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.
Every time I look up during this series, Christian Braun is totally shutting down SGA.
— Will Eudy (@WillCEudy) May 18, 2025
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.