In the sequences below, for example, there are about 20 things he just “does right” as these plays unfold, from consistently feeding the ball to Jokic in the post, to getting straight to his (correct) spots on the floor, to denying the ball to his defensive assignment at the perimeter, to monitoring the passing lanes for the steal, to selflessly passing up worse shots to create better ones for his teammates, and much more, all in the span of about two minutes of playing time. In addition to the value of Braun hitting his shots, something which will only help to solidify his place in Denver’s rotation, he has perhaps just as importantly very quickly begun earning the trust of back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, which is critically essential for any player he shares the court with, as well as Malone and seasoned veterans like Jeff Green.Ī huge part of gaining that trust from his teammates and coaches is just how smart, fundamentally sound, and within-the-flow Braun has proven to play nearly from moment one. “And tonight, he stepped in with great confidence and that was fun to watch,” Malone added. He's won at every level.Malone expanded on how he had urged Braun to keep shooting: “When he came out, I said, ‘listen, make or miss, you have to take that shot because it's a good shot and you work your ass off every day.’” “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. Explore: Forestparkgolfcourse is a website that writes about many topics of interest to you, its a blog that shares knowledge and insights useful to everyone in many fields. “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. As a college player at Kansas, the budding star eclipsed the elusive 1,000-point mark in his three years with the Jayhawks, helping his team win the 2022 NCAA title before the Nuggets selected. “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. MIAMI Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun played like he. 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. Christian Braun was tremendous off the bench for the Nuggets in Game 3, scoring 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting in 19 minutes. If Denver takes two more games from the Heat, Braun will join Bill. it's the NBA Finals, so if your name is called, you know you've got to be ready.”īraun, the No. The Nuggets drafted Braun 21st overall, and he has now played more playoff minutes than any other rookie in his class. Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) shoots against the Miami Heat during the first half of Game 2 of basketball's NBA Finals, Sunday, June 4, 2023, in Denver. “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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