Jayhawks in the NBA: 2023 NBA Playoffs | Sports | kansan.com – The University Daily Kansan

Joel Embiid (left) and Andrew Wiggins (right) stand together during the game against Oklahoma State on Jan. 18, 2014.
The NBA Playoffs are underway, and after an exhilarating regular season, the question of who will claim the Larry O’Brien trophy is up in the air. 
10 Jayhawks were on NBA opening day rosters, and while there are more working coaching and front office positions, the University of Kansas has faces all over the league.
As far as players and coaches go, six Jayhawks made it into the playoffs. 
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid has excelled this season in Philadelphia, to say the least. The former Jayhawk secured his second consecutive scoring title and is a heavy favorite to win this season’s Most Valuable Player award. 
Leading Philadelphia to a 54-28 record and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1 steal and 1.7 blocks in 66 games in the regular season. 
Before being picked as the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cameroon native played one season for Kansas under Bill Self. During his time in Kansas, he earned Big 12 honors such as being named onto the all-conference team, all-defensive team and all-freshman team, and was awarded the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year. 
After sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, the Philadelphia 76ers will play the winner of the Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks series. 
Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets
Growing up an avid Jayhawks fan in Overland Park, Braun went on to have a storied career for the men’s basketball team, leaving the University as a national champion. He decided to forego his college eligibility and decided to declare into the 2022 NBA Draft, where was selected 21st overall by the Denver Nuggets. 
Braun not only fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA, but also found himself on one of the league’s most talented teams in the Denver Nuggets. Paired with back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokić and all-star point guard Jamal Murray, Denver finished at the top of the Western Conference. 
In four games played, Braun has averaged 13.5 minutes with 3.5 points. 
On the edge of advancing to the next round, the Denver Nuggets are ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. 
Marcus Morris, Los Angeles Clippers 
Since his NBA debut in 2012, Marcus Morris Sr. has been on six different teams. For the past four years, he’s been settled down in Los Angeles as part of the Clippers. 
Starting all 119 games in which he’s played the last two seasons, Morris has averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest. His four seasons with the Clippers mark his longest tenure with a team since being drafted, where Morris has been a consistent piece throughout the team’s injury-filled season. 
Marcus is one of the Morris twins in the NBA, with his brother Markieff a member of the Dallas Mavericks. The brothers were favorites on campus for their grit and intensity in the game, and played for Kansas from 2009 to 2011.  
During his time at Kansas, Marcus was honored as a Consensus All-American and NCAA All-Region. He was also named as the Big 12’s 2010-11 Player of the Year, along with being included in the all-freshman team, all-conference tournament team, conference tournament MVP and twice named onto the All-Big 12 team. On Feb. 17, 2020, his jersey was retired in Allen Fieldhouse. 
Down 3-1 against the Phoenix Suns in the first round, the LA Clippers are on the brink of elimination.  
Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
Coming into the playoffs as reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors are looking to defend their title. Small forward Andrew Wiggins was the fourth-highest scoring player on the roster, averaging 17.2 points during the team’s championship run. 
Wiggins himself is coming off his first All-Star appearance in 2022, where he was named a starter for the Western Conference. However, Wiggins only played in 37 regular season games this season due to injury and personal reasons. 
Despite this season’s adversity, the Ontario native averaged 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals while starting every game he had played. 
After being selected first overall in the 2014 Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and spending time in Minnesota, Wiggins is in his fourth season as a Warrior. 
Wiggins played one season for Kansas during the 2013-14 season and was named a Consensus All-American and recognized by the Big 12 for being named onto its all-tournament, all-conference and all-freshman teams while taking home the freshman of the year award. 
In a tied 2-2 series, the No. 6 seed Warriors are hoping for a first-round upset against the Sacramento Kings. 
Jacque Vaughn, Brooklyn Nets
After a rough start for one of the league’s most personalized teams, the Brooklyn Nets parted ways with former head coach Steve Nash and named Jacque Vaughn interim head coach. 
His impact was felt immediately, with the team breaking franchise records across the board. In addition, Vaughn won his first Coach of the Month award in December after amassing a 12-1 record in his first full month at the helm of the Nets. 
Vaughn’s team saw drastic changes throughout the season, as Brooklyn traded their stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving away during the trade deadline in exchange for a younger core. 
This isn’t Jacque’s first time leading the Nets into the playoffs, as during the 2020 season Brooklyn named Vaughn as their interim head coach who then led the team to a 7-3 record and a playoff series against Toronto. 
Graduating from the University of Kansas in 1997, Vaughn left with a degree in business administration. He started in all but one game throughout his four years in a Kansas uniform, and by the time he left, he was the all-time leader in assists for the Jayhawks. 
The Brooklyn Nets were the first team eliminated from the playoffs, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in four games. 
Aaron Miles, Boston Celtics
After a prolific career playing professional basketball around the world, Aaron Miles decided to hang up his playing sneakers and pick up the coaching whiteboard. He served as an assistant coach to Bill Self in 2015 before moving around the NCAA, G-League and eventually the NBA. 
His first coaching opportunity came as a player development coach for the Golden State Warriors in 2019, but Miles would then be welcomed to Boston as an assistant coach for Joe Mazzulla a few years later. In his first year with the Celtics, he reached the NBA Finals only to lose to Golden State– his team the previous year.
Miles played for the Jayhawks from 2001 to 2005 and was the starting point guard in back-to-back Final Fours in 2002 and 2003. Throughout his time at Kansas, he averaged 8.6 points, 6.9 assists and 1.9 steals in 138 games played. Miles recorded 954 assists, breaking Jacque Vaughn’s record as Kansas’ all-time assists holder. 
The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics currently have the advantage over the Atlanta Hawks in the series, leading 3-1 in the first round. 
Kansas’ reputation around the NBA continues to grow as an elite talent development, with its impact demonstrated through star players and coaches. 
The NBA Finals will start on June 1. 
120 Years of Kansas Basketball
Retired Jerseys
It’s the coliseum that is home to Kansas basketball’s 13-straight titles, Coach, Player and Freshman of the Year. Video by Brandon Cotter/KANSAN
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