Former Kansas basketball star Christian Braun, now an NCAA and NBA champion, has some big shoes to fill heading into his second season in the pros.
Christian Braun joined an exclusive group of players as a rookie by becoming the fifth player in history to win back-to-back championships at the collegiate and NBA level, joining the likes of Bill Russell and Magic Johnson. The Kansas Jayhawks product was a vital part of the Denver Nuggets’ finals run, and he should be in store for an expanded role during his sophomore NBA season.
The Blue Valley Northwest graduate spent three years at his dream college, totaling 1,018 points over 101 career games and earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors during his junior campaign. His electric play in the NCAA Tournament helped lead the Jayhawks to the national championship game versus North Carolina, where Kansas basketball ultimately prevailed.
After being drafted 21st overall a year ago, his rookie season was much better than anticipated. Braun appeared in 76 of Denver’s 82 games, averaging 15.5 minutes, 4.7 points, and 2.4 rebounds on 49.5% shooting. He went off in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, scoring 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting. It capped off a successful playoff run for him and his team, and his strong play earned him even more trust with head coach Mike Malone.
Only four rookies have dropped at least 15 points in an NBA Finals Game in the last 20 years.
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) August 14, 2023
CB left his mark on the biggest stage in Game 3 of the Finals. pic.twitter.com/g2oA5yjzpU
Braun often saw minutes against the second unit in a limited role last year. However, Bruce Brown — the Nuggets’ outstanding sixth man and defensive glue guy — signed with the Indiana Pacers on a two-year, $45 million deal this offseason. His departure could lead to extended opportunities for Braun with the reigning champs.
The always-confident Braun reassured Denver fans that he’ll be able to fill the void that Brown left. “I think there’s always a couple of people that don’t think you can step into that role,” he said in a recent interview with The Denver Post. “But I always end up rising to that occasion.”
Denver doesn’t ask Braun to do much offensively. His value comes in the form of hard-nosed defense and intensity that not many players can match. He’ll never be a guy who consistently shows up big on the box score, but gritty players like Christian Braun have become extremely coveted in today’s NBA.
Follow @ThroughThePhog on Twitter and like our page @throughthephog on Facebook for more Kansas basketball coverage.