The Denver Nuggets are moving closer to one of the most anticipated seasons in franchise history.
Let’s continue our three-week series in advance of Media Day on September 29th, just one week away! With 14 players on the roster and a new mix of players to discuss, it’s important to remember who the Nuggets have, who they don’t have, and what to expect heading into October.
Up next, a check-in on Christian Braun.
There were high expectations on Christian Braun ahead of the 2024-25 season. He lived up to them, though perhaps not in the way many expected.
Replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the starting lineup after the Nuggets offered KCP a below market value contract put a lot of pressure on Braun. Immediately after losing Bruce Brown the year before, the Nuggets lost Caldwell-Pope, placing a third-year player in a tough position to play a lot of minutes before he was truly ready.
Still, Braun thrived overall, averaging career highs across the board in an expanded role while improving his scoring efficiency and overall level of involvement. Averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 33.9 minutes per game, Braun immediately showed he could be a productive member of a contender, on top of league leading efficiency.
That last part isn’t hyperbole either. During the regular season, Braun maintained a ridiculous 66.5% True Shooting, driving to the rim relentlessly in transition, on cuts, and in setting screens for Nikola Jokic in pick and roll. Among all players to qualify for shot efficiency leaderboards this past season, Braun ranked fourth in TS% behind only Jarrett Allen, Jalen Duren, and Rudy Gobert, who all attempted at least 59% of their shots from within the restricted area and are all seven feet tall.
Braun improved defensively throughout the season too, learning the nuances of pick and roll coverage, navigating traffic, and battling superstars. He guarded the opposing team’s best perimeter playmaker every night, and though he wasn’t perfect, he improved as the year went on.
Braun’s biggest tests will always be in the playoffs though, and he was merely okay in that regard. The defense remained good, but the outside shooting was spotty at best, shooting just 29.6% from three on 5.1 attempts per game. That was much higher than the 2.8 attempts from distance Braun averaged in the regular season, highlighting one of Braun’s biggest weaknesses: shooting volume.
Among all starting shooting guards in the NBA this past season, Braun ranked dead last with 4.0 three-point attempts per 100 possessions during the regular season. Part of that is Braun’s emphasis on attacking the rim, and his level of efficiency attacking the basket highlights why it’s a great strategy; however, the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder both understood that in the playoffs and cut off as many of Braun’s “easy” baskets as they could manage. That forced Braun out of his comfort zone, and the efficiency dropped in those ever important moments.
The Nuggets had a 1-5 record in the six playoff games that Braun had his lowest shooting efficiency. The outside shooting went one of two ways in those games: either Braun kept firing open three-pointers and missing, or he simply stopped attempting three-pointers. Either way, the Nuggets became easier to defend because opponents put all of the pressure on Braun to make decisions he wasn’t completely comfortable with to that point.
Heading into 2025-26, Braun is entrenched as Denver’s starting shooting guard and will be one of the best fifth options in the entire NBA. With Cam Johnson coming to Denver via trade, there will (in theory) be less pressure on Braun to create offense this year. An increased emphasis on the defensive end and a reduced role offensively is possible, not because Braun can’t handle a larger role but because it allows him to dedicate even more energy and focus to the defensive end of the floor. To be a truly great team, the Nuggets must be better defensively, and Braun is the head of the snake on the perimeter.
Behind Braun, the additions of old friend Bruce Brown and new friend Tim Hardaway Jr. give the Nuggets optionality in the backcourt. That will help reduce Braun’s overall workload. Braun played 2,675 regular season minutes, the 11th most in the NBA. There’s a possibility that Braun also got tired at the end of the year in an extensive role, and for good reason.
The Nuggets and Braun will also have contract negotiations to work through on a rookie extension. Starter money is $20+ million in the new NBA, and if the Nuggets want to retain Braun long term, they can agree to a deal before the season.
There’s no question in my mind that Braun can be the starter on a championship team. He’s taken steps to answer those questions, and though his performance hasn’t been perfect, the direction and path of development is trending the right way. To become a champion again though, Braun will have to get comfortable being uncomfortable, recommitting to the defensive end, letting three-pointers fly, and improving step by step. The journey to a title is a long one, and Braun is one of the most important cogs in the machine.
If Braun can do those things, the Nuggets will be well positioned in the days and years to come with another member of the core established.
