Denver Nuggets: 5 Best Nuggets Players since 2000

Allen Iverson makes his way onto this list
Allen Iverson makes his way onto this list

The Denver Nuggets compete in the Western Conference, and are one of the powerhouses in the conference right now. After failing to make it to the playoffs in the past five years, they are finally on track to make it to the postseason, and that too in dominating fashion.

Some of the greatest NBA legends have spent their playing days with the franchise and entertained the fans with their mesmerising performances. In this article, we take a look at the five best Nuggets players since 2000.


#1 Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony is one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game of basketball
Carmelo Anthony is one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game of basketball

Carmelo Anthony is one of the most decorated superstars in the NBA, and is widely recognised as one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game of basketball. After leading the Syracuse Orange to the NCAA championship in 2003, he was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft.

Just in his rookie season, he started in all 82 games for the Nuggets and averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He finished second behind LeBron James in the Rookie of the Year voting and led the team to playoffs, but unfortunately could not take them past the first round.

He went to seven straight playoffs, including the 2009 playoffs when they made it to the Western Conference Finals, the closest the Nuggets ever came to making it to the finals. They lost to the eventual champions, Los Angeles Lakers, 2-4.

In his eight seasons with the Nuggets, he averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Nuggets' players to don the jersey.

On February 22, 2011, Anthony, along with point guard Chauncey Billups, was traded to the New York Knicks in a multi-player deal.

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#2 Allen Iverson

Iverson played three seasons for Denver but his final season for the franchise only lasted for three games
Iverson played three seasons for Denver but his final season for the franchise only lasted for three games

Allen Iverson is a lifelong Sixer, and will always be remembered for his basketball days in Philadelphia. However, in 2006, he was traded by the Philadelphia 76ers to the Denver Nuggets, and played alongside one of the league's best scorers ever, Carmelo Anthony.

Iverson played three seasons for Denver but his final season for the franchise only lasted for three games. He averaged 25.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game during his tenure with the Nuggets.

His career-best game for the Nuggets came when he dropped 51 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007. Even though it was a short stint for Iverson with the franchise, he definitely gave all he had every single night for the fans.

During the early 2008-09 NBA season, he was traded by the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons in a deal that included Chauncey Billups.

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#3 Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic has slowly transitioned into the Nuggets' key player
Nikola Jokic has slowly transitioned into the Nuggets' key player

The Denver Nuggets failed to qualify for the 2014 playoffs and entered the off-season early. It was the first time that the franchise had failed to make it to the postseason in 11 years. Nikola Jokic was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

He was impressive in his first year in the NBA, averaging 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. However, Denver failed to make it to the playoffs, once again.

Denver saw similar results in the following two years, but Jokic has transitioned very quickly into the Nuggets' go-to guy. The fans must be very happy looking at the kind of success the team is enjoying in the ongoing 2018-19 NBA season.

In the 2018 off-season, he signed a five-year, $148 million deal with the Nuggets. Jokic is averaging career-high numbers across the board with 20.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He is one of the best ball-handling centers in the league right now.

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#4 Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari spent most of his NBA career playing for the Nuggets
Danilo Gallinari spent most of his NBA career playing for the Nuggets

After being named the Italian League MVP in 2008, Danilo Gallinari was selected by the New York Knicks with the 6th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He has always been consistent with his performances, irrespective of the team he plays for.

Gallinari started at the power forward position for the Nuggets in all the seasons he was part of, and in his first two seasons with the franchise, he played a huge part in leading the team to the playoffs.

The 30-year-old has a whole lot of moves in his arsenal and is one of the most talented power forwards in the league. In his six seasons with the franchise, he averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

In the 2017 off-season, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Gallinari from the Denver Nuggets as part of a three-team trade that also included the Atlanta Hawks.

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#5 Marcus Camby

Marcus Camby won the Defensive Player of the year award in 2007
Marcus Camby won the Defensive Player of the year award in 2007

Marcus Camby, the second overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, was one of the best shot-blockers the game has ever seen. Camby played in 17 seasons in the NBA, including six with the Denver Nuggets.

The center averaged a double-double over the season in three of the six seasons he was part of. He is second on the all-time blocks list with 1126 shots blocked. He led the league in blocks per game in four seasons, and three of those came during his time with the Nuggets.

Camby was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and was named to the All-Defensive First Team twice and All-Defensive Second Team twice in his career. He averaged 3.0 blocks per game during his six year stint with the franchise but was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers because of the lack of post-season success, in 2008.

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Edited by Sai Krishna