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All-time five

All-time Denver Nuggets starting five

The best Nuggets at every position, drawn from the 1970s to the 2020s of franchise history — and what the SweepSzn engine makes of them as one starting five.

The starting five

  1. PGChauncey Billups2008–09 · 2000s
    PTS
    17.9
    REB
    3.0
    AST
    6.4
    5× All-Star · 3× All-NBA · 2× All-Defense
  2. SGAllen Iverson2007–08 · 2000s
    PTS
    26.4
    REB
    3.0
    AST
    7.1
    1× MVP · 9× All-Star · 7× All-NBA (3 1st)
  3. SFAlex English1982–83 · 1980s
    PTS
    28.4
    REB
    7.3
    AST
    4.8
    8× All-Star · 3× All-NBA
  4. PFCarmelo Anthony2005–06 · 2000s
    PTS
    26.5
    REB
    4.9
    AST
    2.7
    10× All-Star · 6× All-NBA
  5. CNikola Jokić2023–24 · 2020s
    PTS
    26.4
    REB
    12.4
    AST
    9.0
    3× MVP · 7× All-Star · 3× All-NBA (2 1st)
Projected record
59–23

The SweepSzn engine projects this five at 59-23 (B contender).

See the full breakdown →

How this five was picked: by career accolades, one per position. Players are ranked by All-Star selections plus MVP, All-NBA and All-Defense voting, weighted toward what they did for the Nuggets, with full-time starters (30+ minutes a night) first. Each position goes to the best-ranked player who can play it, one season per player — no engine optimizing. How the engine works.

Legends by decade

The most decorated Nuggets of each era, each shown in his best season with the franchise that decade.

1970s

  1. David Thompson1977–78 · SG
    27.2 PTS · 4.9 REB · 4.5 AST
    4× All-Star · 2× All-NBA (2 1st)
  2. George McGinnis1978–79 · PF
    22.6 PTS · 11.4 REB · 3.7 AST
    3× All-Star · 2× All-NBA (1 1st)
  3. Dan Issel1979–80 · C
    23.8 PTS · 8.8 REB · 2.4 AST
    1× All-Star
  4. Charlie Scott1978–79 · PG/SG
    12.0 PTS · 2.7 REB · 5.4 AST
    3× All-Star
  5. Bob Wilkerson1978–79 · SG/SF
    11.4 PTS · 5.2 REB · 3.6 AST

1980s

  1. Alex English1982–83 · SF
    28.4 PTS · 7.3 REB · 4.8 AST
    8× All-Star · 3× All-NBA
  2. Fat Lever1987–88 · PG/SG
    18.9 PTS · 8.1 REB · 7.8 AST
    2× All-Star · 1× All-NBA · 1× All-Defense
  3. Kiki Vandeweghe1983–84 · SF/PF
    29.4 PTS · 4.8 REB · 3.1 AST
    2× All-Star
  4. David Thompson1980–81 · SG
    25.5 PTS · 3.7 REB · 3.0 AST
    4× All-Star · 2× All-NBA (2 1st)
  5. Calvin Natt1984–85 · SF/PF
    23.3 PTS · 7.8 REB · 3.1 AST
    1× All-Star

1990s

  1. Dikembe Mutombo1993–94 · C
    12.0 PTS · 11.8 REB · 1.5 AST
    8× All-Star · 3× All-NBA · 6× All-Defense
  2. Chauncey Billups1998–99 · PG/SG
    13.9 PTS · 2.1 REB · 3.8 AST
    5× All-Star · 3× All-NBA · 2× All-Defense
  3. Michael Adams1990–91 · PG
    26.5 PTS · 3.9 REB · 10.5 AST
    1× All-Star
  4. Reggie Williams1991–92 · SF
    18.2 PTS · 5.0 REB · 2.9 AST
  5. Antonio McDyess1999–00 · PF/C
    19.1 PTS · 8.5 REB · 2.0 AST
    1× All-Star · 1× All-NBA

2000s

  1. Allen Iverson2007–08 · PG/SG
    26.4 PTS · 3.0 REB · 7.1 AST
    1× MVP · 9× All-Star · 7× All-NBA (3 1st)
  2. Carmelo Anthony2005–06 · SF/PF
    26.5 PTS · 4.9 REB · 2.7 AST
    10× All-Star · 6× All-NBA
  3. Chauncey Billups2008–09 · PG/SG
    17.9 PTS · 3.0 REB · 6.4 AST
    5× All-Star · 3× All-NBA · 2× All-Defense
  4. Marcus Camby2006–07 · PF/C
    11.2 PTS · 11.7 REB · 3.2 AST
    4× All-Defense
  5. Nenê2009–10 · PF/C
    13.8 PTS · 7.6 REB · 2.5 AST

2010s

  1. Nikola Jokić2018–19 · C
    20.1 PTS · 10.8 REB · 7.3 AST
    3× MVP · 7× All-Star · 3× All-NBA (2 1st)
  2. Carmelo Anthony2010–11 · SF/PF
    25.2 PTS · 7.6 REB · 2.8 AST
    10× All-Star · 6× All-NBA
  3. Chauncey Billups2010–11 · PG/SG
    16.5 PTS · 2.5 REB · 5.3 AST
    5× All-Star · 3× All-NBA · 2× All-Defense
  4. Andre Iguodala2012–13 · SG/SF/PF
    13.0 PTS · 5.3 REB · 5.4 AST
    1× All-Star · 2× All-Defense
  5. Nenê2010–11 · PF/C
    14.5 PTS · 7.6 REB · 2.0 AST

2020s

  1. Nikola Jokić2023–24 · C
    26.4 PTS · 12.4 REB · 9.0 AST
    3× MVP · 7× All-Star · 3× All-NBA (2 1st)
  2. Jamal Murray2023–24 · PG/SG
    21.2 PTS · 4.1 REB · 6.5 AST
  3. Michael Porter Jr.2020–21 · SF
    19.0 PTS · 7.3 REB · 1.1 AST
  4. Aaron Gordon2022–23 · SF/PF
    16.3 PTS · 6.6 REB · 3.0 AST
  5. Christian Braun2024–25 · SG
    15.4 PTS · 5.2 REB · 2.6 AST

Think you can beat the all-time Nuggets? Go for 82-0.

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