Last Updated on November 24, 2025 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Denver Nuggets > Roster & Statistics
Here is the Denver Nuggets 1977–78 NBA Season roster and regular season player statistics. This was a strong year for Denver, as they made a deep playoff run and won their division.
Team: Denver Nuggets (1977–78 NBA Season)
Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Birth Date | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Chuck Williams | G | 6-2 | 175 | Jun 6, 1943 | Colorado |
| 11 | Jim Price | G | 6-3 | 195 | Nov 27, 1949 | Louisville |
| 12 | Monte Towe | G | 5-7 | 150 | Sep 27, 1953 | NC State |
| 20 | Anthony Roberts | F | 6-6 | 195 | Apr 15, 1955 | Oral Roberts |
| 21 | Glen Gondrezick | F | 6-6 | 205 | Aug 30, 1953 | UNLV |
| 22 | David Thompson | G/F | 6-4 | 195 | Jul 13, 1954 | NC State |
| 23 | Bobby Jones | F | 6-9 | 210 | Dec 18, 1951 | North Carolina |
| 24 | Ted McClain | G | 6-1 | 180 | Aug 30, 1946 | Tennessee State |
| 30 | Darnell Hillman | F | 6-9 | 215 | Aug 29, 1949 | San Jose State |
| 41 | Paul Silas | F | 6-7 | 220 | Jul 12, 1943 | Creighton |
| 44 | Dan Issel | C/F | 6-9 | 235 | Oct 25, 1948 | Kentucky |
| 50 | Tom Boswell | F | 6-9 | 220 | Oct 2, 1953 | South Carolina |
| 53 | Marvin Webster | C | 7-1 | 225 | Apr 13, 1952 | Morgan State |
1977-78 Regular Season Per Game
| Player Name | Pos | Age | G | GS | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Thompson | SG | 23 | 80 | 37.8 | 27.2 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 19.8 | .521 | 0 | 8.4 | .778 | ||
| Dan Issel | C | 29 | 82 | 34.8 | 21.3 | 10.1 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 15.7 | .512 | 0 | 6.7 | .782 | ||
| Bob Wilkerson | SF | 23 | 81 | 34.3 | 11.4 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 3.6 | 11.6 | .408 | 0 | 2.6 | .748 | ||
| Bobby Jones | PF | 26 | 75 | 32.5 | 14.5 | 8.5 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 10.1 | .578 | 0 | 3.7 | .751 | ||
| Brian Taylor | PG | 26 | 39 | 31.3 | 11.6 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 10.3 | .452 | 0 | 2.9 | .765 | ||
| Darnell Hillman | PF | 28 | 33 | 22.6 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 6.3 | .498 | 0 | 2.5 | .605 | ||
| Jim Price | PG | 28 | 49 | 22.2 | 6.8 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 6.0 | .481 | 0 | 1.3 | .773 | ||
| Anthony Roberts | SF | 22 | 82 | 19.5 | 9.5 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 9.0 | .423 | 0 | 2.6 | .722 | ||
| Ralph Simpson | SG | 28 | 32 | 18.3 | 5.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 7.2 | .317 | 0 | 1.3 | .775 | ||
| Bo Ellis | PF | 23 | 78 | 15.6 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 4.1 | .416 | 0 | 1.3 | .692 | ||
| Mack Calvin | PG | 30 | 77 | 12.8 | 6.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 4.3 | .441 | 0 | 2.7 | .840 | ||
| Tom LaGarde | C | 22 | 77 | 11.3 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 3.1 | .405 | 0 | 1.9 | .760 | ||
| Robert Smith | PG | 22 | 45 | 8.4 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.2 | .515 | 0 | 0.5 | .875 | ||
| Jacky Dorsey | SF | 23 | 7 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.7 | .250 | 0 | 0.7 | .600 | ||
| Norm Cook | SF | 22 | 2 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | .333 | 0 | 0.0 | |||
| Team Totals | 82 | 241.8 | 111.8 | 47.7 | 26.7 | 10.0 | 5.1 | 21.3 | 90.7 | .477 | 0 | 33.0 | .765 |
1977-78 Playoff Per Game
| Player Name | Pos | Age | G | GS | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Thompson | SG | 23 | 13 | 37.0 | 25.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 22.4 | .450 | 0 | 6.2 | .825 | ||
| Dan Issel | C | 29 | 13 | 35.4 | 20.2 | 10.3 | 4.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 3.0 | 16.3 | .486 | 0 | 5.0 | .862 | ||
| Bob Wilkerson | SF | 23 | 13 | 32.8 | 9.2 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 9.8 | .370 | 0 | 3.2 | .619 | ||
| Anthony Roberts | SF | 22 | 13 | 30.8 | 16.3 | 8.3 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 15.3 | .432 | 0 | 3.8 | .800 | ||
| Bobby Jones | PF | 26 | 13 | 30.0 | 12.8 | 7.8 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 8.9 | .569 | 0 | 3.5 | .739 | ||
| Darnell Hillman | PF | 28 | 13 | 20.0 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 6.1 | .392 | 0 | 1.2 | .733 | ||
| Ralph Simpson | SG | 28 | 13 | 17.3 | 7.8 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 7.3 | .453 | 0 | 1.8 | .696 | ||
