The Denver Nuggets don't need any young players to breakout for the 2023-24 NBA season, as there's plenty of talent on the roster surrounding Nikola Jokic. But that doesn't mean one of Denver's young players won't breakout anyway.
After earning trust last postseason and fitting in seamlessly next to the team's core of stars, the breakout player for the Nuggets for the 2023-24 season will be second-year wing Christian Braun.
Why Christian Braun will breakout this season
When the Denver Nuggets lost Bruce Brown to the Indiana Pacers in free agency this offseason, a lot of playing time suddenly became available for Braun. Brown played 28.5 minutes per game last year, while Braun only played 15.5 minutes a night in his rookie season.
But if the Nuggets are looking to directly replace a lot of what Brown did on the floor in terms of smart cuts, disruptive on-ball defense, and rebounding on both ends, Braun is the obvious replacement. While Denver will give more minutes to another breakout candidate in Peyton Watson, it's Braun who can provide the Nuggets with a ton of value without ever really needing the ball in his hands.
Braun's stats don't jump off the page, but anyone who watched the Nuggets tear through the playoffs can understand that his level of energy off the bench changed multiple games. Braun's Game 3 NBA Finals performance against the Miami Heat where he went 7-for-8 from the field and added four rebounds, an assist, and a steal in less than 20 minutes was an incredible performance for a rookie. Playing with arguably the best passer in the world in Nikola Jokic, Braun's timely cuts help loosen up the floor for shooters like Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray. It's a key role in Denver's offense, and Braun can be trusted on the other end to take the toughest defensive assignment and let Murray focus more on the offensive end.
Christian Braun will never put up huge scoring numbers sharing the floor with Jokic, Murray, and Porter Jr., but his impact away from the ball for the Nuggets will be undeniable. The Pacers paid Bruce Brown handsomely to do the same thing for them, and Braun should slot into that role and have his value around the league rise quickly as well with a breakout campaign.
It's clear that Michael Malone and Denver's front office trust Braun to take the leap. Denver could have made multiple veteran signings on minimum deals as an attractive destination after winning an NBA title, but giving major minutes to their young players with potential makes so much more sense in the long-term for the Nuggets. Even if Braun doesn't hit the ground running right away, further building upon that chemistry shown with Jokic and Murray last year in the postseason should pay major dividends for Denver as they look to repeat as NBA Champions this upcoming season.
If Braun can make the leap as a standstill 3-point shooter (35.4 percent last season), his unique combination of athleticism and size will be a lot for teams to handle with so much defensive attention going elsewhere. Braun's athleticism out in transition gives the Nuggets a little juice they lack elsewhere as well, which will be important over a full 82-game season. Given their injury histories, Murray and Porter Jr. shouldn't have to shoulder huge minute loads and grind out tough possessions on back-to-back games. Being able to lean on the young legs of Braun should keep everyone fresher and ready for the postseason.
If the Nuggets want to repeat in a loaded Western Conference, a major breakout from Christian Braun as the ideal role player next to their stars will go a long way in making that happen.
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