1990–91 Denver Nuggets season

The 1990–91 NBA season was the Nuggets' 15th season in the National Basketball Association, and 24th season as a franchise.^[1] Bernie Bickerstaff took over as General Manager and decided it was time to rebuild the Nuggets. At the time, the club had the oldest team in the league. The Nuggets would make radical changes trading off stars for draft picks. The team selected LSU guard Chris Jackson with the third overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft,^[2][3] while acquiring Orlando Woolridge from the Los Angeles Lakers during the off-season.^[4][5]

1990–91 Denver Nuggets season
Head coach	Paul Westhead
General manager	Bernie Bickerstaff
President	Bernie Bickerstaff
Arena	McNichols Sports Arena
Results
Record	20–62 (.244)
Place	Division: 6th (Midwest) Conference: 13th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	KWGN-TV Prime Sports Rocky Mountain
Radio	KOA
< 1989–90 1991–92 >

Under new head coach Paul Westhead, the Nuggets got off to a bad start losing their first seven games. At midseason, the team acquired Reggie Williams from the San Antonio Spurs, and traded Walter Davis to the Portland Trail Blazers.^[6][7] The Nuggets won six consecutive games between January and February, but their struggles continued as they lost seven in a row afterwards. They lost ten consecutive games late in the season, and finished last place in the Midwest Division with a league worst 20–62 record.^[8]

By season's end, the Nuggets led the league in team scoring with 119.9 ppg, but also allowed 130.8 ppg, setting a new record for NBA defensive generosity.^[9][10] Jackson was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team. Following the season, Woolridge was traded to the Detroit Pistons,^[11][12] and Michael Adams was traded back to the Washington Bullets.^[13][14]

NBA draft

Main article: 1990 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	3	Chris Jackson	PG	United States	LSU
2	42	Marcus Liberty	SF	United States	Illinois

Roster

1990–91 Denver Nuggets roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From G 14 Adams, Michael 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 162 lb (73 kg) 1963-01-19 Boston College F 33 Anderson, Cadillac 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1964-06-22 Houston G 5 Battle, Kenny 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1964-10-10 Illinois F 00 Cook, Anthony 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1967-03-19 Arizona G 22 Farmer, Jim 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1964-09-23 Alabama G 3 Jackson, Chris 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 162 lb (73 kg) 1969-03-09 LSU F 35 Lane, Jerome 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1966-12-04 Pittsburgh F 30 Liberty, Marcus 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1968-10-27 Illinois G 21 Lichti, Todd 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1967-01-08 Stanford F 34 Mason, Anthony 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1966-12-14 Tennessee State C 41 Rasmussen, Blair 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1962-11-13 Oregon G/F 34 Williams, Reggie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1964-03-05 Georgetown F 0 Woolridge, Orlando 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1959-12-16 Notre Dame

Head coach Paul Westhead Assistant coach(es) Jim Boyle Mike Evans Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster Last transaction: March 17, 1991

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-San Antonio Spurs	55	27	.671	—	33–8	22–19	20–8
x-Utah Jazz	54	28	.659	1	36–5	18–23	21-7
x-Houston Rockets	52	30	.634	3	31-10	21–20	20-8
Orlando Magic	31	51	.378	24	24-17	7–34	13–15
Minnesota Timberwolves	29	53	.354	26	21-20	8-33	9-19
Dallas Mavericks	28	54	.341	27	20-21	8–33	7-21
Denver Nuggets	20	62	.244	35	17-24	3-38	8–20

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

#	Western Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Portland Trail Blazers	63	19	.768	–
2	y-San Antonio Spurs	55	27	.671	8
3	x-Los Angeles Lakers	58	24	.707	5
4	x-Phoenix Suns	55	27	.671	8
5	x-Utah Jazz	54	28	.659	9
6	x-Houston Rockets	52	30	.634	11
7	x-Golden State Warriors	44	38	.537	19
8	x-Seattle SuperSonics	41	41	.500	22
9	Orlando Magic	31	51	.378	32
10	Los Angeles Clippers	31	51	.378	32
11	Minnesota Timberwolves	29	53	.354	34
12	Dallas Mavericks	28	54	.341	35
13	Sacramento Kings	25	57	.305	38
14	Denver Nuggets	20	62	.244	43

