Christian Braun Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Strawther, Westbrook, Thunder, Garza, Henderson

February 1st, 2025 at 8:16am CST by Tristan Tucker

Nuggets guard Julian Strawther is establishing himself as a reliable part of Denver’s rotation and an outside scoring threat, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. The second-year Gonzaga product is averaging 9.4 points per game while shooting 37.9% from deep, giving the Nuggets a clear-cut eighth option for their rotation.

For Strawther to maintain his role in coach Michael Malone‘s rotation heading into the playoffs, Denver will need to ensure his development continues at a steady pace, Durando writes.

“What I love about that kid is his work ethic,” Malone said. “He was in our gym every day this summer. And I’m not making that up. Sometimes you hear these stories. They’re inflated. Julian Strawther was in our gym every day this summer.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Russell Westbrook exited Denver’s game against the Sixers on Friday night due to hamstring tightness and did not return, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports. Westbrook didn’t appear to have a limp and it’s unclear if he’ll miss any additional time due to the injury. If he does, Christian Braun would reenter the starting lineup in his place.
If the Thunder make a trade at the deadline, it should be a move on the margins and not one that impacts the team chemistry of a squad that has a real shot at winning a title, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman opines. Mussatto comes up with three potential trades, including one for Nets forward Cameron Johnson. Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Hawks guard Garrison Mathews are two lower-cost targets suggested by Mussatto.
Timberwolves backup big Luka Garza has a history of big performances against Utah, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune observes. In five career games against the Jazz, Garza holds career averages of 12.2 points per game on 58.8% shooting from three, his most against any team. On Thursday, Garza stepped up with Donte DiVincenzo, Mike Conley and Julius Randle dealing with injuries, scoring 16 points.
Trail Blazers second-year guard Scoot Henderson is putting together more and more good-to-great games and he’s growing as a leader for Portland, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes. In 16 games in January, Henderson averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 43.8% from three. “His energy has been crazy,” teammate Deandre Ayton said. “He’s becoming a true point guard, being very vocal, talking to everybody.”

Northwest Notes: Braun, Gordon, SGA, Jazz, Avdija, Camara

January 30th, 2025 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

After bringing forward Aaron Gordon off the bench in his first eight games back from a calf strain, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reinserted Gordon into the starting lineup on Wednesday vs. New York.

Rather than replacing Russell Westbrook, who was a reserve for the first couple months of the season, Gordon supplanted third-year guard Christian Braun, who had started each of his first 45 games of 2024/25 and just set a personal career high with 28 points on Monday.

“Never an easy decision. Christian Braun has been great for us this year. Not good. He’s been great,” Malone said after the game, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “And he’s done everything that’s been asked of him.

“But I just like keeping Russell out there. I think the Russ-and-Nikola (Jokic) dynamic is the best two-man combination in the NBA right now, and I didn’t want to disrupt their rhythm. Knowing that CB, whether he comes off the bench and plays 29 minutes like he did tonight, or he starts, he’s going to give us the same thing every night. We need that. … I applaud CB’s understanding of what we’re trying to do.”

Braun had 13 points of 4-of-8 shooting in his first game as a reserve. He was a team-worst minus-18, though that could be at least partially attributed to the fact that the Nuggets’ rotation were thrown for a loop early in the game when Jokic picked up two quick fouls and was replaced by Braun. The 23-year-old told reporters, including Durando, that he’s willing to do “whatever I’m called to do” by the team and earned praise from Malone for how he handled the move.

“Was he celebrating? Was he shaking his pom-poms? No, of course,” Malone said. “He’s a competitor. He wants to be out there. He wants to start. But what you love about Christian Braun is he’s going to do whatever you ask him to do, and whatever is best for the team.”

