Malone keeps the Nuggets starting two-guard spot open for now

DENVER—The Denver Nuggets have a opening in their starting five for the first time in years, and it’s still listed on the team’s job board as the preseason began in earnest on Thursday.

Though just about everyone knows who is likely to land the gig of replacing two-time champion shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who is now with the Orlando Magic, head coach Michael Malone reaffirmed on the season’s eve that there will be a competition.

The approach is very much in line with the way that the coach thinks and it comes as no surprise. But it would be a shock if Christian Braun isn’t the day one starter, joining Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter. Jr.

“Losing KCP, a big loss, but now you have two guys who are more than ready and are willing and able to take over that opportunity,” Malone said on Thursday. “Julian was in the gym every day this summer, the guy was a workhorse. To see what he did in the first 40 games before he got hurt and what he did in Summer League before he hurt his ankle. It leads me to believe he’s poised and ready to have a really good second season. Christian helped us win a championship as a rookie. You know what you get from him every single night. He was in the gym a ton this summer.”

Julian is Julian Strawther—the only other real option aside from Braun on the roster for the Nuggets to play at the two-guard. The 2022 first-round pick Braun has experience on his side as a key contributor for Denver’s title in 2023. Braun also has over the 2023 first-round pick Strawther is a known defensive factor. Still, Strawther has flashed a lot and has a lot of potential offensive pop. Though that’s something Denver has craved more off the bench the last few season but no doubt needed in the starting unit too, which has struggled to get up threes.

And that’s a big part of the equation for Malone—not just who shoots best or grabs more boards—it’s fit.

“It’s not just going to be about who had the better stats. Anytime you look at a starting lineup it’s gotta be what compliments the lineup,” Malone said. “We already know that we have those four and they’re pretty good together. Which player is going to help compliment the starters and which player will help compliment the second unit.”

The Nuggets best defensive rating last season came when Braun was on the floor at 109.3 points for the other team scored per 100 possessions. Braun has a similar defensive profile to KCP, albeit not as solid as a screen navigator but is a bit more physically stronger in general. There’s a question of the smaller guards, which has resonated in the Nikola Jokic era—the team has historically struggled against players like Steph Curry, Dame Lillard and others. After getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Warriors the spring before getting KCP, with Kenny Pope on the roster Denver never lost to Golden State.

“KCP was great for us, he was great to both of us (me and Peyton Watson) as a person, he never held anything back he always tried to teach us as he went and I know me and P learned a lot from him,” Braun said. “Trying to replace him, I think we got guys who can do it between me, Julian and P and the combination of all three. As far as defense goes we got that covered, hopefully we can take what we learned in our two years with him and be ready for the role.”

Yet the real drop-off from Caldwell-Pope to Braun really comes in shooting. The departed veteran made 125 or more threes in each of his two Nuggets seasons whereas Braun is yet to make 100 triples as a pro. Braun actually went 20-straight playoff games without hitting from deep whereas KCP only didn’t hit a three in five of his 32 playoff games for the Nuggets.

Still, Braun’s shooting numbers and offensive abilities are probably pooh-poohed too much. In 20 minutes a game over the full 82 last season, CB tallied 7.3 points per game on 46% shooting and 38% from deep. He also adds an offensive rebound per night and is a more athletic finisher. But Braun’s decent three-point shooting in the regular season comes with the caveat of being on a rather low volume and his 67% career free throw percentage spells out another Denver issue.

“Increased minutes, it won’t change how I play or who I am, I’ll shoot the open and good ones and I won’t take the bad ones,” Braun said. “Just be who I am, I shot a good percentage and I want to shoot a higher percentage and more volume. With more minutes I’ll get more opportunities to shoot more threes. Don’t try to change too much, just shoot a higher percentage again. It’s not a percentage thing I’m worried about just taking the ones when Jamal (Murray) and Nikola (Jokic) set me up.”

The Nuggets shot the second-fewest free throws in the league last season and were bottom-third in percentage. KCP was one of their better foul-line shooters and Braun just isn’t that, not that either player often gets to the line. But there is a drop-off and there is too on threes, where the Nuggets already shot the third-fewest threes in the NBA last season. KCP tossed up four-a-game last year and Braun only shot two. And that’s where Strawther comes back into the picture.

Strawther didn’t light it up his rookie season but he did earn a constant rotation spot before injuring his knee. There are obvious shot-creation skills packed into his oversized 6-7 body and he’s a sweet shooter too, despite that not playing out his rookie season. He shot a tick under 30% from deep but in college, he was 37% then 41% in his final seasons at Gonzaga. So the shooting numbers from his rookie season being poor can be overlooked, what can’t be is the lack of experience in comparison to Braun, who won a rotation spot his rookie year and excelled enough to make an impact on the NBA Finals. There’s also a hint that Braun’s shooting might be a bit better than what we’ve seen, his three-point make rate raises to 42% on above-the-break threes and a more defined role with him being a starter may keep him out of the corner more.

“Both Christian and Julian will get chances with both groups. I never believe in giving things away I want guys to earn it, fight for it. Christian has done it, he has started games and Julian is much younger, he’ll have a chance as well. Competition is healthy. Lucky for me we have two young players who will make it a very tough decision.”

Aside from the two younger players mentioned here, there’s also the possibility the Nuggets deploy Russell Westbrook among the four known starters or maybe they even play bigger at times with a third forward on the floor like Peyton Watson.

No matter the Nuggets are replacing KCP in the aggregate for now—with Braun’s defense and Strawther’s shooting. If they can get a combination of both things from either player Denver is likely set. In replacing KCP primarily with Braun and Strawther the Nuggets will have to ask if they value offense or defense more out of the fifth starter and opposite with the bench. Another question that seems to have an obvious answer given the skills of Jokic and Murray and the need for a point-of-attack defender—but for now, Malone and Denver are willing to consider the idea of the more offensive-focused Strawther over the proven hustling defender Braun.