We knew that a huge decision was looming for Michael Malone and the Nuggets and on Wednesday night, it couldn’t be put off any longer. After two gruesome losses in Minnesota and Chicago, Malone decided he couldn’t keep Aaron Gordon out of the starting lineup any longer.
Gordon missed nine games with a calf injury and the team has been working him back into the lineup on a minutes restriction. In his first eight games since coming back from injury, Gordon came off the bench in a 6th man role and played no more than 24 minutes in any game.
It was working well and there was real momentum for Gordon to continue coming off the bench to balance the lineups a bit more over the course of 48 minutes. But, Malone concluded that he needed his starting power forward of the last three seasons back in his lineup and inserted him back into the starting unit.
Christian Braun benched in favor of Russell Westbrook
It was hardly shocking to see Gordon get his starting spot back, but it was surprising to see that it was Christian Braun who was benched and not Russell Westbrook. The Nuggets lost a key starter from their elite starting lineup of the past two seasons when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left in free agency, but they were excited about Braun as a replacement.
The front office hyped him up as a starter and Braun has started every game this season and done a great job. Westbrook was brought in on a minimum contract in free agency to shore up the team’s bench and has proven to be an excellent signing.
With the Nuggets’ constant array of injuries this season, Russ has found himself constantly starting and thriving in that role, playing especially well when paired with Nikola Jokic. So, now that everyone is fully healthy, Malone has chosen to make the switch and start the veteran Westbrook, along with Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Gordon, and Jokic, while benching the third-year man and recently anointed starter, Braun.
Malone risks losing Braun and disenchanting young players
The logic makes some sense here; the Nuggets need Gordon’s size and defense in the starting lineup. He’s too good to be a bench player on a team that’s this thin. And it’s impossible to deny Westbrook’s chemistry with Jokic.
Malone even referenced their two-man game in his press conference, calling them “the best two-man combination in the NBA right now” when explaining the lineup decision.
But it’s also hard not to feel like Braun is getting done dirty here. The kid has done everything the right way for three years and slowly but surely earns the trust of the coaching staff. He gets promoted to a starting role and gets hyped up all off-season for the new position.
He has objectively played great on both ends this season, proving to be a rock-solid defensive player and raising his offensive game with solid efficiency, and providing much-needed transition opportunities.
And yet, at the first opportunity, Malone reverts to his affection for veteran players and sends Braun right back to the bench. Braun ended up playing early and often in his first game off the bench due to early foul trouble, but this is still a big change, and frankly, an undeserved demotion.
Braun is a team player and he’ll do and say all the right things, but he has to be disappointed. He basically admitted as much postgame when he was asked about it and said, “Obviously I took a lot of pride in having that spot, trying to win that spot. And I'm gonna work to try to get it back.”
That’s not a quote that’s going to rattle the locker room, but it also doesn’t sound like Braun is thrilled or agrees with the move. The Nuggets have invested a lot in their young, drafted players including Braun, Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther. They are relying on them and will need them to contend for the next few years.
But Malone has been reluctant to trust them, especially when the chips are down. This is just the latest example and if things don’t well, there’s no telling what could happen. The Nuggets are a strong, veteran-laden team with good leadership, but when things go bad in the NBA, they can spiral.
This is the kind of thing that derails a locker room and causes a divide. This could be seen as a message to the younger players and a lack of trust from Malone. There have been rumors for years of a power struggle between Malone and Calvin Booth; the front office wants youth and the coach wants veterans.
If the losses pile up, people will get unhappy. People will be looking to point fingers and dole out blame. We’re a long way away from it, but the Nuggets have lost three straight games and they’re only 4 games up on the 11 seed in the Western Conference. This is a massive gamble by Malone, let’s hope it pays off.