Aside perhaps from the circus freak show pick-up team … has any starting five in basketball history sported more observable tattoos than the Denver Nuggets?

Iverson, Anthony, Camby, Martin, Anthony … you’ve got a fivesome with enough color ink to supply a dozen copy machines.

Throw in sixth-man J.R. Smith … and the Nuggets have to be miles out ahead in Most Body Ink, team.

And I don’t think that’s good. In fact, I think it’s the mark of doom.

I’m on record with my antipathy toward tats. Been writing about it for years.

I believe it’s a form of self-mutilation, and I can’t get behind any of that. Let’s see, stencil yourself with indelible ink, and carry that around right into old age, when you will look like an idiot? Uh, no.

I believe a team can have too many tat-freak guys. And the Nuggets are over that threshold.

What does a tattoo say? What is it supposed to connote? That the wearer is individualistic, a loner, a rebel, not concerned about social mores or the status quo. To the point of inking up like a maximum-security inmate, complete with gangland-style tats between the collarbone and face — the place most NBA guys won’t go.

So, yeah, that whole “I don’t care what anybody thinks!” thing is fine — if you’re playing hoops in a one-on-one game. But do you really want five guys who look like The Illustrated Man on the floor at the same time?

Will they play as a unit? Will they have the slightest cohesion? Can they get past their own self-absorption?

I’m thinking no, they can’t.

The Nuggets have been model underachievers, since trading for Allen Iverson. He was supposed to make them into an elite team, but they’ve just continued to hover on the periphery of contention.

Take Sunday’s game, for example, a 128-114 Lakers victory. Let’s examine the statistics that tell us most about team play — assists and defense.

The Nuggets had 20 assists, the Lakers 33. Hmm. Somebody is having trouble sharing.

The Lakers gave up a ton of points, yeah, but they “held” Denver to 44.8 percent shooting. While the Lakers were converting 46 of 92 — which is 50 percent, or several points higher than any team can afford to give up and hope to win.

Maybe it’s just me, me being an old guy with old guy sensibilities. But I see the Nuggets take off the warmups, I’m thinking “selfish team, probably uncoachable, certainly unlikely to last long.” Even with all that individual talent.

They have plenty of time to prove me wrong. I don’t believe they will.

Oh, and one more thing: The best player in that game Sunday? Pau Gasol. Who had 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting with 16 rebounds, eight assists — and zero observable tats.