Prospect Spotlight 2022: Malaki Branham

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Malaki Branham

Unexpected one-and-done player thanks to his blossoming scoring talents, he needs to prove he can sustain his 3-point success

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Height: 6'5"
Weight: 180
Age: 19.1
Year: Freshman

Shades of Khris Middleton, Caris LeVert

PLUSES

• Talented ball handler who gets low to the ground as he attacks the basket. He can break down defenders one-on-one to get into his pull-ups and he does a good job of slithering into the paint and finding room for layups. Even against elite defenses with NBA length, he has come up big in multiple games.
• Great shooter off the dribble who can drain 3s, though he also thrives in the midrange with turnarounds and fadeaways. He uses hesitations to create space, and his strength helps him shed defenders.
• Consistent shooting mechanics, though he should make his release point a little higher. With his good handle, he’ll be a weapon receiving passes on the perimeter then attacking.
• Post scoring is a lost art for guards but he has the tools to be a throwback player if he’s defended by a smaller man.
• Impactful defender with a sturdy frame and long arms, which he can use to defend both guard positions and some wings. He brings great effort.

MINUSES

• He didn’t shoot 3s well until college, but his success came on a small sample. He also lacks dynamism coming off screens or handoffs, which could make it hard for him to develop.

PTS 13.3 .590 TS% 3P% 42.5 80 3PA FT% 82.6 92 FTA AST 1.9 1.6 TOV

The Ringer

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Malaki Branham

Ohio State freshman guard Malaki Branham could be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA draft.



6-5 | SG | Ohio State | Age: 18.8 | Big Board: No. 16

Branham looked like the best player on the floor against Villanova, despite only being a freshman. Ohio State has gradually shifted most of their offense to run through him as the season has progressed, and he did a great job of making shots keep the game close before the Buckeyes eventually bowed out. Branham's size, frame, length, scoring instincts and shot-making prowess off the dribble (44% FG%) and with his feet set (43%) make his game look seamlessly translatable for what the NBA is looking for at his position. He got to his spots in the mid-range and rose up beautifully with his high release point, and showed he can do a little more than that too by facilitating for others and showing competitiveness defensively one-on-one. While he has some things to work with as a ball handler and off-ball defender, the fact that he's 18 years old, has made such impressive strides as the season moved on and plays with a unique combination of aggressiveness and poise could put him in lottery conversations.

ESPN Insider

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Winners and losers from the first weekend of March Madness

WINNER: Malaki Branham, SF/SG, Ohio State



NCAA Tournament Stats: 18.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 SPG (15-26 FGs, 3-9 from three)

Malaki Branham has been taking a steady climb up Draft Boards during the second half of the season and may just played himself into the first round, an entire season ahead of schedule. He'll have to decide whether he wants to be a late-first round pick this June or a more likely a lottery pick in 2023, and teams will have to weigh that value, too.

Branham was outstanding against Villanova and played a critical role in Ohio State's comeback bid. He finished with 23 points, two rebounds and four assists on 10-19 shooting from the field and went 3-8 from three.

24/7 Sports

Draft Stock Report for NCAA Tournament's Top Prospects

Malaki Branham (Ohio State, SG, Freshman)



Stock report: Moving toward lottery discussion

Branham has improved his stock as much as anyone over the past two months. Despite Ohio State's loss to Villanova, he kept his team alive with point-of-attack creation and the ability to get his own shot in the mid-range.

A versatile shot-maker and timely driver also capable of operating as a playmaker, Branham looks awfully complete for an 18-year-old. He finished his freshman year at 53.0 percent inside the arc, 41.6 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the line.

Bleacher Report

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Malaki Branham

Freshman | Wing | Ohio State

6-foot-5, 180-pounds



Branham, the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year, has been an outstanding offensive guard since the start of conference play, averaging 16 points per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3. More of a slasher than pull-up artist, Branham isn’t a wildly explosive athlete, but he does a great job of getting defenders off balance and driving in a straight line using long strides and finishing at the rim with his length. Part of why he’s able to get to the rim is that opponents now really have to account for the threat of his jumper, especially off the catch. Scouts love his mix of length and scoring prowess and see him as an eventual first-round pick, be it in 2022 or 2023.

