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Denver Nuggets: Five former players that would have helped this team

By Dean Hasan

DENVER - MARCH 05: Chauncey Billups #7 of the Denver Nuggets huddles with teammates Chris Andersen #11, Carmelo Anthony #15, J.R. Smith #1 and Linas Kleiza #43 as they face the Portland Trail Blazers during NBA action at the Pepsi Center on March 5, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 106-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER - MARCH 05: Chauncey Billups #7 of the Denver Nuggets huddles with teammates Chris Andersen #11, Carmelo Anthony #15, J.R. Smith #1 and Linas Kleiza #43 as they face the Portland Trail Blazers during NBA action at the Pepsi Center on March 5, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 106-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

The current iteration of the Denver Nuggets has been excellent, but what former players could have made the team even better this season?

You might not see a lot of room for improvement with this year’s Denver Nuggets, but even teams you thought couldn’t get any better can always raise their ceiling and add an extra piece (see 2015-16 Golden State Warriors).

Some all-time greats have graced the floor for the Nuggets, but to keep things interesting, we’ll avoid plugging in outright Hall-of-Famers to this year’s squad. Sure, Alex English, Carmelo Anthony, or Allen Iverson could each give Denver that 25+ point per game scorer they’ve lacked, but where’s the fun in that?

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Sitting at third in the West and atop the Northwest Division with a 43-22 record, the Nuggets’ play didn’t leave much to be desired prior to the hiatus. Despite ranking 20th in points per game, they were positioned at ninth in offensive rating, and they boasted an above-average defense that allowed just 107.4 points per game (tied for fifth least in the league) and ranked 12th in defensive rating.

Evidently, while the team is decidedly above average on both ends of the floor, an additional key piece to either the starting lineup or in the sixth man role could push them over the edge into elite, top-five offensive or defensive territory.

With Denver’s current depth and strength in their starting five, any starting lineup replacement would mean for an improved second unit as a starting-caliber player slides to the bench. Meanwhile, making an addition at the sixth-man role would mean maintaining the cohesion of the starters while preventing the team from losing steam when the starters come out.

For the purposes of this analysis, we’ll look at each player in terms of their body of work throughout their time with the team, but also identify which specific season’s iteration of a particular player would best fit the 2019-20 Nuggets.

A lot of players could fit the bill, but not all could make the list. Here are five former players that would have helped this year’s Denver Nuggets team.

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