The 1995–96 Denver Nuggets season was the 20th season for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association, and their 29th season as a franchise.
Season summary
Off-season The Nuggets had the 15th overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Brent Barry out of Oregon State University, but soon traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for rookie power forward, and first-round draft pick Antonio McDyess from the University of Alabama. During the off-season, the team acquired Don MacLean and Doug Overton from the Washington Bullets.
Regular season Despite the addition of McDyess and MacLean, the Nuggets struggled by losing eight of their first nine games of the regular season, as LaPhonso Ellis missed the first 37 games due to a knee injury. Despite the slow start, the Nuggets soon recovered and won eight of their next nine games, leading to a 9–9 start to the season. However, the team soon fell below .500 in winning percentage, later on posting a six-game losing streak in January, and holding a 20–27 record at the All-Star break.
In March, the Nuggets found themselves in the middle of an ugly controversy, as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner, protesting what he felt was the country's poor treatment to Muslims in the world; he was then suspended for one game by the league. After his suspension, Abdul-Rauf agreed to stand and pray during the anthem by closing his eyes, and holding his hands out in front of his face with his head down. However, the damage was done, and his reputation could not be repaired, as he was the consistent target of boos from fans, before missing the remainder of the season due to ankle, and foot injuries after playing 57 games. The Nuggets finished in fourth place in the Midwest Division with a 35–47 record, and failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs.
Abdul-Rauf averaged 19.2 points and 6.8 assists per game, and also contributed 121 three-point field goals, while Dale Ellis averaged 14.9 points per game and led the Nuggets with 150 three-point field goals, and McDyess provided the team with 13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, Dikembe Mutombo provided with 11.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game, while Bryant Stith contributed 13.6 points and 1.4 steals per game, MacLean provided with 11.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, and LaPhonso Ellis averaged 10.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, second-year guard Jalen Rose contributed 10.0 points and 6.2 assists per game, Tom Hammonds averaged 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, and Reggie Williams contributed 4.6 points per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Mutombo was selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team, while McDyess was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Western Conference Rookie team. Mutombo also finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The Nuggets finished 16th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 675,425 at the McNichols Sports Arena during the regular season.
Aftermath Following the season, Abdul-Rauf was traded to the Sacramento Kings, while Mutombo signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks after five seasons with the Nuggets. Meanwhile, Rose and Williams were both traded to the Indiana Pacers, and MacLean and Overton both signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 15 Brent Barry (traded to LA Clippers) Shooting guard Oregon State 2 44 Anthony Pelle Center Fresno State
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
Game log
Game Date Opponent Result Nuggets points Opponents Record Streak OT 1 November 3 @ LA Lakers Loss 96 98 0-1 Lost 1 2 November 4 San Antonio Loss 108 116 0-2 Lost 2 3 November 7 @ Golden State Loss 93 98 0-3 Lost 3 4 November 8 Seattle Loss 117 122 0-4 Lost 4 5 November 10 @ Utah Loss 86 109 0-5 Lost 5 6 November 12 @ LA Clippers Loss 103 108 0-6 Lost 6 7 November 15 @ Phoenix Win 137 127 1-6 Won 1 3OT 8 November 17 New York Loss 94 103 1-7 Lost 1 9 November 18 @ Houston Loss 97 101 1-8 Lost 2 10 November 21 Atlanta Win 107 99 2-8 Won 1 11 November 24 @ Dallas Win 112 109 3-8 Won 2 OT 12 November 25 Utah Win 94 91 4-8 Won 3 13 November 28 @ Sacramento