June 8, 2023

Give Christian Braun the max

I actually started writing this post *before* last night's Braunsanity

This NBA Playoffs, I’ve been thinking about this lil hypothetical a lot:

What’s more fun—having a bonafide superstar on a team that might not win anything, or having a sweet role player thriving for a team that is right there at the end?

I’m thinking about this when it comes to Kansas basketball, and yes, it is inspired by one Christian Braun.

I am simply having the time of my life watching our beautiful basketball psycho make waves in the NBA Finals. He’s shown his usefulness, and this very utility seems to presage a substantial NBA career. And then last night… I was bleeding from the nose. Christian Braun was everywhere. 15 and 4 on 7/8 shooting, piercing the zone with drives and cuts at every opportunity. That pick-six dunk? I MEAN!!!

Did anyone quite see this coming? Did we see CB as a nails-eating pressure performer at the highest level? Is “playing like an absolute basketball psycho” a legit tool now? Are we having fun yet?!

Circling back to my scenario. there are degrees of gravity and relativity here.This is a question for the sickos, so I’m giving you an excuse to bail right now. For those sticking with me, let me attempt to explain.

Let’s walk through the first scenario—bonafide superstar on a team that can’t get over the hump. The Jayhawks have one, though many fans lament never forming a meaningful emotional connection with Joel Embiid, Jayhawk center.

Joel was charismatic, unbelievably skilled, playful and genuinely hilarious… but he wasn’t at KU long. Once that ISU game happened, and national media members casually dropped comparisons to Hakeem, we all had a feeling Joel was not long for college basketball. Joel’s development into an NBA MVP is a major milestone not just for him as a player, but for KU basketball in the greater scheme of Hoop. That’s our first MVP since Wilt, who won it in 1968, in a very different and less prominent NBA.1

Will one of Joel’s teams ever reach an NBA Finals? I bet so, but it hasn’t happened yet. He’s been a little unlucky. Does it kind of suck to watch his team flounder around him? Yes. They had a chance to lock up that series at home, and completely blew it. It was brutal.

Second scenario—thriving role player on a Finals team. This is not for the casuals, at least on the sruface. You’re zooming in on your guy’s every movement, because you just don’t know how long he’s going to be out there. Every second’s intensity is palpable—had the ball caromed the other direction, would that have been CB’s second rebound? This style of watching is admittedly not for the faint of heart. But when there’s success—like CB’s 6-minute stretch in game 2, and obviously last freaking night—it’s pure joy.

Listen, zoomed out, there’s an easy choice to be made. Embiid’s prominence in the sport speaks for itself, and that influence trickles down from the very top, a peak he has earned. But there’s something to be said about the former Jayhawk showing out in a smaller role—I bet pitching a recruit “we have 12 guys in the NBA!” has a higher success rate than “hey look at this one guy, he’s so good!” You know what I’m saying here? This is offseason content!

In conclusion, give CB the max. My head is still spinning. See you next time Streakers!