Malone added that the lineup change isn’t necessarily permanent.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

After not reaching the 50-point mark in any of his first 427 NBA regular season games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has done it twice in his past four outings. One week after he scored 54 points in a win over Utah, the star guard poured in 52 against Golden State on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough to get the Thunder a victory, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes. “It sucks. Me personally, I play to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Winning comes first and foremost, and if I don’t win, I am not satisfied. So maybe my 52 points tonight wasn’t in the best interest of the team.”
The Jazz‘s decision to elevate Isaiah Collier to the starting lineup and move Keyonte George to the bench was less about rewarding Collier for his play so far this season and more about sending a “wake-up call” to George, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. George has continued to play a significant role as part of Utah’s second unit, averaging 32.0 minutes per game in his first three appearances as a reserve.
Forwards Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara have been the Trail Blazers‘ two best players for much of the season and have established themselves as long-term building blocks, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who says the duo’s strong play has been one of the brightest spots in another lottery-bound season in Portland.
While Camara has improved his scoring numbers this season (10.0 points per game with a .349 3PT%), his defense is his calling card. Jason Quick of The Athletic takes a closer look at Camara’s impact on that side of the ball, speaking to several of his opponents about what they see in the young Trail Blazers forward. “He’s a dog, for real!” Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan said of Camara. “I just love the way he picks up full court. He doesn’t give a f–k who he is guarding. He just wants to play defense, and you don’t really see that often here in the NBA anymore.”

Northwest Notes: Grant, Kessler, Collins, Williams, Strawther, Braun

December 17th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers figure to be one of the more active teams in the trade market and Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report lists a handful of players who could be moved if the right offer comes along. That group includes Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams.

Grant may be at the top of that list, according to Highkin — there’s a market for the productive veteran forward and there will never be a better time for the Blazers to move him. Rival teams are indicating that two first-rounders is more than they’re willing to give up for Grant, but that could change by the deadline. Grant had a 32-point game against San Antonio on Friday.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Walker Kessler and John Collins have been bright spots in an otherwise disappointing start to the season for the Jazz, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. However, lottery pick Cody Williams‘ struggles during his rookie year raise some concerns. Williams got rotation minutes early in the season but has spent the last few weeks working on his game in the G League.
The Nuggets would like Julian Strawther to fire away, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes. Coach Michael Malone wants to see Strawther put up more three-point shots. “It gives us a boost. It gives us a guy off the bench that you can play through and run plays for,” Malone said. “His catch-and-shoot ability, the three-point line. … He’s taking four a game at a really healthy clip. Let’s get that number up to six, six-and-a-half threes per game.” Strawther, who has scored in double figures four straight games, has made 39% of his threes on 3.4 attempts per game.
Nuggets guard Christian Braun missed his first game since the 2023 Western Conference Finals, Durando tweets. Braun sat out Monday’s game against the Kings due to a lower back strain. Braun is averaging 15.0 points a game in his first season as a full-time starter.

Northwest Notes: Braun, Nuggets, R. Williams, Thunder

December 12th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Rory Maher

In an lengthy interview with Spencer Davies of RG.org, Nuggets wing Christian Braun says he has learned from a number of veterans over the course of his three NBA seasons, including Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Braun, who is posting career highs in several statistics, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason.

“I mean, I’ve learned a ton in my years, not just from [Jokic]. Each player I’ve played with, I think, has done a good job of helping me out,” Braun told RG. “Just watching KCP [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] and Bruce [Brown] and how they played off of [Jokic] helped me a lot, and they were always quick to reach out and tell me what they thought or what they saw.

” … You can take a little bit from each person. I think I’ve tried to take a little bit from each of the guys that have been in the league for a long time. Whether it was Ish Smith, DJ [DeAndre Jordan], they all do little things. Jeff Green. Just watching each person’s routine and try to take a little part of each of their routine that I like and make it mine and do it my way.

