Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope cheer for Christian Braun of the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter during Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday, June 4, 2023. It might’ve actually been fitting that the first hours of NBA free agency were unexpectedly quiet for the Nuggets. Too quiet.
What does the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando, reported by USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, for three years and $66 million mean? Choosing whether to wade into the second-apron morass is about more than whether an owner is too cheap to pay the luxury tax bill. It’s a question of whether certain moves, certain contracts, are worth sacrificing roster flexibility. If the Nuggets went into the second apron with Caldwell-Pope, they would not have been able to even entertain a trade like that one.
They’re very different players. Defensively, Braun might not be the elite screen navigator that KCP is, but he’s much bigger for a two-guard. He’s a formidable point-of-attack and help defender already at age 23, and he can hold his own in the post against other physically overpowering guards and forwards, from LeBron James to Anthony Edwards to Luka Doncic.
Braun is more than fine above the break — 42.9% last season to Caldwell-Pope’s 39.6%. But KCP shot 11% better in the corners on way higher volume, so that’s an area where Braun needs to keep developing his shot if the Nuggets want effective floor-spacing with him planted there. It could also help him to diversify his midrange game. He barely attempted any shots outside the paint but inside the arc last season, and he only shot 32% in that area.
But until further notice, as of Sunday, the Nuggets have to forfeit their claim to the title of Best Starting Five in the NBA.Shiny monolith mysteriously appears on dairy farm in Northern Colorado
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: 9NEWS - 🏆 238. / 63 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: DenverChannel - 🏆 239. / 63 Read more »