How Nuggets’ Braun is on pace to join Curry, Harden, and Nash in exclusive club

Christian Braun is having an incredible season for the Denver Nuggets. He was drafted late in the first round out of Kansas three years ago and made an impact immediately. By the end of his rookie year, Braun was contributing key minutes in the NBA Finals and helping the Nuggets secure their first championship in franchise history.

He was even more involved in his second year and proved enough that Calvin Booth and the front office were willing to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency. Braun slotted into his spot in the starting lineup and has taken his game to the next level.

He’s averaging 15.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 57.8% from the field. Braun has also brought a burst of pace and energy to the Nuggets’ starting lineup as he leads the entire NBA in transition points this season.

Braun is also shooting 37.3% from three-point range and 82.8% from the free throw line. Combine that with his high field goal percentage and he actually has the highest true shooting percentage in the league for any guard at 66%.

Braun on pace to be 4th guard to average 15 ppg on 65% TS for a season

In fact, Braun’s season has been historically good thus far. As things currently stand, with 27 games remaining in the regular season, Braun has the third-highest True Shooting % for a single season by a guard averaging 15 points per game in NBA history.

If things hold, Braun will become just the fourth guard of all-time to average 15 or more points per game on 65% or higher True Shooting in any season. That list only includes Stephen Curry, James Harden, and Steve Nash - three former league MVPs.

Most people know that Braun is having a stellar season and there’s a reason he’s averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. But the efficiency is arguably the most impressive part and the totality of what he’s providing for a team that’s chasing another title is invaluable.

Sure, Braun’s season isn’t quite as impressive as the other NBA legends he’s mentioned with. His current average is exactly 15.0 points per game, so he’s just barely meeting the threshold for this record. There’s certainly a chance his scoring may dip slightly before that number by the end of the season.

But whether or not he ultimately joins this elite, exclusive club isn’t really the point. The fact that he’s even in contention and in this discussion is the real storyline. Braun has gone above and beyond any reasonable expectations for the third-year player. He’s a big reason why the Nuggets have shot up the Western Conference standings recently, and he’s worked his way into the Most Improved Player discussion for good reason.