The Nuggets are off to a promising 5-2 start on the season, led by the brilliance of Nikola Jokic, who already has five triple-doubles in just seven games. But surprisingly, as good as the offense has been, the players who are supposed to be spacing the floor and creating opportunities for the stars have been massively disappointing.
Christian Braun has a nice-looking shot and has always hit threes at a high percentage despite low volume and a pretty clear reluctance to let it fly. He was elevated to the starting lineup and played very well, then received a lucrative five-year, $125 million extension in the offseason, showing the Nuggets’ confidence in Braun.
But so far, the increased role hasn’t yielded better results as Braun is shooting just 17% from three-point range so far on the season, failing to even make 0.5 threes per game.
Cam Johnson was brought in to replace Michael Porter Jr. and provide elite three-point shooting both off the catch and off the dribble. And yet, Johnson is shooting just 27% from three on over four attempts per game, and is clearly struggling to find a rhythm within this offense.
Nuggets’ shooters are eventually going to find their form
The crazy part is that the team is mostly built around Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon. The other players are there to complement those three, making their lives easier by focusing on their specific skill sets.
Johnson and Braun are supposed to fit in around those three in the starting lineup and clean up on easy opportunities. But that’s not happening at all, and yet the Nuggets continue winning while their top three players flourish.
It’s frustrating for Nuggets’ fans, but it should be terrifying for opponents. I find it hard to believe that Braun and Joshnon suddenly forgot how to shoot and will continue to miss great looks. Realistically, it’s only a matter of time until water finds its level and Braun and Johnson return to form.
If anything, they are likely to get hot soon to balance out their slow starts and find their way back to the mean. Once that happens, this offense is going to take off and hit an even higher level. It’s scary to think that Jokic, Murray, and Gordon are off to such great starts without their role players even thriving.
When things normalize for the supporting cast, the stars should find it even easier to produce, and with any luck, this Nuggets squad should look extremely formidable.