15 players you forgot suited up for the Denver Nuggets
By Dean Hasan
5. Orlando Woolridge (1990-91)
Orlando Woolridge never made an All-Star team or otherwise received any accolades, but he still enjoyed a great amount of success following his rookie year. From his sophomore season on, he put up 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 53.2 percent shooting over his next five seasons, the first four of which were with the Bulls, while the final one was with the Nets.
The following season, Woolridge suited up in just 19 games before serving a substance-abuse suspension that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The following year, he signed with the Lakers who offered a smaller role off the bench. After two years with Los Angeles, Woolridge was traded to Denver, where he had arguably the best, albeit turbulent, year of his career.
Woolridge started the season off strong through his first 23 games, averaging 29.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game on 51.5 percent shooting from the field and 80.0 percent from the line on 9.6 attempts per game. His scoring average had him tied for third in the NBA, trailing only former teammate Michael Jordan by 0.3 points per game, and Charles Barkley by 0.8 points per game.
In his 23rd game, despite suiting up and playing 27 minutes against the Spurs on Dec. 19, 1990, Woolridge discovered after returning to Denver that he had a detached retina, which he likely suffered during his previous game against the Phoenix Suns. The stats potentially back up the notion that Woolridge played injured, as he recorded a season-low 16 points that night in San Antonio.
Following eye surgery which sidelined him 22 games, Woolridge was eased back into the lineup by coming off the bench for three games. As his minutes ramped back up, so did his play, and he recorded 15, 20 and 34 points in consecutive games before rejoining the starting lineup.
Woolridge ended the season averaging 25.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 49.8 percent from the field. Although his season was excellent overall, one has to feel like he was on pace for an All-Star appearance at the very least before his injury and perhaps All-NBA selection as well.