Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun has caught plenty of flak for his underwhelming performance in the team's first-round playoff exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Granted, it was for good reason, as the starting guard seemed like a non-factor during the last four games of the series.

However, could there be a cause for his struggles? The Denver Post 's Bennett Durando reports that Braun suffered a calf injury in Game 1 of the series, which severely limited him for the rest of the Nuggets' short-lived playoff run.

"Meanwhile, he also sustained an injury and developed swelling in his left calf in Game 1 against the Timberwolves, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. It exacerbated Braun’s inability to explode off the ground — his left leg is the one he usually pushes off of when he jumps," Durando reported.

Christian Braun hurt his left calf early in Nuggets-Wolves series, per sources.…