Brandon Ingram tried to go baseline. Christian Braun cut him off at the pass.
Sensing the moment, and the supposed mismatch, the crowd started buzzing. Seven dribbles later, the Nuggets’ rookie forced the 6-foot-8 flamethrower into a contested fadeaway that rimmed out. Nuggets fans showered the rookie in applause at the stop.
Since becoming a fixture of the Nuggets’ second unit several weeks ago, Braun’s added defensive versatility, athleticism, and energy. On more and more frequent occasions, Denver’s bench has exited the court to ovations.
It was one instance (albeit of an ever-growing reel) from Thursday’s loss to New Orleans that underscored why Braun is going to play a vital role once the Nuggets get into the postseason. Yes, with the No. 21 pick in last year’s draft, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth unearthed a prospect who’s going to play rotational minutes on a team with title aspirations. That’s a significant win for a GM making his first-ever draft pick.
But Braun isn’t a normal rookie. After he scored 11 points in the loss, including three slashing, mammoth dunks, teammate Bruce Brown raved about him.
“Christian’s really good,” he said. “And y’all are starting to see that.”
The two have formed a havoc-inducing tandem that’s able to guard a litany of positions and can also soar in transition. Lately, and with good reason, they’ve been the first two guys off the bench. In terms of trust, Nuggets coach Michael Malone probably has more faith in them than any two other reserves.
What he gets from them both is consistent play.
Braun, even though he’s only 21, carries himself with the assured confidence of a veteran. It’s not arrogance or cockiness. It’s poise. He talks about the game like he’s seasoned. He assesses their shortcomings from a pragmatic viewpoint. Never, either in front of the media or on the court, has he looked rattled.
It’s one of the reasons Booth bet on him in the first place. When Braun played all 40 minutes of last season’s NCAA championship game, yielding a Kansas title, it validated the idea that he relished big games.
Asked late Thursday night whether he’d thought about playing in the postseason, Braun showed an eagerness to compete.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “We’re the No. 1 seed right now, we’re looking to lock that up, and that’s my goal. Come in and compete at the highest level. I think that’s when I play my best.”
As much as that’s the expectation for players, that’s not always the case. It’s certainly not always the case with rookies. Braun talked about the stage, the attention to detail, the heightened stakes. That’s where he said he thrives. It’s a good thing because beyond Braun, the Nuggets don’t have any true wings on the roster.
The Nuggets have made things simple for Braun. He’s said on numerous occasions how his primary responsibility is just to give effort. If that was his sole task, he’s almost overqualified.
Braun’s impact on that lineup is profound. He’s shown the ability to slash to the hoop and elevate, space the floor and knock down a 3, and defend like his hair is on fire. It’s the last one that’s a prerequisite to getting on the floor in the postseason.
“The game has definitely slowed down, and there’s definitely things that I’ve gotten used to,” Braun said.
He cited his decision-making and how that’s improved since he first stepped on an NBA floor. The flip side of being a rookie is the taxing transition from college to pros. When he won the national title last season, the Jayhawks played 40 games. The NBA regular season is more than double that.
“This season is extremely long,” he admitted.
The Nuggets don’t want it to end anytime soon.
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