Prospect Overview
Strong swingman who made an impact throughout Kansas’ National Championship run with his defense, passing, and competitiveness but still has room to continue improving as a jump shooter.
About Christian Braun
Christian Braun is a versatile swingman whose ability to guard multiple positions with toughness, make unselfish decisions playing on the ball, and score efficiently picking and choosing his spots was key to Kansas’ National Championship run. Coming from a family of Division I basketball players, the Kansas native picked up interest early in his prep career. He finished his senior year at Blue Valley Northwest High School (KS) regarded as a fringe top-125 prospect in the class of 2019. Heading to play for Bill Self at Kansas, Braun did not fill a major role as a true freshman but proved to be an efficient contributor in rotation minutes and subsequently earned a spot in the Jayhawks’ starting lineup as a sophomore.
Making a leap coming into his junior year, the 21-year old averaged 14.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1 steal over 34.4 minutes per game to help Kansas win their first NCAA Championship since 2008 while earning All-Big 12 second team honors.
• Measured standing 6-foot-7 in shoes with a 209-pound frame and a 6-foot-6.5 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Combine, Braun lacks length but is a very good all-around athlete with impressive leaping ability in space, the strength to battle inside, and the quickness to hold his own guarding on the perimeter.
• Finishing as the Jayhawks’ second-leading scorer, Braun played a somewhat unique role offensively. Though he did much of his spotting up on the perimeter and filling lanes in transition off the ball, he did a little bit of everything in the half court, making the simple play out of pick and rolls, contributing with his feel for the game as a cutter, and making an impact with his energy on the offensive glass. Having some ups and downs as a jump shooter but consistently filling in the blanks for the Jayhawks over the last two seasons, he has budding versatility and plays a very efficient style.
• Braun is a sound, multi-positional on-ball defender whose polish off the ball and intensity shined for the Jayhawks. While he lacks great length, he still blocked and contested shots and rebounded the ball at strong rates for a wing–a good reflection of his feet, timing, and toughness.
Advanced Stats
• Providing spacing and attacking closeouts in the half court, filling lanes or pushing the ball himself in transition, and doing a little bit of everything else, Braun grew to be a well-rounded offensive player at the collegiate level. As much as his role shifted some nights, he seldom looked to do too much with the ball or forced difficult shots.
• Ranking among the most prolific transition scorers in the country, Braun is an active, opportunistic player who can play above the rim impressively in space. Scoring 1.19 points per transition possession [77th percentile], his efficiency was a plus for a Kansas team that liked to run.
• Taking open jumpers and attacking the rim aggressively in the half court, Braun scored 1.15 points per jump shot [91st percentile] and 1.16 points per finishing opportunity [57 percentile]. Shooting the ball with solid mechanics and even making pull-up 3-pointers at a serviceable rate, he nonetheless looked somewhat reluctant from beyond the arc without time and space and still has some room to grow as a shooter. He is not the most dynamic ball handler, but takes the ball strong to the rim, embraces contact, and looks to find the open man when he moves the defense.
• Steady and unselfish with the ball, he is not a conventional facilitator , but provided value as a secondary ball handler for the Jayhawks.
Defensive Analysis
• Possessing a good combination of quickness and strength to go along with a great blend of fundamentals and instincts, Braun has a nice base of tools to work with defensively even if he lacks length.
• Allowing 0.61 points per isolation possession [71st percentile], Braun did an excellent job containing the ball and closing space to contest shots on the ball last season. He came up with a surprising number of blocks for a player without great length.
• Consistently being in the right spots off the ball, Braun is a very good all-around team defender.
Profile by Synergy Sports