“But just watching [Jokic’s] approach and the way he was in the training room, the way he’s on the court, the way he approaches each game, his routine, his consistency. Each person, like I said, has good parts of their routine that I try to put into mine, but I’m still learning every day and trying to implement different things.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Tony Jones of The Athletic takes a look at the Nuggets‘ “confusing” and “inconsistent” start to the season, with Denver currently holding a 12-10 record despite regular “herculean” efforts from three-time MVP Jokic, who may be having the best season of his career. According to Jones, while depth has been an issue, the biggest concern for the Nuggets has been the play of Murray, who hasn’t looked like the same player who helped Denver win its first NBA championship in 2023.
Big man Robert Williams is nearing a return for the Trail Blazers following a six-game absence while in the league’s concussion protocol, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. As Highkin notes, Williams has been sidelined by numerous injuries throughout his career, but a hard fall vs. Memphis on Nov. 25 resulted in his first concussion. “I was in a daze,” Williams said. “Nausea, headaches, stuff like that. I didn’t feel terrible. I’ve seen people with worse concussions than mine, for sure. But it slowed me down.” Williams, who was a full practice participant on Thursday, needs to pass one more computer-based test before being cleared by the medical staff — that could come on Friday vs. San Antonio. “I’m tired of dealing with all this s–t, man,” said Williams, who also missed several weeks early in the season due to a hamstring injury. “I miss the game so much. Trying to have fun with my teammates on the court, not just in practice.”
Unlike some teams, who watch film as a whole group, the Thunder split into subgroups for their sessions, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman, who details how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have grown comfortable using game tape to learn and grow from their mistakes. “Film, for me, opens my eyes,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s right in your face. The writing is on the wall. If I should’ve been in this spot, it’s right in front of your face that you should’ve been in that spot. If I should’ve took a shot and I was passive-aggressive, it’s right in front of my face.“

And-Ones: Woj, Awards, Samanic, Van Exel

December 5th, 2024 at 4:16pm CST by Rory Maher

In mid-September, perhaps the most surprising news of the NBA offseason occurred: Adrian Wojnarowski announced that he was retiring from ESPN and the news industry as a whole. It was later reported that he would become the general manager of the basketball program at St. Bonaventure, with the school confirming the news.

Speaking to his friend and former Yahoo Sports colleague Chris Mannix, who now works for Sports Illustrated, Wojnarowski explained his decision to leave his position at ESPN to work for his alma mater. He took a major pay cut, going from $7.3MM to $75K annually, but he was “burned out” by the always-on nature of his previous job. He was already advising the school on its search for the new position, as well as doing most of the work the job entailed.

“What I was doing, it just wasn’t fulfilling anymore,” Woj said. “I was just done. This is what gets me excited. To learn something new, to be part of something like this. It’s a whole new challenge.”

Wojnarowski, 55, also revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March, which he alluded to in his retirement statement (“time isn’t in endless supply”), but the prognosis is good — he told Mannix he isn’t experiencing any symptoms, having been diagnosed early, and the cancer is “pretty limited in scope.”

Wojnarowski sent out a tweet addressing the diagnosis. “Appreciate all the kind words and concern but I’m going to be fine. My goal in sharing a prostate cancer diagnosis is to encourage screening and testing among men. Early diagnosis will make all the difference for me —- and many others too.”

There are more interesting details on Woj’s decision in Mannix’s story, which is worth reading in full.

Here are some more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Josh Robbins, Eric Nehm and Kelly Iko of The Athletic weigh in on the awards races thus far for the 2024/25 season. Interestingly, there’s no consensus choice among the three for any of the major awards. For Most Improved Player, Robbins selected Magic forward Franz Wagner, Nehm picked Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Iko chose Nuggets wing Christian Braun.
Former NBA forward Luka Samanic, a 2019 first-round pick, has signed with Croatian club KK Cibona, according to the team (Twitter link). The 24-year-old forward, who spent last season with Utah, was born in Zagreb, where the team is based. Fenerbahce reportedly holds Samanic’s EuroLeague rights for the rest of the season, but the Turkish club doesn’t compete in any of the same leagues as his new Croatian team.
Longtime NBA point guard and veteran assistant Nick Van Exel has decided to exit coaching, having co-founded a new agency called 100x Sports, per Marc Stein (Twitter link). Van Exel worked in various player development, scouting and coaching roles for Milwaukee, Memphis, Dallas, and most recently Atlanta over the past decade-plus.

