Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets will pick 20th in the 2005 NBA Draft; the pick was acquired from Washington via Orlando. Bench. After winning an incredible game one at San Antonio, the Nuggets proceeded to lose the next four games and lost the series 4-1. Starters. In the playoffs, however, the Nuggets could not survive the powerhouse defense of Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. At the 2005 trading deadline, he further added to the team by bringing in the first superstar the Warriors have had since Mullin himself, Baron Davis. Karl lived up to his reputation by leading the team to an astounding record of 32-8 in the 2nd half of the regular season which vaulted the team into the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year. He is building the team around Richardson, Dunleavy, and Murphy, complementing them with experience in Derek Fisher, a free agent signed by Golden State after 3 championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Calbert Cheaney, a playoff-tested sharpshooter.

On December 28, 2004, head coach Jeff Bzdelik was fired from the organization and replaced by interim Nuggets coach, former Los Angeles Laker player and Los Angeles Sparks head coach Michael Cooper, before finally hiring veteran coach George Karl. Chris Mullin took over as VP of Basketball Operations, hiring Mitch Richmond as his assistant and former teammates Mario Elie as an assistant coach and Rod Higgins as the general manager. They were eliminated in the first round four games to one by the Minnesota Timberwolves. With rising star Antawn Jamison leading the team, the Warriors seemed on the rise, however, a string of injuries kept them from making it on top in the competitive Western conference. In April, the turnaround was complete as they became the first franchise in NBA history to qualify for the postseason following a sub 20 win campaign the previous year. from Duke University, and Troy Murphy from University of Notre Dame. Much of of the reason for this incredible turnaround were the front-office moves of General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe a former Nuggets player who assumed General Manager duties August,9 2001 adding crucial personnel including: point guard Andre Miller, power forward Nčnč, point guard Earl Boykins, Center Marcus Camby and shooting gaurd Jon Barry. He did, however, draft several players who are the core of the most recent Warriors, including 2-time NBA slam dunk champion Jason Richardson from Michigan State, NCAA champion Mike Dunleavy, Jr.

In just two months of the season, they recorded more wins than they had in 5 1/2 months of play in 2002-03. He also drafted several busts such as Todd Fuller, Chris Porter, and Vonteego Cummings. The team has shown signs of another renaissance for the 2003-04, with the drafting of Carmelo Anthony and yet another uniform change (light blue and yellow). Jean's team philosophy centered around "experienced veterans" and a college star when in reality, he brought in several has-been players and former standouts who were in the twilights of their career, such as Mark Price, Terry Cummings, John Starks, and Mookie Blaylock. Ironically, Cleveland (LeBron James) and Denver (Carmelo Anthony) would eventually have a twin pair of rookie dynamos enter their ranks the very next year. GM Garry St. They tied for the worst record in the NBA in 2002-03 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. For eleven years, to this day, the Warriors have not made the playoffs.

Denver was an also-ran for nearly a decade, and flirted with having the worst record in a season in 1997-98, winning only 11 games in an 82 game season. The team had another successful string of wins in the late 80s/early 90s with the high scoring trio of point guard Tim Hardaway, guard Mitch Richmond, and forward Chris Mullin (collectively known as Run T-M-C). However, with then coach Don Nelson wishing to go with a bigger lineup, he made a trade that not only broke up the RUN T-M-C, core by sending Richmond to the Sacramento Kings for draft day bust Billy Owens, but also sent the Warriors into a tailspin as an organization. The team had a brief resurgence in 1993-94 (a year they ditched their rainbow colors for a dark blue and gold scheme) finishing 42-40 and stunning the top-seeded Supersonics in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, falling to the Utah Jazz in game six of the second round, but it was a rare highlight following Moe's departure. As a result, the home games of the Warriors' only West Coast championship were played not in Oakland but at the Cow Palace in Daly City. Moe left the team in 1990, and his departure ended their run as a competitive franchise. So little was felt of the team's chances in the playoffs, even by their home fans, that the Coliseum Arena scheduled other events during the dates of the NBA playoffs. Only once, in 1984-85, did they even make it to the conference finals, and that year they lost in 5 games to the Los Angeles Lakers. That team was coached by former Warrior Al Attles, and led on the court by Rick Barry, Jamaal Wilkes, and Phil Smith.

It was a novel strategy, but it rarely led to playoff success. In what many consider the biggest upset in the history of the NBA, the Warriors defeated the heavily-favored Washington Bullets in a four-game sweep. 1980s Denver Nuggets basketball teams would often score in excess of 115 points a game, and during one full season, 1981-82, they did not fail to score 100 points in any game. As the Golden State Warriors, the franchise has only won one NBA championship, in 1974-1975. Moe brought with him a "run and gun" philosophy, a style of play focusing on attempting to score rapidly with little interest in defense, and it helped the team become highly competitive. Six "home" games were played in San Diego during that season but more significantly, none were played in San Francisco or Daly City. It ended in 1981, when they hired Doug Moe as a head coach. They changed their name to the Golden State Warriors for the 1971-1972 season, playing almost all home games in Oakland.

