The Denver Nuggets made it a point to address the depth on this roster after their defeat in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder. A team that had been carried by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, it was clear they needed to add capable pieces around them to lighten the load.

While they made additions like Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Cameron Johnson, and Bruce Brown, it was also on the players already on the roster to step up. One of those was Julian Strawther, who has had a tough time finding consistency on the court and in the rotation, until recently.

Earning his first start of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks, Strawther took advantage of the opportunity and capitalized on it, scoring a season-high 20 points to lead the team in scoring and secure a 102-100 victory for the Nuggets.

While it's been just a two-game stretch, Strawther is averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 55% field goal shooting over his past two contests, far better than receiving DNPs earlier in the year.

After the game, Strawther was asked about the ups and downs he's had this season, and what it meant to have a strong performance against the Bucks.

"I mean, anytime you get a little bit of extended time out there, the game kind of slows down the more you're out there. I was just able to get to my spots, and everybody in here was looking for me and pushing for me to go, which is a great feeling," Strawther said.

In a later question, Strawther was asked about when he learned that he'd be starting against the Bucks, saying it was super exciting to get the opportunity to show what he can do for the team, which matters a lot in their situation, where any help they can get matters.

Given the additions of Hardaway Jr. and Brown, it makes sense that Strawther hasn't seen as much action this season, but he showed during the 2024-25 campaign that he can be a quality player when called upon. In 65 appearances last season, he averaged 9.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 43.2% shooting from the field.

There's truly no telling how many injuries the Nuggets will deal with going forward this season, but it's important that players like Strawther are feeling confident and able to step up when needed. If they are able to make it to the playoffs with a near fully healthy team, David Adelman will have plenty of options at his disposal to use.