Christian Braun offers Nuggets a rare silver lining despite Game 7 disaster

Braun was one of Denver's most reliable players.
Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets
Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Sunday afternoon's Game 7 did not exactly produce the result Denver Nuggets fans were hoping for. After taking a double digit lead in the first quarter, the Nuggets slowly faltered as the Thunder's deep roster began to overtake them. But even despite what was a disappointing performance in a do-or-die game, one thing was clearly established throughout this postseason for Denver: Christian Braun is the Nuggets' starting two-guard of the future. 

It was not too long ago there was a real debate among Nuggets fans over who would be the better option for this team in the long term — Christian Braun or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. While the veteran play of KCP seemed to make a powerful argument not too long ago, the choice is now Braun in a landslide, especially considering Caldwell-Pope's down season in Orlando.

There was no hiding the fact that Nikola Jokic did not have a lot of help toward the end of this series against Oklahoma City. With Jamal Murray dealing with an illness, Aaron Gordon being hobbled in Game 7 due to his hamstring injury and Russell Westbrook dealing with a right hand sprain, a lot of the Nuggets' top contributors were not at the peak of their powers.

Did that leave us? With Christian Braun having a massive opportunity to prove his value, and he delivered.

Braun proved that backing him over KCP was the right move

For starters, one of the biggest contributions Braun made in this series was being a tenacious defender of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Denver frequently threw Brown on SGA, and it was a decision that routinely paid off. 

The shiftiness and defensive instincts of number zero severely limited Gilgeous-Alexander in key moments. It was Braun's athletic ability that proved to be highly impactful against a Thunder team loaded with versatile wings, and especially in a situation where Denver was a bit shorthanded of 100% healthy personnel.

In a must-win Game 6, Braun scored 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting with 11 rebounds, and five assists. For the series, he averaged 12.7 points while playing 38 minutes a night. All in all, he was one of the Nuggets' most reliable players throughout the series. 

This fantastic series from Christian Braun served to remind us of one thing in particular: That if Denver is going to keep their championship window with Nikola Jokic open, young players like Braun must grow into legitimate rotation pieces that can make a difference in the playoffs. Over the course of 14 games in these 2025 playoffs, Braun did just that for Nuggets fans.