Denver Nuggets fans have seen flashes of the player that Julian Strawther can be, but entering his third season in the league, one thing fans want to see from him is consistency. There is one issue. So far, the 2023 first-round pick has spent most of this time watching from the sideline.
Strawther is averaging 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game this season, shooting 39.1% from the field and 18.2% from three in 7.7 minutes per game. This is after a season in which he averaged a career-high 9.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, shooting 43.2% from the field and 34.9% from deep in 21.3 minutes per contest.
He played 65 games last season (four starts), and so far this season, Strawther has played in seven of the Nuggets' 10 games. Even with a revamped and deeper bench, fans thought they'd see more of Strawther than they have, but he's only played mostly in garbage time.
Julian Strawther is fading into the background for the Nuggets
Strawther finished with a season-high 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists during Denver's 117-100 win over Indiana last Saturday, shooting 5-of-10 from the field (0-of-3 from three). He did so in 22 minutes, but the reason for that is that the Nuggets were without Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
David Adelman has primarily run a nine-man rotation, leaving Strawther on the outside looking in, with newcomers Tim Hardaway Jr., Cam Johnson, and Bruce Brown all averaging over 20 minutes per game. Hardaway is averaging the most minutes of that trio, at 22.9, and that's because he's looked like he could legitimately win Sixth Man of the Year. He's averaging 10.9 points per game on 44.6% shooting from three.
Based on how the first 10 games of the season have gone, it doesn't seem there is a path for Strawther to play significant minutes, barring an injury or a player missing a game for rest. It's not an ideal situation, but he's still trying to make the most of the limited opportunities he's had.
Denver is all-in on making another championship run, and the organization has to feel confident about the team's 8-2 start to the season. The Nuggets have won their last five games. They're in a groove.
Fans would like to see more from Strawther so they can determine how he fits into this season's roster, especially given his strong summer. The roster is why he isn't seeing more playing time, which is both a good and bad thing.