cooper played with the Denver Nuggets from 1985 thru 1989 and became one of the best defensive players in team history. In four of his five seasons with the team, Cooper averaged 2.0 BPG or more. Cooper ranks third in Nuggets history with 830 total blocks in a Denver uniform. Cooper helped the team make a run to the 1985 Western Conference Finals averaging 10.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 2.4 BPG.
The final member of Tier 5 for the Denver Nuggets is Reggie Williams, a small forward who spent five and a half seasons with Denver from 1991 thru 1996. Williams averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.5 SPG during his time in Denver and helped them reach the playoffs twice. Williams recorded over 630 steals with the Nuggets in his career, which ranks ninth in franchise history.
Tier 4
T.R. Dunn, Marcus Camby, Antonio McDyess, Ralph Simpson, Larry Jones, Nene, Allen Iverson, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
T.R. Dunn kicks things off in Tier 4 for the Denver Nuggets. Dunn was a defensive stalwart for the Nuggets during the 1980s. He spent 10 seasons in total with the Nuggets from 1981 thru 1988 and again in 1990 and 1991. Dunn averaged just 4.9 PPG and 4.8 RPG during his career in Denver but also added 1.5 SPG. In their magical run to the 1985 Western Conference Finals, Dunn anchored the defense with 1.6 SPG from the guard position. Dunn recorded 1,070 steals in his Nuggets career, which puts him second in franchise history behind Fat Lever.
Speaking of Defensive juggernauts that played their basketball with the Denver Nuggets, Marcus Camby is next up on Tier 4. Camby spent six seasons with the Nuggets from 2003 thru 2008, where he would collect three straight blocks titles from 2006 thru 2008 and the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year award. Overall, he averaged 10.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 3.0 BPG with the Nuggets over six seasons and sits second in Nuggets history with 1,126 blocks.
Antonio McDyess was supposed to be one of the next great superstars in the NBA with the Nuggets in the late 90s and early 2000s. McDyess was an athletic big man with all the tools to be one of the best all-around players in the game. He spent six seasons in Denver in total and averaged 18.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 1.7 BPG. In 2001, he earned the only All-Star selection of his career with Denver, averaging 20.8 PPG, 12.1 RPG, and 1.5 BPG.
Ralph Simpson, not to be confused with the Houston big man Ralph Sampson, was an ABA and NBA legend with the Nuggets during the 70s and 80s. In seven total seasons with the Nuggets in the ABA and NBA, Simpson averaged 19.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.7 SPG. He earned five All-Star selections in the ABA as well as three All-ABA Team selections. Once he got to the NBA, Simpson spent just one year with Denver before moving on but is revered as one of the greatest in Nuggets history to this day.
Larry Jones was another ABA legend with the Nuggets from 1968 thru 1970, where he earned three straight All-Star Team selections. Jones averaged 25.4 PPG over those three seasons as well as 6.6 RPG and 4.2 APG. His 25.4 PPG ranks third in Denver Nuggets history, and his 28.4 PPG in 1969 is tied for the fifth-highest scoring season in Nuggets history. Jones would never cross over into the NBA after the merger in 1976, but his contributions in the ABA helped the Nuggets eventually find their place in the NBA.
Nene was a first-round pick back in the 2002 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He was traded to Denver before the start of the season, where he would spend the first decade of his career. Over that decade, he averaged 12.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 1.3 SPG. Nene was always good for a boost of energy to his squad and brought a physicality element to the court that every team needed. His 3,859 total rebounds with the Nuggets rank eighth in franchise history, and his 508 blocks rank ninth.
Allen Iverson is an NBA legend and icon. He would be much higher on the Nuggets GOAT pyramid if he had spent more than two seasons with the team, but alas, this is where we are. Iverson spent part of the 2007 season, the entire 2008 season, and three games in 2009 with the Nuggets. He averaged 25.6 PPG during his time with the team and earned two All-Star appearances as well.
The final member of Tier 4 for the Denver Nuggets is franchise legend Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Formerly known as Chris Jackson, Rauf spent the first six seasons with Denver after being their third overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Rauf averaged 16.0 PPG and 4.0 APG in his time in Denver. In 1993, Rauf was awarded the NBA’s Most Improved Player award when he averaged 19.2 PPG on 45.0% shooting. He ranks ninth in Nuggets history with 7,029 points.
Tier 3
Dikembe Mutombo, Fat Lever, Dan Issel, Chauncey Billups, Bobby Jones, Kiki Vandeweghe
The next six players who make up Tier 3 in Denver history introduce us to some of the most elite players that have ever represented the franchise. The first of these players is the defensive mastermind and NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo. He spent the first five seasons of his career in Denver, where he would earn three All-Star selections, three blocks titles, and one of his record four Defensive Player of the Year awards. He is still the franchise leader in blocks with 1,486 and ranks fourth in rebounds with 4,811.
