It didn’t take him long to understand how the big boss of the team worked. On several occasions during this pre-season, Julian Strawther benefited from reading Nikola Jokic’s play. Positioned at the head of the racket, the Nuggets pivot found his rookie on cuts to the circle, sometimes from the “backdoor”.
“ In Chicago, I made a cut and I feel like he knew I was cutting before I did “, describes the player drafted at 29th positiononce again illustrating the double MVP’s crazy vision of the game.
But to score during this preparation for the regular season, Julian Strawther does not necessarily need the Serb. The winger does very well on his own, showing great confidence in attacking the circle and penalizing long distance.
It’s simple, with almost 20 points on average in three games (12/24 from 3-point range), he is the best scorer on his team so far. The 21-year-old, drafted by the Pacers before being sent to Denver in a multi-team trade, is performing so well that he has caught the attention of Jamal Murray.
Julian Strawther in 3 preseason games:
25 PTS – 56 FG% – 4/9 3PM – 24 MIN
16 PTS – 55% FG – 4/8 3PM – 20 MIN
20 PTS – 66% FG – 4/7 3PM – 21 MIN— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 16, 2023
The latter already knew the “ ability to score » from the former Gonzaga shooter, who had a 38% success rate behind the arc before his arrival in the NBA. “ And I don’t want him to think we don’t want him to do the same here », notes the leader, visibly thinking of the scorers already present on the team.
So the Canadian does not hesitate to reveal to the rookie some secrets, on how defenses adapt to him, how to thwart certain “matchups”, when to feint or shoot… “ I try to make him think and let him play freely. I like his aggressive mindset. Missed shot, inbound shot, lost ball, it doesn’t matter: he remains constantly aggressive, he looks for his shot and he plays at his own pace », Continues a charmed Jamal Murray.
