2018 NBA Draft - Brew Hoop Community Draft Board: Versatile Troy Brown Takes 17

After a lengthy, several weeks-long procedure we’ve finally reached the thrilling conclusion of the Brew Hoop Community Draft Board and it’s Troy Brown that lands at the Bucks’ selection at 17. Whether that necessarily reflects who Bucks fandom wants the team to draft is a question worth examining in the comments, but for now let’s dive into the pros and cons of Brown.

Brown remains one of the youngest prospects in this draft, meaning plenty of teams are likely eyeing him as an upside pick given the flashes he showed in college. His 6’7” height with 6’10” wingspan profiles as a wing capable of switching up and down positions defensively. The slender frame, as with most prospects, is something that a pro weight training program can hopefully rectify. That will probably be necessary for his finishing to reach the potential he’ll need to be a playmaker in the NBA, as too often he tries off-kilter finishes around the basket and occasionally shies away from going directly into defenders’ chests. He doesn’t boast elite speed or athleticism either, meaning his potential as an off-ball cutter may be a bit neutered if he divebombs to the rim. Where he makes up for that slightly neutered athleticism is his playmaking feel and passing ability.

Brown started as a point guard in high school and grew into his wing body. That vision allows him to find shooters as he drives to the rim or nail passes to big men underneath the basket. Milwaukee having another wing initiator would be a welcome sign for second units that sometimes struggled when teams shut down the Bucks’ primary option. He also crashes the boards reasonably well, something Milwaukee has woefully lacked for several seasons. The fact he has some issues getting incredible verticality may depreciate that value a bit in the NBA, but it would still be a useful skill to add to Milwaukee’s roster.

He’s a game defender too, capable of switching from 2-4 along the perimeter. That doesn’t mean he’ll be able to keep pace with the league’s speediest guards though, although one hopes he won’t have to play from behind defensively too much since I’m not sure he’ll have enough recovery speed to make up for a missed one-on-one assignment. Perhaps his largest question mark remains with his jump shot. As seems to be the case with a lot of these mid-round “positionless” wings, his strange release resulted in only 29% shooting on 110 attempts last season. That came with 74.3% on his 3.0 free throw attempts too. His 18.8% turnover percentage is a bit troubling too, likely a product of the fact he may have been forced into an overwhelming creator role at Oregon.

Brown seems like the kind of do-it-all player that teams are pining for on the wing. Unfortunately, it feels like his iffy shot and questionable ability off the bounce mean he’s going to drop towards the latter picks in the first round. We’ll see whether teams regret not betting on his potential, or if the jack of all trades, master of none persona he embodies flames out in the pros.

Thanks everyone for all your participation throughout this process and feel free to continue your discussion of who should’ve fallen at this spot.

Final Brew Hoop Community Draft Board Rankings

1. Deandre Ayton - C, Arizona (The Stepien Profile)

2. Luka Doncic - PG, Real Madrid (The Stepien Profile)

3. Marvin Bagley III - C, Duke (The Stepien Profile)

4. Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, Michigan State (The Stepien Profile)

5. Mohamed Bamba - PF/C Texas (The Stepien Profile)

6. Michael Porter Jr. - PF, Mizzou (The Stepien Profile)

7. Trae Young - PG, Oklahoma (The Stepien Profile)

8. Mikal Bridges - SF/PF, Villanova (The Stepien Profile)

9. Wendell Carter Jr. - PF/C, Duke (The Stepien Profile)

10. Miles Bridges - SF/PF, Michigan State (The Stepien Profile)

11. Lonnie Walker IV - SG, Miami (The Stepien Profile)

12. Zhaire Smith - SG, Texas Tech (The Stepien Profile)

13. Collin Sexton - PG, Alabama (The Stepien Profile)

14. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG, Kentucky (The Stepien Profile)

15. Robert Williams - C, Texas A&M (The Stepien Profile)

16. Kevin Knox - PF, Kentucky (The Stepien Profile)

17. Troy Brown Jr. - SG, Oregon (The Stepien Profile)