There’s a lot of pressure on the Denver Nuggets following the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The now Orlando Magic shooting guard started every game he played in during his two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, including every playoff game. His two-way ability, floor spacing, defensive tenacity, and intangibles will all be missed.
The Nuggets will have a significant challenge in replacing him, and while many expect the new starting shooting guard to be Christian Braun, head coach Michael Malone is leaving the competition open at the position next to Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic.
“Losing KCP is a big loss,” Malone shared, “but now you have two guys in Christian Braun and Julian Strawther who are more than ready, willing, and able to take over that opportunity.”
“Julian Strawther was in the gym every single day this summer. The guy was a workhorse.”
Michael Malone on the starting shooting guard spot:
“Both Christian and Julian will get chances with both groups.
“I never believe in just giving things away…competition is healthy.”
— Ryan Blackburn (@NBABlackburn) September 26, 2024
“I think any time you look at a starting lineup, it’s also about what complements the lineup. We already know that we have Jamal, Michael, Aaron, and Nikola, pretty good four-man unit. Which player is going to help complement the starters and which player is going to help complement the second unit?”
Malone reiterated his belief in Braun in the same breath, though, discussing how valuable he has been to the Nuggets so far and the hopes the team has for him.
“I never believe in just giving things away. I want guys to earn it, fight for it, and Christian’s done that.”
Braun, 23, has played 158 regular season and 31 playoff games for the Nuggets in the last two seasons. Despite only starting 10 of those games, Braun has plenty of reps in the Nuggets system. In his 10 starts, the Kansas product averaged 27.3 minutes, 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, shooting an impressive 58.7% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range. Expecting him to maintain those shooting splits would be ludicrous, but if he averaged similar per game stats this season, that would be solid enough production to fill in for Caldwell-Pope, who averaged 10.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists as a Nuggets starter.
We will see what happens in training camp and preseason, but expect both Braun and Strawther to split opportunities at the starting spot. Braun is the more defensive, connecting option with the trust of Michael Malone already. Strawther is the more offensive-minded, versatile outside shooter, an archetype of player that often takes longer to earn the trust of a coaching staff.
Both will be integral to the Nuggets this season, and as Malone suggested, the fit with both the starting and bench units will be important. The Nuggets offense on their starting unit is already strong, while their bench unit is lacking for spacing and scoring. That would imply that Braun fits the starters and Strawther the bench more, but rotations and lineups can be altered as well.
It will be a fun storyline to watch as training camp kicks off.