Spurs Fiesta 5: San Antonio Rookie Malaki Branham Praises Coach Popovich

Inside The Spurs identifies five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant San Antonio Spurs news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 31, 2023

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San Antonio Spurs

1. MALAKI BRANHAM LOVES COACH POP

"I'm learning he's going to be coaching me up," Branham said. "Ever since I've been playing, he just wants me to grow, grow as a pro and off the court, be a better man. I love it."

2. POP PRAISES SPURS EFFORT

"As long as they're giving effort, they're all learning, making mistakes but overall that's what we're trying to do. No matter who is out, no matter who is not playing, other guys are happy to get minutes. Trying to get them to learn how to play, this is what it's all about," head coach Gregg Popovich said.

3. JULIUS RANDLE SPRAINS ANKLE

New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a sprained ankle, according to The Athletic.

Randle won't play for the rest of the regular season, but could be back in time to play in the first round of the playoffs, which start Apr. 15.

4. FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES

All times EST

5. NEXT SPURS GAME

The Spurs are back in action tonight on the road against Stephen Curry and the reigning champion Golden State Warriors. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. You can watch in-market on Bally Sports Southwest or out-of-market on NBA League Pass.

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Published Mar 31, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.