Bruce Brown Jr. clearly has a definable NBA skill in his defensive abilities. But there are a lot of rough edges he will have to smooth out to make it.
The NBA can be a funny place.
There is always a demand in the league for rookies to arrive with some NBA-ready skills. But there also remains a confidence that a player can continue improving despite playing top-level competition and facing the pressure to deliver. Teams can talk themselves into anyone believing they can smooth around the rough edges.
Development in the NBA is still the most vital thing for young players. It was not that way even a decade ago. But the league has had to keep working to evolve its players constantly.
And so the Draft then becomes about finding guys with at least one smooth edge to rely on. Especially when the draft becomes less about potential and more about finding contributors. By the middle of the draft, having a clear NBA skill creates that immediate payoff to play a role, and maybe the chance to do more.
That is where Miami Hurricanes guard Bruce Brown comes into play. A player the Orlando Magic interviewed at the NBA Draft Combine, but is likely to go in the mid-to-late first round, he is less heralded than his teammate Lonnie Walker IV. But Brown and Walker proved a capable and strong duo. With their focus on defense.
Bruce Brown averaged a meager 11.4 points per game, but a stellar 7.1 rebounds per game. Brown is a forward in a guard’s body. He has the size and strength to be a strong defensive presence.
But there are a lot of rough edges. He is not a good shooter and relies heavily on his driving ability to get to the basket. He thrives in transition where his length and athleticism for his size can truly spread their wings.
Finding young players who enjoy and thrive on defense is rare. It takes a very special player to put the focus on that end of the court with the attention and passion that a player like Brown does.
The question will be how does he — or the team that drafts him — pare down the rough edges.
The Good
It is really rare to fire up a highlight reel for a player and see defensive plays at the forefront. The highlight is ready-made for feats of athleticism and offensive prowess. The cynical might even say highlight culture has ruined fundamental play.
But watch the highlight tape above. Most of the initial clips are of Brown making a defensive play to spark a fast break. Or him leaking out anticipating a defensive play from his teammates to get out in transition.
Undoubtedly, Brown’s big NBA skill is his defensive acumen. He produced on that end with 1.3 steals per game and 0.8 blocks per game. Pretty impressive for a player who is listed at 6-foot-5.
Brown measured at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. He uses it well to harass opposing players and force them in the direction he wants. His hands remain very active and he can dart in for steals as much as he can keep a player in front of him or block their shot.
Reminder, this is all coming from a smallish guard. A combo point guard at that.
Questions of position for Brown are warranted. He was a combo guard for Miami and was one of the team’s primary playmakers. He performed fine there too, even if that was not his most natural fit.
Brown averaged 4.0 assists per game. He was extremely unselfish when he drove to the basket. He showed he was capable of finishing at the rim, but was just as adept and happy to dump the ball off or kick it out to the next man.
In that way, Brown is an ultimate team player. And teams always want players who are willing to sacrifice their own production to help the team improve and get better.
But Brown’s greatest skill is his rebounding from the guard position. He averaged 7.1 rebounds per game (and 6.2 rebounds per game for his two-year career). Brown posted a 20.0 percent defensive rebound rate. For reference, only 31 guards in all of college basketball this year had such a high defensive rebound rate.
It all points to a player that has a lot of intangible skills and is not afraid to fight and do the dirty work for his team. That is always something a team is looking for as they fill roles off the bench.
The Bad
Rebounding is great from a guard. That is an added bonus for the position. But it is only a bonus if he can do the other things a guard can do. And these are the rough edges that Brown will have to smooth out if he wants to make it in the NBA. The things that will justify playing a defense-only player.
Brown has great athleticism and can get to the basket. But it is hard to call him a point guard, even if that is the position he primarily played at Miami. He was not a smooth driver and not able to put together complex moves.
In fact, his dribble seems a bit loose. Especially going up against smaller players, his 6-foot-5 body had him bringing the ball up to high and seemingly a bit loose. Smarter and craftier defenders will be able to poke the ball away from him and force him into defensive traps and holes.
Brown averaged 2.7 turnovers per game last year. That is not a bad number for a player with the ball in his hands as much as he was, but it was also clear stronger defenders will be able to force him into difficult spots and to make difficult decisions.
Perhaps the biggest knock on Brown is his shooting. And that skill is a premium from any guard in the NBA.
Brown made most of his scoring right at the basket in transition or off the dribble. His outside shooting leaves a lot to be desired.
Brown shot just 26.7 percent from beyond the arc last year and was a 31.6 percent shooter in his two-year career. His freshman year showed he can be a lot better shooter than he showed last year with the Hurricanes.
His free throw shooting does not provide much evidence he can improve that mark very much. Brown shot just 62.9 percent from the foul line. That is not a good mark for a guard and shows there is not much room to improve his poor jump shooting.
Guards who can not hit jumpers are not in demand in the NBA. Not in the least. And that is a clear reason why Brown hovers between the first and second round in this Draft.
Draft Sites Say
Jonathan Tjarks, The Ringer
"After a breakout freshman season at Miami, Brown came back to school to play his way into the lottery. Instead, he struggled to share the ball with highly touted freshman Lonnie Walker IV, while his 3-point shooting fell off a cliff. After a foot injury prematurely ended his season in January, he became out of sight, out of mind for many NBA talent evaluators."
Jackson Hoy, The Stepien
"Brown is one of the more interesting gambles in this year’s class among players whose shooting projections are questionable. At 6’5”, he has the requisite experience as a ball-handler to be used as a secondary initiator in the NBA and he projects easily as a plus defender. His sharp regression as a shooter really hurt his stock, but he could absolutely be a steal if a team can turn him into at least a league-average shooter. As long as his aggressiveness can be leveraged correctly, Brown has interesting potential as a defensive-minded guard who brings a pinch of shot creation ability. However, in such a deep wing class, teams may be more inclined to go after players who are younger and are safer bets to shoot from three."
Final Word
Bruce Brown Jr. is clearly a very talented player who has generated enough draft buzz to generate interest. The shiny parts of his game are the toughest things to teach.
He is a good defender on the wing who can disrupt plays and make life hard for offensive players. That is about all anyone can ask for from a perimeter defender. And that is what Brown will do.
It is the other parts of his game that need some smoothing. But they are tough things to smooth. And it will be hard for him to trade only on his defense early on his career.
Brown’s poor shooting last year for the Miami Hurricanes leaves a lot to be concerned. It simply is not good to see a player struggling on that end especially a perimeter player. He will not be the primary ball handler in the NBA. And he already had trouble sharing the ball with Lonnie Walker when he arrived in Coral Gables.
Hanging over all of this is a broken foot that cut Brown’s season short last year. He is surely back playing now, but that lack of tape and lack of improvement certainly leaves a bit of a sour taste in everyone’s mouth when it comes to his career.
He may have been better off staying another year to refine those aspects of his game. It does not seem like his draft stock could be much lower than it is now.
Still, Brown has plenty to like. It is tough to teach a player to love to play defense. Having a potential role player have a highlight reel that leads with solid defense leading to runouts is a rare thing. And that is something teams are looking for in late first- and early second-round picks. They want someone who will come in and provide something of value. The rest of his game can fill out.
Next: 2018 Draft Preview: Marvin Bagley III
There is a lot of game for Brown to fill out still. But the one thing he has going for him is that definable NBA skill. And surely that is a good place to start.