5 Beyond Wemby: Spurs' Malaki Branham 'Smiling' His Way to Stardom in San Antonio
On any given day, the first thing you would notice about San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham would be his smile.
Whether it's during a post-game interview, a shootaround or in his team portrait, Branham brings a different kind of young energy to the Spurs — and that's what he's always been about.
"On the basketball court, I’m just having fun," Branham told reporters after being drafted 20th overall in 2022, and to no one's surprise, with a smile on his face. "Off the court, I’m a smiling, laughing kind of person.”
Branham's personality soon became a staple of San Antonio's locker room, as he was known to keep the mood light despite the team's on-court struggles. His value to the Spurs only increases when he takes the court, however.
In just one season, Branham made an appearance in 66 games — starting 32 of them — and quickly showed what he was capable of. He averaged 10.2 points to go along with 2.7 rebounds and 0.5 steals a game, which made him a well-rounded young player that perfectly matched coach Gregg Popovich's development-focused year.
And Popovich didn't hesitate to give the 20-year-old his seal of approval.
"He's going to be a heck of a player," Popovich said of Branham last season. "He shoots the ball well, and he's going to be getting in charged ... He's progressed fantastically and physicality ... [and] growing in confidence, and understanding that defense has to become more important. So he's been wonderful."
Confidence did play a big part of Branham's impressive rookie season. On days when he didn't score the way he knew he could, he kept his head high and found motivation to perform better in the following games.
"We just have to keep improving, keep learning," Branham said. "I feel like I've really been finding myself ... [but] I need to be more confident knowing I can score and [confident] playing my game."
Branham's mindset was evident last season, but his effort to improve his confidence seemed to pay off during Summer League, specifically following a poor performance from him during the Spurs' matchup against the Washington Wizards.
That game, Branham scored just six points on six percent shooting, which caused a lot of outrage on social media, especially given No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama's impressive 27-point performance that day.
The Spurs lost 88-85, but instead of Branham letting it bring him down, he chose to use it as motivation and came back with a 29-point, 5 3-pointer outing in a Spurs victory — and his words following the game?
"They don't know how much work we put in."
Branham would be right. Nobody besides the players and Popovich truly know the amount of effort that goes into an NBA season, but the good thing for Branham and the rest of his teammates, however, is that they aren't worried about what "they" think.
They're focused on themselves, with Branham already in a position to be a leader next season.
"I'm not big on words," Branham told the media, again with a smile. "I lead [more-so] by example, but when I do talk, I let them know where to be. I'm just a leader, and I want to get the younger guys involved."
Getting other players involved is going to be atop the Spurs' to-do list next season. Though they might have Wembanyama to attend to and work with, they'll be sure to not let "everything" revolve around him at the expense of the team.
That's what makes players like Branham even more important.
Not only is he primed for a better season on the court, with his shooting percentage and overall basketball IQ no-doubt improving with a year of experience under his belt, but he's also looking to make the team better at the same time ... successful or not.
Yes, the Spurs will likely improve behind Wembanyama and their learning young core, but that doesn't mean they're ready to go toe-to-toe with some of the Western Conference's squads. At least not yet.
But again, that's where Branham comes in. His expected impact is likely to be among San Antonio's best, especially after showing how explosive he can be when he gets going. That's exactly what the Spurs need, and that's what Branham is hoping to give.
In fact, he'll probably do just that with a mile-wide smile on his face, too.
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