Loss 85 91 4-9 Lost 1 14 December 2 Minnesota Win 109 105 5-9 Won 1 15 December 4 Detroit Win 85 82 6-9 Won 2 16 December 7 @ Utah Win 124 119 7-9 Won 3 17 December 8 Phoenix Win 103 98 8-9 Won 4 18 December 11 @ Philadelphia Win 104 91 9-9 Won 5 19 December 12 @ Indiana Loss 92 125 9-10 Lost 1 20 December 14 @ New York Win 103 94 10-10 Won 1 21 December 16 @ Atlanta Loss 86 95 10-11 Lost 1 22 December 17 @ Cleveland Loss 79 92 10-12 Lost 2 23 December 20 Golden State Win 109 104 11-12 Won 1 24 December 21 @ San Antonio Loss 96 114 11-13 Lost 1 25 December 23 LA Clippers Loss 92 107 11-14 Lost 2 26 December 26 Dallas Win 114 102 12-14 Won 1 27 December 27 @ Seattle Loss 83 99 12-15 Lost 1 28 December 29 @ Phoenix Loss 92 103 12-16 Lost 2 29 December 30 Philadelphia Win 108 100 13-16 Won 1 30 January 2 Indiana Loss 87 102 13-17 Lost 1 31 January 4 @ Sacramento Loss 96 126 13-18 Lost 2 32 January 6 Miami Loss 86 88 13-19 Lost 3 33 January 7 @ LA Lakers Win 96 93 14-19 Won 1 34 January 10 @ Vancouver Win 91 85 15-19 Won 2 35 January 12 Cleveland Win 90 83 16-19 Won 3 36 January 13 Portland Loss 117 118 16-20 Lost 1 37 January 16 @ Portland Loss 69 87 16-21 Lost 2 38 January 17 Houston Loss 112 120 16-22 Lost 3 39 January 20 Sacramento Loss 110 115 16-23 Lost 4 40 January 24 @ Seattle Loss 79 86 16-24 Lost 5 41 January 25 @ LA Clippers Loss 93 94 16-25 Lost 6 42 January 27 Toronto Win 93 82 17-25 Won 1 43 January 30 @ Minnesota Win 88 86 18-25 Won 2 44 February 1 @ Milwaukee Loss 102 108 18-26 Lost 1 45 February 4 Chicago Win 105 99 19-26 Won 1 46 February 6 LA Lakers Loss 78 99 19-27 Lost 1 47 February 8 LA Clippers Win 115 95 20-27 Won 1 48 February 13 @ Orlando Loss 93 121 20-28 Lost 1 49 February 15 @ Miami Loss 91 97 20-29 Lost 2 50 February 16 @ Charlotte Loss 100 107 20-30 Lost 3 51 February 18 Boston Win 117 93 21-30 Won 1 52 February 22 @ Portland Loss 78 107 21-31 Lost 1 53 February 24 Utah Win 99 90 22-31 Won 1 54 February 27 Washington Win 96 92 23-31 Won 2 55 February 29 Dallas Loss 120 137 23-32 Lost 1 56 March 2 Vancouver Win 108 82 24-32 Won 1 57 March 4 San Antonio Loss 90 101 24-33 Lost 1 58 March 6 @ San Antonio Loss 90 100 24-34 Lost 2 59 March 7 Phoenix Win 103 92 25-34 Won 1 60 March 9 Golden State Win 102 88 26-34 Won 2 61 March 10 New Jersey Loss 88 99 26-35 Lost 1 62 March 12 Orlando Win 110 93 27-35 Won 1 63 March 15 @ Chicago Loss 87 108 27-36 Lost 1 64 March 17 @ Detroit Loss 81 91 27-37 Lost 2 65 March 18 @ Toronto Win 122 114 28-37 Won 1 66 March 21 @ New Jersey Loss 89 97 28-38 Lost 1 67 March 22 @ Boston Loss 98 99 28-39 Lost 2 68 March 24 @ Washington Loss 90 92 28-40 Lost 3 69 March 26 Charlotte Loss 112 119 28-41 Lost 4 2OT 70 March 28 @ Vancouver Win 92 88 29-41 Won 1 71 March 30 Milwaukee Win 98 85 30-41 Won 2 72 April 2 Minnesota Win 86 78 31-41 Won 3 73 April 4 @ Golden State Loss 90 98 31-42 Lost 1 74 April 5 Portland Loss 91 97 31-43 Lost 2 75 April 7 Houston Win 111 105 32-43 Won 1 76 April 9 LA Lakers Win 98 91 33-43 Won 2 77 April 11 @ Houston Loss 109 113 33-44 Lost 1 78 April 14 @ Minnesota Win 98 91 34-44 Won 1 79 April 15 Sacramento Loss 86 90 34-45 Lost 1 80 April 18 @ Dallas Loss 98 132 34-46 Lost 2 81 April 19 Vancouver Loss 78 92 34-47 Lost 3 82 April 21 Seattle Win 99 88 35-47 Won 1
Player statistics
Regular season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPGMahmoud Abdul-Rauf575335.6.434.392.9302.46.81.10.119.2Dale Ellis815232.4.479.412.7603.91.70.70.114.9Bryant Stith827734.3.416.277.8444.92.91.40.213.6Antonio McDyess767530.0.485.000.6837.51.00.71.513.4Don MacLean56519.8.426.286.7323.71.60.40.111.2Dikembe Mutombo747436.7.499.000.69511.81.50.54.511.0LaPhonso Ellis452828.2.438.182.6017.21.60.80.710.5Jalen Rose803726.7.480.296.6903.36.20.70.510.0Tom Hammonds71414.7.474.7653.10.30.30.24.8Reggie Williams52515.7.370.225.8462.31.40.70.44.6Reggie Slater406.5.545.4001.80.50.30.33.5Doug Overton55011.0.376.308.7271.11.90.20.13.3Matt Fish1607.3.577.5561.10.40.20.42.5Randy Woods809.0.273.2381.0000.81.50.80.12.4Greg Grant10010.9.261.3330.71.40.20.01.4Rastko Cvetkovic1403.4.313.000.0000.80.20.10.10.7Elmore Spencer603.5.0000.70.00.00.00.0 Player statistics citation:
Awards, records, and honors Antonio McDyess, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team
References
Nuggets on Basketball Reference