It's taken seven games, but the Nuggets are finally starting to see some production from their young players. All offseason we've heard how the young, current draft picks will be able to break into the rotation, fill the void and keep things ticking over in Denver over the next few seasons.

It was a huge gamble by Calvin Booth and the front office. If it backfires, they will forever be blamed for wasting Nikola Jokic's prime and prematurely ending this potential championship era. But if things work out well, they may be able to remain successful for a decade and beyond.

Early returns are just that, but things haven't gone well through six games. The young players have had a hard time winning in their minutes, the team loses points when the bench plays, and the Nuggets have struggled to win games, even against weaker competition.

On Monday night, the Nuggets were without Jamal Murray as he is still recovering from a concussion and Aaron Gordon left the game in the first half with a strained calf. The Nuggets needed all hands on deck to pull off a win over the Raptors, and it quickly became a case of peace or quiet for the team's second unit.

And fans finally saw the team's vision when they needed it on Monday night. Christian Braun performed well as a starter and he continued that performance on Monday with 17 points and 4 rebounds. But it was the two young substitutes who really shone.

Peyton Watson played 30 minutes and dropped 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks while starting the second half in place of Gordon. Julian Strawther looked like the sixth man spark plug the team was also hoping for. He played 25 minutes and scored 13 points, shooting 2/4 from three-point range.

That's what the Nuggets came up with when they moved away from veteran role players like Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. You have to be patient with these players and encourage their growth. This is important for this season, but also crucial for the next few years.

There will be growing pains and things won't always look perfect. But the Nuggets have made their bed and have to sleep in it. This means we must fully invest in these young players and ensure they are confident and ready when the team needs them in the playoffs.

There will be some difficult and frustrating moments, but Monday night's win over the Raptors was a big step in the right direction. Hopefully this is a bit of a turning point and a sign of things to come; We all know the Nuggets desperately need it.