After Summer of Reps, San Antonio Spurs’ Malaki Branham was an early surprise

When Malaki Branham was confronted with stating his personal goals for the regular season, he didn’t flinch.

The gears in his head turned as he stared at the question; the San Antonio Spurs The guard seemed to remember exactly what they were in an instant. But that knowledge would remain where it was. Tucked away, where only he would know them.

“I’m going to keep that to myself,” Branham said, laughing.

As he picked up his towel – now damp with sweat – to wipe his face again, the questions kept coming: What was the identity of the Spurs? How much had Victor improved? Did he go somewhere this offseason?

Branham was difficult to break and kept his answers short, simple and self-explanatory.

‘Working out. Get better,” he said. “That was my whole summer… I just stay ready when my number is called. That’s it.”

When Branham entered Year 3 with the Spurs, he had done that. During a development season focused on learning to play alongside a talent like Victor Wembanyama, he logged some time, starting 29 games and averaging almost 10 points per game.

Those numbers were promising, especially for just a second-year point guard, but with the Spurs adding significant talent at the position during the offseason — namely Chris Paul and Stephon Castle — Branham joined the logjam that was San Antonio’s waiting room.

READ MORE: Malaki Branham appears to be stuck at a crossroads

Suddenly, he was competing for limited minutes with his teammates, including his 1-on-1 partner in the summer, Blake Wesley.

The pair couldn’t tell you what their head-to-head record was during those runs, but they never denied how competitive they were. And specifically for Branham, they helped him work on aspects of his game that he knew he needed to improve to keep himself in Gregg Popovich’s rotation.

“Putting the ball in the basket and playing defense,” Branham explained of the skills he represented. Not refined, as he quickly specified, but he repeated it. “My defense has (also) gotten a lot better. Part of it is the weight room – I’ve been lifting a lot – and part of it is technique.”

At first it didn’t seem to be enough. The guard had improved, but not more than someone like Wesley, who took most of Branham’s minutes in the preseason. As a result, it looked like Branham would be watching from the bench for most of the early season.

In Game 1, when the Spurs faced the Dallas Mavericks, Branham logged just six minutes. He shot the ball five times, made three and grabbed a pair of rebounds in the process.

It wasn’t much, but those shots made a difference.

“We can all help each other become the best versions of ourselves,” Chris Paul said after the Spurs’ loss to Dallas. “Just like Malaki. Malaki didn’t play much tonight, but every time he shoots it I expect it to go in.”

READ MORE: Three takeaways from the Spurs’ loss to Houston

Paul’s assessment came from watching him during training camp and practice. Branham often found himself working with him and Harrison Barnes, especially from 3, to get more reps under his belt.

“It feels good to have some vets who have been through the hardships,” Branham explained. ‘I learned as much as I could from them. Communication plays a major role. … It’s helpful.”

It wasn’t just Branham who found working with Paul or Barnes beneficial. After showing promise in his six minutes against the Mavericks, the guard earned more minutes in each of the next two games against the Houston Rockets.

In the first game, he shot the same from the field – 3-for-5 – but added two blocks to his statline in a performance that proved his defensive work had paid off. When the second time came, it seemed like he had found his groove.

He hit three threes and finished with the third-most points on the night, 15, for San Antonio, earning him some praise from Popovich.

“He’s been a professional,” Popovich said. “He didn’t get much time in the first two games, but he did what he had to do in practices and shootarounds. He came in and was ready to go. Class act.”

Although Spurs lost, it was a promising performance from Branham. The game slowed down for him and it was clear his role was beginning to crystallize, even if it meant coming off the bench with varying minutes.

“We’re the second unit for a reason,” Branham said. “If the starters aren’t doing their job, or starting slow, we have to come in and bring some energy.”

READ MORE: Spurs veterans encouraged by season-opening effort

Once again wiping his face with his towel while acknowledging that Year 3 would be critical to his development and future with San Antonio, Branham prepared for the day’s final set of questions on stage at the Victory Capital Performance Center .

Little did he know that after three games he would be back in front of the media to speak about what would ultimately be a standout performance versus the Rockets; his best of the season, and a relative surprise for a player who seemingly lost his rotation minutes to Wesley. Was that a goal of his? Nobody knew that.

It was only Day 2 of training camp and there was still a long way to go, but Branham felt like he had something to prove in San Antonio. Maybe he was the only one who wouldn’t be surprised by his production and potential, but he wouldn’t tell you that.

Branham smiled. He got up from his chair, wiped his face again and went back to practice. Even in his last words he refused to give in.

Because everything beyond the obvious only lives in his head.

“I just like it,” he paused, his jaw clenched, “I just like keeping my targets tight.”

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