Of all the former Kansas basketball players in the NBA, Christian Braun may be the most exciting to watch. He still embodies the same toughness and grit he displayed with the Jayhawks for the Denver Nuggets, helping lead them to a championship in 2023.
Since then, Braun has taken a massive leap in many aspects of his game. In his first year as a full-time starter, “CB” transformed into one of the best role players in the league. His improvement has led many fans to believe he should be the NBA’s Most Improved Player this year, and his Nuggets teammates wore shirts to echo that notion.
The guys have spoken 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/8RiQXmEy1H
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 12, 2025
Christian Braun has a strong case to win MIP
Multiple Nuggets players were seen wearing shirts that read, "What Can Braun Do For You?" with statistical evidence that he deserves to be in the MIP conversation. It is safe to say that his teammates would cast their votes for him if they could.
On paper, Braun has taken a tremendous jump. After averaging 7.3 points per game a year ago, that number rose to 15.4 in 2024-25. His most notable improvement came with his field goal percentage, which rose 12% from last year to an incredible 58.0%. Braun was easily one of the most efficient players in the league.
Per FanDuel Sportsbook, Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is the favorite to win the award (-1100 odds), followed by Cade Cunningham, Austin Reaves, and then Braun (+15000 odds). Those odds do not sound too promising, though he should definitely receive a few second and third-place votes from media voters.
Even if Braun does not win Most Improved Player, he quickly earned himself recognition as one of the NBA's best glue guys. Jayhawk fans could not be more proud of the young man who played a crucial role in bringing KU a national title in 2022.
The Nuggets' quest to another NBA Finals begins this Saturday, April 19 in their first-round matchup vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.