It has taken seven games, but the Nuggets are finally starting to see some production from their young players. All offseason we’ve been hearing how the young, recent draft picks are going to be able to step into the rotation, pick up the slack, and keep things rolling in Denver for the next few seasons.
It was a massive gamble by Calvin Booth and the front office. If it backfires, they’ll forever be blamed for wasting the prime of Nikola Jokic and ending this potential championship era prematurely. But if it works out well, they may be able to sustain success for a decade and beyond.
Early returns are just that, but through six games, things haven’t gone well. The young players have been struggling to impact winning during their minutes, the team is hemorrhaging points when the bench plays, and the Nuggets are struggling to win games, even against lesser competition.
On Monday night, the Nuggets were without Jamal Murray, as he’s still recovering from a concussion and Aaron Gordon left the game in the first half with a calf strain. The Nuggets needed all hands on deck to eke out a win over the Raptors and it quickly became ‘put-up or shut-up’ time for the team’s second unit.
Braun, Strawther, and Watson help lead Nuggets to victory
And fans finally saw the team’s vision on Monday night at their time of need. Christian Braun has been playing well as a starter and he continued that on Monday with 17 points and 4 rebounds. But it was the two young bench players who really shined.
Peyton Watson played 30 minutes and dropped 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while starting the second half in place of Gordon. Julian Strawther looked like the 6th man spark plug the team was hoping for as well. He played 25 minutes and scored 13 points, making 2/4 from three-point range.
This is what the Nuggets dreamed up when they moved on from veteran role players like Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They need to be patient with these players and nurture their growth. It’s important for this season, but it’s also crucial for the next several years.
There are going to be growing pains, and things aren’t always going to look perfect. But the Nuggets have made their bed and they need to sleep in it. That means fully investing in these young players and making sure they are confident and ready when the team needs them in the playoffs.
There will be some tough and frustrating moments, but Monday night’s win over the Raptors was a huge step in the right direction. Hopefully, this is a bit of a turning point and a sign of things to come; we all know the Nuggets desperately need it.