3 Denver Nuggets that might see an increased opportunity

Denver Nuggets forward Jontay Porter (11) and Denver Nuggets forward Jack White (41) defend against a shot attempt by LA Clippers guard Xavier Moon (15) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center on 13 Jul. 2022. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver Nuggets forward Jontay Porter (11) and Denver Nuggets forward Jack White (41) defend against a shot attempt by LA Clippers guard Xavier Moon (15) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center on 13 Jul. 2022. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Denver Nuggets forward Christian Braun (0) shoots between LA Clippers guard Brandon Boston (4) and forward Cam Reynolds (39) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center on 13 Jul. 2022. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver Nuggets forward Christian Braun (0) shoots between LA Clippers guard Brandon Boston (4) and forward Cam Reynolds (39) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center on 13 Jul. 2022. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports) /

Denver Nuggets: Can Christian Braun play serious minutes?

Christian Braun, the highest draftee for the Denver Nuggets at the 2022 NBA Draft, showed a lot at the 2022 NBA Summer League. He didn’t shoot the ball well from behind the arc (at all…) but he put up some solid stat lines while playing stingy defense on the other end.

Rowan Fisher-Shotton, Nugg Love believes Braun’s mix of athleticism and defense might be just what the doctor ordered:

"“While it looks like it might take some time for Braun to evolve into an efficient shooter at the NBA level, he’s already shown that he can guard the perimeter and get out in transition effectively. Which are two important traits Michael Malone will look for next season.”"

At 6’7″, Braun should be able to guard several positions on the wing and while defense is traditionally harder for rookies, if he can put it all together, Malone will be depending on him a lot this season.

Braun’s another player who could see an increase in minutes when MPJ rests. Wing-sized players who can defend and shoot are some of the hottest commodities in the NBA and it’s promising to see Calvin Booth fill out the roster with this exact archetype.