The Denver Nuggets are primarily a veteran team looking to repeat as NBA champions. Head coach Michael Malone usually plays a tight rotation consisting of the starters and 2-3 bench players. Over the past couple seasons, minutes haven't always been readily available for some of the younger players. A year ago, the answer to this question would have been easy as it would have been Peyton Watson. Watson has since become a mainstay in the rotation this season. With that said, the next young player in line who has earned more minutes for the Nuggets is Julian Strawther.

Julian Strawther can help the Nuggets repeat as a rookie

It's not that Michael Malone has an aversion to playing young players. Last season rookie Christian Braun played a key role off the bench as the Nuggets went on to win their first ever NBA championship. Malone just prefers a smaller rotation. Peyton Watson went from splitting time between the bench and the G League last year as a rookie to playing an important role this season in his second year.

Julian Strawther, Nuggets, NBA Summer League

Right now, it appears as if the Nuggets bench unit is set with Braun, Reggie Jackson and Watson as the main cogs in the second unit with either DeAndre Jordan or Zeke Nnaji as the backup big man. The other players receiving double digits in minutes played are Justin Holiday and Julian Strawther.

Coming into the season it seemed as if Strawther and Holiday would be competing for a spot in the rotation. Both are wings of similar build. Holiday is a veteran who has always been a solid defensive player; it's easy to see why Malone might prefer him over Strawther in the rotation.

But this season, and especially in the last couple of games, Strawther has been making a case to be in the rotation this season and see a minutes increase. He brings a type of offensive fluidity and firepower that other players on the second unit lack. His overall numbers might not pop off the stat sheet (6.1 points per game, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists), but he has picked it up in recent days.

His minutes have actually increased over the last three games. He's played season-highs of 28, 22 and 19 minutes respectively. During the first two games of that stretch he dropped 22 points and 16 points respectively. His 22-point game in a win against the Atlanta Hawks was his best game of the season. He shot 8-16 from the field and 6-11 from three-point range. He also had five steals.

Coincidently, the Nuggets have gone 3-0 since Strawther's minutes shot up. Strawther's defense has been solid and his offense is more than what Holiday would bring.The fact that Strawther has seen his playing time steadily increase the last three games is a good sign.

He can have a role similar to Braun last season. It's not at all farfetched to envision Strawther supplanting Holiday in the rotation by mid-season. He's a rookie, he's going to make mistakes, but he has solid vets around him and his offensive punch can't be ignored.

The Nuggets were able to grab Strawther with a late first round pick and he could be in the running for one of the steals of the NBA Draft. He's certainly on his way to outperforming players drafted ahead of him. If he continues to get valuable reps this early in the season, it could pay off in a big way for the Nuggets come playoff time.