15 players you forgot suited up for the Denver Nuggets
By Dean Hasan
12. Isaiah (J.R.) Rider (2001-02)
Isaiah Rider suited up for the Nuggets for just 10 games before he was waived in November, but he was fairly solid even in his limited time with the team. Rider started his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1993-94 by making First-Team All-Rookie and winning the dunk contest over All-Star weekend.
He was a solid scoring guard throughout his career, and across the first seven years of his career where he was a starter, he averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists a game on .444/.350/.811 splits.
Rider played alongside some elite company throughout his career, namely Kevin Garnett for a season on the Timberwolves, Arvydas Sabonis, Jermaine O’Neal and Rasheed Wallace on the Portland Trail Blazers, and Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant with whom he won a championship with as part of the Lakers’ bench unit in 2001.
He was a bit quiet during his time with Denver, but he did have two massive games for the Nuggets, one of which lifted them to victory. In the worse of the two, he put up 19 points, five boards and two assists off the bench in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 8, 2001.
The following day, he started his first game with the team as they hosted the Houston Rockets. Rider and Nick Van Exel led the way with 28 points apiece and Rider also pulled down 10 boards in the team’s 27 point victory.