Christian Braun enters the 2022 NBA Draft coming from a prolific program as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks. After winning the 2022 NCAA Championship, Braun decided to take his talents to the NBA.
Christian Braun 2022 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Braun is a committed Kansas basketball player through-and-through. After winning the Mr. Kansas Basketball award as a high school senior, Braun made the sensible decision in becoming a Jayhawk. He had other top offers from programs such as Kansas State, Illinois, and Missouri.
He was named onto the Big 12 All-Freshman team during his first year. That year, appearing in 31 games, Braun averaged about five points and three boards per game. He also shot over 44 percent from deep.
Braun stepped it up further his sophomore year, averaging close to 10 points, five boards, and two assists per game.
Everything started to click his junior year, as Braun averaged close to 14 points, seven boards, three assists, and a block and steal per game. He played over 34 minutes per game and also shot 39 percent from deep. Braun showed he had all the tools to succeed at the next level, and was then named onto second-team All-Big 12 and of course won a national championship alongside Ochai Agbaji.
Strengths
Braun, to put it straightforward, does a little bit of everything quite well.
First off, he’s a solid scorer in all aspects. He shoots well from deep, takes smart shots, slashes to the basket, and is a strong finisher. As a wing player he can also rebound at a high level, play solid defense, and find open teammates. He consistently makes the right passes and the right decisions, but he’s also a scrappy team-first player. Braun is committed to winning over personal statistics. He doesn’t project as a superstar, but Braun has all the tools to become a high-level starter.
Weaknesses
He’s capable of creating his own shot, so overall he just has to hit them at a higher level. The three-point shot is solid but the mid-range shot can do some work. His athleticism and ball-handling can be improved upon as well.
The only real criticism on Braun is that he’s solid at pretty much everything but not an expert at any. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it indicates that he can be a fourth or fifth option, or a high-level role player, as opposed to a true superstar.
NBA Player Comparison for Christian Braun
Braun could very well have a career similar to that of Wesley Matthews. Matthews is a role player for the Milwaukee Bucks, but during his prime years he was a strong “three-and-D” player. He had a stretch of his career where he was averaging anywhere between 13-17 points per game while provided solid perimeter defense and helping out in a variety of aspects. This is exactly what Braun can become – a highly sought after role player.
NBA Draft Projection
Braun certainly has the capability to be drafted in the late first-round for teams looking to add a rotational piece to help as soon as next season. If Braun were to slide, it’d be to the early second-round at the most.
