Curtis Jones had an outstanding performance against the San Antonio Spurs and Bruce Brown wants him to keep it up.
The Denver Nuggets finished the regular season as good as they possibly could have, with 12-straight wins. It's been a long and winding road for the Nuggets this season to get there in a season that was plagued with injuries to so many of Denver's biggest stars.
Despite the adversity, so many different players across the roster stepped up when they were needed and ended up with career performances, truly emphasizing the "next man up" mentality that's made them so threatening no matter who was on the floor and helped power them to the third-seed in the Western Conference.
That trend has continued even through the final games of the season. The end of the season is typically the time where many players that haven't had playing time on the regular season roster or have even been down in the G-League get called up and have their chance to shine and the Nuggets have been no different.
Denver Nuggets guard Curtis Jones (1) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn ImagesYoung Nuggets Showing Out
In the last few games, two different G-Leaguers have risen to to the spotlight: David Roddy and Curtis Jones.
Roddy has been a hugely effective big that can control the paint and grab boards, while strong has exploded as an efficient three point specialist that adds a massive spark to the Nuggets' offense.
Denver Nuggets guard Curtis Jones (1) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn ImagesIn Denver's last game of the regular season, a 128-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Strong went 4-5 from the field, including a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc, on his way to 13 points.
"I just think everybody was out there super confident," Bruce Brown said (via Nuggets). "I told Curt [Jones], 'Play like you played in the G.' Look for his shot. Be aggressive. 'Cause we need him to score to win... I'm happy for him."
Denver Nuggets guard Curtis Jones (1) during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesWhat Jones Adds
Having Jones' shooting in their back pocket is a huge addition for the Nuggets, especially a series against the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of them.
Jones can pair with Jamal Murray to add steady production form the perimeter and doing that can really transform the Nuggets' spacing, especially if a rotation can be put together with someone like Tim Hardaway Jr. or Julian Strawther.
Three point shooting is still as valuable as gold in the NBA and adding more of it without sacrificing any of their steadier production or star power is a great plus for the Nuggets, especially with Peyton Watson still sidelined with an injury.
Seeing young players shine is always a special part of the end of the regular season, and Jones has shone brighter than most.