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Jaylen Brown Would Be A Worthy Third-Overall Pick For The Lakers

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by LALakersFan4Life, Mar 2, 2016.

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BERKELEY -- In UC Berkeley's last home game, the crowd's desperation for likely one-and-done freshman Jaylen Brown to give them one final show was palpable. Brown delivered, scoring 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with his eight rebounds and two blocks in 32 minutes against USC, powering the Bears to clinch a perfect 18-0 record at home.

Brown told reporters after the game that he was undecided on whether or not he would declare, but the game served was strong an argument as any for Brown's worthiness of being selected with the third-overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Most talent evaluators agree that the top two players in the 2016 class are Ben Simmons of LSU and Brandon Ingram of Duke in some order. Who is at the top of the next tier is largely undecided, and will be at least partially dependent on the needs of the team drafting.

If the Los Angeles Lakers are fortunate enough to keep their top-three protected first-round pick, they fit the bill as one team that could surely use Brown. With Kobe Bryant's retirement at the conclusion of their current season, the Lakers will have a gaping hole to fill on the wing. Brown is not and will never be Bryant, but that is a void the still-developing 6'7", 225 pound forward could fill. Like many young players, including the Lakers' own young core of D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle, Brown is at his most lethal in transition.

"If he's coming at you full speed, it's hard to really get in front of him unless you foul him. You have to make a decision," said Berkeley head coach Cuonzo Martin following Cal's victory over USC, and Brown's opponents would be forced to nod begrudgingly.

The uber-athletic Brown is a pest defensively, with both the sturdiness to stifle post-ups from larger players without fouling and the quickness to stay in front of smaller players laterally. He is especially dangerous in passing lanes, and the home crowd is well trained enough that the noise in Haas Pavilion builds to a crescendo whenever the Berkeley defense generates a turnover. Brown is the first person his teammates look for when they have a chance for a run-out, if he did not swipe the ball himself, and more often than not he can make something happen:

When defenses are panicked and scrambling, Brown is able to use his superior burst and nose for the rim to get to the basket with ease, as he did on the play above against Washington. He can also use his crossover to weave through defenders like they were traffic cones before leaving nothing to chance and finishing with spectacular power for such a young player:

Brown is quick with the ball as well, able to fly nearly the full length of the court in under 3.8 seconds before finishing with a buzzer-beating layup to give himself 15 points in the first half against USC on Sunday:

Brown has mostly looked to score for himself on his forays to the rim this year, averaging just two assists per game despite using 31.8 percent of the Bears' possessions while on the floor, according to Sports Reference. Some of this is due to Cal's offense looking clogged at times when playing two bigs and Brown, as well as the fact that he is often asked to finish plays towards the end of the clock as a slasher or on the break. The freshman phenom is capable of making quick reads to find teammates in transition, such as on this play against USC:

Those types of off-the-dribble bounce passes through rapidly closing windows demonstrate Brown's potential as a playmaker, and are exactly the types of quick decisions he will need to make to succeed at the NBA level. With Clarkson, Russell, and Randle all able to push pace by handling the ball, anyone playing alongside them ideally must be able to work as a finisher in fastbreak situations. Brown definitively ticks that box:

While he may do his best work in transition, Bown is capable of scoring in halfcourt sets as well, mainly on drives to the rim. He mostly uses his quick first step to score or draw free throws, and has an impressive ability to collect his dribble and finish in traffic:

He is also starting to develop a spin move as a counter when these pell-mell attacks are cut off:

The major flaw in Brown's game, especially when attempting to project how good he can be at the next level, is his three-point shooting. Brown is connecting on just 30.1 percent of his three-pointers this season, and while he went a promising three-of-seven from range against USC on Sunday and his shot does not look fundamentally broken, his lack of shooting substantially lowers his ceiling if it never comes around.

As things stand, Brown profiles as exactly the type of defensively versatile wing that every NBA team pines for, but if he can become at least an average three-point shooter, he holds potential to be a devastating two-way star. Even without it, he could still be an effective player on both ends, especially on a team that can help him generate turnovers and get out and run.

With the Lakers' most glaring needs being at small forward and center, there is no reason Brown shouldn't be a heavy consideration to take over at the former spot should they receive the third-overall pick. While he is still a notch below Simmons and Ingram, Brown would be a more than worthy consolation prize and a definite asset as the team moves forward in its rebuild.

You can follow this author on Twitter at @hmfaigen.
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http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/...s-nba-draft-pick-2016-protection-jaylen-brown

LALakersFan4Life, Mar 2, 2016

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Gotta admit I haven't seen enough of this guy to form an opinion of him yet.

Battle Tested20, Mar 2, 2016

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therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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Given the field, I think he's the clear 3rd pick for the Lakers. Overall he's probably 4th or 5th with Bender and Dunn in the mix.

therealdeal, Mar 2, 2016

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Bryant - Lakers 6th Man -

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therealdeal said: ↑

Given the field, I think he's the clear 3rd pick for the Lakers. Overall he's probably 4th or 5th with Bender and Dunn in the mix.
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What do you think about Bender?

If he is similar to Porzingis, I think he would be a good fit alongside Randle.

Bryant, Mar 2, 2016

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therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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Bryant said: ↑

What do you think about Bender?

If he is similar to Porzingis, I think he would be a good fit alongside Randle.
Click to expand...

