What’s next for Julian Strawther?
Julian Strawther knows how to play the long game.
As a four-star recruit out of Liberty High School (Nevada) in 2020, Strawther didn’t see the floor much during his freshman season with the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Though talented, the 6-foot-7 wing was behind veterans like Corey Kispert, Andrew Nembhard and Drew Timme on the depth chart. With four players who went on to play in the NBA ahead of him in the rotation, Strawther played just 7.4 minutes per game during that historic 2020-21 season.
Rather than sit idly by waiting for his turn, Strawther expanded his game. He improved his jumpshot in the in-between areas — floaters, push shots, midrange pull-ups from 15 feet and anything inside the arc that would complement his outside shooting.
By the end of his junior season, Strawther’s considerable strides as a multi-level scorer elevated his NBA Draft stock, as he averaged 15.2 points and shot 40.8% from 3-point range on an Elite 8 team in 2022-23.
Now, as a first-round pick in last summer’s NBA Draft, Strawther once again finds himself patiently waiting for his opportunity — this time as a rookie on a team that was coming off its first championship just two weeks before drafting him with the 29th overall pick.
And instead of All-Americans ahead of him in the lineup, it was experienced NBA players who had just reached the pinnacle of the sport together.
Even with the Denver Nuggets returning most of its championship cast to run it back, Strawther had a role in Michael Malone’s rotation early in the season. In his sixth game, he dropped 21 points against the New Orleans Pelicans followed by a 22-point game against the Atlanta Hawks in December.
A knee contusion and sprain sidelined Strawther for most of January and early February. When he returned, Malone sent him down to the G League affiliate Grand Rapids Gold, an assignment that some rookies would take as a punishment. Not Strawther though, as he averaged 24.5 points and shot 39.1% from deep in his short stint with the Gold before rejoining the Nuggets in late March.
The time away seemed to pay off at first, as Strawther scored 14 points in his first game back against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 26. But as the regular season drew to a close, his minutes declined once again. By the first round of the playoffs, Strawther was out of the lineup.
Such is life for some rookies in the NBA. Always having to be prepared yet never knowing when the time will come. Much like Strawther’s early days at Gonzaga.
“I waited my turn, and it worked out for me at Gonzaga, so I understand that if you do the right thing and you accept it, come in here work and do your job every day, that your time will come,” Strawther said to the Denver Gazette in March.
The next step in Strawther’s pro journey is likely a trip home to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League in July.
COLE FORSMAN
Cole Forsman is a reporter for Gonzaga Nation, a member of Sports Illustrated’s FanNation network. Cole holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.