The Denver Nuggets have bolstered their roster following the 2022 NBA Draft, drafting Kansas forward, Christian Braun. Not only will he add much-needed wing depth, he’ll add a little pepper and a squeeze of lemon to a Mile High City roster that’s already sizzling with talent.
Nuggets fans are salivating at the thought of starters Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. returning in 2022-23 at full strength to team with the likes of back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic and the number 21 pick in the NBA draft, Christian Braun.
The question is where Braun will fit in as head coach Michael Malone tinkers with the rotation and how many important minutes Braun could receive in his first year with Denver.
Braun is feisty, loud-mouthed and anything but bashful. An interesting blend of size and talent that Nuggets’ new GM Calvin Booth foresees slipping in nicely with Denver’s current blend of talent.
HE SAID WHAT HE SAID #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/QEgEoka9XT
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 24, 2022
At 6-foot-7, Braun should be able to carve out some meaningful minutes at shooting guard as he battles guys like Bryn Forbes, Will Barton, and Austin Rivers for court time. Braun’s ability to rebound, notably on the offensive boards, could give him a boost as he looks to make a difference as a youngster.
Following the All-Star break in 2021-22, Forbes averaged 15.4 minutes played, Rivers 24.2, and rookie point guard Bones Hyland ramped his minutes up to 20.9. Considering Braun will be a rookie just like Hyland was, a slow increase in minutes from Malone can be expected as long as the Swiss army knife Braun continues to show improvement in his game like Hyland did in 2021-22. An average of 10-15 minutes of court time early on is not out of the realm of possibility when projecting Braun’s usage.
Rivers and Forbes offer veteran leadership and savvy play to go along with range from outside and should help Braun along as he continues to grow in the Nuggets’ scheme. Christian Braun is fresh off a 2022 NCAA championship with the Kansas Jayhawks and brings a winning mentality to Denver, a mentality Jayhawks head coach Bill Self can vouch for:
"“With Christian Braun we got a guy that goes really hard, brings energy every time he’s on the court. Winner, three state championships in high school, national championship this year, think he’s got a lot of upside as a two-way player.”"
The Denver Nuggets offer all kinds of options with a fully healthy roster, and Braun’s intriguing blend of skill surely had Denver coming up with multiple ways he could contribute alongside already established stars.
His abilities off the ball should pop as Jokic does his usual wonders inside and Murray or Porter Jr. cook from deep. The junior out of KU is confident and competitive, which should fit in well with the personalities Denver has now.
Braun’s ceiling seems capped as long as Denver stays healthy simply due to their bevy of talent, but last year left the Nuggets wanting a little more out of their matchups at shooting guard and Christian could be the cure that ails them.
Another guard with a long body that can shoot and rebound can’t hurt as Denver continues to spin their Rubik’s Cube hoping to line up something competitive enough to take down the Golden State Warriors or the other ever-changing talented teams out West.