After an injury-riddled season, the Denver Nuggets are looking to again make their mark on the Western Conference with another deep playoff run.
After the shuffling of some pieces and the addition of players off the injury report, the Nuggets lineup will look quite different in the 2022-23 season. And that could be in part to the addition of a few newer players.
The Rookie Class
Christian Braun (Guard | No. 21 Overall)
A long, explosive wing, Braun made a name for himself at Kansas with consistent, solid two-way play and a fiery attitude.
Peyton Watson (Forward | No. 30 Overall)
Highly touted out of high school, Watson had a tumultuous and inconsistent run with the Bruins, but flashed enough upside to earn himself a spot on an NBA roster.
Ismael Kamagate (Center | No. 46 Overall)
A defensive-minded, hard-nosed center, Kamagate will become a draft-and-stash player by officially returning to Paris Basketball this upcoming season.
Roles and Opportunities
Denver is going to be extremely talented this season. They’ll look to surround back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic with as much talent as possible.
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Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will likely make up the starting backcourt and Jokic and Aaron Gordon will fill out the front court with Michael Porter Jr. sandwiched between.
Bones Hyland will likely be one of the better backup point guards in the league, and newly added Bruce Brown and veteran Jeff Green will provide solid minutes.
Most simply, it’s going to be very difficult for the rookies to break into the rotation. But both are versatile enough to give themselves some options, whether it be shooting guard or small forward for Braun or more of a wing-style role for Watson.
Projections
There’s a realistic chance Braun gets some real runs this season. He’s a big-bodied guard who has a fiery streak and makes winning plays. On top of that, he’s 21-years-old, and won’t be as fresh as some of the younger one-and-dones coming into the league.
Braun is a sneaky good athlete, can extend the floor and is a stout wing defender. All things that will help Denver in their playoff hunt this season.
I’d expect some genuine production from Braun, similar to Hyland’s start with Denver last season, but maybe a bit more defensive-minded.
Watson is a different case. He was extremely inconsistent, almost to the point of being downright bad in college. He’s clearly a gifted player, but could take much more time to adjust than the plug-and-play Braun.
Watson could be best served spending time developing in the NBA G League, but if he can harness the moments where he shines (19 points on 8-for-12 shooting in a Summer League game) he could see the NBA court sooner rather than later .
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