And-Ones: Silas, Covington, Efficient Shooters, WBD, 2025 FAs

November 29th, 2024 at 8:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Stephen Silas was an NBA assistant for two decades from 2000-20, spending time in Charlotte, New Orleans, Cleveland, Golden State, and Dallas, establishing himself as a legitimate head coaching candidate and eventually being hired by Houston to fill that role.

However, Silas’ three-year stint with the Rockets didn’t go well. His .250 winning percentage (on a 59-177 record) is the worst in NBA history among 168 coaches with at least 200 games under their belts. His next stop wasn’t any better, as he spent the 2023/24 season as an assistant to Monty Williams on the 14-68 Pistons. Having been let go along with Williams this past offseason, Silas is coaching Team USA’s AmeriCup qualifying roster as he resets following a challenging few years.

“I’ve been enjoying the family time, and it’s important because, like, obviously my dad (former NBA player and coach Paul Silas) passed a couple years ago, and now I have a daughter who is a senior in high school, and I can actually go to the parent-teacher conferences and be there when she comes home and be there for homecoming and stuff like that,” Silas said, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “It is really cool at a time that I probably needed to have after three years in Houston, one year in Detroit which wasn’t very successful. Kind of like take a step back, enjoy the fam’, do the USA thing. It’s really cathartic for me.”

As Vardon writes, a successful stint with USA Basketball could revitalize Silas’ stock and help him earn a new NBA role in 2025. Some of his players, such as Robert Covington and Frank Kaminsky, are also viewing their time with Team USA not just as an opportunity to represent their country but as a chance to show NBA teams they’re still capable of contributing.

“This is a great opportunity just to show people that I’m healthy,” Covington said. “I’ve got four or five years left of basketball in me.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Mike Shearer of HoopsHype takes a look at 12 players who have significantly increased their shooting efficiency so far this season. As Shearer cautions, there’s no guarantee those players will maintain their efficiency spikes all season, but there are some interesting names on this list, including a handful who will be eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer (Christian Braun, Ochai Agbaji, and Bennedict Mathurin) and trade candidates like Nets teammates Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Warner Bros. Discovery – the parent company of TNT Sports – has been sued by investors who claim the company mischaracterized the impact that losing its NBA rights beginning in 2025 would have on its business. Winston Cho of The Hollywood Reporter has the story.
Danny Leroux of The Athletic looks ahead to next summer and previews the top players in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, starting with stars like LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, and James Harden. Leroux also singles out Pacers center Myles Turner as a fascinating free agent to watch, since he has a coveted skill set for a big man and will be very much in his prime when he reaches the open market at age 29.

Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Jokic, Gordon, Braun

November 22nd, 2024 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA has rescinded a technical foul called against Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook in Tuesday’s game against Memphis, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Durando notes that Westbrook seemed more puzzled than angry when he got whistled for the T for staring at Santi Aldama while running back on defense.

“I knew it wasn’t a tech,” Westbrook told reporters. “You guys know if I’m gonna get a tech, I’m gonna earn it. So I didn’t say anything, that one. So I’m happy that (the league) looked over and got it rescinded.”

The decision saves Westbrook a $2K fine and takes away a negative from a history-making night. The 36-year-old point guard came off the bench for 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, marking his 200th career triple-double.

“When you set a standard of doing something consistently, people don’t know how to react to it, and I love that,” he said. “That’s the best part of the journey, just being able to do things that haven’t been done.”

