If the first two preseason games against the Boston Celtics are to be believed, the Denver Nuggets aren’t going to be the deepest team in the NBA this season. We knew that this summer, especially when starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left in free agency to join the Orlando Magic. Considering the season-ending Achilles injury to rookie big DaRon Holmes, and forward Peyton Watson has been nursing a hamstring strain and hasn’t suited up yet, you can tell in real-time situations that depth is going to be at a premium.
As a result, the onus is on Christian Braun and Julian Strawther to make progress with their respective games. For the first time in their careers, their ability to do so is going to affect the Denver Nuggets’ overall bottom line as a whole. For Braun, this isn’t new ground. He was a trusted member of the rotation during Denver’s 2023 NBA title run. His profile rose moderately last season.
But this year is different.
As a rookie who played sparingly last season, Strawther is entering uncharted waters. That’s why the preseason is important to those two. We know what to expect from Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and even veteran newcomer Russell Westbrook. There is more than a combined 50 years of experience within that group.
Whoever starts between Braun and Strawther — and it has been Braun so far — will have to plug a significant hole left by Caldwell-Pope, and they’ll need to do it in several ways. Whoever comes off the bench will play almost as big a role as the starter because, as we’ve mentioned, the bench is thin.
“Julian Strawther is poised and ready to have a really good second season,” Denver head coach Michael Malone said. “Julian was in the gym every day this summer. Every single day. The guy was a workhorse.”
Braun, at 6-foot-7, is the better defender and the better athlete. He’s tough, he gives no quarter on the floor, he’s a terror in transition and he’s someone who has pretty extensive experience playing with the starting unit. Strawther is the better shooter and he’s better with the ball in his hands. Like Braun, he possesses excellent size for a shooting guard at 6-7. He’s confident offensively, can play multiple spots, and on a team that desperately needs knockdown shooting outside of Porter Jr. and Murray, Strawther has the ability to be just that.
There was an inkling Strawther was ready for a larger role during summer league when he played so well that the organization shut him down early, which is what typically happens when prospects prove they are too good for summer league. In the previous preseason, he was a revelation, but on a team full of veterans Strawther got lost in the shuffle. There is a real need for his service in this year’s rotation.
“I know they held me out for the rest of summer league, but I wasn’t really looking at it that way,” Strawther said. “I wanted to compete. That’s where my mindset was at. But it did feel good that the organization felt that way about me. I just want to come in this season and try and make a positive impact on what we’re going as a team.”
So, what are the Nuggets losing with Caldwell-Pope and why was he so important to their overall operation?
He was low usage offensively, but efficient with his touches. He was one of the most trusted veterans in the locker room. Defensively, he was one of the best in the league, and his coming to the Nuggets on the heels of winning a title with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers proved in many ways to be the final piece to the puzzle that Jokić and Murray needed to take that next step.
His voice within the huddle and his leadership on and off the floor will be difficult to replicate, especially for a franchise that relies on the culture it has built. But, Braun and Strawther are being entrusted with the on-court component, and the coaching staff and front office holds hope that together they can compensate for the void Caldwell-Pope leaves.
Still, even with Strawther’s ability to shoot the ball, Braun is probably a better fit with the starters.
Strawther in many ways is a rhythm player. He can run pick and roll. He can get into the seams of a defense off the dribble. His floater game is a vastly underrated part of his overall skillset. If you are playing with the Nuggets’ starters, a lot of that entails an ability to play off the talents of Jokić and Murray.
And that’s where Braun shines. With Caldwell-Pope now in Orlando, Braun and Gordon are without question the two best defenders on the roster. The Nuggets core isn’t exactly aging, but Braun brings a shot of youth and athleticism over 30 minutes a night that the core needs. He will take the reins of being Denver’s resident perimeter defensive stopper. This season, expect to see him guarding anywhere from point guards to power forwards. Most importantly, Braun is an excellent off-the-ball cutter, and has proven that he knows how to play with Jokić. His challenge is going to be his ability to knock down open 3-pointers. Denver’s spacing within the offense may depend on it. Braun shot 38 percent from 3 last season, but he only took two attempts per game. He’s going to have to shoot roughly the same percentage this year only on more volume.
“I look at it as just trying to gel with the team and try and do my part,” Braun said. “Every year is a bit different, so my role is going to be a little different than it was the last year and the year before.”
If the current rotation holds, Strawther’s importance is going to be almost as significant. The bench would feature Westbrook, Strawther, Watson — when he regains health — and Dario Sarić. With the starters, that projects as the nine-man rotation. As he has in many seasons before, Malone will stagger the bench with the starters. Still, somebody off the bench has to score and somebody has to create advantage basketball.
Logically, Westbrook figures to handle at least a chunk of the creation part. But, at this point, Westbrook is capable of scoring, but is not necessarily a scorer, and there is a difference between the two. Strawther has a chance to be a scorer. He’s certainly a shooter, who can do it spotting up or on the move.
“One of the things I want to do is push the ball and get Julian open looks from 3,” Westbrook said.
If this is successful, the Nuggets will again go to having one of the best starting units in the league. General manager Calvin Booth used consecutive drafts with supplementing his core of Murray and Jokić in mind.
Now, it’s time to see if that vision equals reality.
(Photo of Julian Strawther: Brian Babineau / NBAE via Getty Images)
