NBA Finals MVP 2023: Bruce Brown odds, stats, path to award ahead of series

The 2023 NBA Finals matchup is officially set with the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat facing off in Game 1 on Thursday, June 1. This year's Finals features some history on both sides. The Nuggets are making their first appearance in the Finals while the Heat have become just the second No. 8 seed to reach the Finals.

We're going to break down the prominent players in this series on both teams and look at how they'll impact the matchup. Here's a look at Nuggets guard Bruce Brown.

Bruce Brown 2023 NBA playoffs overview

Postseason stats: 12.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 53.1 FG%, 28.9 3P%

This marks Brown's second consecutive season averaging double digits in scoring after logging 14.0 PPG last season with the Brooklyn Nets. The veteran wing is one of just six players averaging double-digit scoring for the Nuggets throughout this postseason, and his 1.1 SPG is tied for third-best on the team.

He's also proven incredibly reliable from the charity stripe, with his 89.5 free-throw percentage second-best and behind only Jamal Murray (92.5%).

Odds entering NBA Finals (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Finals MVP: +20000
Scoring leader: N/A
Rebounding leader: N/A
Assists leader: N/A
3PM leader: N/A

How Bruce Brown can win Finals MVP

To put it bluntly, Brown needs to be the second coming of the Eastern Conference Finals version of Caleb Martin, who surged to average 19.1 PPG for the Heat. There are simply too many favorites ahead of him for the hardware in Jokic, Murray, and perhaps Michael Porter Jr. when it comes to their ability to impact the game with scoring, playmaking, and shooting from deep.

Brown would need to suddenly average 20-plus points per game while making a seismic impact in a unique statistical category, like steals per game.

  
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