Having said that, Branham really needs to improve at a drastic level on defense. Ohio State is about seven points per 100 possessions worse defensively, per Pivot Analysis, when Branham is on the court versus when he’s off it, and you can actually really feel why that’s the case. The tape matches the numbers. Branham’s focus on defense can waver, especially off the ball.

The Athletic

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Branham, 18, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30 minutes for Ohio State. He is ranked No. 16 in the ESPN 100 among NBA draft prospects and was also voted third-team all-conference.

A 6-foot-5 guard, Branham's combination of size, frame, length, scoring instincts and shot-making prowess off the dribble (44% FG%) and with his feet set (43%) looks seamlessly translatable for what the NBA is looking for at his position. He plays with a unique combination of aggressiveness and poise for a player who won't turn 19 until May, and the fact that he has made such impressive strides as the season moved on, especially facilitating for others and showing competitiveness defensively one-on-one, could put him in lottery conversations with a strong pre-draft process considering how high his ceiling is as a prospect.

Branham emerged as a surprise one-and-done candidate as a four-star recruit who wasn't firmly on NBA radars when the season started. As the year moved on, Ohio State increasingly leaned on him for scoring production, allowing him to demonstrate progressively polished shot-creation, playmaking and shot-making prowess both beyond the arc and in the midrange.

ESPN.com

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Malaki Branham, Ohio State



Position: F

Height and weight: 6-foot-5, 180 lbs.

Age: 18, Freshman

Branham was a late bloomer for Ohio State this season but the freshman forward can flat out score the ball. After averaging 6.3 points over his first 10 games in college, Branham broke out with a 35-point game against Nebraska. He never looked back from that point, scoring double figures in 11 consecutive games to end his freshman season. Branham was awesome in the NCAA Tournament, too, putting on a shot-creating clinic against Villanova in the second round. With good size and length as a defender and a confident shooting stroke, Branham is shaping up to be one of the biggest sleepers in this draft class.

Sporting News

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A very well put together compilation. The footwork, the ball handling, the body control -- it is all on display here. The three level scoring is really going to translate at the next level. Though, it may take a year or two to improve his body and teach team defensive principles.

Think DeRozan with a 3-pt shot...

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This kid continues to rise in the pre-draft process. Now being projected as a late lottery pick.

Malaki Branham (Ohio State, SG, Freshman)

Flashes and occasional breakout performances turned into consistent, three-level scoring execution for Branham. He seemed to figure it out over Ohio State's last 10 games, when he averaged 20.2 points on 56.6 percent shooting. Overall, Branham graded in the 94th percentile as a pick-and-roll ball-handler while shooting 43.5 percent off the catch, 43.6 percent on pull-ups, 10-of-21 on floaters and 61.4 percent at the rim.

Bleacher Report

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Malaki Branham | 6-5 wing | 18 years old | Ohio State

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Branham closed the season on a tear, deservedly winning the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year award and playing well in Ohio State’s two NCAA Tournament games. He went 5-for-7 against a tough Loyola-Chicago defensive team, then scored 23 points against a Final Four Villanova team. Overall, in Branham’s final 22 games, he averaged 17 points per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from 3. He was outstanding as a shot creator over his final portion of the season. While Branham isn’t some elite athlete, he does a great job of attacking and getting downhill by getting defenders off balance. He has great length and really covers a lot of ground on his strides, then uses those arms to finish over big guys with great touch. He can break down guys in isolation, get separation with a series of hesitations and crossovers and rise up to knock down a shot. He’s very sharp at finding creases and cracks in the lane and driving through them quickly in a straight line to finish. There is some work here defensively that has to be done, but I’d anticipate Branham will be a first-round pick if he enters the draft.