| Bo Ellis | PF | 23 | 12 | 14.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.3 | .425 | 0 | 1.3 | .800 | ||
| Mack Calvin | PG | 30 | 12 | 11.3 | 5.4 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 3.5 | .452 | 0 | 2.4 | .931 | ||
| Robert Smith | PG | 22 | 11 | 8.7 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 2.4 | .654 | 0 | 0.6 | .714 | ||
| Tom LaGarde | C | 22 | 9 | 8.6 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.1 | .526 | 0 | 0.8 | .714 | ||
| Team Totals | 13 | 240.0 | 110.6 | 49.6 | 27.5 | 7.0 | 4.8 | 18.8 | 95.8 | .457 | 0 | 29.2 | .786 |
1977-78 Regular Season Totals
| Player | Pos | Age | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FGA | FGM | 3PA | 3PM | FTA | FTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Thompson | SG | 23 | 80 | 3025 | 2172 | 390 | 362 | 92 | 99 | 245 | 1584 | 826 | 0 | 0 | 668 | 520 | |
| Dan Issel | C | 29 | 82 | 2851 | 1746 | 830 | 304 | 100 | 41 | 259 | 1287 | 659 | 0 | 0 | 547 | 428 | |
| Bob Wilkerson | SF | 23 | 81 | 2780 | 921 | 474 | 439 | 126 | 21 | 294 | 936 | 382 | 0 | 0 | 210 | 157 | |
| Bobby Jones | PF | 26 | 75 | 2440 | 1088 | 636 | 252 | 137 | 126 | 194 | 761 | 440 | 0 | 0 | 277 | 208 | |
| Anthony Roberts | SF | 22 | 82 | 1598 | 775 | 351 | 105 | 40 | 7 | 118 | 736 | 311 | 0 | 0 | 212 | 153 | |
| Brian Taylor | PG | 26 | 39 | 1222 | 452 | 98 | 132 | 71 | 9 | 77 | 403 | 182 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 88 | |
| Bo Ellis | PF | 23 | 78 | 1213 | 338 | 304 | 73 | 49 | 47 | 99 | 320 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 72 | |
| Jim Price | PG | 28 | 49 | 1090 | 333 | 159 | 158 | 69 | 4 | 101 | 293 | 141 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 51 | |
| Mack Calvin | PG | 30 | 77 | 988 | 467 | 84 | 148 | 46 | 5 | 108 | 333 | 147 | 0 | 0 | 206 | 173 | |
| Tom LaGarde | C | 22 | 77 | 868 | 306 | 214 | 47 | 17 | 17 | 101 | 237 | 96 | 0 | 0 | 150 | 114 | |
| Darnell Hillman | PF | 28 | 33 | 746 | 257 | 239 | 53 | 14 | 37 | 66 | 209 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 49 | |
| Ralph Simpson | SG | 28 | 32 | 584 | 177 | 75 | 72 | 43 | 4 | 48 | 230 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 31 | |
| Robert Smith | PG | 22 | 45 | 378 | 121 | 36 | 39 | 18 | 3 | 20 | 97 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 21 | |
| Jacky Dorsey | SF | 23 | 7 | 37 | 9 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | |
| Norm Cook | SF | 22 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Team Totals | 82 | 19830 | 9164 | 3913 | 2187 | 824 | 422 | 1733 | 7441 | 3548 | 0 | 0 | 2705 | 2068 |
1977-78 Playoff Totals
| Player | Pos | Age | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FGA | FGM | 3PA | 3PM | FTA | FTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Thompson | SG | 23 | 13 | 481 | 328 | 53 | 52 | 9 | 21 | 39 | 291 | 131 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 66 | |
| Dan Issel | C | 29 | 13 | 460 | 262 | 134 | 53 | 7 | 3 | 39 | 212 | 103 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 56 | |
| Bob Wilkerson | SF | 23 | 13 | 426 | 120 | 71 | 78 | 19 | 4 | 25 | 127 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 26 | |
| Anthony Roberts | SF | 22 | 13 | 400 | 212 | 108 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 27 | 199 | 86 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 40 | |
| Bobby Jones | PF | 26 | 13 | 390 | 166 | 102 | 35 | 16 | 9 | 24 | 116 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 34 | |
| Darnell Hillman | PF | 28 | 13 | 260 | 73 | 80 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 24 | 79 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 11 | |
| Ralph Simpson | SG | 28 | 13 | 225 | 102 | 19 | 38 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 95 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 16 | |
| Bo Ellis | PF | 23 | 12 | 170 | 46 | 43 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 40 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 12 | |
| Mack Calvin | PG | 30 | 12 | 135 | 65 | 8 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 42 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 27 | |
| Robert Smith | PG | 22 | 11 | 96 | 39 | 9 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | |
| Tom LaGarde | C | 22 | 9 | 77 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | |
| Team Totals | 13 | 3120 | 1438 | 645 | 357 | 91 | 62 | 241 | 1246 | 570 | 0 | 0 | 379 | 298 |
