
It was a rebranding focused solely on the day, and on a future built around a young star for the new millennium with a powerful youth appeal the team had lacked for years. In addition, sights and signs of former Nuggets players and legacies were few and far between.

Under then general manager Vandeweghe the team switched to a color palette featuring the powder blue of his alma mater UCLA as its primary color. After George Karl became head coach, the team once again pursued fast-paced basketball which evoked their 80s style of play, even to the extent that Karl brought Moe back on board as an assistant.Īt the same time, however, the organization seemed to be distancing itself from Denver’s storied past. Record vs.The Nuggets had a style, identity and culture unique to the Mile High City, and while they may not have achieved the legacies of dominance enjoyed by the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in those days, they established themselves as one of the NBA’s defining teams, with a respected reputation as a force not to be taken lightly.įast forward to the Carmelo Anthony era of the Denver Nuggets, which began in 2003, and an odd dynamic was in effect. Following the season, Rogers and Brian Williams were both traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Pack was dealt to the Washington Bullets. This would also be the Nuggets' final playoff appearance until 2004. However, in the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Nuggets were unable to repeat their previous playoff run, as they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in three straight games.

In addition, Abdul-Rauf led the team in scoring averaging 16.0 points per game, while Reggie Williams provided the team with 13.4 points and 1.5 steals per game, Dale Ellis played a sixth man role averaging 11.3 points off the bench, Bryant Stith contributed 11.2 points per game, and top draft pick Jalen Rose provided with 8.2 points and 4.8 assists per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. ĭikembe Mutombo captured his first Defensive Player of The Year award, averaging 11.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game. The Nuggets would defeat the Kings 102–89 at McNichols Sports Arena to enter the playoffs, finishing fourth in the Midwest Division with a 41–41 record. On the final day of the regular season, they faced the Sacramento Kings as both teams were fighting for the #8 seed in the Western Conference. Under Bickerstaff, the Nuggets would recover making a late push winning 20 of their final 32 games.

Pack would return during the final month of the season in April, but would then re-injure his knee after only playing just 42 games, averaging 12.1 points, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Pack would come down with a knee injury in February, as Abdul-Rauf returned to the lineup. The team was out of playoff position with a 20–26 record at the All-Star break. Under his assistant Gene Littles, the Nuggets struggled losing 13 of their next 16 games as Littles was replaced with General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff. However, head coach Dan Issel resigned with the team holding an 18–16 record. The Nuggets also replaced scoring leader Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf in the lineup with backup point guard Robert Pack, as the team won five of their first six games.

Without their star forward, second-year forward Rodney Rogers would step into the lineup averaging 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Coming off their improbable playoff run, the Nuggets were bitten by the injury bug, losing LaPhonso Ellis for all but the final six games of the season due to a preseason knee injury.
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During the off-season, the Nuggets signed free agent Dale Ellis. The 1994–95 NBA season was the Nuggets' 19th season in the National Basketball Association, and 28th season as a franchise.
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NBA professional basketball team season 1994–95 Denver Nuggets season
