Tag: Malaki Branham

Malaki Branham’s best highlights from the 2023-24 Spurs season

Check out some of Malaki Branham’s best highlights from his 2023-24 season with the San Antonio Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs had a ton of eyes on them this season. Star rookie Victor Wembanyama took over the spotlight, bringing a ton of national and worldwide attention to the organization. But the Spurs are more than just Wembanyama. Guys like Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan are also important pieces to the puzzle. But there are even more players than the main components of their core.

One guy who had a solid season is Malaki Branham, who just wrapped up his sophomore year. Though his minutes and points totals went down, he was much more efficient this past season than he was during his rookie year.

At the conclusion of the season, the Spurs’ official YouTube channel posted a video of Branham’s best highlights from the 2023-24 season.

In 75 appearances for the Spurs (including 29 starts), Branham averaged 9.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 43.2% from the field and 34.7% from behind the three-point line.

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Gregg Popovich shows love to Malaki Branham after Spurs win over Jazz

Aftre the San Antonio Spurs’ win over the Utah Jazz, Gregg Popovich praised Malaki Branham.

The San Antonio Spurs won their second game in a row on Wednesday night, as they took down the Utah Jazz by a store of 118-111. Devin Vassell led the way with 31 points and Victor Wembanyama returned to the lineup, playing well against the Jazz, too. But for as great as Vassell looked, the Spurs won as a team.

Four of the five starters for the Spurs finished with 15 or more points, and the only one who didn’t, Tre Jones, dished out 10 assists in the game. In addition, Malaki Branham also added 17 points off the bench. He earned some serious praise from head coach Gregg Popovich after the win in Utah.

After the game, Popovich said that Branham’s scoring punch helped lift the Spurs up. (H/t Jeremy Brener of Inside the Spurs)

“We didn’t shoot as well in the second half, but we didn’t turn it over like we did in the first half,” Popovich said. “Malaki came in and got three or four buckets. We needed to score. We’re having a tough time, so he deserves a lot of credit for keeping us going offensively, and overall, the defense again was good.”

Branham finished the game with 17 points while shooting 7-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc.

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Malaki Branham has improved his play for the Spurs this season

Malaki Branham has been having a solid second year for the San Antonio Spurs.

Obviously, most of the storylines surrounding the San Antonio Spurs this year have been about Victor Wembanyama. The 20-year-old rookie has been a joy to watch on both ends of the court, and even though the Spurs haven’t won many games this year, he’s clearly the type of guy who can lead them into the future.

But he isn’t the only player on the team. The Spurs are a young squad full of players looking to prove themselves, one of which being Malaki Branham. The second-year guard has been having a solid season so far, and while he may not have taken a massive leap, there are some signs of growth.

The Locked On Spurs podcast recently discussed Branham’s improvements this season.

So far this season, Branham is averaging 8.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 43.6% from the field and 33.5% from behind the three-point line. He’s appeared in 57 games, playing 20.6 minutes per contest.

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Watch: Former Ohio State star Malaki Branham posterizes LeBron James

What a dunk from Branham. #GoBucks

[autotag]Malaki Branham[/autotag] entered the Ohio State basketball program with extremely high expectations and fulfilled them after just one season, getting selected as the No. 20 overall pick in the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

Although his NBA career hasn’t gone the way many expected it to, he still had quite the moment on Friday evening. As the Spurs took on the Los Angeles Lakers, Branham got an opportunity at the rim to make a play.

Branham would posterize his fellow St. Vincent-St. Mary alum, LeBron James, in a dunk that has been all over social media. It most likely was one of the biggest highlights of his early NBA career. Check out the dunk below.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Spurs guard Malaki Branham tells story of journey to the NBA

San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham recently discussed his journey to the NBA.

The San Antonio Spurs have been down in the dumps for the majority of the season this year. Obviously, there is more to look forward to than just wins and losses. Victor Wembanyama has been great in his rookie season, Devin Vassell has taken a jump, and there’s a ton of hope for a brighter tomorrow. But for not, they’re struggling.

However, their down season gives the Spurs a chance to monitor some of their younger players and see who they want to build with moving forward. Malaki Branham is one of those guys. In his second year in the NBA, Branham has played a bit less, but he’s still a part of the rotation.

In a recent video posted to the Spurs’ YouTube channel, Branham spoke about his journey to the NBA.

Whether or not Branham will be a part of the Spurs’ future is yet to be seen, but he’s a part of their present.

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Evaluating Malaki Branham’s play for the San Antonio Spurs this season

How has Malaki Branham been playing for the San Antonio Spurs this year?

Heading into the NBA season, all of the focus surrounding the San Antonio Spurs was on Victor Wembanyama. The 20-year-old Frenchman was the clear-cut choice to be the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and so far, he’s lived up to the hype that was around him at the time of the draft )and the months leading up to it).

However, he’s not the only player on the team. While most are focused on Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and the other top-tier guys, the Spurs have been working hard this season to develop all of their players, including second-year point guard Malaki Branham.

Branham has been playing fewer minutes per game this year, and his efficiency has been down. But how has his play been overall? SSPN: A San Antonio Spurs Podcast recently evaluated how Branham’s season has been going.

