Nuggets guard Christian Braun has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and will miss at least six weeks, the team announced Friday.
The injury occurred with 27 seconds left in the first quarter of Denver’s win over the Clippers on Wednesday. Braun, 24, limped away in visible pain after taking an awkward step while defending James Harden. He briefly checked back in during the second quarter but asked for a substitution when he continued to limp on the court.
Tim Hardaway Jr., who has been the Nuggets’ sixth man, is likely to replace Braun in the starting lineup at the shooting guard position.
Braun is averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and three assists per game, but he’s finishing at a less efficient rate than last season, when he was a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. In the first 11 games, he was 49.5% from the floor and 21.4% from the field. When the Nuggets play man-to-man defense, they often use him to match up on the opponent’s best guard.
Braun has been highly durable throughout his career before now. Since his rookie year, he has played in 171 out of 174 regular-season games. He signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension last month that locks him under contract longer than anyone else on the roster.
Now he’s forecasted to miss at least 17 games before the team reevaluates him. The injury timeline provided by the team goes through Christmas, when Denver hosts the Timberwolves.
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