Julian Strawther scored a season-high 22 points in the Nuggets' 127-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Strawther shot 4-7 from three over his 33 minutes in the spot start, made possible because the Nuggets chose to rest their starting five. Strawther has looked great for the Nuggets this season when given the opportunity, but it still may not be enough to keep him in the playoff rotation.
Strawther, the 29th pick of the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, is averaging 14.0 points in 13 starts for the Nuggets this year, and 6.9 points across 56 games played. He's shooting the ball at the best rate of his career, and he's been an integral part of the rotation for the Nuggets at times this season.
But the Nuggets are close to being fully healthy for the playoffs, and a healthy Nuggets team may just be too deep for Strawther to overcome for playing time.
Coach Adelman alluded to less playing time for Strawther
Despite his excellent showing against the Thunder and his fantastic bench play, Strawther finds himself as the likely odd-man out, head coach David Adelman hinted at.
"You know, when we're fully healthy, there'll be guys that have to sacrifice. He'll be one of them," Adelman said of Strawther.
And the Nuggets are nearly fully healthy. They're resting four of their five starters against the San Antonio Spurs in the season finale to make sure of it. The only starter likely to play is Nikola Jokic, and he's probably only going to play 15-20 minutes to make sure he qualifies for NBA postseason awards.
Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones remain out for the Nuggets due to injuries, but the hope is that they'll both be ready for the start of the playoffs. However, the timeline for both of their outlooks remain "up in the air."
The Nuggets have a deep bench
The wing position is crowded for the Nuggets. And it puts Strawther too far down the list. He's behind the starters, Johnson, and Braun, and he's behind Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Spencer Jones.
It's a tough rotation to crack. But coach Adelman praised Strawther's ability to stay ready. "He has to come in the game and feel ultra confident all the time, and that's a skill in our league," Adelman said.
Strawther's been ready for the task all season when asked by the Nuggets. It's safe to say that if the Nuggets get bit by the injury bug in the playoffs, Strawther will be ready again.