Denver Nuggets young trio fueling repeat championship aspirations

Denver Nuggets young trio fueling repeat championship aspirations

Christian Brown pton Watson Julian strw three young guys in the Denver Nuggets rotation who are killing it right now this season and helping uh make Bruce Brown a memory man it’s it’s been interesting to see the way that Denver has handled this rotation I didn’t expect them to have this much success

While going young and yet they’re still finding ways to get it done I think this is just what happens when you have to play Young Players like they’re going to go through their mistakes but eventually they’re going to figure it out you know what I think we underestimate and I don’t think Malone

Did at all because he’s Michael Malone he’s the head coach when you’re a part of a really healthy culture and a healthy coaching culture and a and a player friendly culture you don’t really have a choice but to get better I mean really we’ve only seen one person not

Work out in that system and that’s bones bones had had a lot of different reasons why he just wasn’t happy in the situation but Julian Christian and Payton their their skill sets are are so much they slot in without having to demand basketball per se so so I just

Think every one of them have talked so positively about everybody on the team is just like uber supportive you know they don’t care about their brands their identities and all that stuff they really are just like we need to win a championship and the way we get there is

By you being the best you can possibly be so we’re all going to help you as much as humanly possible it’s an unselfish mentality I think underscored by Nicole yic kind of taking Payton Watson under his wing filling homs hotels.com commercial and doing all that he needs to do in

Order to get everybody on the same page it’s been it’s been cool to see and and I think Denver is going to be better off for it uh let’s talk about Christian Brown first yeah second season in the league this last year he was very good very steady this year he’s exploring his

Game a little bit more I think that’s led to some more ups and downs in terms of how he has approached things what have you liked and disliked about Christian Brown’s game so far oh he’s hitting jump shots yes wow it’s just a much better feeling when Christian’s

Hitting jump shots um I’m actually really encouraged by how he’s been shooting the ball this year and again these aren’t like just spot up opportunity some of these are one dribble the defense goes under the screen make them pay burn them and I think Christian playing with that kind

Of confidence and again I still like that he’s attacking the rim you know he definitely needs to just learn his body a little bit more and like you know be a little bit more strategic and how he attacks but I mean for the most part it’s paying off for him really well uh

Last five games Christian shooting 50% from three on the season Christian Brown shooting 40% from the three-point line he’s also shooting 75% uh as well from the free throw line so I think this is actually kind of turning into Christian being a legitimately positive three and D player

Now the attacking stuff is what needs to get better but there’s levels to this like three and D shooting 38 above from three and then shooting a plus 75 from the line and then you’re a positive defensive player well that’s a win in most scenarios when you get a player

That’s good between getting to the rim or like a pullup mid-range shooting well then you’re talking about a starter I think Christian is a borderline just he’s a little bit further away from a starter like right now kyp fits all of this POA plus plus plus three-point shooter plus mid-range shooter and then

He can get to the rim at a decent levels and you know on some DH and stuff like that but like Christian needs to fill out some of this game but other than that he’s just he kind of on track yeah there have been some ups and downs and

I’m I’m a little bit concerned about the lack of finishing at times like there have been like the the crashing to the rim and trying to finish over the top of somebody when he doesn’t really have an angle he’s trying to go through the defense anyway I understand his

Willingness to try to be a little bit more physical he has been doing his best to get to the free throw line he’s now like taken as many free throws as he did all of last season and we are less than half of the way through so he’s getting

These opportunities he’s being more aggressive and he’s shooting 75% from the line now which is good 40% from three which is good I do want him to continue to round into form in terms of making better decisions with the basketball and because that will take

His game to the next level and I want to see him continue to be that trustworthy option for Denver going forward the other thing is that the defense it has been good he has taken a step back from last year where he was great do you think I think that I think

A lot of that though is secondy year players not knowing how to put it all together Christian is putting the offens AP part together in some ways we focused on shooting which he said he focused on shooting yeah but then I think figuring out the rest of the nuances that’s like

A third year step and also towards the end of the season I think he’ll get back to that and really Christian’s only not been great defensively versus bigger players which is I’ve noticed like PJ Washington uh or Jonathan kaminga like Dario sarich was another one and then

Shay kind of finishing over the top of him is another one too yeah I mean you know Chase’s also finishing over everybody this year sure yeah Waton for the most part I mean that’s what I’m saying like even but even Payton got got for a gamewinner and all that stuff so I

