Jamal Murray He challenged his neighbor in the locker room.

He needed to have fun somehow. And no one else Nikola Jokic He would have to score to make up for Murray’s absence. He was recovering from a hamstring injury and the Nuggets had gone half of a month-long defense without him. It was November 17, 2023. in new orleans.

Thereupon Murray turned Christian Braun In the visitors’ locker room. The 22-year-old dared to take a step back tonight.

“I hit three 3-pointers in that game,” Braun told The Denver Post, accurately recalling the box score a year later.

Whether any of these 3 qualify as a legitimate step back is open to debate. But Braun made 11 of 19 shots from the field that night, attacking the basket and unleashing his shots with the confidence of a much older player. It was as if Murray had taken over him. His career-high 25 points revealed a glimpse of his scoring potential.

Braun hasn’t complied yet, but it may only be a matter of time. Especially if Murray continues to challenge him to surpass himself; This trend continued last Wednesday night Denver beat Oklahoma City. Braun burst out of the court as the Nuggets’ new fifth player, averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, blocks and steals per game through a tenth of the season.

“Let’s stop talking about comparing CB to KCP,” coach Michael Malone said Friday after being asked a question about Braun’s predecessor, Kentaious Caldwell-Pope. “I don’t even think it’s worth it anymore.”

When Caldwell-Pope signed with Orlando in free agency this summer, Braun earned the promotion with his defense. He confirms this with his offensive leap in year three. He’s shooting 55.8% from the field in nine starts (almost 10% higher than he did last season in a smaller role) and 50% from three-point range on an increased volume of 3.6 attempts per game.

This is where Murray comes into play. His seat is next to Braun’s in the locker room at Ball Arena, but they also stand side by side on the road. Last season, as Braun was changing his shooting percentages, he joked to Murray that he would soon become a shooting threat in the second round. According to Murray, this wasn’t much of a joke. He enjoyed instructing the young guards on a nightly basis; It was mostly a message of assertiveness, not something as specific as stepping back.

‘ ‘Keep shooting the ball. Continue to be aggressive. Take more initiative,’” Braun told The Post. “All the time. When he’s injured. When he’s not playing. He tells me before the game he wants me to do this. He sees it during the game. He’ll point it out. … It’s not just shooting. He wants to challenge me. ‘Hey, I want you to take this guy full court.'”

This week was one of the only times Murray wasn’t in the lineup. He was going through concussion protocol after suffering a head injury Nov. 1 in Minnesota. But on Wednesday, before Denver hosted the undefeated Thunder, Murray was still taking the time to light Braun’s fuse.

According to Braun, Murray told him, “Let’s see the New Orleans CB.” “Let’s see this CB.”

Braun scored 24 points on 4-for-8 shooting from outside and this time got the win. It was his second 20-point game of his career. Friday night’s game against Miami was his third.

“Even in his first year he was really good. gone. Whatever he did,” Murray explained after Braun’s 21-point night on 7-of-9 shooting against the Heat. “Just being more determined. Not only more determined, but more confident in what he was going to do. If If he’s going to drive, he’s going to shoot. If he’s going to shoot, it’s nice to see him get up and shoot with confidence. Even if he misses, the next one will come. If he’s open, he lets it fly, but obviously his game is more about getting to the basket and dunking over people. He’s very versatile.”

Braun tries to model routines after observing what Murray and Jokic do. He surrounds himself with both. After sitting next to Murray in the locker room, he often sits next to Jokic on the bench. He captures details that could help him cope with the rising wages he faces even after playing every game last year. Seeing Murray use hot packs to keep his knees and ankles warm during halftime inspired Braun to use them. “I have to,” he said. “Honestly, all the time. On the bench. “I should have had one on my back the first time I went out.”

That’s how Braun learns to be a starter in the NBA: taking notes and accepting challenges.

When the fit seems flawless even through nine games, he realizes that the 82-game grind has yet to fully test him in his new role.

“I try not to think about it, honestly,” he told The Post. “No matter what, you’ve got to show up. And I think I learned that from Nikola. The ups, the downs, the pain, feeling great, you’ve got to show up and do the same work every day. Create a routine, and no matter how you feel, do the same routine. … That’s why “I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to have lows or highs. I’m sure some days I’ll feel good. Some days I’m not. That’s already happened because I’m still learning how to approach playing in high minutes.”

So far the KU graduate has an average of 35.3 per game, up from 20.2 last year. These moments are also more tiring. The Nuggets expect him to take on defensive responsibility as the best guard on the floor: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and perhaps Luka Doncic when the Mavericks visit on Sunday.