The Denver Nuggets begin defense of the franchise’s first NBA championship this past June. In winning the Mile High City’s first Larry O’Brien Trophy in its 44-year NBA existence, the Nuggets used a complete team approach that includes all-world center Nikola Jokic, and “Robin” to his “Batman,” star point guard Jamal Murray, who returned from a devastating ACL injury.
A huge part of the Nuggets’ success last season was the play of their role players, mainly do-it-all wing Bruce Brown, who played a everything from point guard to power forward in head coach Michael Malone’s attack.
Following the title win, Brown, like many key role players of championship teams, became a valued commodity by other teams. During free agency the Indiana Pacers offered Brown a deal he couldn’t refuse at two years, $45M.
Brown’s new deal will pay him 240 percent more than he raked in last year with the Nuggets. But where does this leave Denver with his departure?
Browns Role Was Vital, Even Opposing Players Know It
Brown’s play over the years has earned him the respect of opposing players around the league. During an appearance on “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone,” Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, who was a part of the Nuggets’ four-game sweep of them in the Western Conference finals, talked about Brown and his impact.
“Losing Bruce Brown hurt them, losing Bruce Brown hurt them though.”
“Bruce Brown is, like, unpredictable, bro. He could go 3 of 5 from the 3, play point guard, get you in the bonus, shoot 10-12 free throws. He’s just a problem, I think. I think any team that wants and appreciates him, he’s only going to get better. Respect.”
Russell’s assessment of Brown’s impact on the Nuggets is nothing but the truth. He saw it firsthand, and because of that he also believes his loss will hurt the Nuggets, although they remain the favorite in the West.
Who Needs To Step Up And Fill Brown’s Void
When you have a player like Jokic, it covers up a lot offensively for any team, but it’s the defensive end and other things where Brown also made his mark. With Brown out of the picture, you can expect the aforementioned Malone to lean more on sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr., who played much better on that end of the floor in the playoffs.
Also, second-year wing Christian Braun showed some real promise as a rookie last season and gained the trust of his coaches and teammates. He’ll be asked to raise his game another level this season.
Then there’s two-way wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who’s always ready to whatever the team needs from him, scoring, defense, toughness and just all-out grit.
No matter what, the Nuggets have enough to overcome the loss of Brown, but they definitely would’ve much rather been able to keep him.
