How this under-the-radar loss could hurt Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets' hopes of winning back-to-back NBA titles took a significant hit when role player Bruce Brown signed with the Indiana Pacers earlier this summer. His departure seems to have flown under the radar. 

Brown, one of the NBA's best role players, had the best season of his career with Denver last season, averaging 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists and playing outstanding defense.

Brown is also a playoff riser. In back-to-back postseasons with the Brooklyn Nets and Nuggets, he played the best basketball of his career. Those performances helped earn him a two-year, $45 million contract with the Pacers, an offer Denver couldn't match.

"There were times during the Nuggets' playoff run that culminated in the franchise's first title when Brown was their third-best player," Tony Jones of The Athletic wrote following Brown's departure. 

Denver probably will tap second-year pro Christian Braun to fill Brown's role, but can he?  

"I think there's always a couple of people that don't think you can step into that role," Braun said in an interview with the Denver Post's Sean Keeler. "But I always end up rising to that occasion."

While Braun exudes the confidence needed to succeed, he may be aiming a little too high. 

"Losing Bruce Brown hurt them," Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell said on "The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone." "[Braun] is solid, but Bruce Brown is unpredictable, bro. He could go 3-of-5 from the three, play point guard, get you in the bonus, shoot 10-12 free throws. He's just a problem."

Braun is a promising young player, but he's still developing. As a rookie, the 6-foot-7 guard averaged 4.7 points 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 15.5 minutes per game. Braun could eventually end up filling Brown's role, but doing so next season, in only his second year, seems far-fetched.