Greg Brown
Profile:
Position: Power Forward
Role: Slashing Stretch Four
Age: 19
Nation: USA
Year: Freshman
College: Texas
Height: 6’8
Wingspan: 7’0
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Weight: 206
Stats:
Positives:
- Elite athleticism. He is an explosive above-the-rim athlete even compared to NBA standards. He has a great second jump and gets fantastic air time on his vertical.
- Capable driver. He uses his length and burst to blow past defenders. His handle is effective enough that it gets the job done. He even throws in a spin move every once in a while.
- Proficient finisher. His explosive vertical makes him a threat to throw it down when at the rim. He can adjust in midair thanks to his hang time and he does a good job of finishing through contact. He is also a proficient lob target.
- Shooting upside. He proved capable of knocking down 3s at the college level. He is comfortable shooting off the catch and flashed the ability to hit some off the dribble. His mechanics are decent, although his release point is pretty far to his right.
- Defensive potential. He shows promise as a rim protector thanks to his shot-blocking. He uses his vertical and length to rise up and swat shots away, although he stays disciplined and doesn’t overly hunt for blocks. He has the quickness and length to keep up with perimeter players and he has the capacity to swallow up drives.
Negatives:
- Shooting consistency. His form is a bit stiff and looks uncomfortable off the dribble.
- Poor offensive basketball IQ. He takes a ton of bad shots, especially early in the shot clock. He has an unearned confidence in his tough shot-making and far too often he opted for the contested shot over making a simple read and kick.
- Turnover-prone. He often tries to dribble into space that doesn’t exist. He has a tendency to charge recklessly to the basket, leading to charges. His passing is fairly sloppy and defenders are able to pick his passes off fairly easily.
- Raw defender. He lacks the strength to bang with larger post players and he makes up for it by fouling with jostling for position. He doesn’t recover well on plays and doesn’t have the best awareness.
Upside:
- Jerami Grant
- Marvin Bagley
- Kelly Oubre
Notes:
When it comes to dynamic athleticism, few in this draft class can hold up to Greg Brown. The forward out of Texas is an elite athlete who makes use of his explosiveness in every facet of his game. His driving, finishing, and defensive abilities are all based on his incredible burst and elite vertical. While his overall basketball skill may not be quite on the same level as his athleticism, the rationale behind drafting Brown would be that skill can be taught and developed while athleticism cannot.
It is important to note that any teams interested in Brown are much more interested in his potential than they are in who he is as a player now. Brown is incredibly raw and has a ways to go in developing his shooting, decision-making, and defensive skills. He wasn’t very efficient from anywhere on the floor during his one season at Texas and the only stats jumping out from his statline are his fouls and turnovers. Brown would definitely be considered a project prospect and likely won’t be a high-impact contributor right away. With that said, he has all the tools, especially the physical ones, to be an incredibly good player.
