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Grading Victor Wembanyama's preseason debut (and 3 other standout Spurs)
Malaki Branham
San Antonio handed Malaki Branham a more prominent role in their offense after countless injuries decimated the depth chart last season, and he made the most of his expanded workload and left a lasting impression on the front office. After successful stints at Las Vegas Summer League and the California Classic, the second-year guard maintained his momentum with a stellar preseason debut. He notched 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while operating as the engine of the second unit.
Malaki Branham averaged 14.4 points per game on .460/.324/.846 shooting splits across the final 29 games of his rookie season.
— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) October 10, 2023
He had 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in his preseason debut last night, and his growth should have Spurs fans excited for year two. pic.twitter.com/K8WAFdVAAQ
Branham struggled to score efficiently as a rookie, but added strength and experience allowed him to get to his spots versus the Thunder. He lowered his shoulder to displace defenders, dropped delicate floaters from paint, navigated ball screens for midrange jumpers, attacked unbalanced closeouts with off-foot finishes, curled dribble handoffs to create space, and buried a pair of catch-and-shoot three-pointers. His refined feel with and without the ball should help him earn regular rotation minutes.
Grade: B
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