SAN ANTONIO — When the Spurs selected Malaki Branham out of Ohio State with the 20th pick last year, some analysts already had him pegged as one of the steals of the draft. The rookie is now proving them right, coming into his own as he gets more comfortable on the NBA stage.
The 19-year-old is making the most of his minutes, putting up big numbers with efficiency and composure that you rarely see from players that young. Through nine games in February, he's averaging almost 19 points and 3 assists per game while hitting 52% from the floor and 41% from three.
The numbers are impressive on their own, but the truly impressive thing is how the three-level scorer is getting it done.
Talent evaluators compared him to a miniature Khris Middleton around draft time because of his mid-range mastery and his crisp ability to get to his spots and drain his shots. Simon Rath, @HawksDraftNerd on Twitter, even compared the way he moves to Kevin Durant. It may seem like a reach, but it's one of those things that you can't unsee once you see it.
Obviously KD is bigger than the 6'4" Branham and one of the best scorers this league has ever seen, but the way he moves is what sets him apart from every other 6'11" guy, and anyone who employs those techniques will be better for it.
The biggest thing Branham seems to have taken from Durant's game is the expert use of hang dribbles. That's when the player gets the ball back in their hand and just sort of lets it hang there, flirting with a carry while keeping the dribble alive in the most dangerous way possible. Every dribble is a decision point: should I pass it, let it fly or put it on the floor again? The hang dribble gives the ballhandler more control and more time to think about their next move.
Branham keeps the rock pretty tight to his body, almost bringing it up into his armpit as he surveys the floor and reads the defense. That keeps the ball close to his shooting pocket and away from the reaching arms of defenders.
This technique pairs well with another one of Branham's best abilities: changing speed and direction. You never really know which way he's gonna go off of those hang dribbles. He crosses over quickly and shows explosive burst, but more importantly he know how and when to use it to create an advantage.
In transition he'll take it up fast but not too fast before he sees the lane open and hits the jets down the runway.
If his speed gets the defender leaning one way he'll stop on a dime and fire a shot, or just turn and dribble right around him. He's already a skilled shooter who can't be left alone, and he does a good job of moving without the ball to dangerous spots.
He doesn't need a screen to relocate to a place where a driving teammate can find him and a ball-watching defender can lose track. His backdoor cuts are quick and purposeful, and he's been protecting the ball and finishing well through contact when he gets to the rim.
When Branham catches at the arc, he knows if it's best to launch a triple with his smooth stroke or attack downhill, deftly using hesitations and fakes when appropriate.
He's a legit three-level scorer who has hit 68% of his shots in the restricted area, 51% from the rest of the paint and 47% from mid-range. He's only at 31% from deep for the whole season, but he's been more confident and accurate lately.
Though he isn't as much of a point guard just yet, Branham is unselfish and finds his teammates in stride. He just tied his career high with five assists against Dallas, a game where he scored 20+ for the sixth time this year and spent a good chunk of time showing his length (7'1" wingspan) and skill on the defensive end in a matchup with Kyrie Irving.
Almost half of his buckets as a rookie are unassisted, and he's demonstrated a ton of poise in isolations and pick and roll situations. Most of his threes come off of assists, but as his confidence grows he may pull up for more of them.
Take a look at this play where he puts it all together. He takes the handoff and scoots around a second screen, trapping the defender on his hip and keeping him there. With the big man dropping he waits for Zach Collins to occupy him on the roll, then crosses over and loses the defender he trapped earlier for an easy floater in the lane.
All of these things take athletic ability to pull off, but knowing how and when to deploy them takes a high level of basketball IQ and feel for the game. In other words, rare stuff from a 19-year-old rookie.
People talk all the time about "the game slowing down" for players as they get more comfortable. Rookies are typically raw, and it takes them a while to feel like the game isn't moving 200 miles an hour around them when they're playing against the best of the best. You see many mistakes from kids who try to match that speed and floor it into a sharp corner, not understanding that the brakes are a necessary part of navigating the track quickly.
It's not just that the game has slowed down for Branham, who is about as polished and refined as rookies come. With the ball in his hands, he controls how fast or slow he wants the game to be.
Shot creation is always at a premium in the NBA, and players who can make something out of nothing will always be valuable, especially when it gets to winning time.
As San Antonio continues to rebuild they'll be looking for go-to guys who can take the ball and score it at a high level. It looks like they've already found one in Branham.