The Denver Nuggets need a bounce-back year from Christian Braun in 2026-27. Braun had a rough season and a poor playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and his $125 million contract extension kicks in this season. But even if Braun does make the leap that all fans of the Nuggets want to see him make, he may still find himself on the bench when the game is on the line because of the Nuggets' new veteran addition, DeMar DeRozan.
Braun's been a fixture in the closing rotation for the last two years, but his new backup, DeRozan, is one of the best clutch players in the NBA. But Braun's clutch play has suffered dramatically year over year. It was so bad in 2025-26 that you hope it was all due to his injuries and not something else, because Braun was a liability in the clutch.
Braun was a disaster in the clutch in 2025-26
2024-25 saw Braun as a capable clutch performer. The clutch is the last five minutes of a game within five points or less. In 121.8 clutch minutes, Braun shot 46.2% from the floor, and he hit 6 of his 11 three-point attempts. He was second on the team in clutch rebounds behind Nikola Jokic's 50 with 17, and he had a plus/minus of 48.
But 2025-26 was a disaster for Braun. In 105 clutch minutes, Braun shot an atrocious 16.7%, and he hit just 2 out of his 7 three-point attempts. In fact, his only two clutch makes all season were those two three-pointers. And his plus/minus plummeted to -40.
The Nuggets leaned heavily on sixth man Tim Hardaway Jr., who saw 128.5 minutes of clutch time. If Braun forces the Nuggets' hand early, they've got one of the best clutch players to come to the rescue this season.
DeRozan is one of the best clutch performers
DeRozan is one of the best clutch performers in the league. It's not hyperbole. Over his final two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, in 2022-23 and 2023-24, DeRozan finished third and second in the Clutch Player of the Year voting. And despite playing for a woeful Sacramento Kings team in 2024-25, DeRozan was still fifth in the NBA in clutch points. Over the last four years, DeRozan has never shot worse than 44.1% in the clutch, and his average is 46.4%.
Clearly, DeRozan is a much better option when the Nuggets need a bucket late. Because of the large discrepancy between the two, Braun could be left out in the cold when the game is on the line.
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