The 2023 NBA champion Nuggets took a hit when they lost Bruce Brown in free agency this offseason, but Denver has the infrastructure in place to continue developing rotation threats to help win rings, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth has a plan in place for a dynasty, according to Amick, and sees the widespread public doubt following Brown’s departure as “disproportionate.”
Amick writes that Booth is high on Christian Braun, whom he compares to early-career Jimmy Butler and sees as a headlining piece of Denver’s core. Booth knows supplementing stars with rotational talent is key to maintaining a winning culture, and Braun has already impressed the organization enough to earn that level of trust. Amick notes Booth said the team explored signing Torrey Craig, who wound up with Chicago, but ultimately felt good about the development of Braun and Peyton Watson.
The Nuggets also drafted several young pieces — Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther and Hunter Tyson — as well as keeping 22-year-old Zeke Nnaji on board.
“We’re going to have to learn to block the outside noise,” Booth said. “Like, ‘Why didn’t you put a veteran team together and try to repeat?’ You have to be willing to take all that criticism, because I don’t think it’s the right thing — especially for this team and the developmental stage we’re at — to go quote-unquote all-in on a repeat. So we don’t get the repeat. Then what? What if we won one out of the next two? What if we won two out of the next four?”
Booth is of course high on superstar Nikola Jokic, but also believes Reggie Jackson can be a contender for Sixth Man of the Year and Jamal Murray will be motivated by the potential of earning a super-max extension next summer, Amick writes.
We have more Nuggets notes:
- A similar piece from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor emphasizes Booth’s confidence in his team and desire to build a dynasty. O’Connor notes the challenges the Nuggets, like other teams, face as a result of the tax measures in the new CBA, and explains their philosophy in bringing in young players. Of note, O’Connor mentions one of Booth’s first moves was to ship out promising youngster Bones Hyland at the trade deadline this year. “I knew you couldn’t have two guys that couldn’t guard, and we couldn’t have two guys that were young and kind of more ‘me guys,’” Booth said. “[Michael Porter Jr.] makes $30 million. He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. So, Bones, there’s no place for you.“
- Murray has taken Strawther under his wing, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. The rookie has been standing out in the preseason and is attempting to earn a regular season role. Murray sees potential in the Gonzaga product. “I’m just trying to keep him thinking and let him play free,” Murray said. “I just love his aggressive mindset. Miss, make, turnover, whatever it is. He’s staying constantly aggressive and looking for his shot and playing at his own pace.“
- Strawther is making it difficult for the Nuggets to not call plays for him with his play of late, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. The No. 29 pick in the 2023 draft is averaging 19.7 points and shooting 50% on eight three-point attempts per game in the preseason. The Nuggets made him the first player off the bench in their Sunday preseason game and he shared the floor with members the championship starting lineup. “You’re crazy if you think I’m on the floor with Nikola and Jamal and they’re going to be worried about what I’m doing,” Strawther said. “My job is just ultimately to space the floor and make shots when I’m on the floor with those guys.“
- Porter and Braun are progressing from ankle and calf injuries, respectively, Wind tweets. According to Wind, the hope is that they play Thursday in Los Angeles for the Nuggets’ final preseason game against the Clippers.
Porter’s gotta love how his GM straight up says Porter is a me guy that can’t defend. That’s gotta instill confidence.
I think I saw some highlight on IG or YT and they were like “Michael F my Team Mates Porter Jr” and I lost it.
Maybe it will motivate him.
The league as a whole has improved, and the Western Conference will regain their historic superiority over the East overall.
Suns, Lakers, Twolves, Kings, and GSW should all be better. I still think the Nuggets should repeat if they’re healthy.
I think the Nuggets are better setup for preserving their run. Brown and Green were big parts of the team, Brown was in a contract year. We see so many guys play well when a payday could be around the corner, once they get paid they don’t perform as well. They needed Brown to go to se if Watson can play and show his potential.
If Uncle Jeff still wants to play longer, he can always come back. Who knows if Rockets buy him out.
Brown is the real deal, it has nothing to do with it being a contract year and there’s no reason to think he will decline now that he got paid. The Nuggets wanted to keep him, but his value priced him out.
Bones being traded was not one of Booth’s first moves. His first moves were made in the off season and telegraphed from his first PC. Those moves remade DEN’s perimeter group, away from the soft defensively challenged group he inherited. Bones was traded at the deadline because his limited role with the new group was not to his liking, and he wasn’t quiet about it.
Booth wasn’t enamored with MPJ from the start either. But he also acknowledged a trade of him likely wasn’t feasible. It would not surprise me if that gets revisited at some point. But they won, and MPJ appeared toward the end of the year to at least be trying on the defensive end. Selfishly perhaps, as he was fighting for the right to finish games (which he for the most part wasn’t doing down the stretch of the season into the playoffs), but whatever works.