Of all the former Kansas Jayhawks in the NBA, few have made the kind of leap Christian Braun has with the Denver Nuggets. The same grit and edge he showed in Lawrence have carried into the pros—helping Denver capture a championship in 2023 and now fueling his rise as one of the league’s breakout contributors.
This season, Braun stepped into a full-time starting role and thrived. Averaging 15.4 points per game—more than double last year’s mark of 7.3—while shooting an elite 58 percent from the field, the guard has become one of the NBA’s most efficient role players. His impact hasn’t gone unnoticed inside Denver’s locker room.
Recently, Nuggets teammates were spotted wearing custom shirts that read: “What Can Braun Do For You?”—a playful slogan backed up by his numbers and a clear show of support for his candidacy as the NBA’s Most Improved Player (MIP).
“He’s just kept working, kept getting better,” one teammate said. “Now everyone’s seeing what we see every day.”
Despite the backing, Braun faces long odds in the official race. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels currently leads the pack for MIP, followed by Cade Cunningham and Austin Reaves. Braun sits further down the board, a +15000 long shot.
Still, whether or not voters hand him the hardware, Braun’s growth has been undeniable. From a national champion at Kansas in 2022 to a trusted starter on a title-contending Nuggets team, he’s become exactly what every franchise covets: a reliable, high-efficiency glue guy with championship pedigree.
As Denver begins its first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 19, Braun’s story is still being written. MIP or not, his emergence may be just what the Nuggets need to chase another Finals run—and it’s certainly something both Denver and Kansas fans can celebrate.
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