There’s more on the Nuggets:

Nikola Jokic is still with his family in Denver, and the team isn’t sure if he’ll be available for Friday’s NBA Cup game against Dallas, Durando states in a separate story. Jokic has missed three straight games for personal reasons, and Nuggets officials are respecting his wishes to keep the details private. “Definitely always touching base,” coach Michael Malone said. “Not to be overbearing, but my job as a coach is to — I care about (Jokic’s wife) Natalija and their family. … So I’m constantly calling and texting and communicating with all of our guys to see how they’re doing and any updates (in a family-related absence). But not to the point where it’s overbearing. But yeah, communication is always helpful. Especially while guys are away from the team and out. And hopefully, we can get Nikola back as soon as possible.”
Aaron Gordon wasn’t able to practice Thursday and will miss his seventh straight game on Friday, Durando adds. There’s no word on how soon he might be able to return after straining his right calf in early November. “This will be the most time (Gordon) has missed since I’ve been here,” Peyton Watson said. “I don’t think he’s ever missed this much time. And for a long time, I thought AG was bullet-proof. So it sucks not to have him, but when he gets back, we’ll just be focused on trying to get him back to the elite level he was playing at before.”
Christian Braun talks to Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda about the adjustment of moving into the starting lineup and the advice he’s gotten from Westbrook, Jamal Murray and former teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. “I sit by Jamal every day and have learned a lot both on and off the court,” Braun said. “I’ve had great vets who have helped with routine stuff — Russ, too. I’ve picked up things from their routines on off days and game days.”

Northwest Notes: Braun, R. Williams, Mitchell, K. Williams

November 10th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Rory Maher

Third-year wing Christian Braun is learning from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in his first season as a full-time Nuggets starter, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray, whose locker is next to Braun’s, often tells the 23-year-old to stay in attack mode.

“‘Keep shooting the ball. Keep being aggressive. Get up more attempts,’” Braun told The Post. “Constantly. When he’s hurt. When he’s not playing. He’s, before the game, telling me he wants me to do this. During the game, he sees this. He’ll point it out. … It’s not just shooting. He wants to challenge me. ‘Hey, I want you to pick this guy up full court.’”

Braun has been one of the bright spots of the early portion of the season in Denver, establishing new career highs in several categories (16.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on an elite .558/.500/.818 shooting line in 35.3 MPG) while being tasked with slowing down the opposing teams’ top perimeter scorer. He has also posted a positive plus/minus in each of the Nuggets’ nine games thus far.

Here are a few more notes from the Northwest Division:

In his first regular season game in a little over a year, Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams made an immediate impact, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link). Williams only played six games last season due to a serious knee injury, then was slowed by a hamstring strain in training camp. In Friday’s loss to Minnesota, the 27-year-old notched 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 17 minutes, only missing one field goal attempt and converting his first career three-pointer. “Defensively, he’s all over the place,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s vocal. He’s talking. His activity, Rebounds, blocked shots, he kind of does it all. He’s got a knack for it. And then on the other end, you never look at him as a three-point threat, but he stepped up and knocked that one down.”
Williams’ return was obviously a welcome sight, but it will also impact the Trail Blazers‘ rotation. Minnesota’s lineup features plenty of size, so Billups felt comfortable playing Williams alongside Deandre Ayton or Donovan Clingan. However, that won’t always be the case, Fentress writes. “There’ll be some nights that it doesn’t happen, that we won’t play that way based on matchups,” Billups said. “But some teams, they present opportunities for you to do so.”
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft, continues to impress in his rookie season, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. Mitchell, who has played in each of the Thunder’s nine games during their 8-1 start, recorded 12 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), two rebounds, and career highs of seven assists and three steals in Friday’s victory vs. Houston.
Thunder swingman Kenrich Williams, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue — the Thunder’s G League affiliate — for a practice on Saturday before being recalled, Stiles tweets.

Nuggets Notes: Watson, Braun, Strawther, Murray, Jokic

November 8th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While general manager Calvin Booth has taken some criticism during the past couple years for letting veteran role players get away in free agency and attempting to replace them with youngsters, several recent Nuggets first-round picks are making positive strides this fall, having come up big in the team’s two wins this week.

With starters Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon unavailable due to injuries, Denver has leaned on 2022 first-rounders Peyton Watson and Christian Braun and 2023 first-rounder Julian Strawther in closing lineups alongside Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. That five-man unit has a net rating of +41.7 in 18 minutes in the past two games, both of which the Nuggets won by two points.

