Former Gonzaga standout Julian Strawther already scoring points with Nuggets fans

Former Gonzaga wing Julian Strawther kept his cool even with tears in his eyes after being selected by Denver late in the first round of the NBA draft.

He coolly donned a Nuggets NBA championship cap while family and friends celebrated at his draft party in Las Vegas.

“Having them there celebrating me, it meant the world to me,” Strawther said during a media conference Monday in Denver with general manager Calvin Booth and Nuggets draft picks Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson. “I was head down, crying, looked up and championship hat was in front of me, I just put it on.”

“He had like three hats,” Booth interjected. “It was like picking a college. He had them ready to go.”

“It was a cool touch for sure,” a smiling Strawther said.

Strawther scored additional points with Denver fans when he posted a picture of head coach Michael Malone in full celebration mode at the championship parade in black sunglasses wearing a thick chain around his neck and a special championship T-shirt.

“He texted me the morning after the draft,” Strawther said. “Seeing that picture, it’s obviously a legendary photo so I feel like, ‘Why not?’ (post it on social media). And obviously everybody is loving it. Just having fun with it.”

Strawther quickly returned to the task at hand, adding, “Obviously I’m super blessed to be here. Now that I’m in town it’s time to work, so I’m ready for that.”

Strawther’s name tag at the media table also listed his new uniform No. 3, perhaps a nod to his perimeter shooting prowess. He wore No. 0 at Gonzaga but that number was taken by Denver’s 2022 first-round pick Christian Braun, a former Kansas standout who played against the Zags in the 2020-21 season opener (GU won 102-90). Braun’s brother Parker faced Gonzaga the last two years as a forward at Santa Clara.

Strawther showed off many of the characteristics during a workout with the Nuggets that Gonzaga coaches saw when recruiting the Las Vegas native roughly five years ago.

“He really can shoot the ball,” Nuggets director of scouting Jim Clibanoff said. “His release might be a little bit slow, but when we brought him in for a workout he shot the lights out. He’s a confident kid, understands how to fit in and he has the ability to stand out simultaneously when Gonzaga needed him. Winning pedigree, really good guy, big smile, light up a room. Dude’s good.”

Added Booth: “Julian has a hair-trigger release, he can play the ‘2,’ he might be able to play on the ball a little bit, he has enough size to play on the wing.”

As it was at Gonzaga, the 6-foot-7 Strawther should have time to settle in with Denver, which, depending on a couple of key decisions in free agency, figures to have one of the NBA’s deepest rosters.

“Just the way they play basketball, they play the right way, play for each other,” Strawther said. “In today’s age of basketball, I feel like it’s kind of getting lost playing for one another and playing to win. Being able to join an organization that’s all about winning, all about each other, it’s a blessing.”

Triple-double machine Nikola Jokic, a five-time All-Star and the league’s MVP in 2021 and 2022, was named finals MVP after the Nuggets won the series 4-1 over the Miami Heat.

“He’s the best player in the league and every time you turn on the TV it’s like magic’s happening,” Strawther said. “I feel like I never see him miss a shot, but at same time he’s always playing the right way. I’m super excited to share the floor with him.”

Strawther, 21, covered a lot of ground during his first session with Denver media. He became friends with Denver guard Collin Gillespie during the draft process last season. Gillespie wasn’t selected in the 2022 draft but joined the Nuggets on a two-way contract.

Strawther keeps an eye on taller shooters that are thriving in the NBA.

“There’s a ton of players that I enjoy watching and take bits and pieces from their game,” he said, “but seeing tall shooters, guys like (former Washington State star) Klay (Thompson) have success in the league, especially early on in his career what got him on the court was defending. So just being able to focus on my defensive ability and keep growing that.”

That’s one of several items on Strawther’s to-do list.

“Making this jump from college to the pros, I feel like there’s room to improve everywhere,” he said. “Playing against the best players in the world, bigger, stronger faster. It’s just improving overall as a player.”