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Each NBA team’s most devastating injury in franchise history

By Christopher Jeter

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets
Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Most devastating injury in Denver Nuggets history: Danilo Gallinari

In a sense, Danilo Gallinari made this list because I had to put someone here for the Denver Nuggets. The team hasn’t really suffered too many seismic injuries to pivotal players over the years, which is as much of a byproduct of the franchise not taking part in many important games as it is a sign of good fortune.

Since joining the league in 1976 after the NBA/ABA merger, the Nuggets have basically been the Western Conference’s version of the Atlanta Hawks. They have won 50 or more games a grand total of eight times during that span and have only three Western Conference Finals appearances to their name.

Nothing shows this franchise’s perpetual mediocrity more than the 2012-13 season, where they won 57 games, despite none of their players making the All-Star team that season.

How did the Nuggets accomplish this feat? Well, in Denver’s first full season since trading Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, head coach George Karl implemented a more egalitarian offense to accentuate his players’ strengths and it worked. Denver ranked fifth in offensive rating and 11th in defensive rating en route to winning the most games since they joined the NBA.

However, this is a league built on superstars. You need at least two to realistically compete for a title. As previously mentioned, Denver didn’t even have one. Their title prospects that year decreased even further when Gallinari — who came to Denver via the Anthony trade — tore his ACL after posting career bests in points and PER through 71 games.

Gallinari shot over 37 percent from 3-point range for a Nuggets team that ranked 25th in 3-point percentage. So once he went down, the team’s found it harder to space the floor for the likes of Andre Iguodala and Ty Lawson.

They certainly could have used him in their first-round matchup against Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors. Keep in mind that these were Mark Jackson’s Warriors, so they weren’t quite the juggernaut that we know them to be today.

It certainly showed in this series, as Denver pushed Golden State to six games before bowing out. If Gallinari were available, perhaps they could have advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals?