Without Bruce Brown, the Denver Nuggets have big expectations for rising young player Christian Braun. If it wasn't evident before, now, it's on full display.
According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski, the Denver Nuggets are picking up the third-year option on Christian Braun. Wojnarowski also mentioned that Braun is expected to take on a sixth-man role on the Nuggets. That was a role specifically designed for Bruce Brown last year, so that really shows how the team values Braun.
Last season, Braun averaged 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds on 49/35 shooting in roughly 15 minutes a game. Despite the low numbers, Braun showed his true potential during the NBA Finals. When the Nuggets needed him the most in Game 3, Braun put up 15 points and 4 rebounds on 87% shooting in 19 minutes. Even though Braun had spectacular numbers in Game 3, the rest of his playoff run wasn't exactly up to par, averaging 3.2 points and 2.1 points on 53/20 shooting.
Putting Christian Braun in a sixth-man role is the natural expectation one would have for him on the team. Even though it's expected, it's still a gamble just based on the fact that he's only a sophomore in the league. Braun has tremendous potential, but it's only been seen seldom throughout last season. Hopefully, this is a huge year for Christian Braun because the Nuggets need it.
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