2022 NBA Draft: Denver Nuggets select Christian Braun, Kansas small forward

Kansas small forward Christian Braun is off the board in the 2022 NBA Draft. With the No. 21 pick of the first round, Braun was selected by the Denver Nuggets.

A three-star recruit in the Class of 2019, Christian Braun was never a sure thing for the NBA. It’s a position he was able to get to through hard work and developing his game throughout his college career. That career ended with the 2021-22 season, where his Kansas Jayhawks won a national championship.

In 2020, Christian Braun was on the Big 12 All-Freshman team. Then, in 2022, he was Second-team All-Big 12. He was an incredibly important player for the Kansas Jayhawks, playing better than thirty minutes as both a sophomore and a junior. His 31 points against St. John’s were a season-high for the 2021-22 season.

On his career, Christian Braun averaged 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He also shot 44.9% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range on his career.

Prior to the NBA Draft, Christian Braun was projected as a borderline first-round pick. CBS Sports had him going 27th overall. Meanwhile, ESPN pegged him as the second pick in the second round.

A good ball-handler, Christian Braun plays somewhere between the small forward and shooting guard. At the NBA level, he’ll need to shoot the ball a lot. That was his strength at Kansas, even with some statistical regression.

There is going to be a question about whether Braun can create shots for himself at the next level. He was a catch-and-shoot guy at Kansas. Driving to the hoop and shooting off the dribble was not. He needs to be able to develop those skills to thrive in the NBA.

Nobody expected Christian Braun to become an NBA-caliber player. He is now, and with some development, he could be a very good NBA player.