Bender is just such a crap shoot. For every Porzingis there's 2-3 Darkos or Bargnanis. I'd have to see him in a workout to really get a feel for what he's like. I'd also have to see him compete a little with guys stateside. He could be great or he could be a 2-3 year project that never works out.

Jaylen reminds me a lot of Stanley Johnson or Justise Winslow. Ready made players that can contribute a bit on day one defensively but will take a while offensively to develop. They could turn into Jimmy Butler one day or they could peter out just like any number of anonymous swingmen we've seen in the NBA.

therealdeal, Mar 2, 2016

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I'll be completely honest, I have never seen this guy play, not one second. I also didn't know he played for Cal (or apparently "UC Berkeley", who the hell calls Cal that?). I suppose I should check out a game of his while there is still time. I also wonder if Hield is worth a look at 3 with much more experience under his belt already, but I haven't seen much of him either, and at 6'4 I guess he doesn't fill a need at SF. Then again you hope to fill that need in free agency and just draft the best player available. Biggest point in all this though, is, we still have to actually GET that pick. Which is not assured as the Sixers are still trash, and the Suns and Nets are worse than they were weeks ago.

Weezy, Mar 2, 2016

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Weezy said: ↑

I'll be completely honest, I have never seen this guy play, not one second. I also didn't know he played for Cal (or apparently "UC Berkeley", who the hell calls Cal that?). I suppose I should check out a game of his while there is still time. I also wonder if Hield is worth a look at 3 with much more experience under his belt already, but I haven't seen much of him either, and at 6'4 I guess he doesn't fill a need at SF. Then again you hope to fill that need in free agency and just draft the best player available. Biggest point in all this though, is, we still have to actually GET that pick. Which is not assured as the Sixers are still trash, and the Suns and Nets are worse than they were weeks ago.
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My uncle went to Cal, never heard him call it Berkeley.

Savory Griddles, Mar 2, 2016

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sirronstuff - Lakers Legend -

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I used to see a lot of in-depth analysis on College players and laughed.

I sure long for the days when I didn't give a crap about the draft

sirronstuff, Mar 2, 2016

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maybe I haven't watched enough, but I've seen a couple portions of games with brown and dunn, respectively, and dunn looks to be a much better prospect, imo. like, I'm surprised it's a conversation. maybe I'm missing something in brown's game, but not being able to shoot at 6'6" is kind of a major problem.

abeer3, Mar 3, 2016

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Like everyone else, haven't gotten to see this kid play much (read: at all). So the only opinion I can form from this article is that "UC Berkley" has a dope court design.

Well written piece though.

The problem some have already mentioned is the lack of shooting. You obviously can't say a guy will never learn a skill at the next level (see: Butler and Leonard as examples), but it doesn't really make your mouth water thinking of a guy like that. Teams covet 3 and D guys, and the former is just as important as the latter.

YoungThundercat, Mar 3, 2016

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therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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abeer3 said: ↑

maybe I haven't watched enough, but I've seen a couple portions of games with brown and dunn, respectively, and dunn looks to be a much better prospect, imo. like, I'm surprised it's a conversation. maybe I'm missing something in brown's game, but not being able to shoot at 6'6" is kind of a major problem.
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I'm just talking from the Lakers' perspective. I don't see Dunn as a "can't miss" guard option that you take regardless of fit. I see him as a decent prospect, but not all that exciting and not better than the guards we have now. That opinion can change definitely, but right now if I'm the Lakers I take Jaylen at #3 (assuming they don't trade it). If I'm Philly I take Dunn.

therealdeal, Mar 3, 2016

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abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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lakers don't need another non-shooter, if it's fit we're talking about.

abeer3, Mar 3, 2016

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therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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They don't need another PG either.

therealdeal, Mar 3, 2016

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abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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my argument wasn't based on fit.

abeer3, Mar 3, 2016

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therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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abeer3 said: ↑

my argument wasn't based on fit.
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But you're in a thread about how Jaylen Brown fits the Lakers.

therealdeal, Mar 3, 2016

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touche.

abeer3, Mar 3, 2016

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We're sitting here talking about talent to poach,
But what we really need is a new head coach.

sirronstuff, Mar 3, 2016

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Would love to somehow pick up Buddy Hield.

Kou, Mar 3, 2016

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Go Bears! Just graduated from Cal (many people call it Berkeley or UC Berkeley). Jaylen is an athletic freak. He has the body to be a great defender in the league. He has great vision for a SF/SG. His finishing at the rim is amazing. The only whole in his game is outside shooting, and he has definitely shown vast improvements throughout the season. Led Cal back from a rough middle of the season to now top 25. I would be quite happy to finally have an athletic wing on this team, to either back up a SF we sign this offseason or to grow with this core. He would definitely be another scoring and creating option for years to come. Also, really nice and humble kid.

kobecory8, Mar 3, 2016

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kobecory8 said: ↑

Go Bears! Just graduated from Cal (many people call it Berkeley or UC Berkeley). Jaylen is an athletic freak. He has the body to be a great defender in the league. He has great vision for a SF/SG. His finishing at the rim is amazing. The only whole in his game is outside shooting, and he has definitely shown vast improvements throughout the season. Led Cal back from a rough middle of the season to now top 25. I would be quite happy to finally have an athletic wing on this team, to either back up a SF we sign this offseason or to grow with this core. He would definitely be another scoring and creating option for years to come. Also, really nice and humble kid.
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Thank you for the great analysis

Battle Tested20, Mar 4, 2016

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