The Nuggets' underrated move gives fans a glimmer of hope

When the Denver Nuggets let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk and sign with the Orlando Magic in the offseason, the question became which young wing player would step up for the Nuggets. Through ten games, the answer has been Christian Braun.

Letting Caldwell-Pope walk was met with much criticism, but the Nuggets organization believed Braun was ready for the next step. He was the team’s first-round pick in 2022 after a successful three-year career at Kansas that ended with a national championship. In his first two seasons, he was primarily used as a defensive spark plug off the bench and deployed by head coach Michael Malone as an energy guy in limited minutes.

The problem with Braun and why he couldn’t gain a consistent role was his offensive limitations, especially in the playoffs. Oftentimes when he was on the court, Denver was playing four-on-five offense, as the defense didn’t see him as a threat on the perimeter. However, Braun has shown great improvements on the offensive end this season.

Christian Braun is stepping up for the Denver Nuggets.

Through ten games, Braun is averaging 16 points per game on 55 percent shooting and about 49 percent from three-point range. The team has a +14.5 net rating when he is on the court and a -22.7 net rating when he is off the court, showing the great impact he has on the team’s rotation. He has also crossed double digits in scoring in every game this season and has not shot lower than 42.5 percent in a game yet.

He has improved his shooting across the board, as he is attempting more (3.4 attempts per game) and has been efficient. Braun is shooting 57 percent on above-the-break threes, 39 percent on corner threes, and 50 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. 

Additionally, Braun’s finishing at the rim has been encouraging for Denver. He leads the team in restricted area field goal percentage at 67 percent with around six attempts per game.

Braun has been a revelation to a Nuggets team that has lacked depth to start the season. After a slow start, Denver is now 7-3. Especially with the team losing such a key piece like Caldwell-Pope, he has seamlessly fit into the team’s rotation. He has been the perfect 3 and D guard for the team. If Braun keeps this up, he can very much play himself into the Most Improved Player award conversation.