It’s not often that an NBA coach feels compelled to play ANY rookie second-round pick significantly at the start of the season. But then, the Nuggets know a little something about second-round picks blossoming into something special.

And while we are in no way saying Nuggets rookie second-round pick Trevon Brazile is going to blossom the way Nikola Jokic did, there is no mistaking that he is already a must-play.

I wrote recently prior to the start of the regular season that Brazile needed to play, even if it means jamming him into whatever preconceived rotation was already in place. But that was not a thing. Nuggets coach David Adelman not only has played Brazile early, but he’s played him significantly.

And Brazile has not disappointed.

There is a Marcus-Camby feel to Brazile, if you remember the length that Camby played with. Arms stretched, he looked larger than life, swallowed-up every rebound, and blocked so many shots.

Brazile is all of those things — and has a jump shot.

He doesn’t block shots with the frequency that Camby did, but he’s got the tools to be able to do it. A 41.5-inch vertical jump. Quick off the floor, not just on the initial jump but also on his second jump. If you’re an offensive player trying to get a shot up over Brazile you’re doing so at your own peril.

Best of all for the Nuggets, he is completely replacing what the team lost when it traded rising young standout Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers. No one thought that might be the case, and certainly not this fast. But here we are. Brazile defensively has been very effective, both on his own man, in help defense, and switching out on the perimeter.

He rebounds better than anyone on the team not named Jokic. And his ability to make 3-point shots in catch-and-shoot situations means he can stay on the court with almost any combination of players.

He is immediately valuable in a way that should make him one of the best rookies in the NBA this season.