Young player for the Nuggets who merits more playing has finally returned.

The main goal of the veteran Denver Nuggets team is to win the NBA championship again. Michael Malone, the head coach, often uses a tight rotation that includes two or three bench players in addition to the starters. Some of the younger players haven’t always had easy access to minutes over the last few seasons. If you had asked this question a year ago, Peyton Watson would have been the obvious choice. After then, Watson established himself as a regular in the lineup this season. Having said that, Julian Strawther is the next young player in line who has accrued more playing time for the Nuggets.

It’s not like Michael Malone dislikes working with younger players. Rookie Christian Braun helped the Nuggets win their first NBA championship last season by contributing significantly off the bench. Malone simply likes a more condensed rotation. After spending his rookie season last year alternating between the bench and the G League, Peyton Watson is now in his second year of playing a significant role.

As of right now, Braun, Reggie Jackson, and Watson seem to be the core members of the Nuggets bench unit, with DeAndre Jordan or Zeke Nnaji serving as the backup big man. The other two players with double digits of minutes played are Julian Strawther and Justin Holiday.

It appeared going into the season that Strawther and Holiday would battle it out for a rotation spot. These two wings are built similarly. Holiday is a seasoned player who has consistently played strong defense, so it makes sense that Malone would pick him in the starting lineup instead of Strawther.

However, Strawther has been putting in a strong argument to be in the rotation and get more playing time this season, particularly in the last few games. He gives the second unit players a level of offensive fluidity and firepower that they do not have. Even though his total stats (6.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) don’t particularly stand out, he has improved recently.

During the past three games, his minutes have really increased. He has played 28, 22, and 19 minutes, which are season highs. He scored just 16 points and 22 points in the first two games of that run, respectively. His best performance of the season came in a victory over the Atlanta Hawks, where he scored 22 points. He made 8-16 field goals and 6-11 three-pointers. He had five steals as well.

Coincidentally, since Strawther’s minutes skyrocketed, the Nuggets have gone 3-0. Holiday wouldn’t be able to match Strawther’s offensive prowess and solid defense.It’s encouraging that Strawther’s playing time has increased gradually over the past three games.
He might play a part like Braun did the previous season. By mid-season, it wouldn’t be absurd to see Strawther take Holiday’s place in the starting lineup. Although he is a rookie and will inevitably make mistakes, he has experienced players surrounding him, and his offensive punch is unstoppable.

With a late first-round pick, the Nuggets were able to select Strawther, who may end up being one of the NBA Draft’s biggest steals. He’s undoubtedly going to surpass players selected before him in the draft. If he keeps logging significant minutes this early in the season, the Nuggets may benefit greatly in the postseason.