The Athletic

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2022 NBA mock draft

16. Atlanta Hawks

Malaki Branham|Ohio State|SG

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A surprise one-and-done thanks to his productivity at Ohio State, Branham would be an intriguing fit alongside a high-usage star like Trae Young and offers an excellent combination of ready-made production and future growth at just 18 years old. He's comfortable playing a 3-and-D style role given his spot shooting (41%), ability to score without needing many dribbles and positional length with a wingspan around 6-10. Adding Branham would give the Hawks yet another floor spacer who can eventually function as a secondary ball handler in spurts, as evidenced by his tremendous midrange game and improving court vision. Even with Atlanta's postseason struggles, Young (23), Kevin Huerter (23), De'Andre Hunter (24), John Collins (24) and Onyeka Okongwu (21) is a strong under-25 core that Branham would only bolster.

ESPN Insider

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Ranking the Top 15 Guards in the 2022 NBA Draft

3. Malaki Branham (Ohio State, SG, Freshman)

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Signatures: Three-level scoring, ball-screen weapon, efficiency

Archetype/projected role: Secondary scorer

A 35-point game against Nebraska in January earned Malaki Branham a spot on watch lists. And then he averaged 20.2 points on 56.6 percent over Ohio State's last 10 games, a stretch of scoring efficiency that helped validate the earlier flashes of seemingly translatable creation and three-level shot-making.

Though not a point guard, Branham received 114 pick-and-roll ball-handling possessions as a freshman. He generated 1.04 points per possession (94th percentile), showing maturity using patience and pace to pull up or attack. Off ball screens, he converted an outstanding 22-of-28 drives to the basket and 19-of-40 shots off the dribble.

A 61.4 percent finisher at the rim, Branham didn't rush or make bad rim attempts. He often took an extra dribble to separate further and go up for a more balanced look. Branham also showed a knack for creating separation into pull-up jumpers (43 makes, 43.6 percent) by timing his rise to catch defenders on their heels.

He proved to be effective off the ball as a 43.5 percent catch-and-shooter, a promising sign when trying to picture him fitting in at the next level with fewer ball-handling reps.

Though he doesn't project as a high-assist guard, he should add secondary playmaker value as a well, given some of his smart passing reads and feel handling in pick-and-roll sets.

Branham isn't the shiftiest or most explosive, and he only attempted 89 threes in 32 games. So it's reasonable to question how real the creation and shooting are in terms of translatability. But for a 6'5", 18-year-old who carried Ohio State at times and finished 53.0 percent on twos, 47.6 percent on runners, 61.4 percent of shots at the rim and 41.6 percent from deep, the tools and skill set feel legitimate.

Bleacher Report

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I think this kid ends up somewhere between Tyler Herro and Jordan Clarkson caliber of player. Easily a 20 PPG scorer in his prime, but he'll need to improve his team defense and playmaking to fully reach his potential.

Top Risers and Fallers in the 2022 NBA Draft

Malaki Branham, Guard, Ohio State

Current ranking: 16 | Previous ranking: 20

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I held off from ranking Branham too high initially because it didn't appear a certainty that he'd remain in the NBA Draft. However, now that he's committed to staying in the draft, he gets a tiny boost to where I'd actually take him -- which is just outside the lottery.

Branham had some real defensive issues he had to work through at Ohio State and those deficiencies are in part what may keep him from rising too far past this on my list. But on offense, he's a silky 6-5 scorer who can fill it up inside and out and has the handle to create himself open looks to boot.

CBS Sports

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Malaki Branham | 6-5 wing | 19 years old | Ohio State

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The name of the game with Branham is shooting — and scoring. Branham closed the season on a tear, deservedly winning the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year award and playing well in Ohio State’s two NCAA Tournament games. In his final 22 games, Branham averaged 17 points on 52.8 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from 3. He was outstanding as a shot creator over his final portion of the season.

Though Branham isn’t an elite athlete, he does a great job of getting defenders off-balanced when attacking and getting downhill. He has a pure midrange game that bodes well for his long-term success. He can break down guys in isolation, get separation with a series of hesitations and crossovers, and rise up to knock down a shot. He needs to improve on defense — he’s pretty rough there right now — but scouts expect he will be a top-20 pick.

The Athletic

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Stud. The dude has risen from a fringe first rounder to a possible lottery pick in the last 4 months. I'd love to have him in a Hawks jersey.

