Denver Nuggets Starter Breaks Silence on Getting Benched

The Denver Nuggets had a looming problem on their hands for the past few weeks. While the team was starting to click over the last month, they were doing it without Aaron Gordon in the starting lineup and Russell Westbrook developing as a fantastic starter.
Once Gordon became healthy enough, a big question was created about putting him back in the lineup. Instead, of taking Westbrook out for Gordon and restoring the original starting lineup, the team decided to take out Christian Braun.
Starting 🖐 pic.twitter.com/chy0tu9voC
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 30, 2025
"Obviously I took a lot of pride in having that spot, trying to win that spot. And I'm gonna work to try to get it back. That's my job," Braun said to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. "But whether I'm coming off the bench or starting I'm very grateful for every opportunity that I get."
So far, the Nuggets haven't looked very good as Gordon re-integrated into the lineup. The team is currently on a three-game losing streak after winning eight out of nine games. It's going to take some time for Gordon to work in the starting lineup with Westbrook, but it's clear that it's currently not going well.
Matas Buzelis just dropped Aaron Gordon and threw down a monster dunk pic.twitter.com/99p7nlzzsu
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) January 28, 2025
Obviously, the decision was not an easy one for Nuggets coach Michael Malone, but it felt necessary. Aaron Gordon deserves a chance to start, but so does Russell Westbrook. Now, the team has to learn how to deal with the change.
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