Christian Braun is very self-aware. He likely knows that a major reason for his defensive decline was the ankle injuries he sustained early in the season, which followed him through the playoffs. So it was great news to hear Braun comment at Denver Nuggets media day on the biggest improvement he's been working on over the offseason: making more threes.
2025-26 was supposed to be a season for Braun to step forward. He had just signed a large, five-year, $125 million contract extension, and Nuggets fans were expecting the fourth-year star to continue the breakout he sustained in his third year.
But Braun was slowed by his injured ankle and regressed quite a bit, especially beyond the arc. Braun had shot a stellar 39.7% from three in 2024-25, on his way to a 15.4 points-per-game average. But in the 44 games he played in 2025-26, he shot a dismal 30.1% from deep, the lowest mark of any Nuggets regular rotational player. And he only scored 12.0 points per game as a result.
Braun was asked about what his biggest improvement of the offseason was. "For me, consistently shooting more threes and making more threes," Braun said. He definitely got his focus on the right aspect of his game to help the Nuggets in 2026-27.
Braun hitting more threes opens up the offense even more
At times, it felt like other teams took note of Braun's poor three-point shooting, daring Braun to shoot wide-open looks that wound up clanking off the iron. That allowed Braun’s defender to sag off him more aggressively, clogging driving and cutting lanes. Braun also had fewer clean cutting lanes because defenders could cheat off him and recover more easily.
But if Braun can knock down nearly 40% of his three-point attempts again, he'll alleviate the spacing concern or make his opponents pay for leaving him open. Plus, the Nuggets need someone to step up and help fill the void of volume threes that the departed Tim Hardaway Jr. took last season. Hardaway hit 224 threes, and his sixth-man replacement, DeMar DeRozan, is not a three-point shooter. That's why it's vital for Braun to take more and make more threes, and it sounds like that's exactly what he plans to do.
Braun says he's healthy for the new season
Of course, Braun was asked about his health for the new season. He sounds fine.
"I feel good...no restrictions. I'm good to go," Braun said. Nuggets fans are hoping that's the case. A bounce-back season to the form he had two years ago would go a long way toward helping the Nuggets advance in the playoffs in 2026-27.
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