Denver Nuggets select Christian Braun in 2022 NBA Draft
Jun 23, 2022, 8:11 PM | Updated: 8:41 pm
The Denver Nuggets took Christian Braun from Kansas at No. 21 in Thursday’s 2022 NBA Draft.
Braun, a 6-foot-6 wing won the National Title with the Jayhawks months ago.
The junior scored 14.1 and 6.5 rebounds points per game. An energetic two-way wing from the national champion Jayhawks, Braun slides in as a shooting guard or small forward for the Nuggets and can provide some defense. His on ball-defense, athleticism and hustle stand out. He shot 44% from three as a freshman, 34% as a sophomore, and 38.3% as a junior.
Braun is an inconsistent scorer. He’s a good offensive rebounder and had the second-best standing reach at the NBA Draft Combine.
Certified hooper and a champ 🏆@Ballin25Braun | #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/2TDH9Rywds
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 24, 2022
Here’s some of what NBA.com has to say about Braun:
• Providing spacing and attacking closeouts in the half court, filling lanes or pushing the ball himself in transition, and doing a little bit of everything else, Braun grew to be a well-rounded offensive player at the collegiate level. As much as his role shifted some nights, he seldom looked to do too much with the ball or forced difficult shots.
• Ranking among the most prolific transition scorers in the country, Braun is an active, opportunistic player who can play above the rim impressively in space. Scoring 1.19 points per transition possession [77th percentile], his efficiency was a plus for a Kansas team that liked to run.
• Taking open jumpers and attacking the rim aggressively in the half court, Braun scored 1.15 points per jump shot [91st percentile] and 1.16 points per finishing opportunity [57 percentile]. Shooting the ball with solid mechanics and even making pull-up 3-pointers at a serviceable rate, he nonetheless looked somewhat reluctant from beyond the arc without time and space and still has some room to grow as a shooter. He is not the most dynamic ball handler, but takes the ball strong to the rim, embraces contact, and looks to find the open man when he moves the defense.
• Steady and unselfish with the ball, he is not a conventional facilitator , but provided value as a secondary ball handler for the Jayhawks.
Views from the war room đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/T9b8YJOcpT
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 24, 2022
The Nuggets have another first-round selection at No. 30, many had thought the Nuggets would take Braun with their second first-rounder.
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