The greatest sixth man from each NBA team

Greatest sixth man in Denver Nuggets history: J.R. Smith

This slide was updated by Hans Themistode on 5/10/2021

He came across as aloof, quirky and maybe a bit of an underachiever but for Denver Nuggets fans, J.R. Smith was a player that would light up the scoreboard and instantly place a smile on their faces.

Coming straight out of high school in 2004, Smith was traded to Denver in 2006. He quickly became a crowd pleaser with his flying dunks and penchant for knocking down three’s. During his five-year tenure, Smith never averaged less than 12.3 points per game. Long before taking and making three pointers became the must do thing to do in the league today, Smith was a perennial threat from behind the line. Only once did he average less than two made three pointers a night.

Smith was a big reason why the Nuggets made it to the postseason in each of five seasons. Once there, Smith was far from an innocent bystander. In 2008, he averaged 18.3 points per game and the following season, poured in 14.9 as the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference finals. Even in his reserve role, Smith still holds the franchise for the most three’s made in Nuggets history with 768.

Smith may have forced fans to scratch their heads at times and throw up their hands in frustration but he was by far the best sixth man this franchise has ever had.