2023-06-14 13:25:00
Christian Braun, Jalen Williams, apart from a position, few characteristics bring them together. The Nuggets rookie was a key player in his franchise’s run to the crown, while OKC’s 12th pick surprised everyone. What if we told you that the story could have been quite different?
NBA Finals barely over, Zach LoweESPN tells us that the Nuggets were not far, a year ago, from making and move who would have changed a lot of things in the 2022-23 season. Looking for the missing piece to complete their five, Denver first targeted the 10th pick of the 2022 Draft with a goal in sight: to recover Jalen Williams. The plan: a tradeobviously involving the 21st choice of Chris Braun to go up to the draft and select the one who regales OKC today.
The question we now ask ourselves: what would have changed if Jalen Williams had played for the Nuggets?
First, the trade for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in oblivion, it is surely J-Dub who would have recovered the position of starter at position 2. Talent level, recent events have shown us that the rookie ceiling is certainly much higher than that of KCP. But at the same time, in a fight for the title, is that really what interests us? Nikola Jokic is 28, Jamal Murray is 26, Mile High City goes right into his timeline to aim for the rings, so maybe it wasn’t the time to pick up a new project to develop. Moreover, Jalen might not have had the same success in the Rockies that he had with OKC. Well yeah, it’s easy to break everything in a franchise where everything has to be built with a lot of responsibility from the start. Finding your place in an already constructed collective is often more complicated. Ask Jonathan Kuminga what he thinks of his early seasons in the NBA.
So much for the glass half empty, but looking at the Nuggets’ season, there’s also reason to think it would have gone well. First, let’s trust the boy: 14 points and 50% shooting for second place in the race for Rookie of the Year, it’s strong and if he can do that in Oklahoma, why not in Colorado? Then, everyone dreams of developing alongside Nikola Jokic, J-Will would have feasted on the caviars of the Joker like everyone else. Jalen has all the defensive qualities to fill the role of Kentavious, in addition to a bigger offensive palette. Christian Braun and KCP or not, Denver was also heading for the title with Jalen Williams.
Well in the end, with if we cut wood, the Nuggets are champions and whatever choices they made, they were the right ones. Recovering Williams would have deprived Denver of Braun and Caldwell-Pope. When we see the role of the two during the Playoffs, and more particularly during the Finals, we are really not sure that betting on a prospect was the right thing to do.
Source : ESPN via Yahoo Sports
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