It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Denver Nuggets so far. Entering the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Nuggets currently have a mediocre 9-7 win-loss record. To be honest, a lot of the wins have to do with reigning three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Without him, the Nuggets would likely perform much worse.

But while Jokic continues his stellar play, the Nuggets don’t exactly have much support around him. In fact, key players like Jamal Murray and newcomer Russell Westbrook haven’t exactly been the most consistent stars the Nuggets would have expected them to be. That’s not what you want, especially after an early playoff exit last season.

Luckily, Christian Braun stepped in for the team. Since being selected 21st in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, Braun has been used as a backup player. But since the Nuggets lost some personnel in the offseason, Malone promoted him to the starting lineup.

Although it was a bit of a gamble, Braun was a revelation for the Nuggets. Additionally, he is a great fit for Denver’s stars as he looks to continue to thrive in the Nuggets’ starting lineup. Therefore, Braun’s good play was the Nuggets’ most pleasant surprise entering the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Best season of his career so far for Christian Braun

Braun, who has been given a larger role in the Nuggets’ rotation, has emerged as a starter so far. In fact, he is putting together the best season of his NBA career. In his third year in the league, Braun is averaging career highs of 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He also records 1.3 steals and 0.7 rejections per outing, which are also his best numbers.

The Nuggets are probably breathing a sigh of relief given Braun’s successful year. Without Braun, it’s hard to imagine the Nuggets doing as well as they are now, especially given Murray’s shooting struggles coupled with Westbrook’s inconsistent play. In fact, Braun plays like the second-best player on the Nuggets’ roster next to the reigning NBA MVP.

With Malone’s guidance and encouragement, it was time for Braun to break out of his shell. As the Nuggets look to get back into championship contention, Braun’s emergence was a welcome sight.

Following in the footsteps of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

One of the biggest losses the Nuggets suffered in the offseason was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a two-time NBA champion who played a crucial role in the Nuggets’ 2023 run. The 2024-2025 season would be canceled. However, with the emergence of Braun, the Nuggets have found an easy replacement.

In lieu of KCP’s departure, it was a no-brainer for Malone to bring Braun into the starting lineup. In his first two seasons in the NBA, Braun was a developmental project. While his growth process was never entirely smooth, it’s safe to say that the Nuggets are now reaping the rewards of their patience and investment in Braun.

While Braun is by no means a similar player to KCP, he still makes an impact on both ends of the floor. The former isn’t a ruthless shooter, but still shoots nearly 47% of his shots from distance, which is a testament to his growth. But more importantly, Braun has held his own when tasked with defending elite guards like Anthony Edwards.

Can Christian Braun maintain his efficiency throughout the NBA season?

While Braun is off to a dream start to his best season yet, it remains to be seen whether he can continue his good play. Braun has all the surprises in store for the Nuggets, including a perfect shooting night against the Los Angeles Lakers. He finished the game with 16 points on seven of seven shots while making all two of his attempts from Rainbow Country. Braun also added two rebounds and three assists to help the Nuggets win over the Purple and Gold.

However, it won’t be long before other NBA teams finally try to come up with plans to slow Braun down. For Braun to continue to make an impact, the Nuggets will also need to count on Murray to regain his shooting touch and Westbrook to excel in his role off the bench every night. Nevertheless, everyone can be confident that Braun will make the most of his larger role in the team.