Fat Lever is easily one of the most underrated point guards, not just in Nuggets’ history but in NBA history as well. Lever spent six seasons with Denver from 1985 thru 1990, where he would earn two All-Star selections and an All-NBA Team selection in his time there. He averaged 17.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.5 APG, and 2.5 SPG as one of the most well-rounded point guards in the game. From 1985 thru 1990 with Denver, Lever averaged over 2.0 SPG every season and earned an All-Defensive selection in 1988 as well.
Dan Issel was a member of the Denver Nuggets for the entirety of his NBA career from 1977 thru 1985, after spending six seasons in the ABA. Issel was an All-Star once with the Nuggets in 1977 but ranks top 10 in franchise history in points, steals, and assists. He is also the franchise leader in rebounds, pulling down over 16,000 in his career. Issel averaged 20.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.0 SPG in his decade with the team and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Chauncey Billups played in just 259 games in his career as a member of the Denver Nuggets but is still respected as one of their greatest players in franchise history. Billups earned two All-Star selections with Denver in his time there and helped them reach the Western Conference Finals in 2009. Billups averaged 16.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 1.1 SPG in his time with the Nuggets.
Bobby Jones played two seasons with the Nuggets in the ABA and two seasons in the NBA from 1975 thru 1978. During that time, he earned three All-Star selections and one All-ABA Team selection. He averaged 14.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 SPG, and 1.9 BPG during that time and went on to become one of the better interior defenders in the entire game. Jones’ time with Denver was short, but he still did enough on both ends of the floor to be considered for a top-tier in Nuggets history.
The final member of Tier 3 is one name that Nuggets fans will always remember. Kiki Vandeweghe spent just four seasons in Denver as a player, but they were clearly the best seasons of his career. Vandeweghe was a two-time All-Star with Denver and averaged 23.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.7 APG during his days in Denver and averaged over 26.5 PPG in each of his All-Star seasons. Although he was never able to deliver a title to the Mile High City, Vandeweghe will always be a big part of their history and beloved by fans all over the world.
Tier 2
Alex English, David Thompson, Carmelo Anthony, Jamal Murray
The following four players who make up Tier 2 in Nuggets history are true immortals in franchise history. Alex English put the Nuggets on the map during the 1980s as he came over from the Milwaukee Bucks in a deal that flew under the radar for quite some time. English quickly became one of the best players in franchise history as he rattled off eight straight 2,000-point seasons and led all players in scoring for the entire decade. He averaged 25.9 PPG in his 11 seasons with Denver, earned eight All-Star selections, and won a scoring title in 1083.
David Thompson was one of the players in Nuggets history who inspired the likes of Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, and even Julius Erving. Skywalker, as he was called, was a high-flying guard with Denver who spent seven seasons with the team from 1976 thru 1982. He was an All-Star four times with them, including once in the ABA, and averaged 24.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG during his time with the team.
The next member of Tier 2 for the Denver Nuggets might not go over so well with many fans, but regardless, the argument holds weight. Carmelo Anthony left Denver in a rather unceremonious way, but it is with the team that he began to become one of the best scorers in league history. Anthony was a true three-level scoring threat that averaged 24.8 PPG on 45.9% shooting during his eight seasons with the team. Anthony would earn four All-Star selections as a member of the Nuggets and is still recognized as one of the best offensive players in team history.
Jamal Murray is finally allowed to be included in the upper echelon of Nuggets guards in their team’s history. Forget the personal accolades and just take a look at what he has meant to their team during their 2023 playoff run. Murray averaged 21.4 PPG and 10.0 APG during their five-game defeat of the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and 26.1 PPG and 7.1 APG over the course of the entire playoffs. Murray’s journey has been inspiring after missing over 500 days of action due to a knee injury suffered in 2021. The Nuggets never gave up on him, and in return, he rewarded them with an NBA championship.
Tier 1
Nikola Jokic
Although it has only been eight seasons since the Nuggets found Nikola Jokic in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft, he is already the best player we have seen in franchise history. Jokic has earned five All-Star appearances and five All-NBA Team selections during his time with Denver averaging 20.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 6.6 APG in his career. In 2021 and 2022, Jokic was named the first and only MVP in team history as he carried an injured squad to the playoffs as perhaps the most offensively complete center in NBA history. In 2022-23, Jokic achieved some more firsts in franchise history. He led the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in franchise history after 47 years of waiting. He was named the first Finals MVP in team history, adding to his already-loaded resume. It will take a LeBron James or Michael Jordan-like player to dethrone him from his top spot in Denver Nuggets history.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