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2022 NBA Draft profile: Malaki Branham

Breaking down the skill set of Ohio State wing Malaki Branham and his possible future in the NBA

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Height: 6’5.5”
Weight: 195 lbs
Wingspan: 6’10”
Age: 19 years old on draft night (05/12/2003)


Branham started slow in his freshman season at Ohio State, scoring no more than 11 points in any of his first 10 games. In his 11th game, he dropped 35 in an overtime win against Nebraska and was unstoppable. After that game, he showed major growth as a scorer and had just three individual games where he shot below 40% from the field. On the season, Branham averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 29.6 minutes per game. He was the second scoring option behind fellow junior and draft prospect E.J. Liddell.

Strengths

Spoiler:

Elite shooting season

There’s no doubt about Malaki Branham as a spot up shooter in my mind. He’s everything that teams want with a taller frame, quick, compact release, and the shooting percentages to back it up. He shot 41.6% from three-point range in his freshman season, but almost as important was his 83.3% free throw percentage, a reasonable indicator for his shot translating to the next level.

At Ohio State, Branham made jumpers from all around the perimeter and even dabbled in some pull up three-pointers. That wasn’t really part of his game at the college level, and most of his three-point shots occurred as a standstill three-point shooter. Still, it’s pretty clear that he has elite shooting touch, demonstrating shotmaking success at all levels (more on that in the next section) at a high efficiency.

Only one other freshman guard attempted at least 10 shots per game and shot 49% from the field. Only 27 guard seasons in the Sport Reference database have met those requirements dating back to the 1992-93 season, including James Harden, Ben McLemore, Rodney Stuckey, and Alec Burks among others. It certainly isn’t the end-all be-all of draft analysis, but being efficient from most every spot on the floor as a freshman is a pretty impressive accomplishment.

He’s also a good enough shooter that defenses rotated toward him when coming off of screens and dribble handoffs, which opens up the drop-off pass to a roller. Branham uses his shooting talent to generate a bucket for the team.

“In-between” scoring skills

The best way to describe Malaki Branham’s off-the-dribble game is patient. He avoids being rushed, averaging just 1.7 turnovers per game, and often finds a way to get clean looks from his favorite spots on the floor. At nearly 6’6” in shoes with a 6’10” wingspan, Branham is comfortable shooting over the top of defenders on a variety of jump shots, floaters, and hesitation moves. Branham shot 53% from two-point range this season, an impressive number and higher than the majority of the wing options in the class (Bennedict Mathurin shot 52.1%, Bryce McGowans shot 47.8%, Johnny Davis shot 46.6%, Wendell Moore shot 50.2% for his Duke career).

The distinctive trait in Branham’s in-between game is the advanced footwork and the smooth release. Every single time Branham shoots the ball in the mid-range, it looks like he’s attempted the same shot a thousand times before. It’s consistent and effective with a quick gather and high jump, and it goes in very frequently compared to the majority of college freshmen. He should be able to maintain that at the next level if he stays at shooting guard with his height and physicality for the position. One more thing: the floater. He’s a solid floater guy and will need to be at his size. It’s an important trait for any scorer looking to avoid contact on occasion, and Branham has it in his bag.

Flashes of athleticism on drives

Because of Branham’s patience and propensity to use his size on drives rather than his speed, it’s difficult to tell just how athletic he is with the ball in his hands. He’s mostly a methodical ball handler, and that will lead to larger players being able to stay in front of him at the next level unless he turns on the jets every once in awhile.

Branham still went back to his right hand off a two-footed jump in the clip above, and that’s the wonder with him: is he always going to be a guy that has to maneuver his way around defenders with his craft and length, or can he start taking off with one foot going forward? There are draft analysts in both camps on that front.

Strong frame

As mentioned before, 6’5.5” with a 6’10” wingspan is definitely good enough at shooting guard, but the kicker is that at 195 pounds, he has the necessary frame to bulk up and handle the rigors of the NBA. Often, young players come into the NBA and have relatively skinny frames. Some can put on weight, but others can’t, and those players are often the ones bullied on switches in the post and on offensive rebounds.

