Of all the Nuggets’ recently drafted players that were supposed to be a key part of now former GM Calvin Booth’s “dynasty” plan, Christian Braun is the only one who has shown real promise. We’ve seen glimpses from Peyton Watson, but it’s year three, and he’s not consistent enough to be trusted with major playoff minutes.
Julian Strawther has struggled to stay on the floor and has a lot of weaknesses outside of his shooting and scoring. Jalen Pickett, the source of much internal debate in Denver, has not yet proven to be a consistent rotation player, even in the regular season, and the same can certainly be said about Zeke Nnaji.
But Braun caught on quickly, earning Michael Malone’s trust in his rookie season and playing a role on the 2023 championship-winning team. He followed that up with a very solid sophomore season and has taken off in year three, becoming a full-time starter and finishing fourth in the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
Braun has been a perfect role player in a season when the Nuggets desperately needed one. He’s a steadying presence on both ends, usually tasked with guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player, while averaging 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 40% from three-point range and becoming one of the best transition scorers in the entire league.
Braun makes major impact in Game 5 with little bit of everything
Through the first four games of his first playoff series as a starter, Braun’s play was up-and-down. He made a huge clutch three to ice game one, but his shot has abandoned him and forced him to lose confidence at times. He was battling on defense, but hadn’t jumped off the screen.
But in Game 5, when Denver faced a bunch of concerns regarding injuries and depth, Braun showed up with his best all-around performance. It seemed to start in Game 4 when James Harden got in Braun’s face, causing a skirmish, which was a turning point for the Nuggets.
It carried over to another level in Game 5 as Braun did everything Denver needed, starting with lockdown defense on Harden, taking him completely out of the game. The Beard finished with just 11 points and 5 assists on 3/9 shooting with 0 threes and 4 turnovers. Braun was all over him from the word go, really bothering him with pressure.
Along with the excellent defensive work, Braun snagged 12 rebounds, including 4 offensive boards. He scored just 11 points, but was an efficient 5/8 and made a timely momentum three to end the third quarter.
Braun’s defense raises Nuggets’ ceiling
Braun has been extremely steady, but who knows if he will be able to replicate this kind of lockdown defensive performance on a player like Harden? However, if Harden has woken up something within Christian, and he is able to raise his play to another level on that end, the Nuggets become a much, much scarier team.
The biggest thing the Nuggets have been missing this season in the wake of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure is his stout perimeter defense, being able to pressure elite ballhandlers, navigate screens, and keep opponents from driving and getting the defense in rotation.
Again, Braun has done a very solid job, but he is not on that level yet as a defender. But what he showed on Tuesday night was a higher level than we’ve seen in a game that big. If Braun can keep this momentum going, build on his performance, gain confidence, and start to be a weapon against elite creators like Harden, then the sky is the limit for this team, in this series, and beyond.