Self said he received calls in the days leading up to the draft from teams interested in trading into the teens for Braun. 19, would see the same traits the Nuggets had seen in him. There was also a concern new Timberwolves executive Tim Connelly, picking at No. Self said he thought there was a chance Braun could’ve gone at 18, ironically to current Bulls executive (and former Nuggets GM) Arturas Karnisovas. Booth knew they needed to add size on the perimeter, and in Braun, a junior, they found a capable two-way player with a winning pedigree and sharp edge.įor Braun believers, his trash-talking during the national championship likely underscored his competitive fire. In that vein, Braun, a 6-foot-7 jack-of-all-trades, was exactly the sort of player for the Nuggets to add. That was just Braun doing whatever he could to help the Jayhawks in pursuit of their eventual national championship. The fact that he had played both small forward and power forward at Kansas had skewed scouts’ perspective. After all, Braun had guard skills crunched into a long body, which was the result of a late growth spurt. He realized that rather than evaluating Braun as a true, two-way wing - the apple of every NBA team’s eye - he should view him as a shooting guard. When the Nuggets front office traveled to Chicago for the NBA draft combine, something clicked for Booth. “I comment to myself, ‘Man, that was a nice play, but what is he?’” Booth said after assuaging that question and selecting Braun with the No. But for all of the hustle and feisty competitiveness Braun showed, the question that lingered with Booth was one of fit. He's won at every level.For years, every time Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth scouted future first-round pick Christian Braun, he was always left with a nagging, unsettling question.īraun’s playing style, a rare firebrand of basketball, made an impression. “He's been in the rotation throughout these 18 playoff games now, and if you look around, there's not many rookies playing meaningful minutes in the NBA this time of year, and it speaks to Christian's confidence. “Christian has proved himself all year long, and he was in the rotation end of season,” Malone said. He played 15.5 minutes and scored 4.7 points and grabbed 2.4 rebounds per game during the regular season, but benches get shorter in the playoffs and reserves don’t get as much playing time. He also played on three consecutive high school state championship teams at Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kansas) and was named the state’s Mr. “It was really fun to watch a young man step up like the way Christian did tonight."īraun played college basketball at Kansas for three seasons and was a significant contributor to the Jayhawks’ 2022 championship team, collecting 12 points and 12 rebounds in the title game against North Carolina. “I could just feel the confidence kind of oozing out of him, the physical aggressive drives, making plays for guys against their zone,” Malone said. He scored five consecutive points early in the fourth quarter, putting the Heat in a 93-72 hole, and he had six points in the final 2:37 of the third quarter, helping the Nuggets to an 82-68 lead headed into the final quarter.īraun got his points cutting and driving to the rim, and two of them came on a dunk after he stole a pass. Aggressive, strong, physical, confident, and his 15 and four (rebounds) off the bench in 19 minutes were very, very impactful.”īraun had two strong stretches in the second half that helped Denver finish off Miami. “I have to give Christian a lot of love,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. The Nuggets needed help off the bench and another scorer because Michael Porter Jr. His previous high was nine points against Minnesota in the first round.īraun entered Game 3 averaging 2.4 points in 11.8 minutes in the playoffs and played just under 24 minutes in the first two games of the Finals. 21 pick in the 2022 draft, had his best game of the playoffs, reaching double-figures in points in the postseason for the first time in his career. it's the NBA Finals, so if your name is called, you know you've got to be ready.”īraun, the No. “Playing with Nikola (Jokic), playing with Jamal (Murray), whoever it is, just got to be ready for the ball, and today they found me in some pretty easy spots. “My job is just to be ready when my name is called,” Braun said. He had 11 of his 15 points in Game 3 in the second half of Denver’s 109-94 victory, helping push the Nuggets to a 2-1 series lead. He more than doubled his point production Wednesday. MIAMI - Denver Nuggets rookie reserve Christian Braun had six points through the first two games of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.
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