Denver Nuggets: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

4. LaPhonso Ellis (SF) — No. 5 pick in 1992 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Nuggets): 343 GP, 15.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 2.0 TOV, 45.9 FG%, 73.0 FT%

Since LaPhonso Ellis came into the league in 1992, he showed the ability to put the ball in the basket. An athletic wing who could run the floor, Ellis thrived in Denver’s fast-paced offensive system, giving him easy points in transition.

He proved to be an efficient scorer early on — shooting above 50 percent in his first two years in the league and making the All-Rookie First Team in 1993 — but the injuries piled up after his sophomore campaign, no doubt robbing him of some of his athletic abilities.

Ellis is probably best known for being part of the 1994 Nuggets team that became the first 8-seed to ever knock off a 1-seed, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in five games (the maximum for a first round series at the time).

A key factor in the upset, Ellis led Denver in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting, to go with 8.0 rebounds.

The name LaPhonso Ellis may not ring a bell in most NBA fans’ ears, but in the Mile High City, they recognize him as one who helped the team acquire its own unique place in NBA history.