“I’m saying to myself, ‘Holy s–t … I never envisioned this lineup being out there to close the game,'” head coach Michael Malone said after Monday’s victory over Toronto, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (subscription required). Malone went back to the same group in the fourth quarter two days later to help secure a win over the undefeated Thunder.

“Talk about the epitome of ‘Project Dynasty,'” Watson said after Monday’s win, before earning his first start of the season, logging 34 minutes, and making a game-saving block in Wednesday’s victory. “Obviously, me and CB came in together, and that’s my road dog, but also adding Julian to our young core, it meant a lot to us. That was just kind of a little preview of what’s to come for us.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

After missing three consecutive games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Murray is poised to make his return on Friday vs. Miami. Malone told reporters that he expects Murray to play as long as he has no setbacks during his pregame routine, tweets Benedetto.
Only five players in NBA history – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James – have won at least four MVP awards. Could Jokic join that exclusive club this season? Bennett Durando of The Denver Post considers that question, speaking to several Nuggets players who raved about their All-NBA teammate. Russell Westbrook referred to Jokic as “the best player on the planet,” DeAndre Jordan noted that the big man’s triple-doubles have become commonplace, and Braun pointed out that Jokic continues to expand his game. “It seems like he gets better every year,” Braun said. “I don’t know that — he definitely improved, but he can do whatever you need. So this year, he sees that we need to hit more threes. Seems like he’s taking more threes.” Through eight games, Jokic’s three-point percentage (51.4%) and three-point attempts per game (4.4) are career highs. He’s also leading the NBA in assists (11.0) and rebounds (13.5) per game while scoring a career-best 28.8 points per night.
In case you missed it, the Nuggets control one of the top 15 largest trade exceptions in the NBA, though their position relative to the luxury tax line may make them reluctant to use it to take on more salary during the season.

Northwest Notes: Markkanen, Braun, Alexander-Walker, Avdija

November 2nd, 2024 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been ruled out for a second consecutive game, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who tweets that Markkanen will be unavailable on Saturday in Denver. Utah’s leading scorer also missed Thursday’s loss to San Antonio after exiting Tuesday’s game vs. Sacramento early due to low back spasms.

According to Larsen (Twitter link), Markkanen doesn’t anticipate a lengthy absence, indicating today that he believes he’ll return to action at some point during the team’s current road trip. That trip will include stops in in Chicago (on Monday), Milwaukee (Thursday), and San Antonio (next Saturday) before Utah returns home on November 12.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Christian Braun has impressed the Nuggets in his new starting role so far this season, but he blamed himself for helping to spark a late Timberwolves rally on Friday, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. He and Rudy Gobert were each assessed with a technical foul following a brief dust-up instigated by Braun’s celebration of a big dunk over the four-time Defensive Player of the Year (Twitter video link). The Wolves, down by eight points at the time with 5:14 left, ended up winning by three. “Momentum changed like that, after the tech,” Braun said, suggesting he views the incident as a learning experience. “… It should have been a positive, and then I get the tech, and that turns it to a negative. … I’ve gotta be smarter after I make that play. Get back on defense.”
Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has come a long way since being sent to Minnesota at the 2023 trade deadline as a throw-in alongside Mike Conley, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who takes a closer look at Alexander-Walker’s impact after he helped Minnesota steal a win from Denver on Friday. The 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
After being acquired in an offseason trade, Deni Avdija is off to a miserable shooting start with the Trail Blazers, making just 33.9% of his field goal tries, including 14.3% of his three-pointers, in his first six outings. As Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes in a subscriber-only story, Avdija – who had a key blocked shot late in Wednesday’s one-point win over the Clippers, is making an effort to help the team in other ways during his shooting slump. “I feel like I’m still trying to get in rhythm with everything,” he said. “Opening the season a little bit on the slow start for me personally but I’m trying to contribute with other things.”