Braun Is 9 Threes Short of 250, About Four Games Away at This Pace
By our count, Christian Braun is nine threes from 250 for his career, and how he gets there says more about Denver's rotation than the number does.
Braun has 241 career threes and is making 2.4 a game this season, which projects to about four games. Denver's injuries rank 15th of 30 by minutes lost, and Braun is playing 36.1 minutes a night through them.
How close is 250?
Braun has 241 career threes, nine short of 250. At 2.4 a game this season, that is about four games away. It is a projection at the current pace, and it rests on five games of 40.0 percent shooting from deep. Four games from now is the trip to Houston on November 9, after Portland on Monday, Toronto on Wednesday and Indiana on November 7. A cold night or two moves it to the Memphis game on November 11.
Why does his pace matter more than the milestone?
Braun is averaging 15.4 points in 36.1 minutes, third on the team in minutes behind Murray and Jokic. Jokic is shooting 20.8 percent from three and DeRozan 22.2, so Braun is supplying spacing the others are not. He scored 31 at Phoenix on Friday, which Mile High Sports called a career high. Denver's net rating is minus 1.6 through five games, a sample too small to settle anything, but the offense needs his threes to keep falling.
What has the injury list actually cost?
By our count, Denver has lost 561 player-minutes to injury since opening night, the 15th most of 30 teams. That is the middle of the league, not the bottom. Today 37 minutes are out: Strawther at 15.1 a game, Jones at 22.1, and Diallo. Jones and Diallo both carry estimated return dates of Monday. Strawther's estimate is November 29. Treat day-to-day with care. By our count, both of Denver's newly listed day-to-day players missed the next game, against 65 of 112 league-wide, or 58 percent.
What should a fan watch for?
Watch Braun's minutes when the wings come back. If Jones and Diallo play Monday and his 36.1 holds, the threes stay on schedule. If his minutes drop, the four-game projection stretches. Cameron Johnson was cleared on October 30 after being ruled out twice, so Denver may finally have its full wing group in front of it. Four games is the number to circle.
How many threes does Christian Braun need to reach 250?
Braun has 241 career threes, so he needs nine. At his 2.4 a game this season, that projects to about four games.
Is Denver's injury list among the worst in the league?
No. By our count, Denver has lost 561 player-minutes to injury since opening night, which ranks 15th most among 30 teams.
