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DCZards wrote:

payitforward wrote:That's a little unfair, Zards.

For one thing, you're not closing the book on a 20-year old kid like Zhaire Smith, are you? For another, he is posting a .604 TS%. Finally, since he was injured all last year, in effect this is his rookie season, making the comparison a bit unequal.

In any case... you weren't calling for us to pick Tony Brown, Jr.!!

"Some of us" may have wanted Smith; "some of us" may have wanted to trade down, "some of us" might even have picked Mitchell Robinson w/o trading down. But, none of us -- no one I can remember -- ever suggested that we pick Troy Brown Jr.

Not even once. Not a single hint.

Hence, if picking Troy was the optimal move (which maybe it was), then we were all wrong, every one of us. You, me, nate, Nat, & everyone else.

Me unfair? On Christmas Day. Bah humbug. I just posted what a reporter who covers the G League wrote. So don’t shoot the messenger. Heck, I’m not even the messenger.

But the story does seem to make clear that it takes more than being a “great athlete”--which is what some here liked about Smith--to make it in the NBA.

Prior to that 2018 draft, I was touting Jalen Brunson as a surefire NBA player, who I thought would be drafted late first round or early second round. (He was the 33rd pick.). I loved Jalen’s sneaky good game with the ball in his hands, his poise and his high bball IQ. I was told by some here that Brunson wouldn’t make it in the NBA because he wasn’t a “great athlete” and didn’t have a “quick first step.” Well, he’s become a pretty good backup PG for the Mavs.

Yes, it's true that none of us was screaming for the Zards to draft Troy Brown Jr. I’ll be the first to admit that I’d never even heard of him. But it was apparent from watching film of him in college that, while not a great athlete, Troy had a very nice handle, was a good passer and had a high bball IQ.

In fact, Troy was not unlike Brunson in many respects.

The good news is that, regardless of what “some of us” wanted the Zards to do with their first pick in 2018, they drafted a young man who appears to be on his way to being a very good NBA player. We can all be thrilled about that.

Happy Holidays!

BearlyBallin wrote:

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Meliorus wrote:

BearlyBallin wrote:

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Under normal conditions, Troy Brown would start and coexist with Beal but Beal’s usage is too high. It’s the only way for him to play a deserved 36 minutes+.

DCZards wrote:

payitforward wrote:... you weren't calling for us to pick Tony Brown, Jr.!!

...Hence, if picking Troy was the optimal move (which maybe it was), then we were all wrong, every one of us. You, me, nate, Nat, & everyone else.

...Prior to that 2018 draft, I was touting Jalen Brunson ...I’d never even heard of (Troy Brown, Jr.). But ...In fact, Troy was not unlike Brunson in many respects....

DCZards wrote:Yes, it's been VERY encouraging to see how Troy has played in the last 2-3 weeks, especially on the offensive end. He missed training camp, preseason and the first few games, which is probably part of the reason for his slow start this season. But's Troy's come on strong lately. I'm particularly impressed by his improved shooting, including from the 3 pt line. What I like most though is Troy's ability to attack the rim off the dribble and score on layups & floaters. Hopefully, he'll soon start getting some of the fouls that refs have been overlooking.

Of course, we already knew he was a great rebounder for a SF.

nate33 wrote:Over the last 17 games, Troy Brown is averaging
14.4 points
7.7 boards
2.4 assists
1.5 steals
1.5 turnovers
.500 2P%
.360 3P% on 2.9 attempts
.776 FT% on 3.4 attempts
31.1 minutes

Per 36, that's
16.7 points, 8.9 boards, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals on a TS% of .553.

Much of our recent winning has been on the backs of underrated veterans like Ish and Mahinmi, and on older journeymen with expiring contracts having career years (McRae, Payton). That's nice and all, but it's not a foundation for a future. Troy Brown is the the single most promising storyline for the future of the franchise. He's very young and on a trajectory to be a quality starter for a long long time.

Our other youngsters have shown flashes, but none of them have yet demonstrated they are a pretty sure bet to be a quality starter on a winning team. Brown has.

payitforward wrote:

nate33 wrote:Over the last 17 games, Troy Brown is averaging
14.4 points
7.7 boards
2.4 assists
1.5 steals
1.5 turnovers
.500 2P%
.360 3P% on 2.9 attempts
.776 FT% on 3.4 attempts
31.1 minutes

Per 36, that's
16.7 points, 8.9 boards, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals on a TS% of .553.

Much of our recent winning has been on the backs of underrated veterans like Ish and Mahinmi, and on older journeymen with expiring contracts having career years (McRae, Payton). That's nice and all, but it's not a foundation for a future. Troy Brown is the the single most promising storyline for the future of the franchise. He's very young and on a trajectory to be a quality starter for a long long time.

Our other youngsters have shown flashes, but none of them have yet demonstrated they are a pretty sure bet to be a quality starter on a winning team. Brown has.

Not to mention that there are "youngsters" & then there's 20 years old in his 2d year! Kid's just terrific.

Btw, I have to give Thomas Bryant a little more praise than you do in this post -- he's shown more than "flashes." He had an outstanding season last year, by any measure, & it was 1500 minutes.

dckingsfan wrote:January
TS% .589
3P% .417

DRB% 22.8%
STL% 4.7%

nate33 wrote:What is Troy Brown's ceiling? Could he just keep getting better, year by year, until he becomes a Jimmy Butler type of player? He has a similar stature and style of play, only Brown is a bit longer (4 inches in standing reach) while Butler is more explosive (6 inches in standing vertical). Both are strong, stout players, good ball handlers, and have a pretty good midrange game. Neither were good shooters from long distance but got better with lots of work.

Butler always had a knack for using his strength to draw fouls. Brown will need to learn that trick.