Branham shouldn’t have that problem at the next level. He strikes me as a player that can comfortably get above 210 pounds and remain athletic for the majority of his career. That will be perfectly reasonable for his pro projections.

Weaknesses

Spoiler:

Defensive Discipline

The biggest concern with Malaki Branham heading into his NBA tenure is the defensive end of the floor. He wasn’t much of a defender at Ohio State, and he had a lot of possessions where he simply lost connection to his man in relatively simple situations.

Branham isn’t a “stocks” guy, averaging just 1.0 combined steals plus blocks per game. That means his positioning and his discipline have to be good, and they were often lacking.He was often behind the play when put into actions consistently, and that led to easy baskets for the opposition.

Now, Branham is young, and defensive discipline is a difficult area to master as an 18-year-old freshman. His length and frame should help him as the game begins to slow down for him; however, expecting Branham to be a strong defender right off the bat will be next to impossible, and it’s always possible that Branham never becomes a capable defender at all.

I must stress this though: writing off young players as defensive liabilities early in their career when they have a +5 wingspan isn’t really a good idea, and that’s why teams may be willing to overlook some of the defensive questions.

Lateral agility and quickness

Branham’s lateral agility is occasionally called into question on the offensive end, but for me, it’s more of a defensive concern. He struggles to navigate screens and is rarely quick enough or shifty enough to avoid them entirely. It leads to some questions about his ability to be on the floor when the defense needs to get a stop. He might become the target point.

On the offensive end, the top end quickness was mentioned as a question in the strengths category, and it’s one of the reasons why teams have some concerns about his offense translating. As efficient of a pull-up jump shooter as he is, he’s required to go to the pull-up jumper often because he doesn’t get all the way to the rim. His first step is often good, but he often can’t press the advantage before the defense recovers.

Playmaking for others

Branham didn’t often have the ball in his hands for the purpose of playmaking for others, and as a result, he wasn’t much of an assist man in his lone year at Ohio State. 2.0 assists compared to 1.7 turnovers per game isn’t the worst ratio in the world, but it wasn’t a major part of Branham’s game. He’s still young and may develop into a better table setter for others, and in order to reach his maximum potential, he will have to be a better passer.

He does show some flashes, and being taller than others at his position will help him see over the defense to create some nice passing angles. Unfortunately, he’s still definitely learning to read the game, and there’s no telling whether he will be able to run an offense for stretches against high level defenders.

Verdict

Branham projects to be an elite shooter at every level. His shot efficiency in college was very good, and he performed well as an on and off-ball shooter. It’s difficult to teach shooting talent at the NBA level, and the Nuggets Hawks have often targeted elite shooters with the hope that they can improve on the defensive end. He isn’t a top flight athlete and struggles to get to the rim and stay connected to his offensive assignment as a result. He also isn’t an elite playmaker, though he does show some signs of being able to recognize and adapt to the way defenses are guarding him.

Still, if Branham’s available, he’d be a fantastic pick with possibility to contribute next season and the potential to do much more than that in the future.

Denver -- SB Nation

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Branham's draft range now looking like Nos. 8-14

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Daniels' name is hotter, but Branham's is also trending. Not everyone is convinced, but there is still a lot of interest in the freshman who's a year younger than Johnny Davis, measured longer and was more efficient from three, the mid-range and at the rim. Teams think that he can go as high as No. 8 and that he's a better bet to go in the lottery than be on the board at No. 15.

Bleacher Report

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Pro Comparisons for 2022 NBA Draftees

Malaki Branham (Ohio State, SG, Freshman)



NBA comparison: Khris Middleton

Malaki Branham's movement, three-level scoring and on/off-ball versatility are reminiscent of Khris Middleton.

Ohio State used Branham to create or space the floor, similar to how Middleton operates with the Milwaukee Bucks. Neither is super athletic. They're efficient, skilled scorers. Branham shot 41.6 percent from three, 43.6 percent on dribble jumpers, 46.5 percent in the mid-range and 61.4 percent at the rim.

Most teams should view Branham as an easy fit with his spot-up shooting and flashes of creation upside.

Bleacher Report

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