Think that Christian is like is suited for like a Devon Bookers and the Steph curries and the Damen lillards and all that stuff so I think that’s really what he’s gonna fall into like kyp kyp was getting burnt toast last year versus Shay at times but he’s also very

Freaking good versus St Booker and Steph Curry and them so I think they’re just like positional Defenders a little bit more right now let’s move to pton Watson now who has had a massive breakout I would say over the course of these like basically since April of last season he

Has taken his opportunities and run with them uh what have you liked most about what Payton’s done uh everything I mean he’s just he’s everything that I suspected he would be and he’s growing more confident and I legitimately I texted I text you this the other night uh pton watch the last

Uh 15 games he’s shooting 76% from the line 38% from three 52% from the field and he’s doing this while being their second or third best defender depending on where you want to slot him pyton is and I I I truly believe this Payton has the skill set to turn into an All-Star

He just does like he gets to the rim he has a good free throw rate he’s a hellacious Defender he’s an incredible Defender he’s an incredible Health Defender so a lot of pton stuff in his mentality like he’s so smart and he understands the game so well he’s a

Nightmare in transition like he just has all the skill sets to turn into like a legitimate we can’t afford you type player I think he’s gonna get there like I think the Nuggets will still have a decision to make I think they will pay him but to me pton pton will do that

Eventually like Ryan you know this is year two for him let’s say year and a half from now like it’s on the board where he’s worth $30 million a year that’s how good that’s how good I think he could be he’s shooting over 60% from two he’s shooting 33% from three 65%

From the line is an upgrade over the previous year and he’s been better at the free throw line over the course of these last uh few weeks or so right um I do think there are some things that like he’s gonna have to learn he’s gonna have

To improve that he’s gonna have to get stronger but these are all things that like he can do it’s just about putting it together and being smart and trying to connect the pieces together so I think I think you’re right about the potential whether he actually translates

Everything or not will be the question of whether he actually gets there but I I do think he’s got all the tools there’s there’s no doubt that he among basically every nuggets Prospect since Michael Porter Jr has the most tools in the toolbox and the thing that Mike he

Has that Mike didn’t have Mike is comp with a five star people forget this and like well what does that mean when you’re a five star out of high school what that means is you have like the skills and body that they think you could be like an NBA star or a starter

One day Peyton has everything Porter has minus like the offensive shooting which Porters always had but pton has the health pyton doesn’t have you know Lord willing the three back surgeries coming into the league you know he doesn’t have to sit out Payton is just a dog like

He’s legitimately is just fully locked in and reared up the the the helps side block he out on Josh giddy the block he out on Darren Fox the blocks he had on SGA the block had on Steph Curry like when he gets in front of you he’s a

Nightmare and teams know this now and then on top of that with the starting unit Ryan other I mean really the the Memphis game he was a plus 28 in the minutes that he played that game now they struggled the Thunder but they struggled because Michael Porter and

Jamal Murray were like four of 20 eight of 27 from the field so if they’re going to do that then Payton’s numbers aren going to look good but if you have a regular Denver Nuggets game I mean pyton is just like yeah man he’s just is really important to this team I’m with

You I’m I’m looking forward to seeing what he does going forward let’s wrap up with Julian Str who not many people expected to play a massive role at the beginning of the year but among rookies this year he has been playing a lot of minutes he’s he’s already at over 400

Minutes so far this year I believe and that is not in in the expectations for most people uh straw ranks 15th in the NBA in uh in the 2023 draft class in minutes played which is like he was 29th I don’t think anybody expected him to

Fill this role so soon what do you what do you like from him what what have you been concerned about what is he ranking minutes played right now uh 15th in his draft class in minutes he’s at 436 minutes he was drafted 29th right yeah I mean they found Christian at 21 Julian

At 29 and then they found pton watching at 30 you know wild it’s just nuts man uh I I can’t wait by the way I can’t wait for jayen Picket to take over the back of point guard duties next year and just be freaking awesome yeah I mean I

Don’t know I still want Andre Jackson a Jax looks really good with the bucks right now true but jaylen’s obviously you know I think he’s still gonna be a good player um you know who Julian makes me feel better about the Nuggets not getting Andrew NIMH hard that’s who I

Wanted them to get interesting yeah NIMH hard is just like a really lanky long point guard good playmaker good decision maker um and Julian man is like he’s a great scorer his three shot it’s going to continue to get better and better his form is there uh he’s just a dude that

