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Which Player Compares to Spurs Rookie Malaki Branham?
With the offseason in full swing, there's finally time to sit back and reflect on the season that was.
For San Antonio Spurs rookie Malaki Branham, the organization got its first taste of the No. 20 overall pick. While he had opportunities to play more than he normally would due to injuries, the former Ohio State Buckeyes guard was able to dip his toes in the NBA waters and prove that he might be able to fully submerge himself in the coming seasons.
Branham may not be a superstar in the league, but The Athletic believes he has a future in the NBA.
"Branham has some real craft in ball screens to be able to get away from his man, and I really like the way he attacks closeouts aggressively off the catch," The Athletic writes. "But this season he looked like a better version of Jaylen Nowell long term — a valuable rotation scorer but maybe not quite a starter without some real improvement. The good news? He has a lot of time, and San Antonio should give him some freedom to figure it out."
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell may not be a household name, but he is carving out a career for himself. In his fourth season with the Wolves, Nowell had his best year yet, averaging 10.8 points per game as a key contributor off the bench. To compare, Branham averaged 10.2 points per game this season.
If Branham can be a "better version" of Nowell, he should be around the league for a while and have a chance to be part of the next great Spurs team.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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