Former Liberty star ‘working like crazy’ to carve role on Nuggets
Julian Strawther couldn’t have picked a better situation to begin his NBA career.
The former Liberty High School star transitioned from a winning culture in his three-year college career at Gonzaga to joining the then-NBA champion Denver Nuggets when they drafted him last summer.
There’s opportunity for Strawther, taken 29th overall in the 2023 NBA draft, to become a pivotal role player for the Nuggets in his second year.
His NBA Summer League debut Friday shows he might be ready for that next step.
Strawther scored a team-high 25 points and grabbed five rebounds in the Nuggets’ 88-78 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Cox Pavilion. It was a promising performance from the 6-foot-7-inch small forward as he continued to display the confidence that has carried him from his days in Las Vegas to now.
“I feel like a lot of the core values I have as a person aligns with the values of the organization,” the 22-year-old said. “It’s been a blessing to be able to put myself in this environment, and everybody has accepted me.
“Coming home, playing in Vegas, is always one of my favorite things to do just because my family and friends get to come out and see me. It’s always fun. It’s always a good environment. I always love Vegas.”
It’s not the first time Strawther has been at the home of UNLV basketball, but there were wide-eyed moments his first go-round in the league’s annual summer classic last year.
He averaged 18 points in five games last year but shot 40 percent from the floor and 34 percent from deep.
Strawther’s shooting marks resembled that Friday. He shot 7-for-19 (36.8 percent) from the field and eventually wore down toward the end when the Clippers made their push.
But it was how Strawther wanted the ball in his hands that was different. How he came off screens willing and ready to shoot. How he wasn’t hesitant to let the ball go.
The confidence Strawther has developed, and the trust his teammates have in him to be the No. 1 option, is a different approach from last year.
“I feel like even last year, standing in this exact spot, I’m a completely different person and player,” Strawther said. “It’s a testament of my environment, having great people around me.”
Jokic and more
Strawther played 50 games in his rookie season and averaged 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in just under 11 minutes a night.
The Nuggets are a deep team, so minutes are hard to come by. It’s tough to crack the lineup with a stacked frontcourt, led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
The athleticism of power forward Aaron Gordon and the scoring threat of Michael Porter Jr. at small forward don’t allow for much playing time off the bench.
Strawther could see shooting guard minutes if the Nuggets play a bigger lineup. Christian Braun, Denver’s first-round pick in 2022, could move to the starting lineup after playing all 82 games last season.
“He’s been working like crazy for the better part of a year. He doesn’t really take any time off,” Nuggets Summer League coach Andrew Munson said of Strawther. “He’s had all the reps. He’s had all the work. The guy is crazy talented. Why wouldn’t he be confident?”
That confidence stems from growing up in Las Vegas.
Elite shot
Strawther dominated during his time at Liberty, leaving as the school’s all-time leader in points and rebounds.
Then came the cap to his three-year run at Gonzaga — hitting a logo 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds remaining at T-Mobile Arena for a 79-76 win over UCLA to send the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight in 2023.
It’s a belief that has carried Strawther his entire basketball life. A conviction that he can one day be a reliable player in the NBA.
More eyes will be on Strawther going forward. Denver’s first-round pick this year, center DaRon Holmes II, suffered a right torn Achilles on Friday and will likely miss his entire rookie season.
Holmes was going to be in the mix for playing time in Denver. That opens the door for someone else to make an impact for the Nuggets this summer.
Strawther, as he has before, seems ready for that moment.
“At the end of the day, the Denver Nuggets drafted me because of the player I was. That’s a shooter, and a guy that makes shots and hits floaters and things like that,” he said. “I feel like expanding my game a little bit, playing with the ball a little more can open up a lot of things not only for myself, but for the team.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.