Like has all these different tools that you can kind of mold into being like a viable player for the Nuggets that if they need to swap in you know somebody for kcp or Christian one day because they’re not shooting and scoring enough but you also need a player that’s not

Like a complete trash Defender hey right there’s a six foot6 shooting guard that you can use pretty good he’s been fun I I still I probably compare him more closely to a Terrence Ross than with like a starting to somebody who like I I I think of him

More as a gunner still I’m still I’m still waiting for him to develop some of the connecting skills he does fight he does do what he can on the defensive end does some good rotation defense but I’m still waiting for him to really put it all together on that end and like

Nobody’s expecting him to do so right now but it was one of the reasons why I don’t expect him to play too much in the playoffs I mean he’s probably gonna get the fourth most men on the bench right now I would say behind Reggie Jackson

And TB and Payton um I’m trying to think who would get more men than him I don’t think Z DeAndre I don’t think jre’s gonna play a lot of playoffs though I mean they’re gonna have to play some big man like I they’re not just gonna play

They’re not just gonna play Aaron the entire time at the they did last year yeah but they also like I think DJ in the Timberwolf series for a little bit they really will probably just go with eight if I’m being honest that’s probably what will happen but Julian

Could like if they’re down in a game like throwing him out there and trying to see if he can get hot it’s it’s a lot of pressure on a rookie but it it is possible for him to do that oh boy but look I I do think the Nuggets picked the

Right ones I think pton wants to be in those moments so like I for me I’m not necessarily nervous for them look I look being an eighth eighth man in a in a in a playoff setting on a finals Contender that’s no joke but but again this is

What people are confused about the so the Celtic have their big six but then they have Sam Hower kayada and uh Pritchard Luke cornette they’ve got Pritchard too but they don’t even love Pritchard like that respect respect respect to Pritchard but it’s true he’s a regular season guy but relative to Ry Jackson

Payton Watson Christian Brown Julian stur I mean they’re both G to be wishing like just hoping that one or two of those those dudes can show up you know in in a game and so I think the nuggets are just in they’re they’re in As Good

As position as anyone in the league in terms of their backup position just because like now lers are gonna have Austin Reeves and them coming off the bench maybe if he’s not starting by then but but even then like benun only but matter so much in in a playoff SE all

Right let’s say let’s say Reggie is the six man he let’s say he ends up being that rank the minutes in the playoffs for the three young guys oh man um I would say right after that probably going to be pton I think kcp is gonna

Play even more than he did last year okay um pton just slots in for kcp mpj and AG like all three of them and if Peyton’s hitting 37% of his three-point shots in the playoffs oh he’s playing over Christian Brown you could you could also say the same thing about Christian

Though like if he’s a guy that you just can’t leave and he’s hitting 40% I think the issue though he is just not Bruce Brown is a great on ball Defender but he’s also a pretty good defensive playmaker Christian is just not the defensive playmaker that that pton is like he

Doesn’t create the transition plays for the nuggets at the same rate as pton does I think that’s just gonna be really valuable for them in the playoffs no I agree with that I think that there’s there is some utility to that Payton at this point 17 steals Christian has 13

Steals in a 100 more minutes so there there’s a reason for that uh Christian also has 11 blocks on the year pton has got 28 he is nearly uh tied with the leaders on the Nuggets despite the fact that he’s playing far less minutes Michael Porter’s at 29 joic is at 28

Payton’s at 28 so no they need a playmaker they need somebody who they can trust to really go out there and do some stuff and I think that think that Payton’s starting to really take that job away and it’s also just a positional thing where you need somebody who’s in

The front court and Christian’s just not really that right yeah I agree yeah and then I think pyton then I probably would put Julian up after that yep I’m I’m with you folks got a lot of young guys on the team got a lot of interesting

Players on the team let us know down below who you think will play the most minutes in the playoffs and who you’ve been most impressed by from Christian Brown Julian STW pton Watson should be very fun hit that like button hit that subscribe button down below we’ll talk

To you guys on the next episode

The Denver Nuggets are looking to repeat as NBA Champions in 2024. One obstacle the team needed to clear entering this season was replacing the production value of Bruce Brown while also developing a slew of young players. So far this season, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther have all shined in some capacity. The play of Denver’s young trio is fueling repeat aspirations for Nuggets’ fans. Swipa Cam and Ryan Blackburn breakdown the impact of Denver’s young trio and look forward to how they can continue to impact this team this season and beyond.

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