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1990-91 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	–	3–1	1–4	1–4	3–2	2–0	1–1	0–5	1–1	1–1	4–1	2–0	1–1	4–0	2–3	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–1	0–4	0–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–2
Boston	1–3	–	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	4–1	2–2	2–0	4–1	5–0	1–1	2–3	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	5–1
Charlotte	4–1	1–3	–	0–5	1–4	1–1	0–2	1–4	1–1	0–2	0–5	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–3	1–1	2–2	0–4	2–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2
Chicago	4–1	2–2	5–0	–	5–0	2–0	2–0	3–2	1–1	0–2	4–1	2–0	1–1	4–0	4–1	2–0	3–1	4–0	2–0	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	3–1
Cleveland	2–3	1–3	4–1	0–5	–	2–0	1–1	2–3	0–2	0–2	1–4	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–3	1–1	2–2	3–1	2–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–3
Dallas	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	–	3–1	0–2	2–2	1–3	2–0	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–4	2–0	2–0	1–4	1–1	0–4	1–3	2–2	1–4	2–2	0–5	2–0
Denver	1–1	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–3	–	0–2	1–3	0–5	0–2	0–4	0–4	0–2	1–1	3–2	1–1	1–1	2–3	0–2	0–4	0–4	3–1	1–4	0–4	1–3	1–1
Detroit	5–0	2–2	4–1	2–3	3–2	2–0	2–0	–	1–1	2–0	3–2	2–0	0–2	3–1	2–3	2–0	3–1	1–3	2–0	2–2	0–2	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	3–1
Golden State	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–1	–	2–2	1–1	3–2	2–3	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–3	2–3	2–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	0–2
Houston	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	5–0	0–2	2–2	–	1–1	2–2	1–3	2–0	2–0	5–0	2–0	2–0	3–2	2–0	3–1	0–4	3–1	2–3	2–2	2–2	1–1
Indiana	1–4	2–2	5–0	1–4	4–1	0–2	2–0	2–3	1–1	1–1	–	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–3	1–1	3–1	2–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–1	4–0	0–2	2–3	2–2	1–1	–	0–4	0–2	1–1	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–3	0–2	2–3	1–3	3–2	2–2	2–3	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–2	4–0	2–0	3–2	3–1	2–0	4–0	–	2–0	0–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	4–0	1–1	3–2	2–3	4–0	3–1	3–2	2–2	2–0
Miami	0–4	1–4	2–2	0–4	1–3	2–0	2–0	1–3	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–0	0–2	–	0–4	0–2	3–3	1–4	1–1	1–4	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–2
Milwaukee	3–2	2–2	3–2	1–4	3–2	1–1	1–1	3–2	1–1	0–2	3–2	1–1	2–0	4–0	–	1–1	2–2	4–0	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1
Minnesota	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–1	2–3	0–2	1–3	0–5	1–1	1–3	1–3	2–0	1–1	–	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–4	0–4	3–1	0–4	2–2	1–4	1–1
New Jersey	1–3	1–4	2–2	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–1	0–2	3–3	2–2	1–1	–	0–5	1–1	2–3	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–3
New York	1–3	0–5	4–0	0–4	1–3	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	4–1	0–4	1–1	5–0	–	0–2	5–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–2
Orlando	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	4–1	3–2	0–2	2–2	2–3	1–1	3–1	0–4	1–1	0–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	–	0–2	2–2	0–4	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–4	1–1
Philadelphia	4–0	3–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–1	2–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	4–1	2–2	0–2	3–2	1–5	2–0	–	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	3–2
Phoenix	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	4–0	4–0	2–0	3–1	1–3	1–1	3–2	2–3	2–0	1–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	–	3–2	3–1	1–3	3–2	2–2	2–0
Portland	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	4–0	1–1	3–2	4–0	2–0	3–1	3–2	2–0	1–1	4–0	2–0	2–0	4–0	1–1	2–3	–	3–2	2–2	4–0	3–1	2–0
Sacramento	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–2	1–3	0–2	3–2	1–3	0–2	2–3	0–4	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–2	1–1	1–3	2–3	–	1–3	1–4	1–3	2–0
San Antonio	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	4–1	4–1	2–0	2–2	3–2	1–1	2–2	1–3	2–0	1–1	4–0	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	3–1	2–2	3–1	–	3–1	2–3	2–0
Seattle	1–1	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–2	4–0	1–1	1–3	2–2	1–1	3–2	2–3	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–1	2–3	0–4	4–1	1–3	–	1–3	2–0
Utah	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	5–0	3–1	2–0	3–1	2–2	0–2	3–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	4–1	2–0	0–2	4–1	2–0	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–2	3–1	–	2–0
Washington	2–2	1–5	2–2	1–3	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	2–3	1–3	1–1	3–2	2–3	1–1	2–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	—

