Following a rookie year that provided one of the few bright spots during the 2022-23 San Antonio Spurs season, Malaki Branham, who closed with more than 20 points in three of those final seven games, figures to be a key piece for the Silver and Black going forward.

ClutchPoints went one-on-one with the 20th overall pick of the '22 NBA Draft, who's now averaging 8.8 points on 43.6% shooting in 20.6 minutes per game this season.

Following Monday's 124-99 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers (an eighth consecutive defeat for the Spurs), the 20-year-old guard chatted exclusively about adjusting to a new role and honing a lost art, among other topics.

Malaki Branham gets real on his season

Spurs' Malaki Branham

ClutchPoints: With year two underway, individually, is the game slowing down for you a little bit?

Malaki Branham: It's been up and down. It's been up and down. I put in a lot of work during our offseason. It's not going to perfect – as you can see, the season as a whole – it's not going to be perfect but as long as you just keep pounding that rock. For me, it's been good. I'm just trying to be consistent. I feel like that's just the biggest thing for me, just trying to be consistent throughout every game. I feel like I'm doing that but I feel like I could do it a little bit better on the defensive and on the offensive end.

CP: The first game that Tre (Jones) missed, we asked Pop who the backup point guard was going to be, he said Malaki. I know you handled the ball last year and you've done so throughout your career, but I don't remember you playing a lot of point. What's that experience been like for you this year?

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Branham: It's been good. The game has slowed down from me; making reads off the pick and roll. If they're attacking Victor, if he comes off I can hit the corner guy, so just reading that. I've gotten a lot better at that from last year to this year. So, just trying to evolve and better my game.

Spurs: Players Branham is looking to emulate 

CP: Now that you've seen a good number of NBA players on the court and you've seen some of them up close, guarded some of them, are there any guys whose games who you try to take bits and pieces from to add into your game?

Branham: Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) from OKC. His change of pace is crazy. Me and him are similar guards. He gets to his mid range a lot, so him getting to his spots, just looking at that. You know, there's bits and pieces from everybody's game. Chris Paul. I've been in the point guard position a lot so just seeing how point guards play the game, how their pace is and stuff like that. I've been trying to take bits and pieces from everybody's game. It's been good.

CP: Speaking of the mid range, with the game evolving the way it has, so much is reliant on the three-ball. What's that challenge like; being effective from behind the arc but still doing a good job in the mid range?

Branham: Like you said, the game's evolved into three's and lay-ups but during the playoffs last year, everybody was shooting mid ranges so it's just a feel for it. There's only a couple of players that really can master it and I want to be one of them.