Prospect Analysis: Jaylen Brown with Player Comparison
At 6’7” and 223 pounds, Jaylen Brown is an extremely well-rounded and intriguing prospect for NBA scouts.
19-year-old, small forward Jaylen Brown just about has it all. Brown has the size, the strength, the athleticism, and well, he’s intelligent. Last season at the University of California-Berkley, he averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 27.6 minutes played per game. Brown was named 2016 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and led his team to a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He took several Master’s degree courses as a freshman just to prove he could.
Upside: Size, Physicality, Quickness, Star Potential
Downside: Inconsistent jump shot, Play making ability, Risky
Watch Jaylen Brown absolutely shatter Richmond’s defense here:
I have a hard time making player comparison to Jaylen Brown because he’s such a unique prospect. Brown has practiced with Jimmy Butler, and I’ll admit there is some similarity in their playstyles. If you’ve seen Brown play, you know he likes to attack the rim. He’s not always fancy about it, but he can throw it down with force. Brown plans to model his NBA game after Kobe Bryant. He will be prepared to take the commanding role on a team.
Brown can be a little too aggressive and sometimes makes mistakes causing turnovers. He could potentially slip outside of the lottery because his shooting ability is limited, which to some scouts, makes him a bit of a gamble. I believe Jaylen Brown is the kind of ball player that does big things in the NBA under the right coaching staff, he has the tools!
In the upcoming NBA draft, Brown is likely to go in the top 10, possibly even the top 5. He could very well be a target for Nuggets’ GM Tim Connelly with the seventh overall pick.
You might find yourself asking, “Why draft another small forward when we already have Gallinari and Chandler is supposed to be back?” Well inquisitive individual, there’s really not a whole lot of downside to adding a 19 year old with star potential to your still-developing roster. He could very well become the starting small forward or even shooting guard after one or two seasons. Things change, rosters change… Denver has played their cards right so far and I’m sure they will continue to do so.
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Jaylen Brown has already had pre-draft workouts with both the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns. He is expected to work out with all teams in the top 8 of the draft order, and that includes the Philadelphia 76ers, who will have the first overall pick in the upcoming draft.