The Denver Nuggets faced significant backlash for allowing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to leave in free agency last offseason, but internally, the team remains confident in its decision.
As Brian Windhorst of ESPN points out, Caldwell-Pope has struggled from beyond the arc in Orlando, shooting just 31.1% from three-point range.
Meanwhile, Christian Braun has stepped up in a major way, enjoying a breakout season by averaging 15.1 points per game while converting an impressive 57.1% of his field goal attempts.
“I’m fully team Christian Braun,” a scout told ESPN. “I’d compare him to Josh Hart. You’d like the (three-point) volume to be up, but he can make them and does a lot of other stuff.”
While Caldwell-Pope was a key piece of Denver’s championship run, the emergence of Braun as a versatile contributor has reinforced the Nuggets’ belief that moving forward with their young guard was the right call.
