Tag: Malaki Branham

NBA Summer League 2022: The top rookie standouts from Las Vegas

Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best performances from the rookie class this year in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Las Vegas Summer League came to a conclusion on Sunday as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the New York Knicks to claim the championship trophy.

Throughout the 11-day competition, there were plenty of exciting performances from players and teams alike. With few second-year players in action, the rookie class was on full display with several individuals playing at a high level.

Of course, No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero dazzled in a limit showing before getting shut down after two games. Further down the draft board, other players stepped up and showed little trouble adjusting to their first NBA action.

With the event now wrapped up, Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best performances from the rookie class this year in games played in Las Vegas.

Note: Players arranged in alphabetical order.

WATCH: Malaki Branham scores 23 points for Spurs in NBA Summer League finale

Watch Branham pour in 23 points for the Spurs in an NBA Summer League game. #GoBucks

You had to believe it was only a matter of time for the young gun.

Former Ohio State guard Malaki Branham has shown flashes of his potential for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA’s Summer League but had yet to put it all together consistently. That all changed Saturday.

Much like what we saw during Branham’s freshman campaign at OSU, once the talented guard figured things out, he was off and running. That seemed to come against the Memphis Grizzlies when Branham showed a more aggressive mindset and poured in 23 points, 15 of them coming on five 3-point makes in a welcome to the NBA moment.

In case you missed some of the highlights of what the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year from last season did, you can get a look thanks to video the Ohio State Hoops Twitter account shared on Sunday.

Now, there are caveats to all of this. It’s just the summer league, it wasn’t against the top competition in the league, and it was just one game. But, there’s no denying the multiple ways Branham can score, and the touch that he has around the rim, in the mid-range, and from beyond the arc.

Hopefully, we’ll see more of this when we see him crank things up for the regular season.

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Spurs sign first-round picks Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham to contracts

The Spurs signed first-round picks Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham to their rookie-scale contracts.

On Friday, the San Antonio Spurs announced they signed first-round picks Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham to their rookie-scale contracts.

Sochan, the ninth pick last month, was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year last season at Baylor after posting 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 30 games. He became the first player drafted in the top 10 by the Spurs since Tim Duncan (No. 1 overall) in 1997.

Branham, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was the 20th pick after averaging 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and two assists with Ohio State. He was one of five freshmen in the country to have multiple 30-point games and one of two from a Power Five school.

The Spurs previously signed No. 25 pick Blake Wesley on July 5.

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Sochan was ruled out of participating in summer league after testing positive for the coronavirus last week. He missed all of the Spurs’ week-long training camp ahead of summer league and the team opted to hold him out as a precautionary measure.

Branham debuted with the Spurs on Friday, recording 15 points and three rebounds in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He went 6-of-15 from the field, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range, in 27 minutes of work.

San Antonio plays next on Sunday.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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WATCH: Go behind the scenes with Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell at the NBA draft

The Ohio State Hoops Twitter account shared a short, behind-the-scenes video of the 2022 NBA draft with Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell.

For the first time since 2007, the Ohio State basketball program saw two of its players selected in the NBA draft. And even though E.J. Liddell fell down the daft board further than most anticipated, it was still a night to remember, one where both players got to see their childhood dreams come true.

We’ve already shared a video of both Branham and Liddell as they heard their name called, but the Ohio State Hoops Twitter page shared an extended version of both with some short behind-the-scenes remarks and commentary.

It’s not a long video, but one that makes you proud to be an OSU basketball fan. The video is only about a minute long, so take just a little bit to reminisce on the 2022 NBA draft night that saw two Buckeyes have their moments.

We’d like to think that this is starting a new trend for Ohio State, but for that to happen some young guns and fresh faces will probably have to develop quickly and surprise us next season.

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WATCH: The moment Malaki Branham gets selected in 2022 NBA draft

Watch the moment Malaki Branham was selected in the 2022 NBA draft. #GoBucks

The journey of former Ohio State guard Malaki Branham was an interesting one last season. The freshman started the year slowly as he learned to deal with the different competitive level in college. In fact, in December, if you would have told anyone that Branham would be a first-round selection as a one-and-done, nobody would have believed it.

A funny thing happened though once the new year hit. Branham dropped 35 points in a win on the road vs. Nebraska to let everyone know that he was for real. Scoring in double figures then ended up being a consistent thing for a freshman that was beginning to show the world that he was a three-level scorer from multiple spots on the floor.

