Denver Nuggets

The Three Most Underrated Players for Denver in the Past Five Years

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:44 p.m. ET

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Feb 4, 2011; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets small forward Carmelo Anthony (15) walks in the tunnel of the Pepsi Center on his way back to the locker room after the Nugget lost to the Utah Jazz 113-106. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Denver has had a plethora of talent that has gotten overlooked.

The Denver Nuggets have been searching for a superstar since the departures of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. However, that doesn’t mean they have been without talent.

As a matter of fact, they have had quite a bit of talent that has gotten overlooked in the past five years. The difference is that they haven’t been the caliber of a Carmelo Anthony.

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This doesn’t mean that second tier players and solid role players still can’t make an impact in a positive way. Right now, the Nuggets are composed of second tier players to pair with a plethora of youth they have gathered in the draft.

The Nuggets were able to get the 3 seed in the Western Conference the last year they made it to the post season. Obviously they needed a star in that series with Golden State, but they did show that a team doesn’t necessarily need an All-Star to get to the playoffs.

There have been three players who have been massively underrated for Denver in the last five years.

DENVER – FEBRUARY 9: Aaron Afflalo #6 of the Denver Nuggets makes a pass against the Dallas Mavericks on February 9, 2010 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Aaron Afflalo

Denver fans should actually be thankful for Aaron Afflalo.

Without him, the Nuggets wouldn’t have been blessed with Will “The Thrill,” Barton.

Before he was traded, he was a solid perimeter threat for the team. In his second stint with Denver, he continued to provide a solid effort and positive impact.

It is no secret that Afflalo has one of the best work ethics in the entire league. In his last year with Denver, he averaged 14.5 points per game on an effective field goal percentage of 49%.

Oh and he was also solid when played with the team in the Melo and Chauncey days as well.

He may be an NBA journey man, but he certainly left his imprint on the city of Mile High in both of his stints.

Feb 4, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) grabs a rebound against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Gary Harris

I may biased since Harris is my favorite player on the team, but he certainly does not get the shine that he deserves.

The man just poured in 20 points against the Mavericks. Known for his perimeter defense, Harris has done nothing but improve in the offensive areas of his game since his rookie season.

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After looking like a bust, Harris broke through and averaged 12.3 points per game last year after only averaging 3.4 points per game in his rookie year. He has even developed a nice jump shot which now makes teams respect his range, especially from the arc.

He is now shooting his best effective field goal percentage of his career at 54.6% and has an average of 2 steals per 100 possessions this season.

If Denver continues to groom Harris, then he will soon become one of the premier lock down defenders in the NBA.

Nov 18, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) guards Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Raptors won 113-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson Chandler

It seems as if ever since he has entered the league, Chandler has been overlooked way too much.

Even when he was on the New York Knicks, Chandler brought a presence that had to be accounted for if you were the opposition.

His game may be raw in some aspects, but he still gets the job done. Chandler has a career player efficiency rating of 13.6 and has a career win share of 22.2.

He continues to make an impact for Denver despite the recent trade rumors he has been involved in last week.

He is the most, well rounded player on the Nuggets right now, and deserves a lot more recognition than he currently receives.

While it is close between him and Harris in terms of who is more underrated, Chandler gets the edge since he is a veteran who has never been given enough credit.