30 players who define each NBA franchise

Honorable Mentions: Carmelo Anthony, Dan Issel, Dikembe Mutombo

In his first years in the league, Alex English was under-utilized by both the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in a way that probably hasn’t been seen since among players of his ability. Then he arrived in Denver, and his career exploded into life.

You’d be hard pressed to find many more accomplished scorers to come out of the NBA in the 1980s than Alex English, who was the driving force behind a Nuggets team who were perennial contenders come playoff time.

English’s Nuggets even made a trip to the Conference Finals in 1984-85, a promised land that the franchise hasn’t even caught a sniff of in the time since. All in all, English spent eleven seasons in the Mile High City, effectively keeping them relevant in that time, as demonstrated by the drop off once he left.

I’m not so flashy, not so boisterous. I’m low-key. My job is to do the job I’m supposed to do. There are people who don’t see it. But they aren’t paying attention. – Alex English

English ranks at the top of the Nuggets franchise leaders for points, assists and games, and most impressively during his time as a Nugget, he became the first player in league history to achieve seven consecutive seasons of 2,000 points or more.

Next: Detroit Pistons