Team Impact Index
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG+ BPG) | Impact Index* | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Thompson | Explosive Scorer / Go-To Guard | 37.8 | High Usage | 27.2 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 2.4 (1.2 + 1.2) | 17.5 | Known as “Skywalker,” Thompson was Denver’s primary offensive weapon, combining high-flying athleticism, transition finishes, and creation. Inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, where he’s lauded for his scoring prowess and highlight-reel style. | AS (All-Star), NBA 1 (All-NBA First) |
| Dan Issel | Post Anchoring Big | 34.8 | Medium-High Usage | 21.3 | 10.1 | 3.7 | 1.7 (1.2 + 0.5) | 18.4 | Issel anchored the frontcourt with physical scoring in the post, strong rebounding, and veteran stability. His inside presence was critical for Denver’s balance. | — |
| Bobby Jones | Two-Way Forward / Defensive Specialist | 32.5 | Medium Usage | 14.5 | 8.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 (1.8 + 1.7) | 15.0 | Nicknamed “The Secretary of Defense,” Jones was a key two-way glue piece: excellent rebounder, passer, and one of the more disruptive defenders on the roster. | AS (All-Star), All-Defensive First Team |
| Bob Wilkerson | Glue-Wing / Secondary Creator | 34.3 | Medium Usage | 11.4 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 1.9 (1.6 + 0.3) | 12.3 | Wilkerson played a balanced two-way role: he could rebound, facilitate, score, and contribute defensively. His versatility gave Denver flexibility on the wing. | — |
| Brian Taylor | Lead Playmaking Guard (when active) | 31.3 | Medium Usage | 11.6 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 (1.8 + 0.2) | 9.75 | In his time on court, Taylor brought playmaking from the guard spot and could score off the bounce. His steal rate (1.8) shows he made impact on defense as well. | — |
| Darnell Hillman | Energy Big / Role Rebounder | 22.6 | Low Usage | 7.8 | 7.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 (0.4 + 1.1) | 9.05 | Hillman supplied energetic minutes in the frontcourt. He grabbed boards, protected the rim somewhat, and gave bursts of activity as a reserve. | — |
| Jim Price | Backup PG / Scoring-Off-Playmaker | 22.2 | Low Usage | 6.8 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 1.5 (1.4 + 0.1) | 7.35 | Price provided Denver with a change-of-pace guard who could create, score, and contribute defensively in his role. | — |
| Anthony Roberts | Young Wing Role-Player | 19.5 | Low Usage | 9.5 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 (0.5 + 0.1) | 7.85 | Roberts was a developing wing, offering scoring upside, board contributions, and modest defense in a depth role. | — |
| Ralph Simpson | Secondary Scorer / Depth Guard | 18.3 | Low Usage | 5.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.4 (1.3 + 0.1) | 5.75 | Simpson filled in as a scoring guard when needed, though his efficiency was inconsistent. | — |
| Bo Ellis | Deep Rotation Forward | 15.6 | Very Low Usage | 4.3 | 3.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 (0.6 + 0.6) | 5.15 | Ellis played limited minutes, mainly contributing as a hustle role-player in the frontcourt. | — |
| Mack Calvin | Emergency Playmaking Guard | 12.8 | Minimal Usage | 6.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.7 (0.6 + 0.1) | 4.9 | Calvin served as depth at the point: not a focal player, but useful in short spurts to maintain pace and ball movement. | — |
| Tom LaGarde | Backup Big / Youth Frontcourt | 11.3 | Minimal Usage | 4.0 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 (0.2 + 0.2) | 3.9 | LaGarde was a minor rotation big, contributing occasional rebounds and scoring in limited minutes. | — |
| Robert Smith | Depth Reserve Guard | 8.4 | Minimal Usage | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.5 (0.4 + 0.1) | 2.45 | Smith’s role was strictly for depth. He rarely featured but gave occasional relief at the guard position. | — |
| Jacky Dorsey | Fringe Rotation Wing | 5.3 | Minimal Usage | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 (0.3 + 0.3) | 2.45 | Dorsey saw very limited action, likely in garbage time or blowouts, contributing sporadically. | — |
| Norm Cook | Emergency Wing | 5.0 | Minimal Usage | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.5 | Barely used; purely for depth or situational matchups. | — |
*Impact Index = (PPG + RPG + APG + STK) ÷ 2