Christian Braun has played 34 games this year. If it feels like he's played more, that's probably because (for some reason) a lot of people were acting like every bad game Braun had earlier in the year was proof that his contract was a mistake and that he had turned into a bad player over the summer.
In other words, there was a weird amount of pressure on Braun after a slow start to the year. And maybe two games of 20-plus points isn't enough to claim that Braun is back on track, but if people were going to be nihilistic after just a few bad games, I can be overly positive after a few good ones. So here's the pull quote — Christian Braun is so back, and he's going to change everything for the Nuggets!
The areas for improvement are obvious, too. Braun has shot 30% from 3-point range this year, and I am highly confident that a guy who shot over 38% the past two seasons isn't going to hang around the 30 percent mark for too much longer. In fact, he's up to about 34 percent since the start of February; still not exactly where he wants to be, but passable.
Meanwhile, his defensive production does seem to have taken a step back this year too, but I'm willing to blame that almost entirely on the severe ankle sprain that's kept him out half of the season. He may never be an All-Defense caliber stopper, but I don't think what we've seen this year represents how he'll look on that end as he plays himself back into form.
Christian Braun looks more like the borderline star he has the talent to be
In the wake of Peyton Watson's injury, Christian Braun has filled back in the higher volume role that fans wanted him to see occupy all along. In March, he's shooting 10 times per game, which still isn't a ton, but it's his highest output in any month this year.
I also believe that Braun and Watson can co-exist as high-level contributors on this Nuggets team, that it's a very good thing Braun was extended, and that the Nuggets should still try their darndest to re-sign Watson, who will be the belle of the free agency ball this summer. Having more than one young player on longterm contracts is okay, actually, especially if they're already contributors on a team with Finals aspirations.