He began to rise up the draft boards and that’s when everyone realized that Branham’s freshman season at Ohio State would be his only one. The dream of being drafted in the NBA became reality on Thursday night.

In case you missed it, get a look at the moment Branham likely had to pinch himself as the No. 20 overall in the NBA draft, when the San Antonio Spurs felt they got a steal.

It’ll sure be fun to see what Branham does with his opportunity and how quickly he can acclimate himself to the top basketball league in the world. He’s got the skill set, so he just has to find things like he did at Ohio State.

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Best photos of Malaki Branham at the 2022 NBA draft

Get a look at some of the best photos of Malaki Branham at the 2022 NBA draft Thursday night. #GoBucks

Two Ohio State basketball players saw their dreams come true Thursday night at the 2022 NBA draft. Malaki Branham went off the board in the first round when the San Antonio Spurs selected him at pick No. 20. That was followed by E.J. Liddell slipping down to the second round when the New Orleans Pelicans called his name.

For Branham, the experience was even more special because he was in attendance as one of the players thought to be a shoo-in for being taken earlier in the first round. It was the equivalent of rolling out the red carpet NBA style.

Since Branham was in attendance, there were some great photos snapped of him from his arrival in Brooklyn all the way through him walking across the stage, and we’re bringing them to you.

Here are some of the best photos of Malaki Branham at the 2022 NBA draft on Thursday night.

The 10 best picks in the 2022 NBA draft

It was an eventful 2022 NBA draft and many teams made very good moves to get better. Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best ones.

It was an eventful 2022 NBA draft and many teams made very good moves to get better.

Teams like Oklahoma City, Houston and Orlando made big splashes and picked up great prospects for the future. With all that being said, some of the best picks were made by teams all over the NBA.

Here are the 10 best picks in the 2022 NBA draft that could shake up the league for a long time to come.

Ohio State guard Malaki Branham hears name called in NBA draft first round

Malaki Branham is off the board in the 2022 NBA draft! #GoBucks

Ohio State guard Malaki Branham had a very busy past year. After being named Mr. Basketball in the state of Ohio, he went on to the Buckeye and became a star. The start of his college career got off a bit slowly, but he found his game midway through the season and ended it on a tear.

Now, he can add being a first-round NBA draft pick to that year of firsts because he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round Thursday night.

Branham has a varied game that should translate well to the next level. He can get inside the lane and finish, has a polished mid-range game, and showed the ability to hit from beyond the arc as well.

During his freshman campaign, Branham averaged 13.7 points, 2.0 assists, and 3.6 rebounds. He shot 49.8% from the floor, including 41.6% from 3-point range. But those numbers are skewed because of a slow start.

Through December, Branham only scored in double figures one time. He then had a 35-point outburst on the road vs. Nebraska on January 2, and continued the trend, scoring in double figures in 18 of the last 22 games. He capped it off with a 23-point performance against Villanova in a losing effort in the NCAA Tournament.

It’s a shame we didn’t get to see Branham develop even more at Ohio State, but when you’ve improved your game as much as he did to become a first-round talent, you almost have to go on to bigger and better things.

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Chris Holtmann provides a peek at who Malaki Branham is off the court

You have to love how Malaki Branham responded to a tough outing early in the year. Check out the text he sent Chris Holtmann the morning after. #GoBucks

For many, today’s college stars are like superheroes or famous role models. We only see who they are mostly on the court or the gridiron. But we have to remind ourselves that they have real struggles and feelings outside the arena.

And that’s important for executives and scouts of professional organizations. When a team invests in a player and what he can do as one of the faces of a professional franchise, it’s also investing in who that person is in totality in the community and outside the competitive environment.

Former Ohio State guard Malaki Branham improved greatly over the course of his freshman season, arguably becoming the team’s best player down the stretch of the season. As a result, Branham has rocketed up NBA draft boards and is expected to potentially be a top-15 pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA draft.

If any scouts or executives have questions about who Branham is as a person, head coach Chris Holtmann provided a peek into who he is by sharing a text between the two after a tough outing early in the season.

We obviously don’t see the full context of this conversation and don’t know about other texts that might not be so flattering, but this is the type of mindset and self-awareness that is hard to find these days. When everything has turned into entitlement and self-gratification, it’s nice to see an old-soul type of player looking to get better and do what it takes to be the best that he can be.

I don’t know where Branham will eventually land, but it sure looks like whatever team takes a chance on him won’t have to worry about character and conduct in the locker room and in the community.

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