Game log

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Michael Adams	66	66	35.5	.394	.296	.879	3.9	10.5	2.2	0.1	26.5
Orlando Woolridge	53	50	34.4	.498	.000	.797	6.8	2.2	1.3	0.4	25.1
Walter Davis	39	13	26.8	.474	.303	.915	3.2	2.2	1.6	0.1	18.7
Reggie Williams	51	46	30.2	.444	.328	.840	4.8	1.7	1.8	0.6	16.1
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf	67	19	22.5	.413	.240	.857	1.8	3.1	0.8	0.1	14.1
Todd Lichti	29	25	29.7	.439	.298	.855	3.9	2.5	1.6	0.3	14.0
Blair Rasmussen	70	69	33.2	.458	.400	.677	9.7	1.0	0.7	1.9	12.5
Jim Farmer	25	1	17.7	.458	.227	.730	2.5	1.5	0.5	0.1	10.0
Corey Gaines	10	2	22.6	.400	.238	.846	1.4	9.1	1.0	0.2	8.3
Jerome Lane	62	25	22.3	.438	.250	.411	9.3	2.0	0.8	0.2	7.5
Terry Mills	17	0	16.4	.467	.000	.727	5.2	0.9	0.9	0.5	7.5
Joe Wolf	74	38	21.5	.451	.133	.831	5.4	1.4	0.8	0.4	7.3
Marcus Liberty	76	18	15.4	.421	.298	.630	2.9	0.8	0.6	0.3	6.7
Kenny Battle	40	4	17.1	.485	.136	.781	3.1	1.2	1.0	0.3	6.1
Tim Legler	10	0	14.8	.347	.250	.833	1.8	1.2	0.2	0.0	5.8
Anthony Cook	58	25	19.3	.417	.000	.550	5.6	0.4	0.6	1.2	5.3
Greg Anderson	41	2	16.1	.440		.506	5.8	0.3	0.6	0.9	5.2
Craig Neal	10	0	12.5	.400	.333	.591	1.6	3.7	0.4	0.0	4.4
Avery Johnson	21	4	10.3	.426	.000	.656	1.0	3.7	0.7	0.1	3.8
Anthony Mason	3	0	7.0	.500		.750	1.7	0.0	0.3	0.0	3.3
T.R. Dunn	17	3	12.8	.447	.250	.900	2.5	1.4	0.7	0.1	3.1

Player Statistics Citation:^[15]

Awards and records

• Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, NBA All-Rookie Team 2nd Team

Transactions

References

1. "1990-91 Denver Nuggets Roster and Stats".
2. Cotton, Anthony (June 28, 1990). "Coleman No. 1 to Nets, Then the Guards Go Forward". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
3. "Clippers Go with Kimble: NBA Draft: Derrick Coleman, as Expected, Is No. 1 Overall with Nets. Clippers Also Grab Michigan's Vaught with 13th Pick". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 28, 1990. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
4. Heisler, Mark (August 4, 1990). "Lakers Send Woolridge to Denver: Pro Basketball: Trade Nets Second-Round Draft Picks for 1993 and '95, Helps Reduce Payroll". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
5. "Nuggets Obtain Woolridge from Lakers". United Press International. August 3, 1990. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
6. Curry, Jack (January 24, 1991). "BASKETBALL; Nets Obtain Petrovic and Look Out for No. 1". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
7. "Trail Blazers Use 3-Team Trade to Get Walter Davis". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. January 24, 1991. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
8. "1990–91 Denver Nuggets Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
9. "1990-91 Denver Nuggets Roster and Stats".
10. Denver Nuggets (1967-Present)
11. "Report: Nuggets May Trade Woolridge to Pistons". Tampa Bay Times. August 2, 1991. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
12. "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; 2 Big Trades for Pistons". The New York Times. August 14, 1991. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
13. "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Nuggets Trade Adams to Bullets". The New York Times. June 12, 1991. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
14. Aldridge, David (September 28, 1991). "After Proving Them Wrong, Adams Returns to Right Bullets". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
15. "1990-91 Denver Nuggets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 7, 2021.