The rich always get richer, and the reigning NBA champions Denver Nuggets are no exception to that rule.
Following their championship-winning season, Mike Malone’s team still found a way to add some more talent to his ranks.
They took Julian Strawther (via the Indiana Pacers) with the No. 29 pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, and it didn’t take long before he showcased his skills.
The 21-year-old shooting guard put on a show in his preseason debut, scoring 20 points.
Following his debut, Strawther talked to the media about how blessed he felt, stating that it had all happened so fast (via Katy Winge).
Julian Strawther after his 20 pt preseason debut for the Nuggets: “It’s crazy how quick it happens.”
Said he was just at school and now Jok is throwing him passes in the corner and expecting him to hit those shots and Jamal is hunting for him to get him looks. Says he’s blessed. pic.twitter.com/UvDjsSkhqq
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) October 11, 2023
He also joked about how he was just a kid in school one day, and then he’s catching lobs from Nikola Jokic and playing side-by-side with Jamal Murray.
Spending three years at Gonzaga, Strawther showed plenty of promise as a three-level bucket-getter, knocking down 40.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc in his final season in college.
The Nuggets had already struck gold with one of their youngsters, as Christian Braun shined during his rookie campaign and even had some plays drawn for him in the postseason.
Braun is expected to pick up some of the slack after Bruce Brown Jr.’s departure, and he looked more than willing to embrace a bigger role.
Strawther could give them some similar contributions if he keeps up this pace.
And while there will be some growing pains along the way, it seems like he could crack the rotation right away.
NEXT: Jamal Murray Reveals A Shocking Athletic Skill