So far this season, Branham is averaging 7.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 42.2% from the field and 29.5% from behind the three-point line.

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Is Blake Wesley taking Malaki Branham’s spot in the San Antonio Spurs’ rotation?

The Spurs find themselves with a decision to make given Wesley’s elevated play in recent contests.

Is guard Blake Wesley taking Malaki Branham‘s spot in the San Antonio Spurs’ rotation? The Spurs find themselves with a decision to make given Wesley’s elevated play in recent contests, with analysts and fans taking note.

At the same time, Branham’s play has been slipping in recent games, leading many to speculate whether their roles might flip for a while. If only for head coach Gregg Popovich to see what he has in Wesley playing more minutes for the Spurs. With point guard a position of need for San Antonio even in this rebuilding season to maximize the play of rookie wunderkind Victor Wembanyama, a normally minor issue is a bigger concern than it otherwise might be.

The host of the “TSR Sports” YouTube channel recently sat down to explore this unfolding dynamic for the Spurs’ roster management.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear it in full.

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Malaki Branham remains confident in Spurs despite season struggles

Despite their struggles, Malaki Branham remains confident in the San Antonio Spurs.

Before the season started, the San Antonio Spurs weren’t expected to compete for the postseason. As things stand, the Spurs are 5-30 on the season. Victor Wembanyama’s presence has given fans high hopes for the future, but in the short term, the Spurs are the bottom-feeders of the Western Conference.

Three of the Spurs’ five wins came in the first five games of the season, and since then, they’ve won just two games. They’ve found themselves in some close games, but they’ve struggled to close the gap and get over the hump. But despite their struggles, the team is still confident in their abilities and the guys they have on the roster.

Malaki Branham recently spoke with the Akron Beacon Journal, noting his continued confidence in the team in the face of losing. (H/t Jeff Garcia of KENS5)

“We haven’t been winning games, but I feel like that’s going to change as long as we just stick together,” Branham said. “We have a young core, so I feel like the best thing we can have is just chemistry, where people like the ball at, and once we figure that out I think we’re going to be pretty good.”

Branham has taken on a role as one of the primary ball-handlers in San Antonio. Once the Jeremy Sochan-at-point-guard experiment failed, they moved on to a committee of Branham, Sochan, Tre Jones, and Devin Vassell.
So far this season, Braham is averaging 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field and 30.9% from behind the three-point line.
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Gregg Popovich discusses injuries to Spurs’ Zach Collins, Malaki Branham

San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich recently discussed the injuries to Zach Collins and Malaki Branham.

The San Antonio Spurs have dealt with a ton of struggles this season, and most of them have been due to the team’s youth. Victor Wembanyama is leading the way, but he just turned 20 years old (today, January 4). Even guys like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, the team’s other stars, are only 23 and 24 years old, respectively.

However, while many of the Spurs’ problems are self-inflicted wounds, they’ve also dealt with their fair share of injury problems this season. Right now, Zach Collins is set to miss 2-3 weeks, and Malaki Branham is listed as day-to-day. Both guys are dealing with ankle issues.

Head coach Gregg Popovich discussed the absence of those two guys, what it means for the Spurs, and how it affects the two players.

“We miss Malaki and we miss Zach, but everybody’s got somebody that’s out, so that’s not a big deal,” Popovich said via Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “But for us it is because they’re such a young team and they need all their bodies. But I’m pleased with their effort. They just have to keep the attitude up.”

Collins is having a great season thus far playing alongside Wembanyama in the Spurs’ frontcourt. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 49.5% from the floor and 31.2% from behind the three-point line.

Meanwhile, Branham is averaging 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.7% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the three-point arc.

The Spurs would love to get Collins and Branham back as soon as possible.

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Gregg Popovich discusses Malaki Branham’s point guard growth for Spurs

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich recently discussed Malaki Branham’s growth at the point guard position.

The San Antonio Spurs point guard position has been one of the most intriguing in the league this season. Jeremy Sochan started the year as the team’s starting point guard, a role he was completely new to. Unfortunately, after he admitted some uncomfortably in the role, that experiment ended.

Once the Sochan-at-point-guard era failed in San Antonio, they turned to a group of guys to take over the ball-handling duties. This group included Sochan, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, and Malaki Branham. The latter of the four, Branham, has been a consistent starter since November 22, coming off the bench just once since that date.

Head coach Gregg Popovich recently spoke about Branham’s growth at the point guard position and the additional responsibilities he’s had to take on.

“It’s a whole new world for him and he’s absorbing it every game, basically trying to figure out the role,” Popovich said via Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s a tough role. It’s the most difficult on the court really in some ways. So, he’s been very successful in taking steps each time to understand how he can help the team, with being aggressive, decision-making, all those sorts of things. He’s dealing with all that, been doing well.”

So far this season, Branham is averaging 9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 44.1% from the field and 31.8% from behind the three-point line.

At just 20 years old, Branham still has plenty of room to grow, and as one of the Spurs’ lead ball-handlers moving forward, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to do so.

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