Denver Nuggets Mount Rushmore: Jokic’s Team For The Taking
Since their creation in 1967, the Nuggets have faced many ups and downs that have ultimately left them with zero championships despite being in the playoffs in 36 of their 55 seasons. My criteria for this list is mainly focused on longevity with the franchise since they’ve seen many stars come and go for short periods of time over the years. Below I go in-depth on who I have representing the Nuggets Mount Rushmore.
Alex English
Perhaps the most well-known Nugget ever, English leads the team all-time in games played, points, and assists, making him the ultimate all-time face of the franchise. With the Nuggets, English was an 8-time All-Star, averaging at least 25 points in every single one of those years, an incredible mark of consistency. To make this run of 8 seasons even more impressive, English missed a total of 3 regular season games, always being there to give the team the best chance to win. Although the team made the playoffs in each of those seasons, the team never had quite enough talent around English to be true contenders in the West.
Dan Issel
Issel leads the franchise all-time in win shares, with an advantage of 10.6 over English. Issel was a phenomenal scorer and rebounder back in his day, averaging 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds as a member of the Nuggets. His efficiency and lack of mistakes make him the model center, and contribute to his impressive amount of win shares he was able to pile up over the years. After losing in the ABA Finals in his first year with Denver, he was never able to reach that point again with the Nuggets in the NBA. Today, Issel is in the Basketball Hall of Fame and is on the ABA All-Time Team.
David Thompson
Although he had a short, 9-year career, the 7 years Thompson spent with Denver were nothing short of spectacular. On 50.7% shooting from the field, Thompson averaged 24.1 points per game while with the team, placing him fourth on the all-time Nuggets scoring list. He also ranks fourth in both Nuggets all-time field goals made and win-shares, making the most of his shortened career. As the only guard on this list, Thompson was the definition of a great shooting guard, and he is also a member of both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the ABA All-Time Team.
Nikola Jokic
When it is all said and done, Jokic could easily be the best player to ever wear a Nuggets uniform. After winning the 2020-2021 NBA MVP Award, Jokic is replicating his numbers once again. He excels in every aspect of offense, making him nearly impossible to guard. He is already ranked 6th in all-time Nuggets points, third in assists, and third in rebounds, and he just turned 27 years old. Jokic will be a superstar in this league for the next decade if as he has shown, he stays healthy. This current roster led by Jokic has shown lots of promise, and if Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. can play to their potential, there’s no reason this group can’t bring the franchise their first championship.
