Rookie Trevon Brazile sparks Nuggets in home-opening win

Nuggets rookie Trevon Brazile made a strong first impression on Denver fans Saturday night.

The second-round pick finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks as Denver came back from 19 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime at Ball Arena. Brazile played the last 20 minutes straight, all of the fourth quarter and overtime.

Brazile said he stayed ready after barely playing in the third quarter.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m just always staying ready on the bench. You know, didn’t play much in the third, so just staying ready. And you know, my number was called. You seen the result,” Trevon Brazile said.

When he was asked what he was thinking as the deficit shrank, he pointed to defense.

“Yeah, I mean, I know we needed to pick it up, you know, defensively. So you know, I was just trying to go out there and, you know, give the team what they needed as far as intensity, intensity in the defense, and you know, ended up staying in. You know, felt overtime and made some decent plays on the stretch.”

Denver drafted Trevon Brazile 35th overall in June after trading the 26th pick to San Antonio to move into that spot. He played one season at Missouri, then four at Arkansas, where he scored 1,195 career points. As a senior, he averaged 13 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals. He signed a four-year, $9.3 million deal with the Nuggets with the first two seasons guaranteed.

Head coach David Adelman said the rookie’s night didn’t surprise him.

“Yeah, you know, I just liked his approach. You know, throughout these weeks, they weren’t perfect by any means. He’s a rookie. Even tonight, you know, he was such a high-impact guy. The first half, he made some mistakes off ball. You’re gonna do that when you’re a rookie with all these different actions he hasn’t seen. But he stays with it,” Adelman said.

“The biggest comment you can give a guy that’s a rookie in our league, is that the veterans on his team, trust him, and they have a comfort level with him out there with them.”

“So I’m just happy for the kid, man. Like it’s just, this is a dream for a lot of these guys to make it to the NBA, just to make it. Dream to get a contract, dream to put the uniform on, but to play and compete and have a night like that, it’s not gonna be like that every night. But him bringing what he brings is very unique to our team. We haven’t had a guy like him in a long time.”

Trevon Brazile may get more chances soon. Cam Johnson hurt his ankle in the season opener, and Spencer Jones is out with a hamstring strain. Denver plays New Orleans again Wednesday on the road. If Trevon Brazile keeps this up, the Nuggets may have found a valuable piece for a title push.

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