![]() ![]() The Nuggets’ believed in his intangibles - his passion and confidence. To the Nuggets’ good fortune, nothing materialized.īooth described Denver’s draft room as “calm.” Scott Howard, the team’s Director of Player Personnel, had a close relationship with Self, giving the Nuggets confidence that their intelligence on Braun was thorough and accurate. 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. ![]() ![]() ![]() They trust me, and they put me in the right spots, and all I’ve got to do is lay a ball in and get a steal.Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menuįor 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. “They don’t expect much from me on the offensive end, but expect me to go out there and give effort on defense, rebound, whatever it is, try to get extra possession for those guys to score. “I can’t really fail if I go out there and play hard,” said Braun. Braun, who played all 40 minutes in Kansas’ national championship win over North Carolina, downplayed the difficulty of his role as a rookie. The Nuggets are two wins away from making Braun the fifth player in basketball history to win the NBA Finals in the immediate year after winning the national title in college. He’s in the right place at the right time on the biggest stage, and now you guys are getting to see it.” READ MORE: Former Jayhawk, BVNW alum looking to join historic group in NBA Finals He’s in the right place at the right time, and he’s been doing that all year, he’s been doing that from day one, and nothing changes. I say that because he’s always been in the right spot. “He’s a very rare rookie,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said. It was all a part of a 7-for-8 shooting performance for the Burlington, Kansas, native.Ĭhristian Braun scores 15 points (7-8 FG) off the bench as Denver wins Game 3!ĭEN/MIA Game 4: Friday, 8:30 PM ET on ABC /UrY4Al1Znc- NBA June 8, 2023īraun’s performance drew the admiration of his teammates and coaches after he followed up a 6-point, 3-rebound, 3-steal Game 2 with an even better Game 3. Even when he makes a mistake, it’s an aggressive mistake, so you cannot be mad at him.”Ī third-quarter stretch saw Braun cut to the rim for a layup, then moments later dart in front of a Heat pass to steal the ball and soar in for a thunderous dunk to give the Nuggets an 82-63 lead. “He’s a winner, and he won us the game, with energy, just the focus, the mindset. “I told him, you won us the game,” Jokic said of Braun after the two-time MVP put together a 32-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist performance, the first 30-20-10 game in NBA Finals history. The 6-foot-6 guard scored 15 points in Denver’s 109-94 win over the Miami Heat, helping the Nuggets take a 2-1 lead in the 2023 NBA Finals. MIAMI (KCTV) - In the midst of a historic Game 3 performance from the Denver Nuggets star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, a second-half spurt of play from rookie guard Christian Braun helped the Western Conference champions take control of the series.īraun, a national champion at Kansas and high school star at Overland Park’s Blue Valley Northwest High School, turned in his highest-scoring performance in the NBA Playoffs on Wednesday night. ![]()
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