Brown left the team in 1979, helping usher in a brief decline in their team's performance. The 1970-1971 season would be the team's last as the San Francisco Warriors. However, neither of these teams were ultimately successful in the postseason. With the opening of the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1966, the Warriors began scheduling increasing numbers of home games at that venue. Led by Dan Issel (http://www.nba.com/history/players/issel_summary.html), Bobby Jones (http://www.remembertheaba.com/TributeMaterial/BobbyJones.html), and David Thompson (http://www.nba.com/history/thompson_bio.html), Denver (and their memorable rainbow-striped jerseys) were quite strong early on in the NBA, as they won division titles in their first two seasons in the league, and missed a third by a single game. After several seasons in the ABA, Barry rejoined the Warriors in 1972. They would get no second chance to win a league championship, as the ABA merger occurred during the off-season. Angered by management's failure to pay him certain incentive awards he felt he was due, Barry sat out the 1967-1968 season, joining the Oakland Oaks of the rival American Basketball Association the following year.

With Larry Brown coaching, they had their best seasons in team history in their first two seasons as the Nuggets, with the team making the ABA finals in 1975-76. Barry was named NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season, then led the Warriors to the NBA finals in the 1966-1967 season, where the team lost (four games to two) to the team that replaced the Warriors in the City of Brotherly Love, the Philadelphia 76ers. In 1974, the team was renamed the Nuggets, a nickname first used by a 1949-50 NBA franchise. In 1965, the Warriors drafted Rick Barry in the first round. Haywood averaged 30 points in his only ABA season, then was allowed to sign with the Seattle SuperSonics to start a productive NBA career. The Warriors won the 1963-1964 Western Division crown, losing the NBA championship series to the Boston Celtics, four games to one. Haywood was one of the first players to turn pro before graduating college, and the NBA initially refused to let him play in the league. In 1962, the team moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and became the San Francisco Warriors, playing most of their home games in San Francisco and at the Cow Palace in neighboring Daly City, though occasionally playing home games in nearby cities such as Oakland and San Jose.

During the 1969-1970 season, the team also had a controversial rookie named Spencer Haywood. On March 2, 1962, in a Warrior "home" game played in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Chamberlain scored 100 points against the Knickerbockers, a single-game record that may never be broken. They had a solid lineup led by Byron Beck (http://www.nba.com/nuggets/history/byron_beck_retire.html) and Larry Jones, then later by Beck and Ralph Simpson (http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SAMPSRA01). Known as "Wilt the Stilt," Chamberlain quickly began shattering NBA scoring records and changed the style of play forever. However, they tended to struggle in the postseason and failed to make a championship game during this span. In 1959, the team signed their 216-cm tall (7'1") draft pick Wilt Chamberlain. One of 4 ABA teams that joined the NBA through a league merger in 1976, they were known as the Rockets for their first 7 years of existence, and were very strong in their early years. The Warriors won their only other championship as a Philadelphia team in the 1955-1956 season, defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons four games to one.

The Denver Nuggets are a National Basketball Association team based in Denver, Colorado. The Warriors are one of only three original BAA/NBA teams still in existence, the others being the Boston Celtics and New York Knickerbockers. Bryon Russell (Long Beach State). Gottlieb retained the ABL Sphas until that league disbanded in 1955. Wesley Person (Auburn). (The BAA became the National Basketball Association in 1949.) The team was founded by Eddie Gottlieb, the long-time promoter of the Philadelphia Sphas, one of the mainstays of the original American Basketball League. Dermarr Johnson (University of Cincinnati). The Philadelphia Warriors were a charter member of the Basketball Association of America, winning the championship in the league's inaugural 1946-1947 season by defeating the Chicago Stags, four games to one.

Nenę (Brazil). "Golden State" is the nickname of the state of California, derived from the 1849 Gold Rush. Eduardo Najera (Oklahoma). The Golden State Warriors are a National Basketball Association team based in Oakland, California. Andre Miller (Utah). He is now a silent partner and talent scout for the Warriors organization. Kenyon Martin (University of Cincinnati). Bowens went to Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School and graduated from SFSU mastering in Criminology/Sociology.

Francisco Elson (California). Hailing from San Francisco, he was compared to the likes of Michael Jordan when he dunked on Jason Kidd at Kezar Pavillion in a charity game. Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse). 28 - Nathan Bowens although he never played in the NBA due to multiple knee surgery, his number was retired by the organization for he was suppose to be the next big thing. Greg Buckner (Clemson). 42 Nate Thurmond. Marcus Camby (Massachusettes). 24 Rick Barry.

Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan). 16 Al Attles. 44 Dan Issel. 14 Tom Meschery. 40 Byron Beck. 13 Wilt Chamberlain. 33 David Thompson. Free.

2 Alex English. World B. Lafayette "Fat" Lever. Bernard King. Dikembe Mutombo. Manute Bol. David Thompson. Larry Smith.

Dan Issel. Jamaal Wilkes. Alex English. Chris Webber. Latrell Sprewell. Mitch Richmond.

Chris Mullin. Sarunas Marciulionis. Antawn Jamison. Tim Hardaway.

Nate Thurmond. Andy Phillip. Robert Parish. Jerry Lucas.

Neil Johnston. Tom Gola. Joe Fulks. Wilt Chamberlain.

Rick Barry. Paul Arizin. SF - #3 Rodney White (Charlotte). PF - #20 Nikoloz Tskitishvili (ნიკოლოზ ცქიტიშვილი) (Republic of Georgia).

G/F - #2 Mickael Pietrus (Guadeloupe). PG - #4 Derek Fisher (Arkansas-Little Rock). G/F - #40 Calbert Cheaney (Indiana). F - #11 Zarko Cabarkapa (Clemson).

F/C - #15 Andris Biedrins (Latvia). SF - #34 Mike Dunleavy, Jr. (Duke). PF - #1 Troy Murphy (Notre Dame). C - #36 Adonal Foyle (Colgate).

SG - #23 Jason Richardson (Michigan State). PG - #5 Baron Davis (UCLA).