Christian Braun finished Friday’s 107-103 loss to the Celtics with five points (2-of-4 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 13 minutes.
For Denver’s preseason opener, Braun answered the question of who would fill the void left by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The 2022 first-round pick didn’t provide much offensive production, but he did a solid job on the glass while also tallying one steal and one blocked shot. Nuggets coach Michael Malone hasn’t made any definitive statements regarding the starters for the regular season, so the door may remain open for Julian Strawther to work his way into the mix. In 23 minutes off the bench on Friday, he tallied 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot, and one 3-pointer. Strawther may not be the defender that Braun is, but he does offer a little more offensively, especially in the perimeter shooting department.